Editing Grayson, Kentucky

{{Distinguish|Grayson County, Kentucky}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Grayson, Kentucky
| settlement_type    = [[list of Kentucky cities|City]]
| nickname           = 
| motto              = "Heart of the parks"
| named_for          = landowner [[William Grayson]]

<!-- Images -->| image_skyline      = Carter County, Kentucky courthouse.jpg
| imagesize          = 250px
| image_caption      = Carter County Courthouse in Grayson
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = <!-- Maps -->
| image_map          = File:Carter County Kentucky Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Grayson Highlighted 2132572.svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location of Grayson in Carter County, Kentucky.
| image_map1         = 
| mapsize1           = 
| map_caption1       = <!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Kentucky]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Kentucky|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Carter County, Kentucky|Carter]]
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Troy Combs
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = <!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{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|accessdate=March 18, 2022}}</ref>
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 7.32
| area_land_km2      = 7.17
| area_water_km2     = 0.15
| area_total_sq_mi   = 2.83
| area_land_sq_mi    = 2.77
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.06

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 3834 {{decrease}}
| population_density_km2 = 534.47
| population_density_sq_mi = 1384.12

<!-- General information -->| timezone           = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = EDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 584
| coordinates        = {{coord|38|19|55|N|82|56|14|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 41143
| area_code          = [[Area code 606|606]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 21-32572
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2403732<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2403732}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|graysonky.net}}
| 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}}</ref>
| population_est     = 3820
}}
'''Grayson''' is a [[List of cities in Kentucky|home rule-class city]] in and the [[county seat]] of [[Carter County, Kentucky]], United States,<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=2011-06-07 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=2011-05-31 }}</ref> on [[U.S. Route 60 in Kentucky|U.S. Route 60]] and [[Interstate 64 in Kentucky|Interstate 64]] in the state's northeastern region.  It is approximately 21 miles west of [[Ashland, Kentucky|Ashland]].  Within the city limits, the population was 4,217 at the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]].<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US2132572| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212183422/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US2132572| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Grayson city, Kentucky| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=August 7, 2014}}</ref> Along with Carter County, the city is closely associated with the nearby [[Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area]] and is often erroneously included in the MSA being just 9 miles west of the MSA's western boundary. {{citation_needed|date=April 2024}}

The city has grown in size substantially since the opening of [[Interstate 64]] in 1975 through Carter County. Immediately afterwards, Grayson experienced several years of commercial sector growth, mainly to serve the Interstate 64 traffic. Since 1990, the city has also seen significant growth in the residential sector with the Interstate making for a faster trip to and from Ashland. Beginning in 1995, [[Kentucky State Highway 9|AA Highway]] terminates in Grayson making the city a gateway to the Huntington-Ashland urban area.

==History==
After the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]], [[George Washington]]'s ''[[aide-de-camp]]'' Col. [[William Grayson]] received a {{convert|70,000|acre|km2|adj=on}} tract of land for his service during the war from the state of [[Virginia]].<ref name=kye>{{cite book |author=Rennick, Robert M. |title=''Kentucky Place Names'' |year=1988 |publisher=The University Press of Kentucky |location=[[Lexington, Kentucky]] |isbn=0-8131-0179-4 |chapter=Place Names}} Retrieved on 9 October 2010.</ref> By 1838, a small portion of this tract was set aside for the development of a town named for him. Although Grayson had only five streets and eighty [[land lot|lots]], it was established by the [[Kentucky General Assembly|General Assembly]] on February 6, 1844, and it was [[municipal corporation|incorporated]] on February 22, 1860.<ref>City of Grayson. [http://www.graysonky.net/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/grayson_brochure1-09.pdf Brochure]. Retrieved on 2010-10-09</ref><ref>Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "Grayson, Kentucky". Accessed 29 July 2013.</ref>
Grayson, Kentucky was a stop on the [[Eastern Kentucky Railway]].<ref>[http://www.terbald.com/Books/  Eastern Kentucky Railway].</ref><ref>Eastern Kentucky Railway (2007, Baldridge, Terry L.)</ref>

==Geography==
Grayson is located in east-central Carter County along the [[Little Sandy River (Kentucky)|Little Sandy River]], a tributary of the [[Ohio River]].

