Editing Florence, Kentucky

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Florence, Kentucky
| settlement_type    = [[list of Kentucky cities|City]]
| nickname           = 
| motto              = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = File:Florence Hotel, Florence Kentucky.JPG
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = Florence Hotel
| image_flag         = Flag of Florence, Kentucky.png
| image_seal         = 
| image_blank_emblem = Logo of Florence, Kentucky.png
| blank_emblem_type  = Logo

<!-- Maps -->
| image_map          = File:Boone County Kentucky Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Florence Highlighted 2127982.svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location of Florence in Boone County, Kentucky.

<!-- Location -->| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Kentucky]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Kentucky|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Boone County, Kentucky|Boone]]
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = [[Mayor–council government|Mayor–council]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.florence-ky.gov/government/city_council_members/index.php|title=City Council Members|publisher=City of Florence, Kentucky|access-date=December 19, 2019|archive-date=December 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219223957/https://www.florence-ky.gov/government/city_council_members/index.php|url-status=live}}</ref>
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = Julie Metzger Aubuchon<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tierney |first1=Grace |title=New Florence Mayor continues family legacy of public service |url=https://linknky.com/news/2022/12/21/new-florence-mayor-continues-family-legacy-of-public-service/ |access-date=January 19, 2023 |work=LINK nky |date=December 21, 2022 |archive-date=January 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119011114/https://linknky.com/news/2022/12/21/new-florence-mayor-continues-family-legacy-of-public-service/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| established_title  = Established
| established_title2 = Incorporated
| established_date   = 1830
| established_date2  = February 17, 1860

<!-- Area -->| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref>{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_21.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 18, 2022|archive-date=March 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319080929/https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_21.txt|url-status=live}}</ref>
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 27.78
| area_land_km2      = 27.72
| area_water_km2     = 0.07
| area_total_sq_mi   = 10.73
| area_land_sq_mi    = 10.70
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.03

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 31946
| population_density_km2 = 1152.58
| population_density_sq_mi = 2985.05

<!-- General information -->| timezone           = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset         = &minus;5
| timezone_DST       = EDT
| utc_offset_DST     = &minus;4
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name="gnis" />
| elevation_ft       = 883
| coordinates        = {{coord|38|59|29|N|84|38|46|W|region:US-KY_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]s
| postal_code        = 41022, 41042
| area_code          = [[Area code 859|859]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 21-27982
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2403620<ref name="gnis">{{GNIS|2403620}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|https://www.florence-ky.gov/}}
| footnotes          = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 2022
| pop_est_footnotes  = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2022/cities/totals/SUB-IP-EST2022-POP-21.xlsx|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Kentucky: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 26, 2023|archive-date=May 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230520211714/https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2022/cities/totals/SUB-IP-EST2022-POP-21.xlsx|url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_est     = 32618
}}

'''Florence''' is a city in [[Boone County, Kentucky]], United States,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.klc.org/UserFiles/files/ClassificationReformFACT(3).pdf |title=Summary and Reference Guide to House Bill 331 City Classification Reform |publisher=Kentucky League of Cities |access-date=December 30, 2014 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304130737/http://www.klc.org/UserFiles/files/ClassificationReformFACT(3).pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> part of the [[Cincinnati metropolitan area]]. The population was 31,946 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]],<ref name="QF2020">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/florencecitykentucky/PST045221 |title=QuickFacts: Florence city, Kentucky |access-date=January 1, 2022 |website=census.gov}}</ref> making it the second-most populous city in [[Northern Kentucky]], the [[List of cities in Kentucky|eighth-most populous city]] in [[Kentucky]] and the state's most populous that is not a county seat. Like all but the state's two most populous cities, Florence is a [[list of Kentucky cities|home rule-class city]] under Kentucky state law.

