Northern Kentucky

Northern Kentucky is generally agreed to consist of the three northernmost counties: Boone, Kenton and Campbell. Each has a major center of population: Florence in Boone County; Covington in Kenton County; and Newport in Campbell County. Immediately on the other side of the Ohio River is Cincinnati, Ohio. However the entire region is very heavily populated with these cities surrounded by many smaller towns, with little other than a city limit sign to mark the boundaries between one community and the next. The southernmost parts of the three counties are still primarily rural in nature but are rapidly being consumed by urban sprawl. Combined with part of Indiana, and Southwestern Ohio, it is a part of The Greater Cincinnati Metropolitan Statistical Area, with a population of over 2 million.

Historically the area was a bedroom community of Cincinnati, served by ferry service across the Ohio River until the completion of the Roebling Suspension Bridge (prototype of the famous Brooklyn Bridge) in the late 1880s, whereupon land values in the areas near the river quadrupled overnight.

Beginning in the 1970s, many factors combined to create major growth. The proximity to Cincinnati, and the completion of I-75, the nexus of rail service and river traffic, creation of several industrial parks, and the growth of the Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky International Airport,(located on the line beetween Boone County and Kenton County) drew many industries into the area. The geographically central location (within 800 miles of 80% of the US Population) makes it ideal for distribution centers, and those shipping all over the US.