Kenton County is a county located in the northern part of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 169,064,^[1] making it the third most populous county in Kentucky (behind Jefferson County and Fayette County). Its county seats are Covington and Independence.^[2] It was, until November 24, 2010, the only county in Kentucky to have two legally recognized county seats. The county was formed in 1840 and is named for Simon Kenton, a frontiersman notable in the early history of the state.

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Kenton County
County
Kenton County Courthouse in Independence
Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
Kentucky's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°56′N 84°32′W
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
Founded	1840
Named for	Simon Kenton
Seat	Covington and Independence
Largest city	Covington
Area
• Total	164 sq mi (420 km2)
• Land	160 sq mi (400 km2)
• Water	4.1 sq mi (11 km2)  2.5%
Population  (2020)
• Total	169,064
• Estimate  (2023)	171,321
• Density	1,000/sq mi (400/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	4th
Website	www.kentoncounty.org

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Kenton County, with Boone and Campbell Counties, is part of the Northern Kentucky metro area, and is included in the Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Kenton County was established on January 29, 1840, from land given by Campbell County. It was named in honor of Simon Kenton, a pioneer of Kentucky.^[3][4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 164 square miles (420 km²), of which 160 square miles (410 km²) is land and 4.1 square miles (11 km²) (2.5%) is water.^[5] The county is located at the confluence of the Licking River and Ohio River, in the outer Bluegrass area of the Bluegrass region of the state. The elevation in the county ranges from 455 to 960 feet (139 to 293 m) above sea level.

As of the census^[11] of 2000, there were 151,464 people, 59,444 households, and 39,470 families living in the county. The population density was 935 per square mile (361/km²). There were 63,571 housing units at an average density of 392 per square mile (151/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.99% White, 3.84% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. 1.10% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

There were 59,444 households, out of which 33.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.10% were married couples living together, 12.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.60% were non-families. 27.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.11.

The age distribution was 26.30% under 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 31.90% from 25 to 44, 21.40% from 45 to 64, and 11.10% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $43,906, and the median income for a family was $52,953. Males had a median income of $37,845 versus $27,253 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,085. About 7.10% of families and 9.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.00% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Kenton County, Kentucky