Vanceburg, Kentucky
Vanceburg is a city of 1,482 people in Lewis County, Kentucky, founded in 1797.
Why visit Vanceburg
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail and 4 places to eat in and around town.
Highlights include Adams County Paleo-Indian District and Union Monument in Vanceburg.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 24°F, and about 21 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Vanceburg
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Vanceburg
Vanceburg is a home rule-class city in Lewis County, Kentucky, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 1,428 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Lewis County.
From the Wikipedia article Vanceburg, Kentucky (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks5
Adams County Paleo-Indian District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Archaeological site in Adams County, Ohio
Union Monument in Vanceburg
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Sculpture
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes4
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 0.4 mi
14 West Key 8, Vanceburg
Mo-Fr 08:00-22:00; Sa 09:00-22:00; Su 09:00-21:00
Churches and places of worship1
Holy Redeemer Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.9 mi
History
Founded in 1797, Vanceburg is named for a cofounder of the city, William Vance. Joseph Baird and William Vance received land rights and divided the area into parcels for sale. While Baird was the header of the project, the two agreed that a coin toss would settle who the town would be named after. Baird won the toss and the name “Bairdstown” was decided upon. However, the two soon decided that “Bairdstown” too closely resembled the already established city of Bardstown, Kentucky. After reaching this conclusion the pair settled on the name "Vanceburg". The city and surrounding area originally thrived on salt productions and mines located along and in Salt Lick Creek, which flows through the city and inland through much of the heart of the county.
From the History section of Vanceburg, Kentucky on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Map of Vanceburg
18 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°F | 24°F | 3.4 in | 5.5 in |
| Feb | 46°F | 26°F | 3.4 in | 6.7 in |
| Mar | 56°F | 32°F | 5.0 in | 4.0 in |
| Apr | 69°F | 41°F | 4.2 in | 0.6 in |
| May | 76°F | 50°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 59°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 63°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 62°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 55°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 69°F | 42°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 57°F | 32°F | 2.9 in | 0.7 in |
| Dec | 46°F | 28°F | 4.0 in | 3.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Warnock 2 (18 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
Lewis County has had 28 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 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)
- 2025-02-24: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2025-02-16: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides (Severe Storm)
- 2024-11-26: Remnants Of Hurricane Helene (Tropical Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Greater Portsmouth Regional Airport (PMH) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 31 miles away.
- Manchester 17 mi northwest, about 27 min by car
- West Union 18 mi northwest, about 29 min by car
- West Portsmouth 20 mi northeast, about 31 min by car
- South Shore 21 mi northeast, about 34 min by car
- Olive Hill 22 mi southeast, about 35 min by car
- Portsmouth 23 mi northeast, about 37 min by car
- Rosemount 23 mi northeast, about 36 min by car
- New Boston 24 mi northeast, about 38 min by car
- Flemingsburg 25 mi southwest, about 41 min by car
- Maysville 26 mi west, about 41 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
- Lewis County, Kentucky courthouse, FloNight (Sydney Poore) and Russell Poore, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Union Monument in Vanceburg Ausschnitt, C. Bedford Crenshaw, Attribution
- Adams County Paleo-Indian District, Nyttend, Public domain
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.