McKee is a home rule-class city located in the

Commonwealth of 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 ...

. It is the seat of Jackson County, KY. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 803. The city was founded on April 1, 1882 and was named for Judge George R. McKee. In 2019, the city held a vote regarding the sale of alcohol, which passed, making the city wet.

Geography

McKee is located in the central part of Jackson County, within the

Daniel Boone National Forest The Daniel Boone National Forest (originally the Cumberland National Forest) is a national forest in Kentucky. Established in 1937, it includes of federally owned land within a proclamation boundary. The name of the forest was changed in 1966 ...

U.S. Route 421 U.S. Route 421 (also U.S. Highway 421, US 421) is a diagonal northwest–southeast United States Numbered Highway in the states of North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana. The highway runs for from Fort Fisher, North Caro ...

passes through the center of town, leading northwest 34 miles to

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

and southeast 29 miles to

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

. Kentucky Route 89 runs north from McKee 28 miles to

Irvine Irvine may refer to: Places On Earth Antarctica *Irvine Glacier *Mount Irvine (Antarctica) Australia *Irvine Island *Mount Irvine, New South Wales Canada *Irvine, Alberta * Irvine Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom *Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotla ...

and southwest 24 miles to

Livingston Livingston may refer to: Businesses * Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010) * Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline * Livingston International, a North American custom ...

, while

Kentucky Route 290 Kentucky Route 290 (KY 290) is a north–south road in Jackson County, Kentucky. Its south end is in Annville on KY 3630 and the north end is in Downtown McKee on US 421. Route description KY 290 begins at an intersection with KY 3630 in Ann ...

leads south from McKee 9 miles to Annville. 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 ...

, the city has a total area of 2.33 square miles, of which 0.3 acres or 0.02%, are water. The city sits in the valley of Pigeon Roost Creek, which joins Birch Lick Creek at the western end of the city to form Indian Creek, a southwest-flowing tributary of the Middle Fork of the

Rockcastle River The Rockcastle River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed June 8, 2011 river primarily in Rockcastle County, Kentucky, United States. It is a tributary of the Cumberland Ri ...

, part of the

Cumberland River The Cumberland River is a major waterway of the Southern United States. The U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 8, 2011 river drains almost of southern Kentucky and ...

watershed.

Outdoor recreation

Public parks

* Bond Memorial Park * Jackson County Veterans Park * McKee City Park * Jack Gabbard Park

Lakes and reservoirs

* McKee Reservoir

Trails

* Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail * Big Turtle Trail

National protected areas

* Mill Creek Wildlife Management Area

Events

Jackson County Fair & Homecoming

This event is held annually on the Friday and Saturday before Labor Day. Festivities include 4-H craft exhibits, music entertainment, clogging, vendors, food trucks, and a parade.

Sheltowee Trace Artisans Fair

Local and guest artisans from across the state come to teach, demonstrate, and sell their crafts at this event, which is held during the first weekend in May.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, there were 803 people residing in the town. The racial makeup of the city was 97.65%

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 ...

, 1.03%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

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 ...

, and 1.31% 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 ...

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 0.85% of the population. The median age of residents was 40.9 years. The median income for a household in the town was $20,061, and the median income for a family was $21,289. About 40% 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 ...

. The median rental price in the city was $338 a month and the median house value was $107,000.

Economy

The Jackson County - McKee Industrial Development Authority (JCMIDA) assists with economic development efforts in the county. The authority manages several industrial parks within Jackson County, one of which is located in McKee. Major employers located in the city include: * Jackson County Public Schools * Peoples Rural Telephone Cooperative (PRTC) * Jackson County Fiscal Court * Umine LLC.

Utilities

Power in McKee is served by Jackson Energy, which is headquartered in the city and serves Jackson County and surrounding counties such as Lee County, Owsley County,

Clay County Clay County is the name of 18 counties in the United States. Most are named for Henry Clay, U.S. Senator and statesman: * Clay County, Alabama * Clay County, Arkansas (named for John Clayton, and originally named Clayton County) * Clay County, Flor ...

, Laurel County, Rockcastle County, and Madison County. Cable TV, internet, and phone in McKee is served by Peoples Rural Telephone Cooperative, which is also headquartered in the city and serves Jackson County, Owsley County, and

. McKee Water and Sewer also serves residents in the city.

Healthcare

McKee does not have a hospital. Nearby facilities include Saint Joseph Hospital ( Berea), Baptist Health Hospital (

), Advent Health (

), Saint Joseph Hospital (

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

) and, Rockcastle Regional Hospital. ( Mt. Vernon) Emergency medical services for McKee are provided by the Jackson County Ambulance Service. McKee does have a few primary care facilities which include the White House Clinic, McKee Medical Clinic, and Advent Health.

Education

Public education

The city is served by the Jackson County Public School system. The following schools operate within the city: * McKee Elementary School * Jackson County Middle School * Jackson County High School * Jackson County Area Technology Center

Public Library

* Jackson County Public Library.

References

{{authority control Cities in Jackson County, Kentucky County seats in Kentucky Populated places established in 1882 Cities in Kentucky