County outline
Where Allen County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 97.7% of Allen County’s measured area and water for 2.3%. Its combined area converts to 911.3 square kilometers or approximately 225,192 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 343.724 | 890.241 | 219,983.4 |
| Water | 8.139 | 21.08 | 5,209 |
| Total | 351.863 | 911.321 | 225,192.3 |
How Allen County compares
By original Census land area, Allen County ranks #49 of 120 in Kentucky and #2699 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.123 times the Kentucky county-equivalent median of 306 square miles. It accounts for 0.9% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Kentucky ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Allen County
The Census Bureau estimates that 22,536 people lived in Allen County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,756 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #52 of 120 in Kentucky. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 20,579, the population has grown by 1,957 (+9.5%), compared with +2.2% for Kentucky as a whole.
With 343.7 square miles of land, that is 66 people per square mile (25 per km²), placing Allen County #1,314 nationally for density and #55 in Kentucky. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Kentucky median is 59. Put another way, there are about 9.8 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 20,573 | 20,833 | 21,249 | 21,821 | 22,095 | 22,536 |
| Change | — | +260 | +416 | +572 | +274 | +441 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Allen County
1 incorporated place lies at least partly in Allen County. Together they are home to 4,673 people (20.7%); the other 17,863 (79.3%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Scottsville city, with 4,673 residents in the county.
Metropolitan area
Allen County is an outlying county of the Bowling Green, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its 4 county equivalents have 197,180 residents on 1,614.4 square miles of land; Allen County accounts for 21.3% of the land and 11.4% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #201 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #240 by population. It belongs to the Bowling Green-Glasgow-Franklin, KY Combined Statistical Area.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| Warren County | 149,375 | 541.7 |
| Allen County | 22,536 | 343.7 |
| Edmonson County | 12,749 | 302.8 |
| Butler County | 12,520 | 426.1 |
ZIP codes
6 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Allen County; 3 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
421204212242133421344215342164
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Allen County
Allen County shares a land border with 6 county equivalents, including 2 in Tennessee. It has more land than 3 of them. The largest neighbor is Warren County (541.7 mi²) and the smallest is Simpson County (234.2 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Allen County forms a block of 2,773.1 mi² of land, of which it holds 12.4%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Allen | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warren County | 541.7 | 1.6× larger | Compare |
| Sumner CountyTennessee | 529.5 | 1.5× larger | Compare |
| Barren County | 487.4 | 1.4× larger | Compare |
| Monroe County | 329.5 | about the same | Compare |
| Macon CountyTennessee | 307.1 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| Simpson County | 234.2 | 1.5× smaller | Compare |
How big is Allen County compared with U.S. states?
Allen County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 3 times as much. Kentucky’s county land could hold about 115 areas the size of Allen County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 18.5 miles (29.8 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Allen County?
Allen County has more land than 523 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Allen County at #2,728 nationally by total area, 29 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 2.3%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 1.1 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Allen County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2698 | Johnson County, Illinois | 343.7 | Compare |
| #2699 | Allen County, Kentucky | 343.7 | This county |
| #2700 | Marion County, Kentucky | 343.6 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 36.750770, -86.192458. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 890,240,989 m²; AWATER: 21,079,867 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Allen County?
Allen County, Kentucky has 343.7 square miles (890.2 km²) of land and 8.139 square miles of water, for a total area of 351.9 square miles. It ranks #2699 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Allen County the largest county in Kentucky?
No. Allen County ranks #49 of 120 in Kentucky by land area. The largest is Pike County, with 786.2 square miles of land.
What counties border Allen County?
Allen County shares a land border with Barren County, Warren County, Macon County, Tennessee, Sumner County, Tennessee, Simpson County, and Monroe County.
What is the population of Allen County?
The Census Bureau estimates Allen County had 22,536 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,756 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 66 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Allen County?
The county seat of Allen County is Scottsville.
Is Allen County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is an outlying county of the Bowling Green, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has 4 county equivalents and 197,180 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Allen County?
6 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Allen County, and 3 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Allen County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 3 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Allen County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 219,983 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 225,192 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.