Lancaster, Kentucky
Lancaster is a city of 4,013 people in Garrard County, Kentucky, founded in 1797.
Why visit Lancaster
Townapedia lists 13 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail and 5 places to eat in and around town.
Highlights include Barlow House and Billy Ball House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 23°F.
Weather in Lancaster
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Lancaster
Lancaster locally is a home rule-class city in Garrard County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. As of the year 2020 U.S. census, the city population was 3,901.
From the Wikipedia article Lancaster, Kentucky (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks13
Barlow House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
House in rural Garrard County, Kentucky
Billy Ball House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic house in Kentucky, United States
Dalton House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
House in Garrard County, Kentucky, USA
Denny Place
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
House in Kentucky, United States of America
Dunn-Watkins House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Lancaster, Kentucky, NRHP-listed in Kentucky
Garrard Mills
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Factory in Kentucky, United States of America
Governor William Owsley House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in Kentucky, United States
Hoffman House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
House in Lincoln County, Kentucky
Jennings-Salter House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic house located in Lancaster, Kentucky
Lancaster Cemetery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Cemetery in Lancaster, Garrard County, Kentucky, United States
Lancaster Commercial Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Lancaster, Kentucky, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.jpg){kind=link}
Old Garrard County Jail
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Museum in Kentucky, United States of America
1 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes5
Churches and places of worship4
Methodist Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic church in Lancaster, Kentucky
Lancaster United Medodist Church
Church · Methodist · 0.6 mi
200 Stanford Street, Lancaster
Saint William Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.0 mi
History
In 1797, Captain William Buford donated land for the establishment of a town around the site of Major Andrew Wallace's settlement at Wallace Crossroads. The surveying and platting was completed over the next year by Joseph Bledsoe Jr., and the community was named "Lancaster" for the Pennsylvania town, either because one of its settlers came from there or because the town was designed on a similar plan. The post office was established in 1801 and operated under the name "Lancaster Court House" until 1811. The city was formally incorporated by the state assembly in 1837.
Lancaster was briefly occupied by the Confederate States of America before being expelled after the Battle of Perryville.
From the History section of Lancaster, Kentucky on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Garrard County Area Technology Center
School · 0.9 mi
306 W. Maple Ave, Lancaster
Map of Lancaster
34 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43°F | 23°F | 3.7 in |
| Feb | 47°F | 26°F | 3.7 in |
| Mar | 56°F | 33°F | 4.6 in |
| Apr | 68°F | 44°F | 4.2 in |
| May | 75°F | 54°F | 4.4 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 61°F | 4.7 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 65°F | 5.0 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 64°F | 3.2 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 57°F | 3.7 in |
| Oct | 69°F | 45°F | 3.5 in |
| Nov | 56°F | 34°F | 3.0 in |
| Dec | 46°F | 28°F | 4.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Danville (11 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Garrard County has had 16 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-09-01: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2025-04-24: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2025-04-03: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2025-02-16: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides (Severe Storm)
- 2024-07-23: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Blue Grass Airport (LEX) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 29 miles away.
- Danville 11 mi west, about 17 min by car
- Junction City 11 mi west, about 18 min by car
- Berea 16 mi east, about 26 min by car
- Brodhead 17 mi southeast, about 28 min by car
- Richmond 18 mi northeast, about 28 min by car
- Nicholasville 19 mi north, about 31 min by car
- Harrodsburg 19 mi northwest, about 30 min by car
- Lexington-Fayette 31 mi north, about 49 min by car
- Versailles 31 mi north, about 50 min by car
- Winchester 35 mi northeast, about 56 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Garrard County Kentucky Courthouse, W.marsh, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Peacock House in Lancaster, Nyttend, Public domain
- Lancaster United Methodist Church, Nyttend, Public domain
- Male Academy in Lancaster, Nyttend, Public domain
- Lancaster Cemetery with water tower in background, Nyttend, Public domain
- Lancaster, Kentucky - November 2024 - Sarah Stierch, Missvain, CC0
- Hamilton House in Lancaster, Nyttend, Public domain
- John Boyle House — Lancaster, Kentucky, Christopher L. Riley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wherritt House — Lancaster, Kentucky, Christopher L. Riley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Denny Place in Lancaster, Nyttend, Public domain
- The Old Garrard County Jail, Lancaster, Kentucky, FloNight (Sydney Poore) and Russell Poore, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Garrard Mills, Garrard County, FloNight (Sydney Poore) and Russell Poore, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Garrad County Historical Society, (Jennings-Salter House), FloNight (Sydney Poore) and Sydney Poore, CC BY-SA 3.0
- William Owsley House — Garrard County, Kentucky, Christopher L. Riley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Pleasant Retreat, Gov. William Owsley House, 2, FloNight (Sydney Poore) and Russell Poore, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Garrard County Justice Center, Nyttend, Public domain
- Peacock-Miller House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Billy Ball House site, Nyttend, Public domain
- Home of Statesmen historical marker, western side, Nyttend, Public domain
- Home of Statesmen historical marker, eastern side, Nyttend, Public domain
- Boyle-Robertson-Letcher House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Local Authoress historical marker, Nyttend, Public domain
- Home of Gov. Bradley historical marker, Nyttend, Public domain
- William O. Bradley House site, Nyttend, Public domain
- J.C. Hemphill House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Sue Shelby Mason House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Judge V.A. Lear House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Oliver Perry Hill House, Nyttend, Public domain
- ISS048-E-66725 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.