{{redirect|Bardstown|the racehorse|Bardstown (horse)}} {{Use American English|date=June 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox settlement | official_name = Bardstown, Kentucky | settlement_type = City | nickname = Bourbon Capital of the World | website = {{URL|https://www.cityofbardstown.org/|cityofbardstown.org}} | image_skyline = My Old Kentucky Home Mansion.png | imagesize = 250px | image_caption = My Old Kentucky Home in Bardstown | image_map = File:Nelson County Kentucky Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Bardstown Highlighted 2103628.svg | mapsize = 250px | map_caption = Location of Bardstown in Nelson County, Kentucky. | image_map1 = | mapsize1 = | map_caption1 = | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Kentucky | pushpin_map = Kentucky#USA#North America | pushpin_label = Bardstown | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_type1 = State | subdivision_type2 = County | subdivision_name = United States | subdivision_name1 = Kentucky | subdivision_name2 = Nelson | government_type = | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = J. Richard Heaton | established_title = Settled | established_date = Salem, 1770s<ref name="bardshist">{{cite web|url=http://www.uky.edu/KentuckyAtlas/ky-bardstown.html|title=Kentucky Atlas and Gazetteer – Bardstown|access-date=October 4, 2014|archive-date=March 4, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304160544/http://www.uky.edu/KentuckyAtlas/ky-bardstown.html|url-status=live}}</ref> | established_title2 = Established | established_date2 = Bard's Town, 1780<ref name="bardshist" /> | established_title3 = Incorporated | established_date3 = Bardstown, 1790<ref name="bardshist" /> | area_magnitude = | area_total_km2 = 31.57 | area_total_sq_mi = 12.19 <!--To 3 decimal places: 7.415-->| area_land_km2 = 31.36 | area_land_sq_mi = 12.11 | area_water_km2 = 0.21 | area_water_sq_mi = 0.08 | area_water_percent = | population_as_of = 2020 | population_total = 13567 | population_density_km2 = 432.67 | population_density_sq_mi = 1120.59 | timezone = EST | utc_offset = -5 | timezone_DST = EDT | utc_offset_DST = -4 | elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/> | elevation_ft = 659 | coordinates = {{coord|37|49|03|N|85|27|18|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}} | postal_code_type = ZIP Code | postal_code = 40004 | area_code = 502 | blank_name = FIPS code | blank_info = 21-03628 | blank1_name = GNIS feature ID | blank1_info = 2403156<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2403156}}</ref> | footnotes = | pop_est_as_of = 2022 | pop_est_footnotes = <ref name="United States Census Bureau">{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2022/cities/totals/SUB-IP-EST2022-POP-21.xlsx|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Kentucky: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 26, 2023|archive-date=May 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230520211714/https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2022/cities/totals/SUB-IP-EST2022-POP-21.xlsx|url-status=live}}</ref> | population_est = 13739 | unit_pref = Imperial | area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_21.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 18, 2022|archive-date=March 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319080929/https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_21.txt|url-status=live}}</ref> | population_footnotes = }}
'''Bardstown''' is a home rule-class city<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.klc.org/UserFiles/files/ClassificationReformFACT(3).pdf |title=Summary and Reference Guide to House Bill 331 City Classification Reform |publisher=Kentucky League of Cities |access-date=December 30, 2014 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304130737/http://www.klc.org/UserFiles/files/ClassificationReformFACT(3).pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> in Nelson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 13,567 in the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Nelson County.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}</ref>
Bardstown is named for the pioneering Bard brothers. David Bard obtained a {{convert|1,000|acre|adj=on}} land grant in 1785 in what was then Jefferson County, Virginia. William Bard surveyed and platted the town.<ref name="bardshist" /> It was originally chartered as '''Baird's Town''' in 1788, and has been known as '''Beardstown''', and '''Beards Town'''.<ref name="bardshist" /><ref name=comky>Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "Bardstown, Kentucky". Accessed July 15, 2013.</ref> The production of bourbon whiskey is a major industry.
