Mason County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,120. Its county seat is Maysville. The county was created from Bourbon County, Virginia in 1788 and named for George Mason, a Virginia delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention known as the "Father of the Bill of Rights".

Mason County comprises the Maysville, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN Combined Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.6%) is water. The county's northern border with Ohio is formed by the Ohio River.

Adjacent counties

  • Brown County, Ohio (north)
  • Adams County, Ohio (northeast)
  • Lewis County (east)
  • Fleming County (south)
  • Robertson County (southwest)
  • Bracken County (west)

Demographics

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Mason County was at the time of the Civil War the easternmost of the strongly secessionist Bluegrass bloc. Mason was in fact the most easterly Kentucky county to be represented at the Russellville Convention of 1861 to discuss the secession of Kentucky from the Union.

Mason County's secessionist sentiment meant that it voted Democratic consistently up until the 1950s, with the exception of the 1928 election when strong local anti-Catholic sentiment against Al Smith allowed Herbert Hoover to carry the county. Since 1996 the county has shifted more strongly Republican in US presidential elections.

Elected officials

{| class=wikitable

|-

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

|-

! scope=row|U.S. House

| |Thomas Massie (R)

| |

|-

! scope=row|Ky. Senate

| |Stephen West (R)

| |27

|-

! scope=row|Ky. House

| |William Lawrence (R)

| |70

|}

Education

Mason County Schools operates public schools.

Schools:

  • Mason County High School
  • Mason County Middle School
  • Mason County Intermediate School
  • Straub Elementary School

In 1990 the Maysville Independent School District merged into the Mason County school district.

Notable residents

  • Joshua Bean (c. 1818–1852), first mayor of San Diego from 1850 until 1851
  • Alvin Aaron Coffey Sr. (1822–1902) pioneer, homesteader, miner, and farmer in California; who was formerly enslaved
  • Albert Sidney Johnston (1803–1862), Commander of the Army of the Republic of Texas, Secretary of War for Texas, Commander of the Western Department for the Confederacy. Died at the Battle of Shiloh.
  • Judge Roy Bean (c. 1825 – 1903), Famous "Hanging Judge" of Texas (Law West of the Pecos).
  • Deron Feldhaus, basketball player, member of "The Unforgettables".
  • Chris Lofton (born 1986), played basketball for the University of Tennessee. 2003 Ky. "Mr. Basketball".
  • Darius Miller (born 1990), Played basketball for University of Kentucky. 2012 NCAA Champion, 2008 Ky. "Mr. Basketball." Played for the New Orleans Pelicans.

See also

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

References

  • Mason County government's website
  • Historical Texts and Images of Mason County
  • Mason County school district's website