Bardstown, Kentucky micropolitan area

Nelson County, Kentucky
Nelson County Judicial Center in Bardstown
Location in the U.S. state of Kentucky
Kentucky's location in the U.S.
Founded	November 29, 1784
Named for	Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Seat	Bardstown
Largest city	Bardstown
Area
• Total	424 sq mi (1,098 km2)
• Land	418 sq mi (1,083 km2)
• Water	6.6 sq mi (17 km2), 1.5%
Population
• (2010)	43,437
• Density	104/sq mi (40/km²)
Congressional district	2nd
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website	www.nelsoncountyky.com

Nelson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,437. Its county seat is Bardstown.

Nelson County comprises the Bardstown, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Louisville/Jefferson County-Elizabethtown-Madison, KY-IN Combined Statistical Area.

The fourth county created in what is now Kentucky, it was formed from Jefferson County, Virginia in 1784, shortly after the Revolutionary War. The county was named for Thomas Nelson, Jr., a Virginia Governor who signed the Declaration of Independence. In 1808, after Kentucky had become a state, a new Virginia county was named for Governor Nelson. (see Nelson County, Virginia).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 424 square miles (1,100 km²), of which 418 square miles (1,080 km²) is land and 6.6 square miles (17 km²) (1.5%) is water.

As of the census of 2010, there were 43,437 people and 18,075 housing units in the county. The population density was 102.4 per square mile (39.5/km²). There were 18,075 housing units at an average density of 42.6 per square mile (16.4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.48% White (90.93% non-Hispanic), 5.03% Black or African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.78% from other races, and 1.62% from two or more races. 2.04% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.