Independence is a
home rule-class city in
Kenton County
Kenton County is a county located in the northern part of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 169,064, making it the third most populous county in Kentucky (behind Jefferson County and Fayette County). It ...
,
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
, in the United States. It is one of its county's two
seats
A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense.
Types of seat
The following are examples of different kinds of seat:
* Armchair, a chair equ ...
of government. The population was 24,757 at the time of the
2010 U.S. census,
up from 14,982 at the 2000 census. It is the third largest city in Northern Kentucky after
Covington and
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
.
The current mayor of Independence is Chris Reinersman.
Geography
Independence is located in central
Kenton County
Kenton County is a county located in the northern part of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 169,064, making it the third most populous county in Kentucky (behind Jefferson County and Fayette County). It ...
at (38.953668, -84.546990).
It is bordered to the northwest by
Elsmere, to the north by
Erlanger and
Covington, and to the northeast by
Ryland Heights. The western border of Independence follows the
Boone County line, and the city of
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
in Boone County borders the far northwestern end of Independence.
The original center of Independence is in the southeast part of the city, along Madison Pike.
Kentucky Route 17
Kentucky Route 17 (KY 17) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It connects U.S. Route 27 in rural Pendleton County to the Ohio state line in Covington.
Route description
KY 17 begins at an intersection with ...
, a four-lane divided highway, passes just east of the city center, leading north to downtown Covington and south to
Falmouth.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, Independence has a total area of , of which are land and , or 1.45%, are water.
Banklick Creek, a northeast-flowing tributary of the
Licking River, is the largest stream in the city, draining most of the area within the city limits.
History
The area post office was established by Isaac Everett in 1837 as "Everett's Creek"; in 1838, this was changed to "Crews Creek" (presumably after the present
Cruises Creek Cruises Creek is a stream in Boone and Kenton counties, Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Il ...
that is south of the city); in 1839, Thomas Hordern renamed it "Bagby".
[
In 1840, Kenton was formed from ]Campbell Campbell may refer to:
People Surname
* Campbell (surname), includes a list of people with surname Campbell
Given name
* Campbell Brown (footballer), an Australian rules footballer
* Campbell Brown (journalist) (born 1968), American television ne ...
and Boone counties
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
. Local farmer John McCollum donated a site at the center of the new county to be its seat of governance, and the name "Independence" was chosen to honor the liberation of locals from Campbell County. The post office was renamed the same year. Quickly settled, Independence was formally incorporated by the state assembly in 1842.[Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "Independence, Kentucky". Accessed 29 July 2013.]
Because the majority of the county's population resided along the Ohio River
The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...
, Independence was eventually obliged to share its status as county seat with the larger city of Covington, a situation later repeated in Campbell County between the centrally-located Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
and the larger, riverside Newport.
Demographics
As of the census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 14,982 people, 5,181 households, and 4,149 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 893.2 people per square mile (344.9/km2). There were 5,391 housing units at an average density of 321.4 per square mile (124.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.20% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.96% African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.18% Native American, 0.40% Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 0.36% from other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.15% of the population.
There were 5,181 households, out of which 44.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% were married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.9% were non-families. 15.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.4% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 35.3% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $51,002, and the median income for a family was $55,030. Males had a median income of $39,213 versus $26,807 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $20,191. About 5.4% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Major employers in Independence include Balluff, Cengage Learning
Cengage Group is an American educational content, technology, and services company for the higher education, K-12, professional, and library markets. It operates in more than 20 countries around the world.(Jun 27, 2014Global Publishing Leaders ...
, Krauss Maffei, Mazak, and Rotek.
Cultural
Independence is served by a branch of the Kenton County Public Library.
Schools
* Beechgrove Elementary School
* Community Christian Academy
* Kenton Elementary
* Simon Kenton High School
Simon Kenton High School is a high school located at 11132 Madison Pike in Independence, Kentucky. The school's mascot is the Pioneers.
History
On June 19, 1935, an application was filed with the Public Works Administration for Kenton County, K ...
* St. Cecilia Catholic School
* Summit View Academy
*Twenhofel Middle School
* Whites Tower Elementary
* Some members of the community are districted for Woodland Middle School and Scott High School as well.
Parks
* Lincoln Ridge Park
* Bowman Field
* Doe Run Lake
* Memorial Park
* Mills Road Park
* Pioneer Park
* Richardson Road Park
* Sterling Staggs Park
Fire
* Independence Fire District
Food
* Wendy's
Wendy's is an American international fast food restaurant chain founded by Dave Thomas (1932–2002) on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio. Its headquarters moved to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. As of December 31, 2018, Wendy's was the ...
* McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
* China King
* Skyline Chili
Skyline Chili is a chain of Cincinnati-style chili restaurants based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1949 by Greek immigrant Nicholas Lambrinides, Skyline Chili is named for the view of Cincinnati's skyline that Lambrinides could see from his fi ...
* Taco Bell
Taco Bell is an American-based chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell (1923–2010) in Downey, California. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Mexican-inspired foods, includi ...
* United Dairy Farmers
* El Rio Grande
* Subway
* Buffalo Wild Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings (originally Buffalo Wild Wings & Weck, hence the nickname BDubs, or BW3) is an American casual dining restaurant and sports bar franchise in the United States, Canada, India, Mexico, Panama, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and Unit ...
* Crewitts Creek
* Frisch's Big Boy
Frisch's Big Boy is a regional Big Boy restaurant chain with headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. For many years a Big Boy franchisee, in 2001, Frisch's became the exclusive owner of the Big Boy trademark in Indiana, Kentucky, and most of Ohio and ...
References
External links
Official website
Independence Fire District
41051.com - A community website for Independence, Kentucky
{{authority control
Cities in Kenton County, Kentucky
County seats in Kentucky
Populated places established in 1842
1842 establishments in Kentucky
Cities in Kentucky