Nicholasville

Since the late 20th century, Nicholasville has undergone rapid growth; the population increased 440.23% between 1970 and 2020. Part of the Lexington–Fayette metropolitan area, the city serves as both a commuter town to Lexington and as an employment and shopping center in central Kentucky.

• Official Name — Nicholasville, Kentucky • Type — City • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — United States • Subdivision Type1 — State • Subdivision Name1 — Kentucky • Subdivision Type2 — County • Subdivision Name2 — Jessamine • Government Type — City commission • Leader Title — Mayor • Leader Name — Alex Carter • Established Title — Incorporated • Established Date — February 13, 1837 • Unit Pref — Imperial • Area Total Km2 — 38.45 • Area Land Km2 — 38.27 • Area Water Km2 — 0.18 • Area Total Sq Mi — 14.85 • Area Land Sq Mi — 14.78 • Area Water Sq Mi — 0.07 • Population As Of — 2020 • Population Total — 31093 • Population Density Km2 — 812.47 • Population Density Sq Mi — 2104.29 • Time Zone — Eastern (EST) • Utc Offset — -5 • Time Zone Dst — EDT • Utc Offset Dst — -4 • Elevation Ft — 994 • Postal Code Type — ZIP Codes • Postal Code — 40340, 40356 • Area Code — 859 • Custom Label Sec1 — FIPS code • Custom Label1 Sec1 — GNIS feature ID • Custom Data1 Sec1 — 2404379 • Pop Est As Of — 2022 • Population Est — 31955

Nicholasville was founded by European Americans in 1798, after the American Revolutionary War, and incorporated in 1837. The town was named in honor of Colonel George Nicholas, a father of the Kentucky Constitution in 1792. The Young House in Nicholasville is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The city has grown rapidly since the late 20th century and is working to accommodate new highways and transportation needs. Many residents commute to Lexington for work. Others are part of building Nicholasville as a center of retail services for the county.

Downtown Nicholasville is approximately 6 mi south of Fayette County. The city serves as a logistics and commuter hub between Lexington and Nicholasville's neighboring counties, especially Garrard County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.08 sqmi, of which 13.01 sqmi is land and 0.07 sqmi, or 0.52%, is water. Some artificial ponds, including Lake Mingo (named after the Native American Mingo people), are present in the city. Town Fork, a partially channelized stream, runs south and passes underneath downtown, eventually draining into Jessamine Creek.

Nicholasville is in the northern periphery of the humid subtropical climate zone, with hot and humid summers, cool winters, and occasional mild periods, especially in autumn. The city and the surrounding Bluegrass region have four distinct seasons that include cool plateau breezes, moderate nights in the summer, and no prolonged periods of rain, snow, or other severe weather.

As of the 2020 census, Nicholasville had a population of 31,093. The median age was 35.7 years. 27.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 86.8 males age 18 and over. 99.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.8% lived in rural areas. There were 11,769 households in Nicholasville, of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.9% were married-couple households, 15.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 12,356 housing units, of which 4.8% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.9%. Racial composition as of the 2020 census • Race — Number — Percent • White — 26,180 — 84.2% • Black or African American — 1,910 — 6.1% • American Indian and Alaska Native — 69 — 0.2% • Asian — 239 — 0.8% • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander — 24 — 0.1% • Some other race — 626 — 2.0% • Two or more races — 2,045 — 6.6% • Hispanic or Latino (of any race) — 1,572 — 5.1%

According to Census Bureau data for 2011 from the American Community Survey's five-year estimates, the median income for a household in the city was $43,453, and the median income for a family was $52,419. Full-time male workers had a median income of $37,954 versus $33,330 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,526. About 14.5% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.7% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

The city is home to the Kentucky Wine and Vine Fest. The annual festival showcases wines from commercial vineyards and amateur winemakers from across Kentucky and the surrounding region. In 2014, it was named as the "Official Wine Festival of Kentucky" by the Kentucky General Assembly. Nicholasville is near Camp Nelson National Monument and Camp Nelson National Cemetery.

• Illustration — Jessamine County Courthouse The Nicholasville government operates under a non-partisan city commission, which exercises both executive and legislative powers. The commission is composed of a mayor and four commissioners; all are elected at-large, requiring each candidate to gain the support of the majority of the electorate. In addition, the four commissioners are elected to manage particular city departments. They serve two-year terms; the mayor is elected to a four-year term. The commission wields all executive, legislative, and administrative powers. In 2012, there was a proposal on the ballot to change the form of city government to that of a mayor–council government, in order to separate the legislative and executive functions, but the proposal was defeated. Commissioners draft and pass laws and, by managing their respective departments, ensure the laws are carried out efficiently. The mayor administers oaths, signs documents on the city's behalf, and conducts commission meetings. As a member of the commission, the mayor has legislative powers equal to that of the commissioners. Commission meetings take place twice monthly.

Jessamine County Schools provides public education. Nicholasville Elementary School is located in the city. Other elementary schools in the city include: Brookside Elementary School, Red Oak Elementary School, Rosenwald-Dunbar Elementary School, and Hattie C. Warner Elementary School. The Warner school, located on Wilmore Road, is named for local teacher Hattie Catherine Warner (1886–1963) who taught for 46 years in Jessamine County. She graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in 1913 and is buried in the Maple Grove cemetery. Students attend county schools for grades above elementary grades. Nicholasville has a lending library, the Jessamine County Public Library.

• U.S. Route 27 is a major north–south artery. A four-lane arterial highway with a center-turning lane serves drivers from the Lexington city limits to the Business US 27 intersection north of the city center. US 27 diverts to the western edge of the city center on a four-lane, controlled-access bypass and continues south of the city toward the Kentucky River. • Kentucky Route 29 is an east–west two-lane highway that stretches from the western fringes of the city west of the U.S. 27 bypass to Business U.S. 27 in downtown Nicholasville. It is known as Wilmore Road west of U.S. 27 and east of Maple Street. • Kentucky Route 39 is a north–south highway that stretches from the farms south of the city before concluding at Business U.S. 27 at downtown. It is known as Maple Street, and as Sulphur Well Road and then Lancaster Road. • Kentucky Route 169 is an east–west highway that cuts through the city center. It has intersections with U.S. 27 and Business U.S. 27. It is known as Keene Road northwest of the city center, then 3rd Street, Richmond Road and Union Mills Road on the east side. • Kentucky Route 1980 is known as Ash Grove Road and travels into Fayette County to the east. It departs from U.S. 27 just south of the Lexington city limits. • Kentucky Route 3375 traverses west of U.S. 27, north of the city center, and is known as Catnip Hill Road.

• Richard J. Corman, founder of R.J Corman Railroad Group • Charles K. Duncan, U.S. Navy admiral • Lee Thomas Miller, country songwriter • John Michael Montgomery, musician • Lena Madesin Phillips, lawyer • Harry Dean Stanton, actor • John C. Watts, U.S. Representative • Bennett H. Young, Confederate officer involved in the St. Albans Raid