Your Guide to Buying a Home in Radcliff, KY

Buying a Home in Radcliff, Kentucky

(The Haycraft Inn, the town's oldest standing structure, is one of many historic sites in Radcliff)

Radcliff is located in Hardin County

Originally known as the Mill Creek area of Kentucky, Radcliff's colorful history includes the well-known Pioneer, Daniel Boone. The Boone family cemetery, located in Fort Knox, just a few miles to the north, gives strong indications that Boone and his brother, Squire, spent a significant part of time in the area that now comprises Radcliff. Other notable figures that happened through this area include Thomas Lincoln, father of our 16th president, and Coleman Lewis, who constructed the first permanent building in Radcliff, the Haycraft Inn.

Radcliff has seen very steep increases in its population since 1956, fueled mainly by nearby Fort Knox. In the 1930's Fort Knox expanded and dislocated the towns of Stithton and New Stithton causing various residents and businesses of those communities to move to Radcliff. Also, during World War II, thousands of soldiers trained at Fort Knox and spent their leisure hours at the USO in Radcliff. Today, Radcliff is the largest city in Hardin County with roughly 21,000 residents.

Radcliff's economy is relatively young, as many of the city's businesses are less than 15 years old. While historically a retail economy, the current trend is toward providing goods and services to the increasing population. Major contributors to the commercial strength of Radcliff are U.S. Calvary and Standard Register. Also important for the ethnic diversity in Radcliff are the numerous small businesses that have grown very quickly. In fact, at one time Radcliff had more fast food restaurants per capita than any other city. It is likely the local economy will continue to evolve as the diverse needs of a growing population change.

Heritage festivals and historical museums keep Radcliff close to its important past. The Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor, listed as one of the most visited attractions in Kentucky, houses a tremendous amount of his personal effects. The Dixie Heritage Tour provides a fun and relaxing way to revisit history. The Dixie Heritage Trail runs through historical areas, including Bardstown/My Old Kentucky Home, Lincoln's Birthplace and Jim Beam Distillery.

Radcliff is located along US 31W and is about 7 miles north of Elizabethtown. Fort Knox Military Reserve is only minutes to the northeast of town.