==History== First settled in 1780, Bardstown is among the oldest cities in Kentucky.<ref name="bourbon">[http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070404/DERBYFUN05/70328041 "History of Bardstown steeped in bourbon"], ''The Courier Journal'', April 4, 2007</ref> Named county seat of the newly created Nelson County, Virginia (now Kentucky) in 1784, the town was formally established in 1788.<ref name="bardshist" /> It was incorporated by the state assembly in 1838.<ref name=comky/>
Reflecting the westward migration of Americans over the Blue Ridge Mountains after the Revolutionary War, Bardstown was also the first center of Catholicism west of the Appalachian Mountains in the original western frontier territories of the United States.<ref>Jay P. Dolan, ''The American Catholic Experience: A History from Colonial Times to the Present'' (Notre Dame, Indiana: Notre Dame University Press, 1992), pp. 119, 160–61.</ref> The Diocese of Bardstown was established on February 8, 1808, to serve all Catholics between the Appalachians and the Mississippi River. This divided the previous all-encompassing Diocese of Baltimore, established in 1789. In 1841, the seat of the diocese was transferred to nearby Louisville, Kentucky.<ref>Dolan, ''American Catholic Experience'', p. 161.</ref> The Bardstown cathedral is the Basilica of Saint Joseph Proto-Cathedral, and the city has a Roman Catholic parochial high school, Bethlehem High School.
==Geography== Bardstown is located in north central Nelson County. It is at the intersection of U.S. Routes 31E, 62 and 150. The Bluegrass Parkway passes to the southeast.<ref>''Kentucky Atlas & Gazetteer,'' DeLorme, 4th ed., 2010, p. 49 {{isbn|0899333400}}</ref>
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|7.4|sqmi|km2|1}}, all but {{convert|0.1|sqmi|km2|1}} of which is land.
===Climate=== The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Bardstown has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=793051&cityname=Bardstown%2C+Kentucky%2C+United+States+of+America&units=|title=Climate Summary for Bardstown, Kentucky|work=Weatherbase|access-date=October 4, 2014|archive-date=July 17, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140717041130/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=793051&cityname=Bardstown%2C+Kentucky%2C+United+States+of+America&units=|url-status=live}}</ref> {{Weather box | location = Bardstown, Kentucky (1991–2020 averages) | width = 50% | single line = Y | Jan high F = 43.3 | Feb high F = 48.1 | Mar high F = 57.4 | Apr high F = 68.7 | May high F = 76.5 | Jun high F = 83.6 | Jul high F = 86.6 | Aug high F = 86.2 | Sep high F = 80.7 | Oct high F = 69.5 | Nov high F = 56.6 | Dec high F = 46.5 | Jan record high F = 73 | Feb record high F = 81 | Mar record high F = 91 | Apr record high F = 94 | May record high F = 102 | Jun record high F = 105 | Jul record high F = 112 | Aug record high F = 109 | Sep record high F = 106 | Oct record high F = 97 | Nov record high F = 85 | Dec record high F = 78 | year record high F = 112 | year high F = 67.2 | Jan low F = 26.1 | Feb low F = 29.1 | Mar low F = 36.5 | Apr low F = 46.0 | May low F = 55.4 | Jun low F = 62.9 | Jul low F = 66.3 | Aug low F = 64.5 | Sep low F = 58.0 | Oct low F = 47.1 | Nov low F = 37.2 | Dec low F = 30.1 | Jan record low F = -26 | Feb record low F = -25 | Mar record low F = −8 | Apr record low F = 19 | May record low F = 27 | Jun record low F = 37 | Jul record low F = 45 | Aug record low F = 43 | Sep record low F = 27 | Oct record low F = 16 | Nov record low F = -5 | Dec record low F = -20 | year record low F = -26 | year low F = 33.7 |precipitation colour = green | Jan precipitation inch = 3.71 | Feb precipitation inch = 3.86 | Mar precipitation inch = 4.92 | Apr precipitation inch = 4.71 | May precipitation inch = 5.46 | Jun precipitation inch = 4.9 | Jul precipitation inch = 4.5 | Aug precipitation inch = 3.65 | Sep precipitation inch = 3.90 | Oct precipitation inch = 3.71 | Nov precipitation inch = 3.70 | Dec precipitation inch = 4.51 | year precipitation inch = 51.61 | Jan snow inch = 4.20 | Feb snow inch = 3.70 | Mar snow inch = 1.3 | Apr snow inch = 0.00 | May snow inch = 0.00 | Jun snow inch = 0.00 | Jul snow inch = 0.00 | Aug snow inch = 0.00 | Sep snow inch = 0.00 | Oct snow inch = 0.00 | Nov snow inch = 0.20 | Dec snow inch = 2.50 | year snow inch = 11.9 | source 1 = NOAA<ref name= NOAA>{{cite web|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/us-climate-normals/#dataset=normals-monthly&timeframe=30&station=USC00476510|title = NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|access-date = October 11, 2021|archive-date = May 5, 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210505115421/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/us-climate-normals/#dataset=normals-monthly&timeframe=30&station=USC00476510|url-status = live}}</ref> }}
