Winchester is a home rule-class city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Clark County,

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 Virgini ...

, United States. The population was 18,368 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lexington-Fayette, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area. Winchester is located roughly halfway between Louisville and Ashland.

History

It was named after

Winchester, Virginia Winchester is the most north western independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Frederick County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Winchester wit ...

Geography

Winchester is located northwest of the center of Clark County, east of Lexington and west of Mt. Sterling. Kentucky Route 1958 (Bypass Road) is an outer loop around the town. Kentucky Route 627 (Boonesborough Road) leads towards Richmond, to the south and

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

to the north.

U.S. Route 60 U.S. Route 60 is a major east–west United States highway, traveling from southwestern Arizona to the Atlantic Ocean coast in Virginia. The highway's eastern terminus is in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where it is known as Pacific Avenue, in the ...

(Winchester-Lexington Road/Lexington Avenue) runs through downtown Winchester.

Interstate 64 Interstate 64 (I-64) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States. Its western terminus is at Interstate 70 in Missouri, I-70, U.S. Route 40 in Missouri, U.S. Route 40 (US 40), and U.S. Route 61 in Missouri, ...

passes through the northern part of the city, with access from exits 94 and 96. The Mountain Parkway turns off I-64 just northeast of Winchester and leads east to

Salyersville Salyersville () is a home rule-class city on the Licking River in Magoffin County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. According to the 2010 census, the population was 1,883. History Early history After an attempt a ...

. 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 An economy is an area of th ...

, Winchester has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.67%, is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

system, Winchester has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

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 in ...

of 2000, there were 16,724 people, 6,907 households, and 4,620 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was . There were 7,400 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.94%

White White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 8.83%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.22% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...

, 0.81% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.60% of the population. There were 6,907 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% 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, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.93. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $31,254, and the median income for a family was $36,797. Males had a median income of $31,295 versus $21,747 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 $15,611. About 13.1% of families and 15.5% 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 ...

, including 21.1% of those under age 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Small business

Ale-8-One, a Kentucky-specific brand of soft drink, has been bottled in Winchester since 1926.

Arts and culture

Beer Cheese Festival

Winchester is home to the Beer Cheese Festival held annually in June. Beer Cheese was developed in Clark County near Winchester in the 1940s.

Historic sites

* Bluegrass Heritage Museum * Clark County Court House * Clark Mansion (Gov. Clark House) * Indian old fields *

Kerr Building The S. P. Kerr Building is a historic building on the northwest corner of North Main Street and West Broadway in Winchester, Kentucky. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property in the Wincheste ...

Leeds Theater The Leeds Theatre is a single-screen movie theater in downtown Winchester, Kentucky. One of Winchester's first movie houses, the theater was purchased by S.D. Lee, president of the Winchester Amusement Company on May 12, 1925 and opened with ' ...

Oakwood Estate The Oakwood Estate is a house in Winchester, Kentucky. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 as Alpheus Lewis House. It is a one-story home on a raised basement, with Greek Revival architecture, Greek Revival detail ...

* Old Providence Church * Winchester Opera House

Education

High school

Winchester students attend George Rogers Clark High School, located southwest of Winchester in Clark County.

Higher education

Winchester has been home to several higher education establishments.

Kentucky Wesleyan College Kentucky Wesleyan College (KWC) is a private Methodist college in Owensboro, Kentucky. The college is known for its liberal arts programs. Fall 2018 enrollment was 830 students. History Kentucky Wesleyan College was founded in 1858 by the Ken ...

was located in the city from 1890 to 1954. When Kentucky Wesleyan left, the local Churches of Christ organized

Southeastern Christian College Southeastern Christian College provided a two-year liberal arts degree and a three-year degree in biblical studies in Winchester, Kentucky from 1957 to 1979. Following its closure, the college formed a non-profit in 1983, the Southeastern Christ ...

on the former Kentucky Wesleyan campus. After Southeastern Christian College folded in 1979, the campus was preserved as a public park. Today, Clark County is home to the Winchester Campus of Bluegrass Community and Technical College.

Public library

Winchester has a lending library, the Clark County Public Library.

Transportation

runs east-west through the northern part of Winchester.

runs east-west through Winchester. Kentucky Route 627 runs north-south through Winchester.

Blue Grass Airport Blue Grass Airport is a public airport in Fayette County, Kentucky, United States, 6 miles west of downtown Lexington. Located among horse farms and situated directly across from Keeneland Race Course, Blue Grass Airport is the primary airpor ...

, 29 miles to the west, in the western part of Lexington, is one of the busiest commercial airports in the state. The

Louisville and Nashville Railroad The Louisville and Nashville Railroad , commonly called the L&N, was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1850, the road grew into one of t ...

had run trains east-west and north-south through Winchester. The last L&N passenger train was an unnamed

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state lin ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

remnant of the former Cincinnati -

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the c ...

