Grayson, Kentucky

Not to be confused with Grayson County, Kentucky.

City in Kentucky, United States

Grayson, Kentucky

City

Carter County Courthouse in Grayson

Motto:

"Heart of the parks"

Location of Grayson in Carter County, Kentucky.

Coordinates: 38°19′55″N 82°56′14″W﻿ / ﻿38.33194°N 82.93722°W﻿ / 38.33194; -82.93722
Country| United States
State| Kentucky
County| Carter
Named for| landowner William Grayson
Government

• Mayor| Troy Combs
Area

[1]

• Total| 2.83 sq mi (7.32 km2)
• Land| 2.77 sq mi (7.17 km2)
• Water| 0.06 sq mi (0.15 km2)
Elevation

[2]

| 584 ft (178 m)
Population

(2020)

• Total| 3,834
• Estimate

(2022)[3]

| 3,820
• Density| 1,384.12/sq mi (534.47/km2)
Time zone| UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)| UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code|

41143

Area code| 606
FIPS code| 21-32572
GNIS feature ID| 2403732[2]
Website| graysonky.net

Grayson is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Carter County, Kentucky, United States,[4] on U.S. Route 60 and Interstate 64 in the state's northeastern region. It is approximately 21 miles west of Ashland. Within the city limits, the population was 4,217 at the 2010 census.[5] Along with Carter County, the city is closely associated with the nearby Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area and is often erroneously included in the MSA being just 9 miles west of the M.S.A's western boundary. [citation needed]

The city has grown in size substantially since the opening of Interstate 64 in 1975 through Carter County. Immediately afterwards, Grayson experienced several years of commercial sector growth, mainly to serve the Interstate 64 traffic. Since 1990, the city has also seen significant growth in the residential sector with the Interstate making for a faster trip to and from Ashland. Beginning in 1995, AA Highway terminates in Grayson making the city a gateway to the Huntington-Ashland urban area.

## History[edit]

After the Revolutionary War, George Washington's aide-de-camp Col. William Grayson received a 70,000-acre (280 km2) tract of land for his service during the war from the state of Virginia.[6] By 1838, a small portion of this tract was set aside for the development of a town named for him. Although Grayson had only five streets and eighty lots, it was established by the General Assembly on February 6, 1844, and it was incorporated on February 22, 1860.[7][8] Grayson, Kentucky was a stop on the Eastern Kentucky Railway.[9][10]

## Geography[edit]

Grayson is located in east-central Carter County along the Little Sandy River, a tributary of the Ohio River.

Route 60 passes through the city as Main Street and is intersected in downtown by Kentucky Routes 1 and 7 (Carol Malone Boulevard). Interstate 64 runs through the northern end of the city, with access to KY 7 at Exit 172. Kentucky Route 9, the AA Highway, begins from KY 1-and-7 just north of the city limits and runs 111 miles (179 km) to the Cincinnati area. Huntington, West Virginia, is 29 miles (47 km) east of Grayson via I-64, and Lexington is 96 miles (154 km) to the west.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Grayson has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.5 km2), of which 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2) is land and 0.039 square miles (0.1 km2), or 1.95%, is water.[5]

### Climate[edit]

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Grayson has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[11] Since 2002, nine different severe storms have struck Grayson, with each storm causing enough damage to warrant federal assistance for disaster recovery.[12]

## Education[edit]

Grayson is served by the Carter County School District. Schools located within the city includes:

* Heritage Elementary School
* Prichard Elementary School
* East Carter Middle School
* East Carter High School

The campus of Kentucky Christian University (formerly Kentucky Christian College) is located in Grayson.

Grayson has a lending library, a branch of the Carter County Public Library.[13]

## Demographics[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1870| 152| | —
1880| 447| | 194.1%
1890| 433| | −3.1%
1900| 606| | 40.0%
1910| 735| | 21.3%
1920| 822| | 11.8%
1930| 1,022| | 24.3%
1940| 1,176| | 15.1%
1950| 1,363| | 15.9%
1960| 1,692| | 24.1%
1970| 2,184| | 29.1%
1980| 3,423| | 56.7%
1990| 3,510| | 2.5%
2000| 3,877| | 10.5%
2010| 4,217| | 8.8%
2020| 3,834| | −9.1%
2022 (est.)| 3,820| [14]| −0.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[15]

As of the census[16] of 2000, there were 3,877 people, 1,415 households, and 938 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,549.1 inhabitants per square mile (598.1/km2). There were 1,538 housing units at an average density of 614.5 per square mile (237.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.32% White, 0.52% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races, and 0.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.77% of the population.

There were 1,415 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the city the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 19.0% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $19,683, and the median income for a family was $26,280. Males had a median income of $32,022 versus $18,875 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,879. About 27.7% of families and 31.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 44.8% of those under age 18 and 22.3% of those age 65 or over.

