Monroe

Formed November 2, 1820 (65^th county)

Monroe County (11,336), Tompkinsville (2,300)

The 1979 red brick Modern Georgian courthouse serves Monroe County.  Main, 2^nd, Magnolia, and 3^rd streets are the location of the city square for this facility.  Morton-Lyne & Associates are the architects.  Kentucky State Highway 100 is Main Street.  There was an 1822 and an 1887 courthouse earlier in Tompkinsville, the only county seat.  A bell sits inside the courthouse and the grounds feature veteran memorials, an eagle, and a military gun.  A Justice Center was added in 2011.  The county was formed on November 2, 1820 from parts of Barren and Cumberland counties as the 65^th county.  It is named for President James Monroe.  The county seat is named after Vice President Daniel D. Tompkins. 

Monroe County government consists of a sheriff, County Judge Executive, and 5 Magistrates.  One Circuit Court Judge and One District Court Judge serve Monroe, Clinton, and Cumberland counties.  The county is on the southern border with Tennessee.  Bowling Green, Kentucky is northwest and Lexington, Kentucky is northeast of the county.  The county center is 4.4 miles Northwest of Tompkinsville.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Metcalfe and Cumberland counties and Tennessee and Allen and Barren counties. 

The area of the county is 331 square miles.  It is 56 out of 120 in the state.  It ranks 93 out of 120 in population in the state.  M It has a density of 34.2 persons per square mile making it 101 out of 120 in the state.  Monroe County has 26.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The county is shaped like a dome.  Tompkinsville is in the southern third of the county.  Tompkinsville is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 20.3% of the county population.