List of cities in Kentucky
is a state in the United States. It has 419 active cities.
Classes
Since January 1, 2015, Kentucky cities have been divided into two classes based on their form of government:- First class – Mayor-alderman government
- Home rule class – All other forms, including Mayor-Council, Commission, and City Manager
The new system replaced one in which cities were divided into six classes based on their population at the time of their classification. Prior to the enactment of House Bill 331, over 400 classification-related laws affected public safety, alcohol beverage control, revenue options and others. Lexington and Fayette County are completely merged in a unitary urban county government ; Louisville and other cities within Jefferson County have also merged into a single metro government. However, under state law, both major cities retained their pre-merger classification before the new scheme took effect. The General Assembly had historically reclassified cities only when requested by the city government. If all cities had been reclassified in the pre-2015 scheme according to actual population, about one-third of classifications would have changed. In particular, Lexington would have been classified as a first-class city.
Although basic city classification changed in 2015, the old classifications will remain relevant for some time. Because many provisions of state law applied only to cities of certain pre-2015 classes, House Bill 331 was explicitly written to address such issues. In certain areas of law, class-based distinctions between cities have been replaced by population-based distinctions. In certain other areas that were more controversial, the pre-2015 status quo is being maintained through a registry of cities that were covered by prior laws.
At the time the new system went into effect, the state's two largest cities of Louisville and Lexington were the only ones classified as first-class. All other cities in the state are now in the "home rule class."
;Pre-2015 classifications
| Class | Population | Number of cities in class | Hypothetical number if reclassified by 2010 population |
| 1 | 100,000 or more | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | 20,000 to 99,999 | 13 | 16 |
| 3 | 8,000 to 19,999 | 18 | 32 |
| 4 | 3,000 to 7,999 | 112 | 57 |
| 5 | 1000 to 2,999 | 114 | 98 |
| 6 | 999 or less | 160 | 213 |
List of Cities
Click on the double triangles at the top of a column to sort the table by that column.- A All but two of Kentucky's county seats are cities. The exceptions are Whitley City and Burlington. Two Kentucky counties have dual seats of government: the seats of Campbell Co. are Alexandria and Newport and the seats of Kenton Co. are Independence and Covington.
- B Unless otherwise noted, population and area are given according to the 2010 U.S. census.
- C Dates are those of the most recent formal incorporation, according to the records of the Commonwealth of Kentucky's Land Office.
- D For municipalities located in more than one county, the primary county is listed first.
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