Northern Kentucky

Northern Kentucky is the third-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, and its cities and towns serve as the de facto "south side" communities of Cincinnati, Ohio. The three main counties of this metro area are Boone, Kenton, and Campbell Counties along the Ohio River (shown in red on the map), with other counties also included. The label "Northern Kentucky" (abbreviated NKY) is used to demonstrate the common identity shared across county and city lines by the residents of these northern counties. Arguably, the label seeks to reverse the divisions that occurred to Campbell County, which, in 1794, included the land of Boone, Kenton, Pendleton Counties, and most of Bracken and Grant Counties. The urban and suburban areas of the northern counties are densely populated. Indeed, of Greater Cincinnati's over two million residents, 450,994 of them live in Northern Kentucky (as of 2019), with the three most northern counties contributing 394,163 residents themselves. The largest cities In each of the three most northern counties are Covington, Florence, and Fort Thomas.