Lexington is midway between Memphis and Nashville, lying 10 miles (16 km) south of Interstate 40, which connects the two cities.

[citation needed] The first county courthouse was built in 1823; Lexington was incorporated in 1824 and by 1830 had a population of 260.

As the lead-up to the Civil War began, Henderson County voted against secession.

Union Colonel Robert Ingersoll sent his troops to destroy a bridge over Beech Creek to disallow the Confederate army moving into the area.

[8] In 1918, an African-American man called Berry Noyse who was accused of killing the sheriff was lynched by a mob in the courthouse square and burned in the street.

Lexington is 7 miles (11 km) southwest of Natchez Trace State Park.

Lexington is home to the Lexington-Henderson County Center of Jackson State Community College, which opened in 1999.

[16] The center offers all courses required to earn an associate degree in General Studies, and offers other courses that may be credited towards additional degrees from the main campus in Jackson, Tennessee, or may be transferred to other universities.

[17] The Lexington-Henderson County Everett Horn Public Library serves the city.

[21] Henderson County Community Hospital is located in and serves the Lexington area.