Carter County, Kentucky

Carter County Education, Geography, and History

Carter County is a county located in the state of Kentucky. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 27,720. The county was created in 1838. The county seat is Grayson, Kentucky. Carter county is named for William Grayson Carter, a state senator at the time of the countys' creation.

Etymology - Origin of Carter County Name

William Grayson Carter (died July 11, 1849) was an American politician from Kentucky. William was the son of John Carter (from Loudoun County, Virginia) and Hebe (Williams) Carter, and a grandson of Colonel William Grayson. He was a Kentucky state senator from 1834 to 1838.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Carter County History

Carter county was formed in 1838. It is located in the Eastern Coal Field region of the state. The elevation in the county ranges from 542 to 1300 feet above sea level. In 2000 the county population was 26,889 in a land area of 410.60 square miles, an average of 65.5 people per square mile. The county seat is Grayson. The county seat is named for the uncle of William Grayson Carter; Robert Grayson.

The original courthouse was rebuilt in 1907

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 412 square miles (1,070 km²), of which 409 square miles (1,060 km²) is land and 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²) (0.6%) is water.

Carter county is located in east Kentucky.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Northeast: Greenup County
• East: Boyd County
• Southeast: Lawrence County
• South: Elliott County
• Southwest: Rowan County
• Northwest: Lewis County

Education

Carter County School District
Kentucky Christian University, located in Grayson

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