## Notable residents[edit]

* Charlie Borders, former Kentucky State Senator
* Montana Fouts, All American softball pitcher for University of Alabama
* Jason Smith, chef, TV personality
* Robin L. Webb, Kentucky State Senator and former Kentucky State Representative
* Jill York, former member of the Kentucky House of Representatives

## See also[edit]

* 1993 East Carter High School shooting, a school shooting that occurred in Grayson

## References[edit]

1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Grayson, Kentucky
3. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Kentucky: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
4. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
5. ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Grayson city, Kentucky". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
6. ^ Rennick, Robert M. (1988). "Place Names". Kentucky Place Names. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-0179-4. Retrieved on 9 October 2010.
7. ^ City of Grayson. Brochure. Retrieved on 2010-10-09
8. ^ Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "Grayson, Kentucky". Accessed 29 July 2013.
9. ^ Eastern Kentucky Railway.
10. ^ Eastern Kentucky Railway (2007, Baldridge, Terry L.)
11. ^ Climate Summary for Grayson, Kentucky
12. ^ Places in the U.S. Where Disaster Strikes Again and Again
13. ^ "Kentucky Public Library Directory". Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. Archived from the original on January 11, 2019. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
14. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Kentucky: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
15. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
16. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Grayson, Kentucky.

* City website

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Carter County, Kentucky, United States

County seat: Grayson

Cities|

* Grayson
* Olive Hill

Location of Carter County, Kentucky

Unincorporated
communities|

* Beech Grove
* Beetle
* Boone Furnace
* Carter
* Davy Run
* Denton
* Grahn
* Hitchins
* Mount Savage
* Norton Branch
* Rooney
* Rush‡
* Smiths Creek
* Soldier
* Straight Creek
* Willard

Footnotes|

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

* Kentucky portal
* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area

Principal cities|

* Ashland
* Huntington

Municipalities with population
over 5,000|

* Flatwoods
* Hurricane
* Ironton
* Nitro
* Pea Ridge CDP
* Teays Valley CDP

Municipalities with population
1,000–5,000|

* Barboursville
* Buffalo
* Burlington
* Catlettsburg
* Ceredo
* Coal Grove
* Culloden CDP
* Eleanor
* Greenup
* Grayson
* Hamlin
* Kenova
* Lesage CDP
* Milton
* Olive Hill
* Raceland
* Russell
* Rush CDP
* South Point
* South Shore
* Wayne
* Westwood CDP
* Winfield
* Worthington
* Wurtland

Municipalities with population
under 1,000|

* Athalia
* Bancroft
* Bellefonte
* Chesapeake
* Fort Gay
* Hanging Rock
* Lavalette CDP
* Poca
* Proctorville
* West Hamlin

West Virginia counties|

* Cabell
* Lincoln
* Putnam
* Wayne

Kentucky counties|

* Boyd
* Carter
* Greenup

Ohio counties|

* Lawrence

* v
* t
* e

Eastern Kentucky Coal Field region

Counties|

* Bell
* Boyd
* Breathitt
* Carter
* Clay
* Elliott
* Floyd
* Greenup
* Harlan
* Jackson
* Johnson
* Knott
* Knox
* Laurel
* Lawrence
* Lee
* Leslie
* Letcher
* Magoffin
* Martin
* McCreary
* Menifee
* Montgomery
* Morgan
* Owsley
* Perry
* Pike
* Powell
* Rowan
* Whitley
* Wolfe

Cities and towns
Over 10k|

* Ashland

Cities and towns
5k-10k|

* Corbin
* Flatwoods
* Hazard
* London
* Middlesboro
* Morehead
* Mount Sterling
* Pikeville
* Williamsburg

Cities and towns
1k-5k|

* Barbourville
* Beattyville
* Catlettsburg
* Clay City
* Coal Run Village
* Cumberland
* Grayson
* Greenup
* Harlan
* Jackson
* Jeffersonville
* Jenkins
* Louisa
* Manchester
* Olive Hill
* Paintsville
* Pineville
* Prestonsburg
* Raceland
* Russell
* Salyersville
* South Shore
* Stanton
* West Liberty
* Whitesburg
* Worthington
* Wurtland

Cities and towns
under 1k|

* Allen
* Annville
* Bellefonte
* Benham
* Blackey
* Blaine
* Booneville
* Buckhorn
* Camargo
* Campton
* Elkhorn City
* Evarts
* Fleming-Neon
* Frenchburg
* Hindman
* Hyden
* Inez
* Lakeview Heights
* Loyall
* Lynch
* Martin
* McKee
* Oneida
* Pippa Passes
* Sandy Hook
* Vicco
* Wallins Creek
* Warfield
* Wayland
* Wheelwright

Statistical areas|

* Ashland
* London
* Middlesboro
* Mount Sterling

See also|

* Kentucky portal

* v
* t
* e

Commonwealth of Kentucky

Frankfort (capital)

Topics|

* Index
* Cuisine
* Environment
* climate change
* Geography
* History
* History of education
* Music
* Mass media
* newspapers
* radio
* TV
* People
* Religion
* Symbols
* seal
* flag
* Theater
* Tourism
* tourist attractions
* Transportation
* Category
* Index

Society|

* Abortion
* Culture
* Crime
* Demographics
* Economy
* Education
* Elections
* Gun laws
* Homelessness
* LGBT rights
* Politics
* Sports

