Bourbon County, Kentucky

Bourbon County, Kentucky
Bourbon County Courthouse in Paris
Location in the U.S. state of Kentucky
Kentucky's location in the U.S.
Founded	1785
Named for	House of Bourbon
Seat	Paris
Largest city	Paris
Area
• Total	292 sq mi (756 km2)
• Land	290 sq mi (751 km2)
• Water	1.9 sq mi (5 km2), 0.6%
Population
• (2010)	19,985
• Density	69/sq mi (27/km²)
Congressional district	6th
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website	www.bourbonky.com

Bourbon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 census, the population was 19,985. Its county seat is Paris.

Bourbon County is part of the Lexington–Fayette, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is the remnant of what was previously a much larger Bourbon County, established as part of Virginia in 1785, and comprising what are now 34 modern Kentucky counties. The area later became known as Old Bourbon in reference to its historical expanse. It was originally part of the French province of Louisiana, then after 1763 became part of Virginia, but was transferred to the newly formed Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1792.

The county is best known for its historical association with bourbon whiskey.

Bourbon County was established in 1785 from land given by Fayette County, Virginia, and named after the French House of Bourbon, in gratitude for Louis XVI of France's assistance during the American Revolutionary War. Bourbon became part of the new state of Kentucky when it was created in 1792.

The courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1872 and 1901, resulting in the loss of county records.

In 1780, Kentucky County, Virginia, was divided into three counties of Virginia: Fayette, Jefferson, and Lincoln, called the District of Kentucky. Formed in 1786 from Fayette County, Bourbon County, Virginia, originally comprised 34 northeastern counties of Kentucky's 120 current ones, including the current Bourbon County. The area later became known as Old Bourbon in reference to its historical expanse.