Fulton County, Kentucky

Fulton County
County
Fulton County Courthouse in Hickman
Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
Kentucky's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°33′N 89°11′W / 36.55°N 89.19°W / 36.55; -89.19
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
Founded	1845
Named for	Robert Fulton
Seat	Hickman
Largest city	Hickman
Area
• Total	231 sq mi (600 km2)
• Land	206 sq mi (530 km2)
• Water	25 sq mi (60 km2)  11%
Population  (2020)
• Total	6,515
• Estimate  (2023)	6,338
• Density	28/sq mi (11/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	www.fultoncounty.ky.gov

Fulton County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Kentucky, with the Mississippi River forming its western boundary. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,515.^[1] Its county seat is Hickman and its largest city is Fulton.^[2] The county was formed in 1845 from Hickman County, Kentucky and named for Robert Fulton, the inventor of the steamboat.^[3][4]

Allied with Tennessee by trade and culture, white Fulton County residents were largely pro-Confederate during the American Civil War. Forces from both armies passed through the county during different periods of the conflict.^[5] Because of imprecise early surveying of Kentucky's southern border, Fulton County is divided into two non-contiguous parts. An exclave on the peninsula in the Kentucky Bend of the Mississippi River can be reached only by road through Tennessee.