==Demographics== {{US Census population | 1790 = 216 | 1800 = 579 | 1810 = 821 | 1830 = 1629 | 1840 = 1492 | 1860 = 1536 | 1870 = 1835 | 1880 = 926 | 1890 = 1524 | 1900 = 1711 | 1910 = 2126 | 1920 = 1717 | 1930 = 1767 | 1940 = 3152 | 1950 = 4154 | 1960 = 4798 | 1970 = 5816 | 1980 = 6155 | 1990 = 6801 | 2000 = 10374 | 2010 = 11700 | 2020 = 13567 | estyear = 2024 | estimate = 14104 | estref =<ref>{{Cite web |title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2024 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |access-date=2025-11-06 |website=Census.gov |language=en}}</ref> | align = right | align-fn = center }}
===2020 census===
As of the 2020 census, Bardstown had a population of 13,567. The median age was 37.1 years. 24.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 89.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 86.3 males age 18 and over.<ref name="Census2020DP">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dp?get=NAME%2CDP1_0021P%2CDP1_0024P%2CDP1_0025C%2CDP1_0049C%2CDP1_0045C%2CDP1_0069C%2CDP1_0073C%2CDP1_0125P%2CDP1_0126P%2CDP1_0129P%2CDP1_0133P%2CDP1_0137P%2CDP1_0138P%2CDP1_0139P%2CDP1_0141P%2CDP1_0142P%2CDP1_0143P%2CDP1_0145P%2CDP1_0146P%2CDP1_0147C%2CDP1_0148C%2CDP1_0149C%2CDP1_0156C%2CDP1_0157C%2CDP1_0158C%2CDP1_0159P%2CDP1_0160P&for=place%3A03628&in=state%3A21|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=April 23, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref><ref name="Census2020PL"/>
96.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 3.3% lived in rural areas.<ref name="Census2020DHC">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dhc?get=NAME%2CP2_002N%2CP2_003N&for=place%3A03628&in=state%3A21|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2023|access-date=April 23, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref>
There were 5,572 households in Bardstown, of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 36.8% were married-couple households, 18.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 34.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>
There were 5,995 housing units, of which 7.1% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>
{| class="wikitable" |+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census<ref name="Census2020PL">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=NAME%2CP1_001N%2CP1_003N%2CP1_004N%2CP1_005N%2CP1_006N%2CP1_007N%2CP1_008N%2CP1_009N%2CP2_001N%2CP2_002N%2CH1_001N%2CH1_002N&for=place%3A03628&in=state%3A21|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=April 23, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref> ! Race !! Number !! Percent |- | White || 10,698 || 78.9% |- | Black or African American || 1,614 || 11.9% |- | American Indian and Alaska Native || 32 || 0.2% |- | Asian || 104 || 0.8% |- | Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 2 || 0.0% |- | Some other race || 237 || 1.7% |- | Two or more races || 880 || 6.5% |- | ''Hispanic or Latino (of any race)'' || 571 || 4.2% |}
===2010 census=== As of the census of 2010,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/ |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 14, 2011 |title=U.S. Census website |archive-date=July 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709054630/https://www.census.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref> there were 11,700 people, 4,712 households, and 2,949 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|1577.9|/sqmi|/km2}}. There were 5,113 housing units at an average density of {{convert|689.5|/sqmi|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the city was 82.31% White (80.79% non-Hispanic), 12.39% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.75% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.56% from other races, and 2.78% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 3.71% of the population.
There were 4,712 households, out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples living together, 19.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.4% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.01.
The age distribution was 27.7% under 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.
As of the 2010 Census, the median income for a household in the city was $50,046, and the median income for a family was $60,609. Full-time male workers had a median income of $46,500 versus $36,551 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,059. About 11.3% of families and 15.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.6% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
===2000 census=== As of the census<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/ |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website |archive-date=July 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709054630/https://www.census.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref> of 2000, there were 10,374 people, 4,195 households, and 2,701 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|1445.3|/sqmi|/km2}}. There were 4,488 housing units at an average density of {{convert|625.3|/sqmi|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the city was 82.11% White, 15.07% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 1.07% from two or more races. Hispanic and Latino of any race were 1.38% of the population.