==History==
The Florence area was originally known as '''Crossroads''', because of the convergence of several roads from [[Burlington, Kentucky|Burlington]] and [[Union, Kentucky|Union]] at Ridge Road (now [[U.S. Route 25 in Kentucky|U.S. 25]]). By 1821, the area was known as '''Maddentown''' for Thomas Madden, a [[Covington, Kentucky|Covington]] attorney who owned a farm on the Burlington Pike. When Madden moved away, the area became known as '''Connersville''' in 1828 for Jacob Conner, a settler who assumed responsibility for the growing town. The town was finally renamed '''Florence''' because there was another Connersville in [[Harrison County, Kentucky|Harrison County]]. The name presumably is for [[Florence, Italy]], but the specific etymology is unclear.<ref name="encyclopedia">{{cite book |editor-last=Kleber |editor-first=John |title=The Kentucky Encyclopedia |chapter=Florence |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |date=1992 |isbn=9780813128832}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3Lac2FUSj_oC&pg=PA104 |title=Kentucky Place Names |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |date=1987 |access-date=April 28, 2013 |last=Rennick |first=Robert M. |page=104 |isbn=9780813126319}}</ref> It was incorporated on January 27, 1830, and grew quickly after the completion of the Covington-Lexington Turnpike in 1836.<ref>Boone County Historical Society. "Florence, Boone County, Kentucky". B.C.H.S. (Florence), 1958.</ref> Florence was also known as '''Stringtown''' at some point earlier than 1900.<ref name="encyclopedia" />

==Geography==
Florence is located in eastern Boone County. U.S. Routes [[U.S. Route 25 in Kentucky|25]], [[U.S. Route 42#Kentucky|42]], and [[U.S. Route 127 in Kentucky|127]] pass through the center of Florence, leading northeast in a concurrency {{convert|12|mi}} to downtown [[Cincinnati]]. Interstates [[Interstate 75 in Kentucky|75]] and [[Interstate 71#Kentucky|71]] pass through the western part of Florence, with access from exits 178 through 182.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|26.8|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|26.7|sqkm|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.1|km2|order=flip|2}}, or 0.43%, is water.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US2127982| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212182803/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US2127982| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Florence city, Kentucky| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=November 20, 2013}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1830 = 62
| 1850 = 251
| 1870 = 374
| 1880 = 309
| 1900 = 258
| 1910 = 250
| 1920 = 268
| 1930 = 450
| 1940 = 776
| 1950 = 1325
| 1960 = 5837
| 1970 = 11661
| 1980 = 15586
| 1990 = 18624
| 2000 = 23551
| 2010 = 29951
| 2020 = 31946
| estyear = 2023
| estimate = 34510
| estref = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2022/cities/totals/SUB-IP-EST2022-POP-21.xlsx|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Kentucky: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 26, 2023|archive-date=May 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230520211714/https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2022/cities/totals/SUB-IP-EST2022-POP-21.xlsx|url-status=live}}</ref>
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015|archive-date=July 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210701194652/https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="QF2020" />
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/ |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website |archive-date=December 27, 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/https://www.census.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref> of 2000, there were 23,551 people, 9,640 households, and 6,073 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|2385.6|/sqmi|/km2}}. There were 10,322 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1045.6|/sqmi|/km2}}. Today the racial makeup of the city is 79.9% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 7.1% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.3% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 2.9% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.2% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.8% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 3% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 5.6% of the population.

There were 9,640 households, of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.03.

23.7% of the population was under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $57,348, and the median income for a family was $52,160. Males had a median income of $36,677 versus $26,323 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $31,588. About 8.1% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those age 65 or over.

In terms of population, Florence gained 2.2% over one year and gained 14.2% over the course of the decade.  As of April 2020, the city's population was 31,946 citizens. It is the seventh largest city in the [[Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky metropolitan area]].

