Christian County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 census, the population was 73,955. Its county seat is Hopkinsville. The county was formed in 1797.
Christian County is part of the Clarksville, TNâ€"KY Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
The county is named for Colonel William Christian, a native of Augusta County, Virginia, and a veteran of the Revolutionary War. He settled near Louisville, Kentucky in 1785, and was killed by Native Americans in southern Indiana in 1786.
Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America was born in Fairview, Christian County, Kentucky, in 1808. United States Vice President Adlai Stevenson I was born in Christian County in 1835.
The present courthouse, built in 1869, replaced a structure burned by Confederate cavalry in 1864 because the Union Army was using it as their barracks.
The United States Supreme Court case Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514 (1972), arose out of a 1958 double-murder in Christian County, Kentucky.
In 2006 and 2008, tornadoes touched down across northern Christian County, damaging homes in the Crofton area.
In 2017, northwestern Christian County will experience the longest duration of totality in the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 that will cross North America. The center will be in the Bainbridge/Sinking Fork area of the county, on the Orchard Dale farm.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 724 square miles (1,880Â km2), of which 718 square miles (1,860Â km2) is land and 6.5 square miles (17Â km2) (0.9%) is water. It is the second-largest county by area in Kentucky and the largest in Western Kentucky.
Adjacent counties
- Hopkins County (north)
- Muhlenberg County (northeast)
- Todd County (east)
- Montgomery County, Tennessee (southeast)
- Stewart County, Tennessee (southwest)
- Trigg County (west)
- Caldwell County (northwest)
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 72,265 people, 24,857 households, and 18,344 families residing in the county. The population density was 100 per square mile (39/km2). There were 27,182 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile (15/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 69.92% White, 23.73% Black or African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.91% Asian, 0.32% Pacific Islander, 2.23% from other races, and 2.37% from two or more races. 4.83% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. This number, however, was estimated to be around 4% for a 2006 Census Estimate, according to the United States Census Bureau.
There were 24,857 households out of which 41.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.00% were married couples living together, 13.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.20% were non-families. 22.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the county, the population was spread out with 28.30% under the age of 18, 15.80% from 18 to 24, 30.10% from 25 to 44, 16.00% from 45 to 64, and 9.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 106.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,177, and the median income for a family was $35,240. Males had a median income of $25,063 versus $20,748 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,611. About 12.10% of families and 15.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.30% of those under age 18 and 13.50% of those age 65 or over.
Education
High schools
- Christian County High School
- Hopkinsville High School
- Fort Campbell High School â€" physically located in Tennessee, but serving the entire Fort Campbell base, and a member of Kentucky's governing body for high school athletics, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association
- University Heights Academy (private K-12)
- Heritage Christian Academy (private K-12)
Colleges
- Hopkinsville Community College (Website)
- Murray State University (regional campuses in Hopkinsville and Ft. Campbell)
Politics
Communities
Cities
- Crofton
- Hopkinsville
- LaFayette
- Oak Grove
- Pembroke
Census-designated places
- Fairview
- Fort Campbell North
Other unincorporated communities
Notable people
- Adlai Stevenson I, 23rd Vice President of the United States (1893-1897), was born in Christian County.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Christian County, Kentucky
References
External links
- Community Data and Relocation Info
- Economic Development Council- Hopkinsville/Christian County
- Chamber of Commerce- Hopkinsville/Christian County
- WHVO-AM (Local Radio Station)
- History of Christian County
-  "Christian. I. A S. W. county of Kentucky". The American Cyclopædia. 1879.Â