Cynthiana, Kentucky


Cynthiana is a home rule-class city in Harrison County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 6,402 at the 2010 census. It is the seat of its county.

History

Cynthiana was named after Cynthia and Anna Harrison, daughters of Robert Harrison, who had donated land for its establishment, though Harrison County was named after Colonel Benjamin Harrison, who was an early settler in the area and the sheriff of Bourbon County.
Two Civil War battles were fought in Cynthiana; the first on July 17, 1862, was part of a raid into Kentucky by Confederate General John Hunt Morgan; the second on June 11 and 12, 1864, resulted in defeat of Confederate forces on Morgan's last raid into the state.
On January 23, 1877, an LL chondrite meteorite fell in Cynthiana.
March 2, 1997, the South Fork of the Licking River which bisects Cynthiana flooded, causing extensive damage in Cynthiana and neighboring communities.
In March, 2020, Cynthiana had the first case of COVID-19 in Kentucky.

Geography

Cynthiana is located in southern Harrison County at . U.S. Routes 27 and 62 pass through the city, passing west of the downtown area. US 27 leads north to Cincinnati and south to Paris, while US 62 leads northeast to Maysville and southwest to Georgetown. Lexington is to the southwest via US 27 or via Kentucky Route 353.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which are land and, or 1.09%, are water. The South Fork of the Licking River, a tributary of the Ohio River, flows south to north through the city, passing west of the downtown area.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Cynthiana has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Transportation

U.S. Highways

Cynthiana is served by the with a total of seven public schools located within the county limits:
Cynthiana has one private school:
*
has an extended campus located in Cynthiana
Cynthiana has a public library, the Cynthiana-Harrison Public Library.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,258 people, 2,692 households, and 1,639 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,873.6 people per square mile. There were 2,909 housing units at an average density of 870.9 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 92.43% White, 5.29% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.81% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.41% of the population.
There were 2,692 households, out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.2% were married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,519, and the median income for a family was $34,691. Males had a median income of $27,704 versus $20,659 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,227. About 13.3% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.1% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

established a factory in Cynthiana in 1969. Post-it notes were developed in 1972 by Arthur Fry and Spencer Silver. Until patents expired in the late 1990s, the 3M factory in Cynthiana was the only production site of Post-it notes worldwide. Today, it still accounts for nearly all of the world's production.

Media

Newspaper

The Cynthiana Democrat, owned by Landmark Community Newspaper Inc.
Subscription-based weekly newspaper, printed every Thursday with in-home delivery.
Has been in print since 1868. Also is available at www.cynthianademocrat.com

Radio

Call signFrequencyFormatDescription / Notes
WCYN-FM102.3 FMCountry musicowned by Cumulus Media

Notable people