Henderson

Henderson, city, seat of Henderson county, northwestern Kentucky, U.S., on a bluff overlooking the Ohio River, 7 miles (11 km) south of Evansville, Indiana. The town site, around Red Banks (settled 1784), was laid out in 1797 by the Transylvania Land Company and named for its promoter, Richard Henderson. Originally a farming settlement, its economy is evenly balanced among industry, agriculture (corn [maize], soybeans, wheat, livestock, and tobacco), oil, and coal. Manufactures include processed food (poultry), plastics, aluminum die castings, and apparel.

John James Audubon, the artist-ornithologist, operated a general store there from 1810 to 1818; he is commemorated by the John James Audubon State Park and Museum just north of the city. Henderson Community College, a member of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, was opened in 1960. Nearby Ellis Park Racetrack offers summer Thoroughbred races. Inc. town, 1810; city, 1867. Pop. (2000) 27,373; (2010) 28,757.