Northern Kentucky is an urban area in the
U.S. 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 ...
consisting of the southern part of the
Cincinnati metropolitan area
The Cincinnati metropolitan area (also known as the Cincinnati Tri-State area or Greater Cincinnati) is a metropolitan area with its Urban area, core in Ohio and Kentucky. Its largest city is Cincinnati and includes surrounding counties in the U. ...
. The three main counties of the area are
Boone,
Kenton, and
Campbell, all along the
Ohio River
The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...
across from
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
. Other counties frequently included in Northern Kentucky include
Bracken
Bracken (''Pteridium'') is a genus of large, coarse ferns in the family (biology), family Dennstaedtiaceae. Ferns (Pteridophyta) are vascular plants that undergo alternation of generations, having both large plants that produce spores and small ...
,
Grant,
Gallatin and
Pendleton. Of Greater Cincinnati's over two million residents, over 450,000 of them live in Northern Kentucky as of 2020, primarily in the northernmost counties. The largest cities in the region are
Covington,
Florence
Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025.
Florence ...
, and
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...
.

Historically,
Trimble,
Mason, and
Lewis Counties have also been included in the broader definition of Northern Kentucky. On July 17, 2019, Brent Cooper, a member of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, called for the Northern Kentucky community to consider reuniting three counties (Boone, Kenton, and Campbell) into one county to better reflect the region's common identity and strengthen its political voice and economic marketability.
History
The area was served by
ferry
A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...
service across the Ohio River until the completion of the
John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge (prototype of the famous
Brooklyn Bridge) in 1866.
Beginning in the 1970s, many factors combined to create major growth. The proximity to Cincinnati, the completion of
I-75
Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes and Southeastern United States, Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end ...
, the nexus of rail service and river traffic, the creation of several industrial parks, and the growth of
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) (located near
Hebron
Hebron (; , or ; , ) is a Palestinian city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Hebron is capital of the Hebron Governorate, the largest Governorates of Palestine, governorate in the West Bank. With a population of 201,063 in ...
in northeastern Boone County near the Kenton County line) drew many industries into the area. Its geographically central location (within of 80% of the US population) makes it ideal for distribution centers, and those shipping all over the country.
In addition to location, the Northern Kentucky area hosts several organizations that strive to enhance the quality of life and the local economy. The primary airport (CVG) serving
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
is located in Northern Kentucky.
Climate
Northern Kentucky is located within a climatic transition zone and is at the extreme northern limit of the
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
. Evidence of both humid subtropical climate and
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
can be found here, particularly noticeable by the presence of plants indicative of each climatic region; for example, the
southern magnolia
''Magnolia grandiflora'', commonly known as the southern magnolia or bull bay, is a tree of the family Magnoliaceae native to the Southeastern United States, from Virginia to central Florida, and west to East Texas. Reaching in height, it is a ...
, and
crape myrtle, from the subtropics and the
blue spruce,
maple
''Acer'' is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the soapberry family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated si ...
, and
eastern hemlock from cooler regions are successful landscape plants in and around Northern Kentucky. Some significant moderating variables for the overall climate of Northern Kentucky include the Ohio River, the region's relatively large hills and valleys, and an urban heat influence due to the proximity of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky metropolitan area. The
common wall lizard, introduced from Italy in the 1950s, is an example of fauna in the area that lends a subtropical ambiance to areas near the urban core of Cincinnati. Even though Kentucky as a whole is firmly considered Southern and part of the Upper South. Northern Kentucky is considered to be within the periphery of the
Upper South
The Upland South and Upper South are two overlapping cultural and geographic subregions in the inland part of the Southern United States. They differ from the Deep South and Atlantic coastal plain by terrain, history, economics, demographics, ...
and
Midwest
The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...
.
Attractions
Northern Kentucky contributes many attractions to the Greater Cincinnati community. Beyond the shops, restaurants, and riverside views of Cincinnati's skyline, some of the more well-known attractions are The Florence Speedway, MainStrasse Village,
Newport on the Levee (including the
Newport Aquarium
The Newport Aquarium is a public public aquarium, aquarium located in Newport, Kentucky.
Overview
The Newport Aquarium located within the Newport on the Levee shopping mall is owned by Herschend Family Entertainment. Newport Aquarium is an a ...
), and the
World Peace Bell. There are also several community playhouses and music venues, along with community parks, arboretums, and museums. Campbell County has some wineries.
Religious attractions of Northern Kentucky range from the historic churches of the older river cities, including the
St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and Mother of God Church, both in
Covington, to the
Ark Encounter
Ark Encounter is a Christianity, Christian theme park that opened in Williamstown, Kentucky, United States, in 2016. The centerpiece of the park is a large representation of Noah's Ark, based on the Genesis flood narrative contained in the Bible ...
in
Williamstown, south in Grant County. Florence is home to the Islamic Center of Northern Kentucky.
Education
Northern Kentucky has several schools of higher education, including
Gateway Community and Technical College,
Northern Kentucky University, and
Thomas More University.
References
Further reading
* WPA, ''Kentucky: A Guide to the Bluegrass State '' (1939); classic guide from the Federal Writers Project; covers main themes and describes every town and feature, with capsule historie
online
External links
Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau
{{Authority control
Geography of the Cincinnati metropolitan area
Regions of Kentucky