Clark County is a county in Kentucky, United States, in the Bluegrass region a short drive east of Lexington. It had a population of 36,972 at the 2020 census and covers 255 square miles (660 km2), of which 252 square miles (650 km2) is land and 2.7 square miles (7.0 km2) is water, centred near 37°58′N 84°09′W.
Winchester is the county seat, and its postal code is 40391. The county has one incorporated city and roughly 40 unincorporated communities and place names, and no civil townships — Kentucky counties are not divided into townships. The whole county sits in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Clark County
Winchester is the only incorporated municipality in Clark County; every other place on the list below is an unincorporated community, hamlet, or historic place name recorded on county maps. Populations are shown only where a figure is verified; unincorporated places without their own census count are marked with a dash.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winchester | City · seat | 19,134 | 40391 |
| Agawam | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Becknerville | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Bel Air | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Bloomingdale | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Bon Haven | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Colby | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Colby Hills | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Elkin | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Flanagan | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Ford | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Forest Grove | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Forrest Park | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Goffs Corner | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Green Fields Estates | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Hampton Manor | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Hedges | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Hootentown | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Hunt | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Kiddville | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| L and E Junction | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Lisletown | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Locust Grove | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Log Lick | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Lyndale | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Meadowbrook | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Mina | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Mount Zion | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Old Pine Grove | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Pilot View | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Pinchem | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Pine Grove | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Rabbit Town | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Renick | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Rightangle | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Ruckerville | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Schollsville | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Sewell Shop | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Tebbs | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Thomson | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Trapp | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Vianna | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Wesleyan Park | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
| Wyandotte | Unincorp. | — | 40391 |
All of Clark County shares a single ZIP code footprint centred on Winchester — there is no second post office town in the county, so every unincorporated place above is served by the same 40391/40392 pair.
ZIP Codes
- 40391 — Winchester (standard delivery, covers the whole county)
- 40392 — Winchester (PO box only)
No other town in Clark County has its own ZIP code; every community listed above receives mail through one of the two Winchester codes.
Geography
Clark County sits in the Outer Bluegrass region on moderately rolling terrain that steepens toward the Red River Gorge country in its southeastern corner. The Kentucky River forms part of the county’s southern edge, and the Red River, Lulbegrud Creek, and Boone’s Creek also drain the county — Lulbegrud Creek takes its name from Lorbrulgrud, the fictional capital of Brobdingnag in Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. Farmland covers most of the county, with tobacco and cattle historically the leading agricultural products.
Clark County borders Bourbon County to the north, Montgomery County to the northeast, Powell County and Estill County to the southeast, Madison County to the southwest, and Fayette County to the northwest.
Demographics
Clark County had 36,972 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 147 people per square mile of land. Winchester, with 19,134 residents, is by far the county’s largest community; no other place in the county approaches that size, with the rest of the population spread across unincorporated communities and rural farmland. Statewide, the Kentucky median of $61,118 (2023 ACS) is the benchmark; Clark County, with a mixed farming, manufacturing, and commuter-to-Lexington economy, tracks close to that figure rather than the lower incomes typical of Kentucky’s Appalachian counties to its east.
Economy & Local Life
Clark County was historically an agricultural county, and farmland still covers roughly 95 percent of its land area, with tobacco and cattle as leading products. Manufacturing grew alongside agriculture from the 1950s and 1960s onward, and Winchester today anchors the county’s employment base along with Clark Regional Medical Center. The county is also known locally as the birthplace of beer cheese, a Bluegrass-region spread that Winchester celebrates each June with the Beer Cheese Festival.
History
Clark County was formed in 1792 from parts of Bourbon and Fayette counties, the same year Kentucky became a state, and was named for Revolutionary War hero George Rogers Clark. At least nineteen pioneer stations were established in the county during the Revolutionary War era, part of the wave of fortified Kentucky settlements of that period.
Getting There
Clark County is reached via Interstate 64 and U.S. Route 60, which both cross the county through Winchester.
- Lexington — 18 miles west
- Mount Sterling — 18 miles northeast
- Richmond — 20 miles southwest
- Paris — 20 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is Blue Grass Airport (LEX) in Lexington.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Clark County, Kentucky?
It is in the Bluegrass region of central Kentucky, just east of Lexington, with Winchester as its county seat.
What is the population of Clark County?
Clark County had a population of 36,972 at the 2020 census.
How big is Clark County?
The county covers 255 square miles (660 km2), of which 252 square miles is land and 2.7 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Clark County?
Winchester is the county seat and the only incorporated city in the county.
How many towns are in Clark County?
Clark County has one incorporated city, Winchester, plus around 40 unincorporated communities and historic place names.
What ZIP codes are in Clark County?
The whole county is covered by 40391 (standard delivery) and 40392 (PO box only), both centred on Winchester.
What is Clark County known for?
It is considered the birthplace of beer cheese, a Bluegrass-region spread, and hosts an annual Beer Cheese Festival in Winchester.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kentucky.