Lewis

Formed December 2, 1806 (48^th county)

Lewis County (13,079), Vanceburg (1,427)

The white columns of the 2004 brick Justice Center are unique.  It augments the 1939 stone Greek Revival courthouse next door.  They are at 2^nd and Market streets.  Kentucky State Highway 8 is two blocks to the south of the buildings.  The Public Works Administration designed this courthouse with an unknown architect.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  There was an 1864 courthouse also in Vanceburg.  The county was created on December 2, 1806 from Mason County as the 48^th county.  Poplar Flats (1806), Clarksburg (1810), and Vanceburg (1863) have all served as county seat.  The county is named for explorer Meriwether Lewis.  The county seat is named for settler Joseph Calvin Vance. 

Lewis County government consists of a County Judge Executive, a sheriff, a clerk, an attorney, a treasurer, a coroner, and an appraiser (executive).  It has 4 Magistrates (legislative.)  One Circuit Court Judge, Two District Court Judges, and One Family Court Judge serve Lewis and Greenup counties and a court clerk serves Lewis County (judicial.) The county lies on the northeast border with Ohio.  The Ohio River forms its northern border.  Cincinnati, Ohio is northwest and Huntington, West Virginia is southeast of the county.  The county center is 9.8 miles South-Southwest of Vanceburg nearer Kinniconick.  The county is surrounded by Ohio and Greenup, Carter, Rowan, Fleming, and Mason counties. 

The area of the county is 484 square miles.  It is 14 out of 120 in the state.  It ranks 83 out of 120 in population in the state.  It has a density of 27.0 persons per square mile making it 113 out of 120 in the state.  Lewis County has 11.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The county is shaped like a capital letter V.  Vanceburg is on the northern Ohio River border with Ohio.  Vanceburg is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 10.9% of the county population.  This county is in the Maysville Micropolitan Statistical Area.