McKee is a home rule-class city located in the

Commonwealth of Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

, United States. It is the seat and second-largest community of Jackson County. 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, United States. Established in 1937, it includes of federally owned land within a proclamation boundary. The name of the forest was ...

U.S. Route 421 U.S. Route 421 (also U.S. Highway 421, US 421) is a diagonal northwest–southeast United States Numbered Highway System, United States Numbered Highway in the states of North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana. The highwa ...

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

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and southeast 29 miles to

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

. Kentucky Route 89 runs north from McKee 28 miles to

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and southwest 24 miles to Livingston, while Kentucky Route 290 leads south from McKee 9 miles to Annville. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, 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 ...

, 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

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

Lakes and reservoirs

* McKee Reservoir

Trails

Source: * Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail * Big Turtle Trail

National protected areas

Source: *

* 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 chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.03%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, and 1.31% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino 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 ...

. 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, Fl ...

, 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 (

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), Baptist Health Hospital (

), Advent Health (

), Saint Joseph Hospital (

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

) 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