Mount Washington, Kentucky

Mount Washington is a home rule-class city^[5] in northeast Bullitt County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 18,090 at the 2020 census.^[6] The city is one of several surrounding Louisville that have experienced a sharp rise in population in the past three decades, becoming a commuter town.

Quick Facts Country, State ...

Mount Washington, Kentucky
City
Flag Seal
Location of Mount Washington in Bullitt County, Kentucky.
Coordinates: 38°02′35″N 85°33′18″W
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
County	Bullitt
Established	1822[1]
Incorporated	1833[1]
Reincorporated	1954[1]
Government
• Mayor	Stuart Owen
• City Administrator	Elizabeth D. Hardin
Area [2]
• Total	9.46 sq mi (24.50 km2)
• Land	9.42 sq mi (24.40 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2)
Elevation [3]	666 ft (203 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	18,090
• Estimate  (2022)[4]	18,424
• Density	1,919.97/sq mi (741.33/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	40047
Area code	502
FIPS code	21-54228
GNIS feature ID	2404327[3]
Website	mtwashingtonky.org

Close

Mount Washington is located at what was once the crossroads of two stagecoach routes and was originally known as The Cross Roads. It was formally established in 1822 as Mount Vernon, after President George Washington's Virginia home, but it was unable to continue using the name because another town's post office had priority. At the time, the settlement housed c. 700 people and boasted three churches, two schools, six stores and groceries, five doctors, two taverns, and twelve mechanical trades. At the time of its (first) formal incorporation as a city in 1833, the town's name was changed to "Mount Washington", again in honor of the first United States president.

Mount Washington became the economic center of Bullitt County by the 1850s. In the autumn of 1862, during the Civil War, the town was held by John Wharton's Confederate cavalry, who skirmished with Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Crittenden's men north of Mount Washington along Floyds Fork on October 1. A defeat the following day led to a Confederate retreat from the area.

Through the nineteenth century, a two-room school building stood on the southern end of Bardstown Road (now Highway 31E), but in 1916 a new building consisting of four classrooms was built. Where the four-room classroom building once stood, now stands Mt. Washington Middle School. This building was constructed in the early 1940s as the high school. Mt. Washington Middle School had to expand and remodel in 1995 because the population was growing tremendously, and now supports over 200 classrooms and offices. Since then, another middle school had to be built on the other side of the city. That project was completed in 2006.

Mount Washington's industries aged, and by the 1930s it was no longer the most prominent town in the county. The decline continued when fire burned much of the business district on November 18, 1940. Mount Washington enjoyed an influx of new residents starting in the late 1960s with the opening of General Electric's Appliance Park nearby in Louisville. The population of Mount Washington grew from 2,020 in 1970 to over 9,000 by the 2010 census. Despite a downturn at the Appliance Park, eventually leading to the sale of GE's appliance division to Haier, Mount Washington continues as a commuter town of Louisville.

The events of the final call of the strip search phone call scam took place in Mount Washington in 2004. The local police department charged David R. Stewart with the crime, but he was acquitted in 2006.

A former mayor of Mt. Washington was a contestant on The Price Is Right, playing the Money Game and winning $185 but losing a PT Cruiser; before the game, he presented host Bob Barker with the key to the city.

Mount Washington is located in northeastern Bullitt County. The city of Louisville is directly to the north; the downtown is 20 miles (32 km) northwest of the center of Mount Washington. U.S. Route 31E and U.S. Route 150 pass through the city, leading south 19 miles (31 km) to Bardstown.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Mount Washington has a total area of 6.1 square miles (15.8 km²), of which 6.1 square miles (15.7 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²), or 0.49%, is water.^[8]

As of the census^[11] of 2020, there were 18,485 people, 4,111 households, and 2,945 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,588.8 inhabitants per square mile (613.4/km²). There were 3,294 housing units at an average density of 616.8 per square mile (238.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.26% White, 0.32% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.27% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 0.58% of the population.

There were 3,111 households, out of which 43.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.3% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.4% were non-families. 17.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.03.

The age distribution was 29.0% under 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 34.8% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $43,813, and the median income for a family was $46,507. Males had a median income of $35,439 versus $23,600 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,495. About 5.9% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

The current mayor of Mount Washington is Stuart Owen, who took office in January 2023. The current city administrator is Elizabeth D. Hardin.^[13][14]

• W. A. Criswell, president of the Southern Baptist Convention 1968–70
• Marisha Ray, voice actress and producer