Regions|

* Allegheny Plateau
* The Bluegrass
* Cumberland Mountains
* Cumberland Plateau
* Eastern Kentucky Coalfield
* Highland Rim
* The Knobs
* Mississippi Plain
* Northern Kentucky
* Pennyroyal Plateau
* The Purchase
* Ridge-and-Valley
* Tennessee Valley
* Western Coal Fields

25 largest
cities|

* Louisville
* Lexington
* Bowling Green
* Owensboro
* Covington
* Richmond
* Georgetown
* Florence
* Hopkinsville
* Nicholasville
* Elizabethtown
* Independence
* Henderson
* Frankfort
* Jeffersontown
* Paducah
* Radcliff
* Ashland
* Murray
* Erlanger
* Winchester
* Madisonville
* Mount Washington
* St. Matthews
* Danville

Metropolitan
areas|

* Ashland
* Bowling Green
* Clarksville, TN
* Elizabethtown
* Evansville, IN
* Lexington–Fayette
* Louisville/Jefferson County
* Northern Kentucky
* Owensboro

Counties|

* Adair
* Allen
* Anderson
* Ballard
* Barren
* Bath
* Bell
* Boone
* Bourbon
* Boyd
* Boyle
* Bracken
* Breathitt
* Breckinridge
* Bullitt
* Butler
* Caldwell
* Calloway
* Campbell
* Carlisle
* Carroll
* Carter
* Casey
* Christian
* Clark
* Clay
* Clinton
* Crittenden
* Cumberland
* Daviess
* Edmonson
* Elliott
* Estill
* Fayette
* Fleming
* Floyd
* Franklin
* Fulton
* Gallatin
* Garrard
* Grant
* Graves
* Grayson
* Green
* Greenup
* Hancock
* Hardin
* Harlan
* Harrison
* Hart
* Henderson
* Henry
* Hickman
* Hopkins
* Jackson
* Jefferson
* Jessamine
* Johnson
* Kenton
* Knott
* Knox
* LaRue
* Laurel
* Lawrence
* Lee
* Leslie
* Letcher
* Lewis
* Lincoln
* Livingston
* Logan
* Lyon
* Madison
* Magoffin
* Marion
* Marshall
* Martin
* Mason
* McCracken
* McCreary
* McLean
* Meade
* Menifee
* Mercer
* Metcalfe
* Monroe
* Montgomery
* Morgan
* Muhlenberg
* Nelson
* Nicholas
* Ohio
* Oldham
* Owen
* Owsley
* Pendleton
* Perry
* Pike
* Powell
* Pulaski
* Robertson
* Rockcastle
* Rowan
* Russell
* Scott
* Shelby
* Simpson
* Spencer
* Taylor
* Todd
* Trigg
* Trimble
* Union
* Warren
* Washington
* Wayne
* Webster
* Whitley
* Wolfe
* Woodford

Kentucky portal

* v
* t
* e

County seats in Kentucky

* Albany
* Alexandria
* Barbourville
* Bardstown
* Bardwell
* Beattyville
* Bedford
* Benton
* Booneville
* Bowling Green
* Brandenburg
* Brooksville
* Brownsville
* Burkesville
* Burlington
* Cadiz
* Calhoun
* Campbellsville
* Campton
* Carlisle
* Carrollton
* Catlettsburg
* Clinton
* Columbia
* Covington
* Cynthiana
* Danville
* Dixon
* Eddyville
* Edmonton
* Elizabethtown
* Elkton
* Falmouth
* Flemingsburg
* Frankfort
* Franklin
* Frenchburg
* Georgetown
* Glasgow
* Grayson
* Greensburg
* Greenup
* Greenville
* Hardinsburg
* Harlan
* Harrodsburg
* Hartford
* Hawesville
* Hazard
* Henderson
* Hickman
* Hindman
* Hodgenville
* Hopkinsville
* Hyden
* Independence
* Inez
* Irvine
* Jackson
* Jamestown
* La Grange
* Lancaster
* Lawrenceburg
* Lebanon
* Leitchfield
* Lexington
* Liberty
* London
* Louisa
* Louisville
* Madisonville
* Manchester
* Marion
* Mayfield
* Maysville
* McKee
* Monticello
* Morehead
* Morganfield
* Morgantown
* Mount Olivet
* Mount Sterling
* Mount Vernon
* Munfordville
* Murray
* New Castle
* Newport
* Nicholasville
* Owensboro
* Owenton
* Owingsville
* Paducah
* Paintsville
* Paris
* Pikeville
* Pineville
* Prestonsburg
* Princeton
* Richmond
* Russellville
* Salyersville
* Sandy Hook
* Scottsville
* Shelbyville
* Shepherdsville
* Smithland
* Somerset
* Springfield
* Stanford
* Stanton
* Taylorsville
* Tompkinsville
* Vanceburg
* Versailles
* Warsaw
* West Liberty
* Whitesburg
* Whitley City
* Wickliffe
* Williamsburg
* Williamstown
* Winchester

Kentucky portal

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Israel
* United States

Geographic|

* MusicBrainz area

*[Pop.]: Population
*[%±]: Percent change
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template