Morehead is a home rule-class city[5] located along US 60 (the historic Midland Trail) and Interstate 64 in Rowan County, Kentucky, in the United States.

[7] It was the focal point of the Rowan County War and is the home of Morehead State University.

The first European settlers came to Rowan County from Virginia following the end of the American Revolutionary War in 1783.

Beginning with an election-day barroom brawl, several gunfights took place in Morehead and the surrounding countryside.

The conflict gained national attention and on two occasions the governor sent troops to maintain order with little effect.

Eventually a posse of as many as 100 individuals were organized and armed by Daniel Boone Logan with the tacit consent of Gov.

After the state militia came to settle the feud, the Disciples of Christ established a church and school which served as the forerunner to the university.

It was considered an important shipping center in the region, and the city of Chesapeake, Ohio even carried out developments on the road system of Morehead.

Its abundance of lumber, fire clay, farm products and gas made it an active center of industry, of which was mainly oriented towards agriculture.

[15] In the 1920s, the city refocused its efforts towards fire clay extraction amidst the dwindling prices of timber.

[16] In July 1939, a number of business and hotels located on Mainstreet were caught in a raging fire following Independence Day celebrations which went awry.

The property costs incurred by the flooding were estimated at $1,000,000, while the damage inflicted on crops and farms caused an economic loss of about $500,000.

[16] After the logging and extraction industries lost momentum in eastern Kentucky during the mid-1900s, the city invested heavily in developing Morehead State University as a means to secure economic growth.

[16] In 2015, Kim Davis of Morehead gained international attention after she defied a federal court order requiring that as Clerk of Rowan County she issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple.

[14] The topography of the area represents a mixture of the Highland Rim and the western border of the Eastern Kentucky Coalfield.

The highest elevation in the county is Limestone Knob (1435 ft), situated approximately 3 miles southwest of Morehead.

[32] There are over thirty cycling trails in the county's section of Daniel Boone National Forest.