River Mile: 470

Population: 814,150

U.S. Census Profile

Established in 1795 by James Taylor at the confluence of the Licking and Ohio Rivers, Newport wasn’t named because it was a new port on the waterways, but rather in honor Adm. Christopher Newport, who led the settlement of Jamestown in Taylor’s home state of Virginia. The town’s development got a boost in 1803, when the army established a post there that would become the Newport Barracks. Early economic activities included manufacturing of rope and woolen products.

A large number of Germans moved into the area in the mid-to-late 1800s, leaving a cultural mark to this day. Prohibition under the Volstead Act of 1919 prompted gangsters to smuggle banned alcohol into the city, which became known for its speakeasies and other illegal activities. One Newport native, John Thompson, invented the Thomson Machine Gun, or “Tommy Gun” favored by gangsters nationwide. Casinos on Monmouth St. also gave Newport a reputation of being a “sin city.” Officials in the 1980s and 90s pushed to redevelop the city to focus on more family friendly tourism. In 1990 the Newport Aquarium opened, soon to be followed by the Newport on the Levee entertainment complex. The city’s East Row Historic District is the second largest in Kentucky. Today, Newport continues to serve as an entertainment center for the Cincinnati metropolitan area.