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KENTON COUNTY

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A-to-Z Guide to Cincinnati:
"The Best Place to Live in North America"

Covington is taking care of business

Many Cincinnati Reds and Bengals fans look at Northern Kentucky's largest city as nothing more than a cheap and convenient place to park for games.

While connected to Cincinnati by three bridges, it would be a mistake to merely consider Covington, in Kenton County, as a Queen City suburb.

Kentucky's third-largest city (population of about 45,000) is the business center of the growing three-county Northern Kentucky region, boasting its own somewhat-quirky culture and an emerging skyline of hotels and office towers.

It is also a city of contrasts: Painstakingly restored historic riverfront homes and a German-style shopping and festival district (MainStrasse Village) stand a few blocks away from aging downtown strip joints.

Kenton County, the state's 19th county, was formed in 1840 from neighboring Campbell County. Named for pioneer Simon Kenton, the county holds 21 incorporated cities. Towns along the river to the north, such as Ludlow, are decidedly urban, while southern towns, including Taylor Mill and Ryland, remain rural.

Covington is not the county seat, even though it is the site of most county offices and where the fiscal court meets on most weeks. That honor falls to Independence, about 18 miles to the south in a mostly rural setting. The Independence courthouse is roughly in the geographical center of the county - in the commonwealth's early days, county seats had to be within a day's horse ride for all residents.

Independence's rural days are few: As the county's northern end becomes more developed, with cities like Park Hills, Villa Hills and Fort Mitchell running out of room, growth is moving south.