County · code 21213
Simpson CountyKentucky
Simpson County is a county in Kentucky, formed in 1819 with its seat at Franklin.
- Founded1819
- County seatFranklin
- Named forJohn Simpson
- Land area234 sq mi + 2.3 sq mi water
- Population19,594 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped11,975 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Simpson on the map of Kentucky
Kentucky has 120 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1819 from Allen County, Logan County and Warren County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Simpson County was created in 1819 from Allen, Logan, and Warren Counties and was named after John Simpson. The county gained land from Allen County in 1820, then lost land back to Allen in 1822, and gained from Logan County in 1869. In November 1859, Simpson County lost parcels to Robertson County and Sumner County in Tennessee when surveyors re-marking the Kentucky-Tennessee boundary shifted the line without authority.
- 1819Simpson County created Simpson created from Allen, Logan, and Warren. · Ky. Acts 1818-1819, 27th assy., ch. 342, sec. 1/pp. 633-637
- 1820Gained territory Simpson gained from Allen. · Ky. Acts 1820, 29th assy., ch. 90, sec. 1/pp. 110-111
- 1822
- 1859Lost territory In November 1859, Simpson lost to Robertson (Tennessee) and Sumner (Tennessee) when surveyors re-marking the Kentucky-Tennessee boundary acted without authority and shifted the line around two small parcels. · Sames, 107, 114
- 1869Gained territory Simpson gained from Logan. · Ky. Acts 1869, Jan. adj. sess., ch. 1241, sec. 1/pp. 2-3; Ky. Acts 1875-1876, vol. 1, ch. 20, sec. 1/p. 202
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Simpson
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Official
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 11,975 parcels from Simpson County PVA (owner AlisonPVA; item description 'Public View layer of Simpson County, KY PVA Parcels'; org profile not public). Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 28 September 2026 · checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Official
One point per address, 10,709 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
Simpson by the Census
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.
Zoning and code
County government
- County government
The official website of Simpson County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Simpson 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.
Questions
Common questions about Simpson County
- When was Simpson County founded?
- Simpson County was founded in 1819, formed from Allen County, Logan County and Warren County, and named after John Simpson.
- What is the county seat of Simpson County?
- The county seat of Simpson County is Franklin.
- Is there an online parcel map for Simpson County?
- Yes. Simpson County PVA (owner AlisonPVA; item description 'Public View layer of Simpson County, KY PVA Parcels'; org profile not public) publishes a parcel map of 11,975 parcels, rated official here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Simpson County's boundary or name changed?
- Simpson County was created in 1819 from Allen County, Logan County and Warren County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 4 later changes, chiefly involving Allen County, Logan County and Robertson (Tenn.) County.
- Who issues building permits in Simpson County?
- The county's page on building permits: Permits and Forms - Simpson County Kentucky. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Simpson County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby