{"id":3896,"date":"2023-06-10T08:58:38","date_gmt":"2023-06-10T08:58:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/?p=3896"},"modified":"2026-08-14T22:20:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T22:20:42","slug":"bourbon-county-kentucky","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/bourbon-county-kentucky\/","title":{"rendered":"Bourbon County, Kentucky"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Bourbon County is a county in Kentucky, United States, in the north-central part of the state along the Licking and Stoner rivers. It had a population of 20,252 at the 2020 census and covers 292 square miles (760 km2), of which 290 square miles (750 km2) is land and 1.9 square miles (4.9 km2) is water, centred near 38&deg;12&prime;N 84&deg;13&prime;W.<\/p>\n<p>Paris is the county seat, and its postal code is 40361. The county has 3 incorporated cities and 21 unincorporated communities, and it sits in the Eastern time zone.<\/p>\n<h2>Towns &amp; Villages in Bourbon County<\/h2>\n<p>Bourbon County has 24 named places on record: 3 incorporated cities (Paris, Millersburg and North Middletown) and 21 unincorporated communities and crossroads scattered across the county&#8217;s farmland. In the table below, &ldquo;Unincorp.&rdquo; marks a community with no city government of its own.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tv-table-scroll\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Place<\/th>\n<th>Type<\/th>\n<th>Pop.<\/th>\n<th>ZIP<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Paris<\/td>\n<td>City &middot; seat<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>40361<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Millersburg<\/td>\n<td>City<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>40348<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>North Middletown<\/td>\n<td>City<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>40357<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Austerlitz<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Blacks Crossroads<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Brentsville<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Bunker Hill<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Cane Ridge<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Centerville<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Clintonville<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Currentsville<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Escondida<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Ewalt Crossroads<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Hutchison<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Jacksonville<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Jackstown<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Kiserton<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Little Rock<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Monterey<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Plum<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Ruddles Mills<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Shawhan<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sidville<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Stony Point<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>Ruddles Mills is the corrected spelling of the community sometimes written &ldquo;Ruddels Mills&rdquo; on older maps; both refer to the same crossroads on the South Fork Licking River.<\/p>\n<h2>ZIP Codes<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>40361 &mdash; Paris (also serves most of central and eastern Bourbon County)<\/li>\n<li>40348 &mdash; Millersburg<\/li>\n<li>40357 &mdash; North Middletown<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The county&#8217;s smaller unincorporated communities do not have their own ZIP codes and use Paris, Millersburg or North Middletown addresses depending on location.<\/p>\n<h2>Geography<\/h2>\n<p>Bourbon County lies in the Inner Bluegrass region of north-central Kentucky, a landscape of rolling limestone farmland cut by the Stoner Creek and the South Fork of the Licking River. The terrain is gently rolling pasture and cropland rather than mountainous, and the county&#8217;s soils have long supported horse farms, cattle, and grain. Of its 292 square miles, 290 square miles are land and 1.9 square miles are water.<\/p>\n<p>Bourbon County borders <a href=\"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/harrison-county-kentucky\/\">Harrison County<\/a> to the northwest, Nicholas County to the northeast, Bath County to the east, <a href=\"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/montgomery-county-kentucky\/\">Montgomery County<\/a> to the southeast, <a href=\"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/clark-county-kentucky\/\">Clark County<\/a> to the south, <a href=\"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/fayette-county-kentucky\/\">Fayette County<\/a> to the southwest, and <a href=\"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/scott-county-kentucky\/\">Scott County<\/a> to the west.<\/p>\n<h2>Demographics<\/h2>\n<p>Bourbon County had a population of 20,252 at the 2020 census. Paris, the county seat, is by far the largest community, followed by Millersburg and North Middletown. Median household income in the county runs below the Kentucky median of $61,118, reflecting the county&#8217;s largely agricultural economy. At 20,252 residents across 290 square miles of land, the county&#8217;s density works out to roughly 70 people per square mile.<\/p>\n<h2>Economy &amp; Local Life<\/h2>\n<p>Agriculture anchors Bourbon County&#8217;s economy &mdash; the Inner Bluegrass soils support horse breeding farms, cattle operations, and grain and hemp cropland around Paris. Distilling has returned to the county after a long absence: roughly 26 distilleries operated here before Prohibition shut all of them down in 1919, and bourbon production resumed locally in late 2014 after a 95-year gap. Paris also serves as the county&#8217;s retail, government, and school-district hub.<\/p>\n<h2>History<\/h2>\n<p>Bourbon County was organized in 1785 out of Fayette County, then part of Virginia, making it one of Kentucky&#8217;s original nine counties when the state was admitted to the Union in 1792. It was named for the House of Bourbon, the French royal family, in recognition of French support during the American Revolution &mdash; the same association that later gave bourbon whiskey its name, after barrels stamped &ldquo;Old Bourbon&rdquo; were shipped downriver from the county. The Cane Ridge community in the county was the site of the Cane Ridge Revival of 1801, one of the largest camp meetings of the Second Great Awakening, held at the still-standing Cane Ridge Meeting House.<\/p>\n<h2>Getting There<\/h2>\n<p>Paris sits at the junction of US 27 and US 68, with KY 627 running south toward Lexington.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Lexington &mdash; about 18 miles southwest<\/li>\n<li>Georgetown &mdash; about 25 miles west<\/li>\n<li>Mount Sterling &mdash; about 20 miles southeast<\/li>\n<li>Cynthiana &mdash; about 20 miles northwest<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The nearest commercial airport is Blue Grass Airport in Lexington.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Where is Bourbon County, Kentucky?<\/strong><br \/>It is in the north-central part of the state, in the Inner Bluegrass region northeast of Lexington.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the population of Bourbon County?<\/strong><br \/>20,252 people, as of the 2020 census.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How big is Bourbon County?<\/strong><br \/>292 square miles, of which 290 square miles is land and 1.9 square miles is water.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the county seat of Bourbon County?<\/strong><br \/>Paris is the county seat.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How many towns are in Bourbon County?<\/strong><br \/>Three incorporated cities &mdash; Paris, Millersburg and North Middletown &mdash; plus 21 unincorporated communities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What ZIP codes are in Bourbon County?<\/strong><br \/>40361 (Paris), 40348 (Millersburg) and 40357 (North Middletown).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why is Bourbon County associated with bourbon whiskey?<\/strong><br \/>Whiskey barrels shipped downriver from the county in the 18th and 19th centuries were stamped &ldquo;Old Bourbon,&rdquo; and the name stuck to the spirit itself.<\/p>\n<p>More counties in this state: <a href=\"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/category\/kentucky\/\">Towns and villages in Kentucky<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bourbon County is a county in Kentucky, United States, in the north-central part of the state along the Licking and Stoner rivers. It had a population of 20,252 at the 2020 census and covers 292 square miles (760 km2), of which 290 square miles (750 km2) is land and 1.9 square miles (4.9 km2) is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"Towns & Villages in Bourbon County, Kentucky","_seopress_titles_desc":"Bourbon County, Kentucky: population, Paris the county seat, ZIP codes, bordering counties, towns and villages, and local history.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[6],"class_list":["post-3896","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-kentucky","tag-towns-and-cities","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3896","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3896"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3896\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9769,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3896\/revisions\/9769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3896"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3896"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3896"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}