City of Highland Heights, Kentucky

Originaly a part of the District of the Highlands incorporated by Henry Stanbery in 1867, The area known as Highland Heights was the southern remainder of the district that was left when Ft Thomas incorporated itself as a city from the northern part in 1914. The rest of the district grew at a slower pace.

In 1917, the Highlands Real Estate and Investment Co. built a model home at Renshaw and Main Ave. and a street car line from Ft Thomas was extended down US 27 to encourage buyers to purchase lots in the area. Development though remained slow for the area.

Residents propsosed incorporation during the winter of 1927, but they were one person shy of the 125 residents required by state law. A birth resolved the problem and in July 1927 Campbell County Court Judge A.M. Caldwell passed the order for incorporation.

The city continued to annex land and also discussed merging with nearby Cold Spring and Crestview. Nothing came of the talks, and development of the largely rural area remained slow.

In 1968 it was announced that Northern Kentucky State College, now known as Northern Kentucky University or NKU, would locate adjacent to Highland Heights. The college became a 4-year school and moved from Park Hills to a larger campus in Highland Heights. The school thrived in the new suburban location, and received an additional boost in convenience when I-471 opened completely from Highland Heights to Cincinnati in 1981.

Today Highland Heights is still mainly a residential area dominated with middle and upper class homes along with the growing campus of NKU. Retail & dining establishments are flourishing along US 27, and with the highway connections, area residents need not travel far for anything at all.