There were 4,195 households, out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.7% were married couples living together, 17.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.7% under 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,497, and the median income for a family was $41,065. Males had a median income of $31,850 versus $20,537 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,681. About 14.6% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.6% of those under age 18 and 15.8% of those age 65 or over. ==Arts and culture== [[File:Basilica of Saint Joseph Proto-Cathedral (Bardstown, Kentucky), exterior, view from the corner opposite the basilica.jpg|thumb|Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral in Bardstown]]
The Old Talbott Tavern, built in 1779,<ref name="bourbon"/> has been patronized by frontiersman Daniel Boone, and future 16th President Abraham Lincoln.<ref>[http://www.discoverourtown.com/KY/Bardstown/Lodging/152530.html Old Talbott Tavern] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304204551/http://www.discoverourtown.com/KY/Bardstown/Lodging/152530.html |date=March 4, 2012 }}, Discoverourtown.com</ref> Bullet holes in an upstairs wall are reputed to have been shot by Jesse James.<ref>[http://talbotts.com/index.php/history-of-the-tavern/ "History"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105185114/http://talbotts.com/index.php/history-of-the-tavern/ |date=November 5, 2013 }}, Old Talbott Tavern</ref> It had been rumored that the Tavern is haunted.
Distilleries operating in Bardstown include Heaven Hill, Barton 1792, Willett, and Lux Row Distillers.<ref name="bourbon"/> The regional production of bourbon is celebrated at the annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival, whose promoters have trademarked the phrase "Bourbon Capital of the World" to apply exclusively to Bardstown.<ref>[http://www.kybourbonfestival.com/ Kentucky Bourbon Festival] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061228073210/http://www.kybourbonfestival.com/ |date=December 28, 2006 }} web site.</ref> The festival was designated Kentucky's official bourbon festival by the Kentucky General Assembly in 2000.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://kdla.ky.gov/resources/KYSymbols.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110128223448/http://kdla.ky.gov/resources/KYSymbols.htm|url-status=dead|title=Kentucky State Symbols|archivedate=January 28, 2011}}</ref>
The Civil War Museum in Bardstown is the fourth-largest Civil War museum in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visitbardstown.com/tourism/civilWar.html |title=Bardstown, Kentucky – Civil War Attractions |publisher=Visitbardstown.com |access-date=July 13, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627030454/http://www.visitbardstown.com/tourism/civilWar.html |archive-date=June 27, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Other notable sites include: * Bardstown Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. * Bardstown Historical Museum. * Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey, which celebrates Bardstown's history in the production of whiskey. * Wickland, a private residence that has been the home of three governors (two of Kentucky and one of Louisiana) and is open to the public for tours. * A memorial to steamboat inventor John Fitch in Courthouse Square, including a replica of his first steamboat. * Anatok, a now-demolished slave plantation built by Charles Haydon; also the birthplace of Daniel Rudd.
Bardstown has a lending library, a branch of the Nelson County Public Library.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://kdla.ky.gov/librarians/pages/librarydirectory.aspx | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190111202017/https://kdla.ky.gov/librarians/pages/librarydirectory.aspx | url-status=dead | archive-date=January 11, 2019 | title=Kentucky Public Library Directory | publisher=Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives | access-date=June 7, 2019}}</ref>
==Parks and recreation== My Old Kentucky Home State Park is located in Bardstown. Judge John Rowan and his wife Ann Lytle Rowan commissioned the construction of a large mansion there named Federal Hill. ''The Stephen Foster Story'' is an outdoor musical at the park about Stephen Foster, composer of "My Old Kentucky Home." It was designated Kentucky's official outdoor musical by the Kentucky General Assembly in 2002.<ref>[http://www.stephenfoster.com/ Stephen Foster] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219200347/http://stephenfoster.com/ |date=February 19, 2009 }} web site</ref>
==Education== Almost all of the city is served by the Bardstown City Schools; the district also includes significant portions of the built-up area outside the city limits.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://revenue.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/A2E15FF5-C89B-4278-ACA5-3F49A1274CED/0/Nelson_Bardstown_Ind.jpg |title=Bardstown City Schools Boundary |publisher=Kentucky Department of Revenue |access-date=July 19, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102205951/http://revenue.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/A2E15FF5-C89B-4278-ACA5-3F49A1274CED/0/Nelson_Bardstown_Ind.jpg |archive-date=January 2, 2011 }} Compare with [http://transportation.ky.gov/Planning/SPRS%20Maps/Bardstown_city.pdf the current city limits of Bardstown] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231001553/http://transportation.ky.gov/Planning/SPRS%20Maps/Bardstown_city.pdf |date=December 31, 2013 }} from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.</ref> Ryan Clark is the Superintendent of Schools.
