Adair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,903. Its county seat and only municipality is Columbia. The county was founded in 1801 and named for John Adair, then Speaker of the House in Kentucky and later Governor of Kentucky (1820–1824). Adair County has some of the few surviving American Chestnut trees in the United States.

History

Adair County was formed on December 11, 1801, from sections of Green County.

The courthouse on the Columbia town square, completed in 1884, replaced the original 1806 courthouse.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.7%) is water. It is part of the Pennyroyal Plateau region of Kentucky and is part of western Appalachia. Over 40% of the county's land is covered with timber.

| align-fn = center

| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<br />1790-1960 1900-1990<br />1990-2000 2010-2020

The racial makeup of the county was 91.6% White, 2.8% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.4% from some other race, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.4% of the population.

Its schools are:

  • Adair County Primary Center (Principal: Patty R. Jones; Asst. Principal: Laura H. Murrell)
  • Adair County Elementary School (Principal: Steve Burton; Assistant Principal: Sommer Brown)
  • Adair County Middle School (Principal: Alma Rich; Assistant Principal: Donna Young)
  • Adair County High School (Principal: Troy Young; Assistant Principal: Doug Holmes).

Politics

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Elected officials

{| class=wikitable

|-

| colspan="3" |Elected officials as of January 3, 2025

|-

! scope=row|U.S. House

| |James Comer (R)

| |

|-

! scope=row|Ky. Senate

| |Max Wise (R)

| |16

|-

! scope=row|Ky. House

| |Amy Neighbors (R)

| |21

|}

Voter registration

{| class=wikitable

! colspan = 6 | Adair County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment

|-

! colspan = 2 | Political Party

! Total Voters

! Percentage

|-

|

| Republican

| align = center | 9,431

| align = center | 68.91%

|-

|

| Democratic

| align = center | 3,414

| align = center | 24.95%

|-

|

| Others

| align = center | 433

| align = center | 3.16%

|-

|

| Independent

| align = center | 368

| align = center | 2.69%

|-

|

| Libertarian

| align = center | 31

| align = center | 0.23%

|-

|

| Green

| align = center | 7

| align = center | 0.05%

|-

|

| Constitution

| align = center | 1

| align = center | 0.01%

|-

! colspan = 2 | Total

! align = center | 13,685

! align = center | 100%

|}

Statewide elections

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

|+ Previous gubernatorial elections results

|- bgcolor=lightgrey

! Year

! Republican

! Democratic

! Third parties

|-

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|2023

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|68.06% 3,597

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|31.94% 1,688

|align="center" |0.00% 0

|-

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|2019

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|69.53% 3,946

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|28.65% 1,626

|align="center" |1.81% 103

|-

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|2015

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|66.33% 2,727

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|30.84% 1,268

|align="center" |2.82% 116

|-

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|2011

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|51.06% 1,877

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|43.69% 1,606

|align="center" |5.25% 193

|-

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|2007

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|67.75% 3,138

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|32.25% 1,494

|align="center" |0.00% 0

|-

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|2003

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|66.22% 3,085

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|33.78% 1,574

|align="center" |0.00% 0

|-

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|1999

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|28.84% 663

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|62.68% 1,441

|align="center" |8.48% 195

|-

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|1995

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|65.84% 2,951

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|34.09% 1,528

|align="center" |0.07% 3

|}

Communities

City

  • Columbia

Unincorporated communities

Below is partial listing of known unincorporated communities within Adair County. A more complete listing is available here.

  • Breeding
  • Crocus (partially in Russell County)
  • Glens Fork
  • Gradyville
  • Knifley
  • Neatsville
  • Pellyton
  • Sparksville
  • Cane Valley
  • Coburg
  • Holmes Bend
  • Kellyville

Notable residents

  • Thomas E. Bramlette, Governor of Kentucky
  • E. A. Diddle, men's basketball coach for Western Kentucky University
  • Janice Holt Giles (1909–1979), a writer noted particularly for her regional novels and nonfiction, lived in Adair County from 1949 until her death in 1979.
  • James R. Hindman, Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
  • Pinkney H. Walker, Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, was born in Adair County.
  • Evelyn West, burlesque actress
  • Frank Lane Wolford, U.S. Representative from Kentucky