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County · code 21205

Rowan CountyKentucky

Rowan County is a county in eastern Kentucky, with its county seat in Morehead. It was established in 1856 and named after John Rowan.

  • Founded1856
  • County seatMorehead
  • Named forJohn Rowan
  • Land area280 sq mi + 6.4 sq mi water
  • Population24,662 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped11,012 checked 15 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Rowan County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

MenifeeMorganBathFlemingElliottLewisCarter Morehead Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Rowan on the map of Kentucky

Kentucky has 120 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

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Counties of Kentucky · Rowan highlighted

History

Formed in 1856 from Fleming County and Morgan County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Rowan County was created on May 1, 1856, from Fleming and Morgan counties. Between 1861 and 1882, Rowan gained small areas from Carter and Elliott counties to accommodate local property owners. In 1904, Rowan lost territory to the newly created Beckham County, but regained it the same year when Beckham's creation was overturned by court decision.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

  1. 1856
    Rowan County created Rowan created from Fleming and Morgan.
    from Flemingfrom Morgan
    · Ky. Acts 1855-1856, vol. 1, ch. 27, sec. 1/pp. 4-7
  2. 1861
    Gained territory Rowan gained small area from Carter to accommodate local property owner.
    from Carter
    · Ky. Acts 1861, Sep. called sess., ch. 24, sec. 1/p. 1
  3. 1872
    Boundary clarified Boundary between Rowan and Elliott was redefined to accommodate local property owner (no change).
    with Elliottno change
    · Ky. Acts 1871-1872, vol. 1, ch. 689, sec. 1/p. 59
  4. 1882
    Gained territory Rowan gained small area from Elliott to accommodate local property owner.
    from Elliott
    · Ky. Acts 1881-1882, vol. 2, ch. 1049, sec. 1/p. 502
  5. 1882
    Gained territory Rowan gained small area from Carter to accommodate local property owner.
    from Carter
    · Ky. Acts 1881-1882, vol. 2, ch. 1253, sec. 1/p. 769
  6. 1904
    Lost territory Rowan lost to creation of Beckham (extinct).
    to Beckham
    · Ky. Acts 1904, ch. 5, sec. 1/pp. 27-30
  7. 1904
    Gained territory Rowan gained from Beckham when creation of Beckham was overturned by court decision on constitutional grounds; Beckham eliminated.
    from Beckham
    · Correspondence, Kentucky Historical Society, October 1991

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Rowan

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Official
from the office that keeps the record
Good enough
a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback
a guide only; check the official record
Missing
nothing public found yet

People and land

Rowan by the Census

Population
24,662 2020 Census count
Housing units
10,518 2020 Census count
Land area
280 square miles
Water area
6.4 square miles
People per sq mi
88 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Rowan County's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open Rowan County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

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Questions

Common questions about Rowan County

When was Rowan County founded?
Rowan County was founded in 1856, formed from Fleming County and Morgan County, and named after John Rowan.
What is the county seat of Rowan County?
The county seat of Rowan County is Morehead.
Is there an online parcel map for Rowan County?
Yes. Gateway Area Development District (org name public; owner geo_sims = 'Gateway ADD', Morehead KY) publishes a parcel map of 11,012 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Rowan County's boundary or name changed?
Rowan County was created in 1856 from Fleming County and Morgan County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 5 later changes, most of them small boundary adjustments, chiefly involving Beckham County, Carter County and Elliott County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Rowan County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door