[[U.S. Route 60|Route 60]] passes through the city as Main Street and is intersected in downtown by Kentucky Routes [[Kentucky Route 1|1]] and [[Kentucky Route 7|7]] (Carol Malone Boulevard). [[Interstate 64]] runs through the northern end of the city, with access to KY 7 at Exit 172. [[Kentucky Route 9]], the AA Highway, begins from KY 1-and-7 just north of the city limits and runs {{convert|111|mi}} to the [[Cincinnati]] area. [[Huntington, West Virginia]], is {{convert|29|mi}} east of Grayson via I-64, and [[Lexington, Kentucky|Lexington]] is {{convert|96|mi}} to the west.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], Grayson has a total area of {{convert|7.5|sqkm|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|7.3|sqkm|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.1|sqkm|order=flip}}, or 1.95%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010"/>

===Climate===
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.  According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Grayson has a [[humid subtropical climate]], abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=193351&cityname=Grayson%2C+Kentucky%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Grayson, Kentucky]</ref> Since 2002, nine different severe storms have struck Grayson, with each storm causing enough damage to warrant federal assistance for disaster recovery.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/05/24/us/disasters-hurricanes-wildfires-storms.html?action=click&contentCollection=U.S.&module=RelatedCoverage&region=EndOfArticle&pgtype=article=The Places in the U.S. Where Disaster Strikes Again and Again]</ref>

==Education==

Grayson is served by [[Carter County Schools (Kentucky)|Carter County Schools]]. Schools located within the city include:
*Heritage Elementary School
*Prichard Elementary School
*East Carter Middle School
*East Carter High School

The campus of [[Kentucky Christian University]] (formerly Kentucky Christian College) is located in Grayson.

Grayson has a lending library, a branch of the Carter 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=11 January 2019 | title=Kentucky Public Library Directory | publisher=Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives | access-date=5 June 2019}}</ref>

==Demographics==

{{US Census population
| 1870 = 152
| 1880 = 447
| 1890 = 433
| 1900 = 606
| 1910 = 735
| 1920 = 822
| 1930 = 1022
| 1940 = 1176
| 1950 = 1363
| 1960 = 1692
| 1970 = 2184
| 1980 = 3423
| 1990 = 3510
| 2000 = 3877
| 2010 = 4217
| 2020 = 3834
| estyear = 2022
| estimate = 3820
| 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}}</ref>
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{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}}</ref>
}}

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 3,877 people, 1,415 households, and 938 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,549.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,538 housing units at an average density of {{convert|614.5|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 98.32% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.52% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.39% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.28% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.03% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.18% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.28% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.77% of the population.

There were 1,415 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the city the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 19.0% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $19,683, and the median income for a family was $26,280. Males had a median income of $32,022 versus $18,875 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $11,879. About 27.7% of families and 31.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 44.8% of those under age 18 and 22.3% of those age 65 or over.

==Notable residents==
*[[Charlie Borders]], former [[Kentucky Senate|Kentucky State Senator]]
*[[Montana Fouts]], All American softball pitcher for [[University of Alabama]]
*[[Jason Smith (chef)|Jason Smith]], chef, TV personality
*[[Robin L. Webb]], [[Kentucky Senate|Kentucky State Senator]] and former [[Kentucky House of Representatives|Kentucky State Representative]]
*[[Jill York]], former member of the [[Kentucky House of Representatives]]

==See also==
*[[1993 East Carter High School shooting]], a [[school shooting]] that occurred in Grayson

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.graysonky.net/ City website]

{{Carter County, Kentucky}}
{{Huntington-Ashland-Ironton MSA}}
{{Eastern Mountain Coal Fields (Kentucky)}}
{{Kentucky}}
{{Kentucky county seats}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Populated places established in 1844]]
[[Category:Cities in Carter County, Kentucky]]
[[Category:County seats in Kentucky]]
[[Category:Cities in Kentucky]]