==Economy==
Major employers in Florence include St. Elizabeth Healthcare, [[Boone County Schools]], [[Robert Bosch GmbH|Robert Bosch]], [[Schlumberger|SWECO]], [[Meritor]], [[Linamar|Eagle Manufacturing]], [[Walmart]], [[Costco|Costco Wholesale]], and the City of Florence.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.florence-ky.gov/sites/default/files/florence/finance/2015%20CAFR.pdf |title=2015 City of Florence CAFR |access-date=January 31, 2016 |archive-date=April 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418214220/http://florence-ky.gov/sites/default/files/florence/finance/2015%20CAFR.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Major employers in unincorporated areas with Florence addresses include [[Celanese]], [[Citigroup]], [[Crane Co.|Crane Composites]], [[DRS Technologies|DRS]], [[Duro Bag Mfg]], [[Givaudan]], [[Kellogg's]], Mubea, [[RR Donnelley]], [[Schwan Food Company|Schwan's]], [[Staples Inc.|Staples]], and [[Taylor & Francis]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://bestofnky.com/NKY/Articles/2015_NKY_200_4373.aspx |title=2015 NKY 200 |access-date=January 31, 2016 |archive-date=June 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623161559/http://bestofnky.com/NKY/Articles/2015_NKY_200_4373.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> Companies based in Florence include [[Kona Ice]].

==Arts and culture==
[[File:Florence-yall.jpg|thumb|left|Florence Y'all Water Tower]]
Florence is well known in surrounding cities for a [[water tower]] visible from [[Interstate 71|I-71]]/[[Interstate 75 in Kentucky|I-75]] that reads "[[Florence Y'all Water Tower|Florence Y'all]]". Built in 1974, the tower originally advertised the up-and-coming [[Florence Mall (Kentucky)|Florence Mall]], as part of an agreement with the mall developers who donated the land for the tower. But because the mall was not built yet, the tower violated highway regulations, and the city was forced to change it within a short deadline. Rather than repaint the entire tower, they simply painted over the two vertical lines of the "M" to create a "Y". The intent was to change it back when the mall was built, but the local residents liked the tower's new proclamation, so the city decided to leave it as it was.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Knef |first1=Sam |title=From Florence Mall to Florence Y'all: How it happened |url=https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2022/01/11/florence-yall-water-tower |access-date=June 5, 2024 |publisher=Spectrum News 1 |date=January 14, 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

==Sports==
The city is home to the [[Florence Y'alls]] [[Independent baseball|independent minor league]] [[baseball]] team. The Y'alls have played at [[Thomas More Stadium]] in Florence since the venue's completion in 2004.<ref>{{cite web |title=TEAM HISTORY - Florence Freedom |url=http://flhistory.gofreeserve.com/FlorenceFreedom.htm |url-status=dead |website=Tim's Unofficial Frontier League History Page |access-date=January 1, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090704000351/http://flhistory.gofreeserve.com/FlorenceFreedom.htm |archive-date=July 4, 2009}}</ref>

==Education==
Florence is served by [[Boone County Schools]]. [[Gateway Community and Technical College]] has a campus located south of town.

Florence has a [[public library]], a branch of the Boone County Public Library.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://kdla.ky.gov/librarians/pages/librarydirectory.aspx | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190111202017/https://kdla.ky.gov/librarians/pages/librarydirectory.aspx | url-status=dead | archive-date=January 11, 2019 | title=Kentucky Public Library Directory | publisher=Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives | access-date=June 5, 2019}}</ref>

==Notable people==
*[[Shaun Alexander]], [[National Football League|former NFL]] player
*[[Curtis Gates Lloyd]], mycologist
*[[Akilah Hughes]], American writer, comedian, [[YouTuber]], [[podcaster]], and actress
*[[Lexi Love]], drag queen
*[[Kenny Price]], [[country music]] singer
*[[Delano E. Williamson]], [[Indiana Attorney General]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.florence-ky.gov/ City website]

{{Boone County, Kentucky}}
{{Kentucky}}
{{KYLargestCities}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Florence, Kentucky|*]]
[[Category:Cities in Boone County, Kentucky]]
[[Category:1830 establishments in Kentucky]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1830]]
[[Category:Cities in Kentucky]]