Scott County is a county in Kentucky, United States, on the northern edge of the Bluegrass region. It had a population of 57,155 at the 2020 census and covers 285 square miles (740 km2), of which 282 square miles are land, centred near 38°18′N 84°35′W.
Georgetown is the county seat, and its postal code is 40324. The county has four incorporated cities, an unincorporated community list carried down from the earliest county surveys, and no civil townships. Scott County sits in the Eastern time zone and is part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Towns & Villages in Scott County
Scott County has four incorporated cities — Georgetown, Sadieville, Stamping Ground and Corinth — plus a long list of unincorporated communities, many of them former mill sites, rail stops or crossroads stores that never grew into towns. Unincorp. below means the place has no municipal government of its own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown | City · seat | — | 40324 |
| Sadieville | City | — | 40370 |
| Stamping Ground | City | — | 40379 |
| Corinth | City | — | — |
| Great Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oxford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clabber Bottom | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Delaplain | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Biddle | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Boydtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cranetown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Davis | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Double Culvert | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Duval | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Herndon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Indian Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Josephine | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lancelot Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Longlick | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mallard Point | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Minorsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Moon Lake Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Muddy Ford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Zion | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Newtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Paynes Depot | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Peak | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Porter | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rogers Gap | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sand Lick | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Skinnersburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stone Hedge Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stonewall | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Suterville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Turkey Foot | Unincorp. | — | — |
| White Sulphur | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Zion Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
Oxford is also known locally as Marion. Corinth straddles the Scott–Grant county line and is chiefly addressed through Grant County; its own ZIP is not listed under Scott County.
ZIP Codes
- 40324 — Georgetown (also serves most of the county’s unincorporated interior)
- 40370 — Sadieville (also serves the county’s northeastern communities)
- 40379 — Stamping Ground (also serves the county’s western communities)
Corinth uses a Grant County ZIP rather than one of Scott County’s own three, and most of the small unincorporated places above receive mail through whichever of the three Scott County post offices sits closest.
Geography
Scott County lies on the northern rim of the Inner Bluegrass, rolling limestone farmland cut by North Elkhorn Creek and Eagle Creek. The Kentucky River forms none of its border, but Elkhorn Creek’s forks drain most of the county toward the Kentucky River to the south. The terrain is gentler than the Knobs region farther south, with pasture and horse farms dominating the landscape around Great Crossing and Oxford.
Scott County borders Grant County to the north, Harrison County to the northeast, Bourbon County to the east, Fayette County to the south, Woodford County to the southwest, Franklin County to the west, and Owen County to the northwest.
Demographics
Scott County had 57,155 residents at the 2020 census. Georgetown and Sadieville are the county’s two largest incorporated communities by area; Georgetown is by far the largest population center, holding the majority of the county’s residents. Median household income has historically run above the Kentucky median of $61,118, reflecting Georgetown’s manufacturing base and the county’s growth as an outer Lexington suburb. Population density works out to roughly 200 people per square mile countywide, though most residents live in and around Georgetown rather than spread evenly across the rural townships to the north.
Economy & Local Life
Scott County’s economy is anchored by automotive manufacturing: Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky operates its largest North American assembly plant in Georgetown, alongside a cluster of parts suppliers that followed the plant to the area. Beyond manufacturing, the county keeps a strong Bluegrass agricultural base — thoroughbred and other horse farms, cattle, and row crops around Stamping Ground and Sadieville. Georgetown College, a private liberal-arts college founded in 1829, anchors the county seat’s downtown alongside the historic Great Crossing site on North Elkhorn Creek.
History
Scott County was organized on June 1, 1792, from part of Woodford County, making it one of Kentucky’s original counties formed the same year the state itself was admitted to the Union. It is named for General Charles Scott, a Revolutionary War officer who later served as Kentucky’s fourth governor. The Choctaw Academy operated near Great Crossing from 1825 to 1842, educating boys sent from the Choctaw Nation and other tribes under a federal treaty arrangement. During the Civil War, Scott County men served on both sides, with a larger number joining Confederate ranks than the Union army.
Getting There
Interstate 64 and US Route 25 cross the county through Georgetown, with US 460 and US 62 also serving the seat. Nearby cities:
- Lexington — 12 miles south
- Frankfort — 15 miles southwest
- Cynthiana — 20 miles northeast
- Williamstown — 18 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is Blue Grass Airport in Lexington.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Scott County, Kentucky?
It sits on the northern edge of the Bluegrass region, just north of Lexington and Fayette County, within the Lexington–Fayette metropolitan area.
What is the population of Scott County?
57,155 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Scott County?
285 square miles (740 km2), of which about 3.7 square miles is water.
What is the Scott County seat?
Georgetown is the county seat.
How many towns are in Scott County?
Four incorporated cities — Georgetown, Sadieville, Stamping Ground and Corinth — plus dozens of unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Scott County?
40324 (Georgetown), 40370 (Sadieville) and 40379 (Stamping Ground).
What is Scott County, Kentucky known for?
Toyota’s largest North American assembly plant, in Georgetown, and the Choctaw Academy, a 19th-century school for Native American students near Great Crossing.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kentucky.