Cities and Counties of the Bluegrass & Nashville Basin

The population of both the Bluegrass and Nashville Basin grew rapidly after settlement in the late 1700s. Today, both regions have large urban populations, and development has destroyed many woodland pastures. In the last 60 years, Fayette County has lost more than 60% of its bur oaks. 

 

 

The Bluegrass

The Bluegrass consists of counties and cities in central Kentucky, southwestern Indiana and southern Ohio. Today, the Bluegrass includes the two largest cities in Kentucky, Louisville (population 760,000) and Lexington (311,000), and the southern suburbs of Cincinnati, with a Kentucky population of about 834,000. The Bluegrass extends into southern Ohio, including the southern half of Cincinnati. Both Lexington and Louisville have integrated city-county governments. Lexington includes all of Fayette County and Louisville includes all of Jefferson County. This has allowed both cities to implement strict land use regulations to preserve remaining farmland and woodland pastures. 

The Inner Bluegrass includes most of the large remaining woodland pastures in the region. Woodford County is the only county entirely within the Inner Bluegrass and probably contains the most extensive woodland pastures.  Fayette County is the most developed county in the Inner Bluegrass and most of its woodland pastures have disappeared.  There are still extensive woodland pastures and many venerable trees in the other Inner Bluegrass counties, Scott, Bourbon, Mercer, Boyle, and Clark. 

 

 

 

Map of Bluegrass cities

Bluegrass Cities in red. 1 - Louisville, 2- Lexington, 3- Northern Kentucky cities

Bluegrass Counties

Bluegrass Counties

The Nashville Basin

 

The Nashville Basin includes counties and cities in central Tennessee, southern Kentucky, and one county in Alabama. Nashville is the largest city in the region and the second largest in Tennessee. 

Nashville Cities

Urban Areas of the Nashville Basin. 4 - Nashville

Nashville Counties

Counties of the Nashville Basin


CityCountyEcoregion
AlexandriaCampbellOuter bluegrass
AugustaBrackenHills of the Bluegrass
BardstownNelsonOuter bluegrass
BellevueCampbellOuter bluegrass
BereaMadisonOuter bluegrass
CarlisleNicholasHills of the Bluegrass
CarrolltonCarrollOuter bluegrass
CovingtonKentonOuter Bluegrass
Crescent SpringsKentonOuter bluegrass
CynthianaHarrisonOuter bluegrass
DanvilleBoyleInner Bluegrass
DaytonCampbellOuter bluegrass
EdgewoodKentonOuter bluegrass
ElsmereKentonOuter bluegrass
EminenceHenryOuter bluegrass
ErlangerKentonOuter bluegrass
FalmouthPendletonHills of the Bluegrass
FlemingsburgFlemingOuter bluegrass
FlorenceBooneOuter bluegrass
FlorenceBooneOuter bluegrass
Fort MitchellKentonOuter bluegrass
Fort ThomasCampbellOuter bluegrass
Fort WrightKentonOuter bluegrass
FrankfortFranklinInner Bluegrass
GeorgetownScottInner Bluegrass
HarrodsburgMercerInner Bluegrass
Highland HeightsCampbellOuter bluegrass
HillviewBullittOuter bluegrass
LagrangeOldhamOuter bluegrass
LawrenceburgAndersonInner Bluegrass
LebanonMarionOuter bluegrass
LexingtonFayetteInner Bluegrass
LouisvilleJeffersonOuter Bluegrass
LudlowKentonOuter bluegrass
MaysvilleMasonOuter bluegrass
Mount SterlingMontgomeryOuter bluegrass
Mount WashingtonBullittOuter bluegrass
NewportCampbellOuter Bluegrass
NicholasvilleJessamineInner Bluegrass
OwingsvilleBathOuter bluegrass
ParisBourbonInner Bluegrass
Park HillsKentonOuter bluegrass
Pioneer VillageBullittOuter bluegrass
ProspectOldhamOuter bluegrass
RichmondMadisonOuter bluegrass
ShelbyvilleShelbyOuter bluegrass
ShepherdsvilleBullittInner Bluegrass
SouthgateCampbellOuter bluegrass
SpringfieldWashingtonOuter bluegrass
StanfordLincolnOuter bluegrass
StantonPowellOuter bluegrass
Taylor MillKentonOuter bluegrass
VersaillesWoodfordInner Bluegrass
Villa HillsKentonOuter bluegrass
WilmoreJessamineInner Bluegrass
WinchesterClarkInner Bluegrass