When was Shelby County founded?

Shelby County was founded in 1792, formed from Jefferson County, and named after Isaac Shelby.

What is the county seat of Shelby County?

The county seat of Shelby County is Shelbyville.

Is there an online parcel map for Shelby County?

Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 23,353 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Shelby County's boundary or name changed?

Shelby County was created in 1792 from Jefferson County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 9 later changes, chiefly involving Oldham County, Franklin County and Gallatin County.

Who issues building permits in Shelby County?

The county's page on building permits: Roadway Solicitation Permit - Shelby County. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

We do not have flood maps for Shelby County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

County · code 21211

Shelby CountyKentucky

Shelby County is a Kentucky county formed in 1792 from Jefferson County with its seat at Shelbyville.

Founded1792
County seatShelbyville
Named forIsaac Shelby
Land area380 sq mi + 5.9 sq mi water
Population48,065 2020 Census
Parcels mapped23,353 checked 15 October 2026

Open the free map Click any parcel in Shelby County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated 19 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1792 from Jefferson County

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

Shelby County was created from Jefferson County in 1792 and named after Isaac Shelby. The county lost territory to the creation of Franklin, Gallatin, Henry, Spencer, and Oldham counties between 1795 and 1824, and exchanged small boundary adjustments with Oldham and Franklin in later years.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

1792
Shelby County created Shelby created from Jefferson.
from Jefferson
1 September 1792 · Ky. Acts 1792, 1st assy., 1st sess., ch. 9, sec. 1/pp. 17-18
1795
Lost territory Shelby lost to creation of Franklin.
to Franklin
10 May 1795 · Ky. Acts 1794, 3d assy., ch. 13, sec. 1/pp. 19-21
1799
Lost territory Shelby lost to creation of Gallatin.
to Gallatin
13 May 1799 · Ky. Acts 1798-1799, 7th assy., ch. 58, sec. 1/pp. 79-81
1799
Lost territory Shelby lost to creation of Henry.
to Henry
1 June 1799 · Ky. Acts 1798-1799, 7th assy., ch. 49, sec. 1/pp. 62-65
1820
Lost territory Shelby lost to Franklin.
to Franklin
1 March 1820 · Ky. Acts 1819-1820, 28th assy., ch. 477, secs. 1-2/pp. 839-841

Show all 10 changes (5 more, mostly small adjustments)

1792
Shelby County created Shelby created from Jefferson.
from Jefferson
1 September 1792 · Ky. Acts 1792, 1st assy., 1st sess., ch. 9, sec. 1/pp. 17-18
1795
Lost territory Shelby lost to creation of Franklin.
to Franklin
10 May 1795 · Ky. Acts 1794, 3d assy., ch. 13, sec. 1/pp. 19-21
1799
Lost territory Shelby lost to creation of Gallatin.
to Gallatin
13 May 1799 · Ky. Acts 1798-1799, 7th assy., ch. 58, sec. 1/pp. 79-81
1799
Lost territory Shelby lost to creation of Henry.
to Henry
1 June 1799 · Ky. Acts 1798-1799, 7th assy., ch. 49, sec. 1/pp. 62-65
1820
Lost territory Shelby lost to Franklin.
to Franklin
1 March 1820 · Ky. Acts 1819-1820, 28th assy., ch. 477, secs. 1-2/pp. 839-841
1824
Lost territory Shelby lost to creation of Spencer and lost small area along Salt River meander to Nelson.
to Spencer to Nelson
15 January 1824 · Ky. Acts 1823-1824, 32d assy., ch. 708, sec. 1/pp. 441-443
1824
Lost territory Shelby lost to creation of Oldham.
to Oldham
1 February 1824 · Ky. Acts 1823-1824, 32d assy., ch. 602, sec. 1/pp. 328-329; Ky. Acts 1877-1878, vol. 1, ch. 281, sec. 1/p. 345
1833
Gained territory Shelby gained from Oldham.
from Oldham
14 January 1833 · Ky. Acts 1832-1833, 41st assy., ch. 74/p. 72
1852
Lost territory Shelby lost small area to Oldham.
to Oldham
1 January 1852 · Ky. Acts 1851-1852, ch. 193/p. 510
1856
Lost territory Shelby lost small area to Oldham to accommodate local property owners.
to Oldham
3 March 1856 · Ky. Acts 1855-1856, vol. 1, ch. 273, sec. 1/p. 49

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Shelby

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 23,353 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 2 October 2026 · checked 15 October 2026
Address points Official

One point per address, 20,561 in all from Kentucky Division of Geographic Information (DGI) with the Kentucky 911 Services Board.
edited 6 October 2026 · checked 13 October 2026
Buildings Reference

Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026

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

Shelby by the Census

Population

48,065 2020 Census count

Housing units

18,801 2020 Census count

Land area

380 square miles

Water area

5.9 square miles

People per sq mi

127 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

Who to ask before you build, dig or sell

Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.

Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.

Permits

Roadway Solicitation Permit - Shelby Countyfrom shelbycounty.ky.gov

Zoning and code

Shelby County Ordinances - Shelby Countyfrom shelbycounty.ky.gov
Ordinance 07-20-06, Series 2021.pdffrom shelbycounty.ky.gov
Planning & Zoningfrom shelbycounty.ky.gov

County government

County government
The official website of Shelby County.
shelbycounty.ky.gov

See your own lot on these maps

Open Shelby 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.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Shelby County

When was Shelby County founded?: Shelby County was founded in 1792, formed from Jefferson County, and named after Isaac Shelby.
What is the county seat of Shelby County?: The county seat of Shelby County is Shelbyville.
Is there an online parcel map for Shelby County?: Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 23,353 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Shelby County's boundary or name changed?: Shelby County was created in 1792 from Jefferson County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 9 later changes, chiefly involving Oldham County, Franklin County and Gallatin County.
Who issues building permits in Shelby County?: The county's page on building permits: Roadway Solicitation Permit - Shelby County. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Shelby County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

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