| Official Name: | Cynthiana, Kentucky |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Name1: | Kentucky |
| Subdivision Name2: | Harrison |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Established Date: | 1793 |
| Area Total Km2: | 11.50 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 4.44 |
| Area Land Km2: | 11.37 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 4.39 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.13 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.05 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 6333 |
| Population Density Km2: | 556.99 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 1442.60 |
| Timezone: | EST |
| Utc Offset: | −5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | −4 |
| Coordinates: | 38.3861°N -84.2994°W |
| Elevation Ft: | 702 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP Code |
| Postal Code: | 41031 |
| Area Code: | 859 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 21-19432 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 2404172 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2022 |
| Pop Est Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Est: | 6441 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [2] |
Cynthiana is a home rule-class city[3] in Harrison County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 6,402 at the 2010 census.[4] It is the seat of its county.[5]
The settlement developed on both sides of the South Fork of the Licking River. It was named after Cynthia and Anna Harrison,[6] daughters of Robert Harrison, who had donated land to establish the town center.[7] Harrison County, on the other hand, was named after Colonel Benjamin Harrison, an early settler in the area who had served as sheriff of Bourbon County.[8]
Two Civil War battles were fought in Cynthiana. The first on July 17, 1862, was part of a cavalry raid into Kentucky (which stayed in the Union) by Confederate General John Hunt Morgan; the second, on June 11 and 12, 1864, resulted in Union defeat of Confederate forces during Morgan's last raid into the state.[9] [10]
On January 23, 1877, an LL chondrite meteorite fell in Cynthiana.[11]
On March 2, 1997, the South Fork of the Licking River flooded, causing extensive damage in Cynthiana and neighboring communities.
In early March 2020, near the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Cynthiana was reported to have the first case of the disease diagnosed in Kentucky. Four more cases soon followed, and by March 12, most businesses, schools and churches closed in an effort to prevent further spread.[12]
Cynthiana is located in southern Harrison County. U.S. Routes 27 and 62 pass through the city, passing west of the downtown area. US 27 leads north to Cincinnati and south to Paris, while US 62 leads northeast to Maysville and southwest to Georgetown. Lexington is to the southwest via US 27 or via Kentucky Route 353.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.5km2, of which 10.4sqkm are land and 0.1sqkm, or 1.09%, are water.[4] The South Fork of the Licking River, a tributary of the Ohio River, flows south to north through the city, passing west of the downtown area.
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Cynthiana has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[13]
Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport is a public airport located 2 miles south of Cynthiana. It consists of a 3,850 by 75 ft asphalt runway.[14]
Cynthiana is served by the Harrison County School District with a total of seven public schools located within the county limits:
Cynthiana has one private school:
Maysville Community and Technical College has an extended campus located in Cynthiana
Cynthiana has a public library, the Cynthiana-Harrison Public Library.[15]
As of the census[16] of 2000, there were 6,258 people, 2,692 households, and 1,639 families residing in the city. The population density was 1873.6sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 2,909 housing units at an average density of 870.9sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the city was 92.43% White, 5.29% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.81% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.41% of the population.
There were 2,692 households, out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.2% were married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,519, and the median income for a family was $34,691. Males had a median income of $27,704 versus $20,659 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,227. About 13.3% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.1% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.
3M established a factory in Cynthiana in 1969. Post-it notes were developed in 1972 by Arthur Fry and Spencer Silver. Until patents expired in the late 1990s, the 3M factory in Cynthiana was the only production site of Post-it notes worldwide. Today, it still accounts for nearly all of the world's production.[17]
The Cynthiana Democrat, owned by Paxton Media Group, formerly by Landmark Community Newspapers.Subscription-based weekly newspaper, printed every Thursday with in-home delivery.Has been in print since 1868. Also is available at www.cynthianademocrat.com