Woodford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,871. Its county seat is Versailles. The area was home to Pisgah Academy. Woodford County is part of the Lexington-Fayette, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located in the center of the Bluegrass region of Kentucky.

History

The county was formed from a part of Fayette County, Virginia in 1788. It was named for William Woodford, an American Revolutionary War general from Virginia who died while a prisoner of war in 1780. It was the last of the original nine counties established that formed the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1792. Scott County was formed from part of the county in 1792. Franklin County took another part of the county in 1794. Queen Elizabeth II stayed in Woodford County at Lane's End Farm in May 2007. She also attended the Kentucky Derby in Louisville.

Pisgah Academy

Pisgah Academy was a school in Woodford County. It was established by Col. Alexander Dunlap. The Library of Congress has photographs of the church and academy. The Kentucky Historical Society has a photograph of the school building.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 192 sqmi, of which 189 sqmi is land and 3.3 sqmi (1.7%) is water.

Adjacent counties

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 23,208 people, 8,893 households, and 6,643 families residing in the county. The population density was 122 /sqmi. There were 9,374 housing units at an average density of 49 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 92.08% White, 5.41% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.13% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. 2.99% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 8,893 households, out of which 35.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.90% were married couples living together, 9.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.30% were non-families. 21.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.99. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.40% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 31.20% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 10.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $49,491, and the median income for a family was $58,218. Males had a median income of $39,284 versus $27,972 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,839. About 5.20% of families and 7.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.00% of those under age 18 and 13.10% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Tourism

Woodford County is home to one of Kentucky's oldest bourbon whiskey distilleries, Labrot & Graham (established 1812, now owned by Brown–Forman, which produces the Woodford Reserve brand); the Life Adventure Center, an equine and outdoor experience to assist youth affected by trauma; and the Kentucky Castle.

Education

Politics

Since 1956, Woodford County has generally voted Republican at the federal level. However, it sometimes votes for Democrats statewide, which it did for Andy Beshear in the 2019 and 2023 gubernatorial elections.

Notable residents

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities