Richmond Kentucky is situated in the heart of Madison County and the heart of the Bluegrass State. This city, on the former Wilderness Road, 25 miles (39 km) southeast of Lexington, was founded in 1785 by Colonel John Miller, who served in Yorktown during the American Revolution. It is named after Richmond, Virginia, Miller's birthplace. Richmond is a unique combination of small-town warmth and security, while having access to the advantages of a big city.
During the American Civil War, Richmond was in dispute. The first Confederate victory in the state took place there from August 29 to 30, 1862, when General Edmund Kirby-Smith's forces defeated Union General William Nelson's troops and captured nearly all of Nelson's men. The courthouse (184) was used as a hospital during this time. Central Kentucky Regional Airport is a public airport located in Madison County, between Richmond and Berea. Interstate 75 runs west of Richmond and connects the city to Lexington in the north and Knoxville, Tennessee, in the south.
Since the original seat of Madison County was Milford, Kentucky, Miller successfully lobbied the Kentucky legislature to move it from Milford to the present-day Richmond. In addition, Richmond is the principal city of the Richmond-Berea, Kentucky micropolitan area, which includes all of Madison and Rockcastle counties. Richmond offers visitors a unique blend of small-town hospitality with big city benefits. The city has access to Central Kentucky Regional Airport and Interstate 75 which connects it to Lexington and Knoxville. It is also part of the Richmond-Berea micropolitan area which includes Madison and Rockcastle counties.