Flamingo Flamingos or flamingoes are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbean) ...

;'' it was discontinued on March 7, 1968.

Notable people

Armstead M. Alexander Armstead Milton Alexander (May 26, 1834 – November 7, 1892) was an American attorney and politician from Missouri who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1883 to 1885. A native of Winchester, Kentucky, Al ...

(1834–1892),

congressman A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivale ...

from

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

Chilton Allan Chilton Allan (April 6, 1786 – September 3, 1858) was a United States Representative from Kentucky. Biography He was born in Albemarle County, Virginia on April 6, 1786, before moving with his mother to Winchester, Kentucky in 1797. He attende ...

(1786–1858), congressman from Kentucky * Yeremiah Bell, safety for the New York Jets NFL team * Rex Burkhead, running back for the Houston Texans NFL Team * George French Ecton, second African-American state legislator in Illinois *

John E. Fryer John Ercel Fryer, M.D. (November 7, 1937 – February 21, 2003)Birth certificate in the John E. Fryer archive at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Box 38 was an American psychiatrist and gay rights activist best known for his anonymous spee ...

, psychiatrist whose speech in 1972 as "Dr. Henry Anonymous" helped to get homosexuality removed as a mental disease from the

American Psychiatric Association The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is the main professional organization of psychiatrists and trainee psychiatrists in the United States, and the largest psychiatric organization in the world. It has more than 37,000 members are invol ...

's ''

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual The ''Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders'' (DSM; latest edition: DSM-5-TR, published in March 2022) is a publication by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) for the classification of mental disorders using a common lang ...

'' * Matt Ginter, Professional Baseball 1999–2010 (11 years) *

William Harrow William Harrow (November 14, 1822 – September 27, 1872) was an American lawyer and soldier who served as a Union general in the American Civil War. Early life and career Harrow was born in Winchester, Kentucky, United States of America, and wa ...

(1822–1871), Union general in the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...

Joel Tanner Hart Joel Tanner Hart (February 10, 1810 – March 2, 1877) was an American Sculpture, sculptor. Life and work Joel Tanner Hart

(1810–1877), sculptor * Joseph Jackson (screenwriter), film representative and most successful writers for Hollywood talking films. entered films in 1918 as publicity representative. * Preston Knowles, basketball player for the

University of Louisville The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of ...

* Homer Ledford (1927–2006), instrument maker and bluegrass musician *

Matt Long Matthew Clayton Long (born May 18, 1980) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Ezekiel Landon in the NBC/Netflix sci fi drama ''Manifest'' (2019–Present), and his roles in the television series ''Jack & Bobby'' (2004–2005), an ...

, TV's "Jack & Bobby", "Mad Men", "Helix". *

Captain John Strode Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

(1729-1805), founder of Strode Station, the first station in Clark County established in 1779 *

Claude Sullivan Claude Howard Sullivan (December 29, 1924 – December 6, 1967) was an American sports broadcaster. Born in Winchester, Kentucky, he did the play-by-play broadcasts of the University of Kentucky football and basketball games for nearly 20 years. ...

, sports broadcaster * Allen Tate (1899–1979), poet associated with the

Agrarians Agrarianism is a political and social philosophy that has promoted subsistence agriculture, smallholdings, and egalitarianism, with agrarian political parties normally supporting the rights and sustainability of small farmers and poor peasants ag ...

, a group of Southern poets, and most noted for " Ode to the Confederate Dead" *

Helen Thomas Helen Amelia Thomas (August 4, 1920 – July 20, 2013) was an American reporter and author, and a long serving member of the White House press corps. She covered the White House during the administrations of ten U.S. presidents—from ...

, White House press correspondent * Nettie George Speedy (1878-1957), journalist of Chicago Defender, founder of Chicago Women's Golf Club, the first woman to sit on the trustee board of Lane College, and the Pioneer of African American golf.

In popular culture

A 2018 episode of '' The Dead Files'' was filmed in Winchester.

Sister cities

Winchester has two

sister cities A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

, as designated by

Sister Cities International Sister Cities International (SCI) is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between communities in the United States and those in other countries, particularly through the establishment of " sister cities ...

: *

Ibarra Ibarra (which means ''alluvial plain'' in Basque) may refer to: Places * Ibarra Canton, Ecuador ** Ibarra, Ecuador, the capital of Imbabura Province and the canton *** Roman Catholic Diocese of Ibarra, inside the city * Ibarra, Gipuzkoa, a lo ...

, Imbabura, Ecuador *

Etawah Etawah also known as Ishtikapuri is a city on the banks of Yamuna River in the state of Western Uttar Pradesh in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Etawah District. Etawah's population of 256,838 (as per 2011 population census) m ...

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

, India

References

External links

* * * {{authority control Cities in Clark County, Kentucky Cities in Kentucky County seats in Kentucky Lexington–Fayette metropolitan area