Before Frankfort was founded, the site was a ford across the Kentucky River, along one of the great buffalo trails used as highways in colonial America.

[8] In 1786, the Virginia legislature designated 100 acres (40 hectares) as the town of Frankfort and, after Kentucky became a state in 1792, it was chosen as capital.

Frankfort has four distinct seasons; winter is normally cool with some snowfall, while summers are hot and humid.

[10] Notable locations include the Kentucky State Capitol building, the Capital City Museum,[13] and Fort Hill, a promontory with a view of downtown.

Native Americans attacked a group of early European colonists from Bryan Station, who were on their way to make salt at Mann's Lick in Jefferson County.

[15] In 1786, James Wilkinson purchased a 260-acre (110-hectare) tract of land on the north side of the Kentucky River, which developed as downtown Frankfort.

After Kentucky became the 15th state in 1792, five commissioners from various counties were appointed, on 20 June 1792, to choose a location for the capital.

According to early histories, the offer of Andrew Holmes' log house as capitol for seven years, a number of town lots, £50 worth of locks and hinges, 10 boxes of glass, 1,500 pounds of nails, and $3,000 in gold helped the decision go to Frankfort.

[17] John Brown, a Virginia lawyer and statesman, built a home now called Liberty Hall in Frankfort in 1796.

[18] In 1796, the Kentucky General Assembly appropriated funds to provide a house to accommodate the governor; it was completed two years later.

The Old Governor's Mansion is claimed to be the oldest official executive residence still in use in the United States.

In 1829, Gideon Shryock designed the Old Capitol, Kentucky's third, in Greek Revival style.

[20] During the American Civil War, the Union Army built fortifications overlooking Frankfort on what is now called Fort Hill.

[21][22] On 3 February 1900, William Goebel was assassinated in Frankfort while walking to the capitol on the way to the Kentucky Legislature.

Former Secretary of State Caleb Powers and several others were later found guilty of a conspiracy to murder Goebel, however all were later pardoned.

[21][22] The school was torn down as part of an urban renewal plan,[24] and to make way for the Capital Plaza.

The Capital Plaza Office Tower opened in 1972 and became a visual landmark for the center of the city.

[25] Although there was some rapid economic and population growth in the 1960s, both tapered off in the 1980s and have remained fairly stable since that time.

[26] In August 2008, state government officials recommended demolition of the Capital Plaza Office Tower and redevelopment of the area over a period of years.

Ten years later, the demolition of the office tower was completed on Sunday, March 11, 2018,[27] and was televised by WKYT-TV on WKYT-DT2, as well as streamed live on Facebook.

[31] In 2018, thousands of teachers protested at the city in response to Senate Bill 151 having been passed on 29 March 2018.

The city is bisected by the Kentucky River, which makes an s-turn as it passes through the center of town.

The valley within the city limits contains Downtown and South Frankfort districts, which lie opposite one another on the river.