The school district includes an Early Childhood Education Center, Primary School, Elementary School, Middle School and High School.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://bardstown.kyschools.us/| title= Bardstown City Schools| publisher= Bardstown City Schools| access-date= June 15, 2012| archive-date= July 25, 2012| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120725072840/http://www.bardstown.kyschools.us/| url-status= live}}</ref>
Some of the city is instead served by the surrounding Nelson County School District. By contrast, one of the county district's two high schools, Nelson County High, physically lies within the Bardstown school district.
Bardstown is also home to St. Joseph School and Bethlehem High School, both of which have been operational since 1819. Both schools are under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville.
==Media== ''The Kentucky Standard'' is a newspaper in Bardstown.
In early 2023, Bardstown was ranked as number 8 of Travel and Leisure 20 Most Beautiful Small Towns in America. Mentioned were the Federal and Georgian architecture, cobblestone paths, and gateway to Kentucky Bourbon Trail.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dennis |first=Carrie |date=January 29, 2023 |title=20 Most Beautiful Small Towns in the U.S. |url=https://www.travelandleisure.com/most-beautiful-small-towns-in-the-united-states-7099980 |access-date=March 9, 2023 |website=Travel + Leisure |language=en |archive-date=March 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309202657/https://www.travelandleisure.com/most-beautiful-small-towns-in-the-united-states-7099980 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mudd |first=Aaron |date=March 1, 2023 |title=This small Kentucky bourbon town was named among the top 20 'most beautiful' in the US |url=https://www.kentucky.com/news/state/kentucky/article272594744.html |access-date=March 1, 2023 |website=Lexington Herald Leader |archive-date=March 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230319063555/https://www.kentucky.com/news/state/kentucky/article272594744.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Infrastructure== ===Transportation=== The Bluegrass Parkway is a limited-access highway that passes just south of Bardstown. A part of the Kentucky parkway system, the highway was formerly a toll road. Tolls were removed in 1991 after its construction bonds had been paid off.
Railroad freight service is provided by the R.J. Corman Railroad Central Kentucky Lines, over the former Bardstown Branch of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad.
==Notable people== * J. C. W. Beckham, grandson of Charles A. Wickliffe, U.S. Senator from Kentucky, 35th Governor of Kentucky, born in Wickland * William Pope Duval, first civilian governor of the Florida Territory * Ephraim H. Foster, U.S. Senator from Tennessee * Lucy Ann Kidd-Key, president of North Texas Female College (later Kidd-Key College) * Candy Massaroni, Kentucky state representative * Marie Mattingly Meloney, journalist * Hal Moore, retired U.S. Army lieutenant general, co-author of ''We Were Soldiers Once… And Young'' * Daniel Arthur Rudd, early civil rights activist, Black Catholic journalist * Jessie Belle Smothers, pro wrestler * Leroy Augustus Stafford, Confederate brigadier general, educated in Bardstown * Charles A. Wickliffe, 14th Governor of Kentucky, United States Postmaster General, built and resided in Wickland * Robert C. Wickliffe, son of Charles A. Wickliffe, Lieutenant Governor and 15th Governor of Louisiana, born in Wickland
==See also== {{portal|Kentucky}} * Bardstown Historic District * Disappearance of Crystal Rogers * Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} {{wikivoyage|Bardstown}} * {{Official website|https://www.cityofbardstown.org/}} * [https://visitbardstown.com/ Official tourism site]
{{Nelson County, Kentucky}} {{Kentucky county seats}} {{KYLargestCities}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Bardstown, Kentucky Category:County seats in Kentucky Category:Cities in Nelson County, Kentucky Category:Populated places established in 1780 Category:1780 establishments in Virginia Category:Cities in Kentucky