Formed December 15, 1785 (7th county)
Mercer County (22,643), Harrodsburg (9,067)
The columns on the 2012 Colonial Revival courthouse stand out on the red brick and stone building. It is sited on a square at Main, Office, Chiles, and Short streets. United States Highway 127 is one block to the west. CMW, Inc., are the current courthouse architects. The courthouse features a tower with a working clock. Veteran memorials are on the grounds. There were 1789, 1817, and 1914 courthouses all in Harrodsburg, the only county seat. The county was created on December 15, 1785 and named for Revolutionary War hero General Hugh Mercer. The county was taken from Lincoln County as the 7th county. The county seat is named for surveyor James Harrod. Mercer County was the birthplace of 1 Kentucky Governor, Beriah Magoffin.
Mercer County government consists of a sheriff, County Judge Executive, and 6 Magistrates. One Circuit Court Judge, Two District Court Judges, and One Family Court Judge serve Mercer and Boyle counties. The county is sited in central Kentucky. Louisville, Kentucky is northwest and Lexington, Kentucky is northeast of the county. The county center is 6.8 miles Northwest of Harrodsburg nearer Bohon. The county is surrounded clockwise by Anderson, Woodford, Jessamine, Garrard, Boyle, and Washington counties.
The area of the county is 251 square miles. It is 86 out of 120 in the state. It ranks 52 out of 120 in population in the state. It has a density of 90.2 persons per square mile making it 37 out of 120 in the state. Mercer County has 44.4% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 68 crosses northeast to southwest through the county from Jessamine County to Boyle County. United States Highway 127 goes north to southeast from Anderson County to Boyle County. The county is shaped like a skinny pile of leaves. Harrodsburg is located in the southern quarter of the county. Harrodsburg is the county seat and the largest city. It is 40.0% of the county population.
Burgin
Harrodsburg
