Rockcastle County, Kentucky

Rockcastle County Education, Geography, and History

Rockcastle County is a county located in the state of Kentucky. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 17,056.  The county founded in 1810. The county seat is Mt. Vernon. Rockcastle is named for the Rockcastle River which runs through it. The river, in turn, is named for its majestic rock cliffs.

Rockcastle County is part of the Richmond-Berea, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Lexington-Fayette-Richmond-Frankfort, KY Combined Statistical Area.

Etymology - Origin of Rockcastle County Name

The county is named for the Rockcastle River, which is a tributary of the Cumberland River.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Rockcastle County History

Rockcastle county was formed in 1810. This county is located in the Pennyrile and Eastern Coal Field regions of the state.  In 2000 the county population was 16,582 in a land area of 317.53 square miles, an average of 52.2 people per square mile. The county seat is Mount Vernon.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 318 square miles (820 km²), of which 317 square miles (820 km²) is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²) (0.5%) is water. The elevation in the county ranges from 810 to 1638 feet above sea level.

Rockcastle county is located close to the center of Kentucky. This county is nestled in the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains. Anglin Falls and Lake Linville are located in this county.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• North: Madison County
• East: Jackson County
• Southeast: Laurel County
• Southwest: Pulaski County
• Northwest: Lincoln County; Garrard County

Education

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