McKee is a home rule-class city located in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. 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.

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.

Kentucky Route 89 Kentucky Route 89 (KY 89) is a north–south two-lane state highway that runs from Kentucky Route 490 east of Livingston to Kentucky Route 627 in Winchester in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The highway goes through McKee, Irvine. The route inters ...

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 leads south from McKee 9 miles to Annville. According to the United States Census Bureau, 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, 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

* Daniel Boone National Forest * 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, 1.03% Black or African American, and 1.31% from two or more races. Hispanic 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 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 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 Owsley County is a county located in the Eastern Coalfield region of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,051, making it the second-least populous county in Kentucky. The county seat is Booneville. The 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 Laurel County is a county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 62,613. Its county seat is London. After a special election in January 2016 alcohol sales are permitted only ...

Rockcastle County Rockcastle County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Kentucky. Its county seat is Mt. Vernon. The county was founded in 1810 and named for the Rockcastle River, which runs through it. The river, in turn, is named ...

, 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,

, 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 Berea may refer to: Places Greece * Beroea, a place mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, now known as Veria or Veroia Lesotho * Berea District Romania * Berea, a village in Ciumești Commune, Satu Mare County * Berea, a tributary of the Va ...

), Baptist Health Hospital (

), Advent Health ( Manchester), Saint Joseph Hospital ( London) 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