In the year 1772 Fincastle County became the frontier county of Virginia, extending to the Mississippi it embraced all of what is now Kentucky, and a part of Southwestern Virginia. The county of Fincastle was dissolved by legislative enactment of the State of Virginia December 81, 1776 at which time a portion of it became Kentucky County, Virginia. In May, 1780, Kentucky County was subdivided into three counties: Fayette, Jefferson Lincoln.
Fayette County embraced all of that part of the present State of Kentucky east and north of the Kentucky River and its Middle Fork. The bounds of Jefferson County were "that part of the south side of the Kentucky River which lies west and north of a line beginning at the mouth of Benson's Big Creek, and running up the same and its main fork to the head; thence south to the nearest waters of Hammond's Creek, and down the same to its junction with the Town Fork of Salt River, thence south to the Green River, and down the same to its junction with the Ohio."
Lincoln County included all of what is now the State of Kentucky not embraced in the counties of Fayette and Jefferson.
Nelson County was formed from a portion of Jefferson in 1784, and was the fourth county formed in the state.
On May 1, 1785, Fayette County was divided into two counties, the northern portion being called Bourbon, and the southern portion retaining the name Fayette. Bourbon was the fifth county.
Mercer County was established by the State of Virginia in 1785 and was cut from Lincoln County. It was the sixth county formed in the state.
Madison County was the seventh county and was carved from Lincoln County and established in 1785.
On May 1, 1788, Mason County was formed out of territory taken from Bourbon. The new county embraced all of the territory in Eastern Kentucky, and Northern Kentucky to the mouth of the Licking River. It was the eighth county formed by Virginia.
Formation of Kentucky Counties
- Jefferson from Kentucky, 1780*
- Fayette from Kentucky, 1780*
- Lincoln from Kentucky 1780*
- Nelson from Jefferson 1784*
- Bourbon from Fayette, 1786*
- Mercer from Lincoln, 1785*
- Madison from Lincoln, 1785*
- Mason from Bourbon, 1788*
- Woodford from Fayette, 1788*
- Washington from Nelson, 1792
- Scott from Woodlord, 1792
- Shelby from Jefferson, 1792
- Logan from Lincoln 1792
- Clark from Fayette and Bourbon,1792
- Hardin from Nelson 1792
- Green from Lincoln and Nelson 1792
- Christian from Logan 1792
- Harrison from Bourbon and Scott 1793
- Franklin .from Woodford, Mercer and Shelby 1794
- Campbell from Harrison, Scott and Mason 1794
- Bullitt from Jefferson and Nelson, 1796
- Montgomery. from Clark, 1796
- Bracken from Mason and Campbell 1796
- Warren from Logan 1796
- Garrard from Mercer, Lincoln and Madison 1796
- Fleming from Mason 1798
- Pulaski from Lincoln and Green 1798
- Pendleton from Bracken and Campbell, 1798
- Livingston from Christian, 1798
- Boone from Campbell, 1798
- Henry from Shelby 1798
- Cumberland from Green 1798
- Gallatin from Franklin and Shelby 1798
- Muhlenburg from Logan and Christian, 1798
- Ohio from Hardin 1798
- Jessamine from Fayette,1798
- Barren from Warren and Green 1798
- Henderson from Christian 1798
- Breckinridge from Hardin 1799
- Floyd from Fleming, Montgomery and Mason 1799
- Knox from Lincoln 1799
- Nicholas from Bourbon and Mason 1799
- Wayne from Pulaski and Cumberland 1800
- Adair from Green 1801
- Greenup from Mason 1803
- Casey from Lincoln 1806
- Clay from Madison, Knox and Floyd 1806
- Lewis from Mason 1806
- Hopkins from Henderson 1806
- Estill from Madison and Clark 1808
- Caldwell from Livingston 1809
- Rockcastle from Lincoln, Pulaski, Madison and Knox 1810
- Butler from Logan and Ohio 1810
- Grayson from Hardin and Ohio 1810
- Union from Henderson, 1811
- Bath from Montgomery 1811
- Allen from Warren and Barren 1815
- Daviess from Ohio 1815
- Whitley from Knox 1818
- Harlan from Floyd and Knox 1819
- Hart from Hardin and Barren 1819
- Owen from Scott, Franklin and Gallatin 1819
- Simpson from Logan and Christian 1819
- Todd from Logan and Christian 1819
- Monroe from Barren and Cumberland 1820
- Trigg from Christian and Caldwell 1820
- Grant from Pendleton 1820
- Perry from Clay and Floyd 1820
- Lawrence from Greenup and Floyd 1821
- Pike from Floyd, 1821
- Hickman from Caldwell and Livingston, 1821
- Calloway from Hickman, 1822
- Morgan from Floyd and Bath, 1822
- Oldham from Jefferson, Shelby and Henry 1823
- Graves from Hickman 1823
- Meade from Hardin and Breckinridge 1823
- Spencer from Nelson, Shelby and Bullitt, 1824
- McCracken from Hickman 1824
- Edmondson from Warren, Hart and Grayson 1825
- Laurel from Rockcastle, Clay, Knox and Whitley, 1825
- Russell from Adair, Wayne and Cumberland, 1825
- Anderson from Franklin, Mercer and Washington, 1827
- Hancock from Breckinridge, Daviess and Ohio 1829
- Marion from Washington 1834
- Clinton from Wayne and Cumberland 1835
- Trimble from Gallatin, Henry and Oldham, 1837
- Carroll from Gallatin, Henry and Trimble ,1838
- Carter from Greenup and Lawrence, 1838
- Breathitt from Clay, Perry and Estill 1839
- Kenton from Campbell 1840
- Crittenden from Livingston, 1842
- Marshall from Calloway 1842
- Ballard from Hickman and McCracken 1842
- Boyle from Mercer and Lincoln 1842
- Letcher from Perry and Harlan 1842
- Owsley from Clay, Estill and Breathitt 1843
- Johnson from Floyd, Lawrence and Morgan 1843
- Larue from Hardin 1843
- Fulton from Hickman 1845
- Taylor from Green 1848
- Powell from Montgomery, Clark and Estill 1852
- Lyon from Caldwell 1854
- McLean from Daviess, Muhlenburg and Ohio 1854
- Rowan from Fleming and Morgan 1856
- Jackson from Estill, Owsley, Clay, Laurel, Rockcastle and Madison 1858
- Metcalfe from Barren, Green, Adair, Cumberland and Monroe 1860
- Boyd from Greenup, Carter and Lawrence 1860
- Magoffin from Morgan, Johnson and Floyd, 1860
- Webster from Hopkins, Henderson and Union 1860
- Wolfe from Morgan, Breathitt, Owsley and Powell 1860
- Robertson from Nicholas, Harrison, Bracken and Mason1867
- Bell from Harlan and Knox 1867
- Menifee from Bath, Morgan, Powell, Montgomery and Wolfe 1869
- Elliott from Morgan, Carter and Lawrence 1869
- Lee from Owsley, Estill, Wolfe and Breathitt1870
- Martin from Pike, Johnson, Floyd and Lawrence 1870
- Leslie from Clay, Perry and Harlan 1878
- Knott from Perry, Floyd, Letcher and Breathitt 1884
- Carlisle from Ballard 1886
- McCreary from Pulaski, Wayne and Whitley 1912
*Counties formed by State of Virginia