Campbell County /

Campbell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed on December 17, 1794, from sections of Scott, Harrison and Mason counties. As of 2000, the population was 88,616. Its county seats are Alexandria and Newport. The county is named for Colonel John Campbell (1735–1799), Revolutionary War soldier. Wilmington, a pioneer settlement, was the original county seat of Campbell County from 1794 until 1797. Newport was the county seat of Campbell County, Kentucky from 1797 until 1823. The county seat was moved to Visalia in 1823, as it was the geographical center of the county at that time, but this was an unpopular move, as the overwhelming majority of residents live in northern Campbell County. The county seat was moved back to Newport in 1824, and remained in Newport until 1840. In 1840, Kenton County, Kentucky was created, primarily out of a significant portion of Campbell County. That same year, a new Kentucky law forced the county to move the county seat from Newport to Alexandria, along with all of the county offices that are legislatively tied to the county seat. The county, having a population primarily in its northern section, did not want the seat in