[5] Its economy is largely dominated by the adjacent U.S. Army base Fort Knox and by the nearby city of Elizabethtown.

[5] The former unincorporated community of Rogersville, named for a local family, is in the southern part of Radcliff along US 31W and Kentucky Route 447.

[8] Incorporated in 1956, Radcliff was first settled in 1919, when Horace McCullum subdivided lots along Wilson Avenue and sold them at auction to the highest bidder.

McCullum named the new community after Major William Radcliffe, head of the Quartermaster Corps at the newly established Camp Henry Knox.

During World War II, thousands of soldiers trained at Fort Knox and spent their leisure hours at the USO in Radcliff.

At one time, Radcliff was larger than Elizabethtown, but that was short-lived after the 2000 census and more so after the BRAC transformation at the beginning of the 21st century.

Former Kentucky state representative Mike Weaver was elected mayor in 2014 and took office in 2015 for a four-year term.

City council members Barbara Baker, Stan Holmes, Edward L. Palmer, T. W. Shortt, Kim Thompson and Chris Yates were also elected in 2014 and took office in 2015, each for a two-year term.

The November 8, 2016, general election for Radcliff City Council ended with all current councilmembers reelected except Shortt, who had run for Kentucky State Representative.

Radcliff community leader and businesswoman Tanya Seabrooks was elected to fill the seat Shortt vacated, defeating five other candidates.

Barbara Baker lost her seat after finishing eighth in the race and Edward Palmer decided not to run for re-election.

[13] The 2022 election for the Radcliff City Council saw incumbents Terry Owens, Kim Thompson, Pamela DeRoche, and Toshie Murrell win re-election.

Local chef and volunteer Maria Bell finished fifth, winning her a spot on the city council.