Greenup

Formed December 12, 1803 (45^th county)

Greenup County (35,970), Greenup (1,088), Flatwoods (7,324)

The stone Modern Gothic courthouse was built in 1938 and enlarged in 1963 and 1977.  The courthouse is on Harrison Street at Main Street.  Kentucky State Highway 2541 is Main Street.  The county was organized on December 12, 1803 out of Mason County as the 45^th county with Greenup as the only county seat.  The courthouse was designed by the Public Works Administration with an unknown architect.  An Annex augments the courthouse.  The grounds feature a gazebo and Liberty Bell.  A large quilt board sits in front of the building.  There was an 1811 courthouse previously.  The county and county seat are named for Governor Christopher Greenup. 

Greenup County government consists of a sheriff, County Judge Executive, and 3 Commissioners.  One Circuit Court Judge, Two District Court Judges, and One Family Court Judge serve Greenup and Lewis counties.  The county is on the northeast corner of the county on the border with Ohio.  The Ohio River is its northern and eastern borders.  The county center is 9.1 miles West of Greenup nearer Lynn.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Ohio and Boyd, Carter, and Lewis counties. 

The area of the county is 346 square miles.  It is 49 out of 120 in the state.  It ranks 30 out of 120 in population in the state.  It has a density of 104.0 persons per square mile making it 26 out of 120 in the state.  Greenup County has 52.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 23 crosses the county north to east from Ohio to Boyd County.  The county looks like a bowl tipping east.  Greenup is on the northeast center border with Ohio.  Flatwoods is in the northeast corner of the county.  Greenup is the county seat and Flatwoods is the largest city.  Greenup is 3.0% of the county population while Flatwoods is 20.4% of the county population.  This county is in the Huntington-Ashland Metropolitan Statistical Area.