Rockcastle County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,037. Its county seat is Mt. Vernon.
The county was founded in 1810 and named for the Rockcastle River, which runs through it; the river, in turn, is named for its 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.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.5%) is water.
Adjacent counties
National protected area
- Daniel Boone National Forest (part)
Demographics
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Rockcastle County has been a Republican stronghold since the 1880s. It has only voted for the Democratic presidential nominee four times: in 1868, 1872, 1876, and 1880.
Elected officials
{| class=wikitable
|-
| colspan="3" |Elected officials as of January 3, 2025
|-
! scope=row|U.S. House
| |Hal Rogers (R)
| |
|-
! scope=row|Ky. Senate
| |Brandon J. Storm (R)
| |21
|-
! scope=row|Ky. House
| |Josh Bray (R)
| |71
|}
Communities
- Brodhead
- Livingston
- Mount Vernon (county seat)
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Rockcastle County, Kentucky
- Rockcastle Regional Hospital and Respiratory Care Center
- Goochland Cave
- Rockcastle County School District