Kentucky (i/kɪnˈtʌki/), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state located in the east south-central region of the United States. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth (the others being Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts). Originally a part of Virginia, in 1792 Kentucky became the 15th state to join the Union. Kentucky is the 37th most extensive and the 26th most populous of the 50 United States.
The Lexington-Fayette, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area is the 106th largest Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in the United States. It was originally formed by the United States Census Bureau in 1950 and consisted solely of Fayette County until 1980 when surrounding counties saw increases in their population densities and the number of their residents employed within Lexington-Fayette, which led to them meeting Census criteria to be added to the MSA.
The Lexington-Fayette, KY MSA is the primary MSA of the Lexington-Fayette-Frankfort-Richmond, KY Combined Statistical Area which includes the Micropolitan Statistical Areas of Frankfort, KY (Franklin and Anderson counties), Mount Sterling, KY (Montgomery, Bath, and Menifee counties), and Richmond-Berea, KY (Madison and Rockcastle counties). The Lexington-Fayette-Frankfort-Richmond, KY Combined Statistical Area has a July 1, 2005 Census Bureau estimated population of 635,642.