Kentucky's Three Capital Cities in History

Kentucky has designated three cities as its capital at different times:

1. Danville – Hosted constitutional conventions (1784–1792) before statehood
2. Frankfort – Chosen as permanent capital in 1792; remains so today
3. Louisville – Briefly served as provisional capital during Civil War (1862) when Frankfort was threatened

Frankfort's central location and offer of land/town lots secured its selection. The Old State Capitol (1830–1910) and current Capitol (1910) both stand there.