Graves County, Kentucky

Graves County
County
Graves County Courthouse in Mayfield in 2008, part of the Mayfield Downtown Commercial District; building sustained major damage in a long-range tornado on December 10, 2021.
Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
Kentucky's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°43′N 88°39′W / 36.72°N 88.65°W / 36.72; -88.65
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
Founded	1824
Named for	Benjamin F. Graves
Seat	Mayfield
Largest city	Mayfield
Area
• Total	557 sq mi (1,440 km2)
• Land	552 sq mi (1,430 km2)
• Water	5.0 sq mi (13 km2)  0.9%
Population  (2020)
• Total	36,649
• Estimate  (2023)	36,461
• Density	66/sq mi (25/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	www.gravescountyky.com

Graves County is a county located on the southwest border of the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,649.^[1] Its county seat is Mayfield.^[2] The county was formed in 1824 and was named for Major Benjamin Franklin Graves, a politician and fallen soldier in the War of 1812.

Graves County comprises the Mayfield, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Paducah-Mayfield, KY-IL Combined Statistical Area.

Graves County is a "limited" dry county, meaning that sale of alcohol in the county is prohibited except for wine and beer in restaurants. In 2016, county residents voted on whether to become a "wet" county, but that attempt failed. Later in the year, a ballot measure was proposed and passed within the city limits of Mayfield (the county seat) to allow alcohol sales in stores and gas stations.