Bellevue

History

Before Bellevue was founded, the area was used for hunting, fishing, and warfare by Native Americans tribes such as the Illini, Miami, Shawnee, Cherokee, and Tuscarora. In 1745, a three-day battle occurred in Bellevue among the Shawnee, Miami, and Cherokee Indians, resulting in many deaths. Bellevue, or "belle vue," translates from French to mean "beautiful view." Although it contained only 381 inhabitants in 1870, by 1877, Bellevue was reported to be "growing fast". By the 1890s, Bellevue was bustling. Balke's Opera House at Berry and Fairfield Avenues served as the town hall and firehouse. A city directory listed 15 grocery stores, four bakeries, six boot makers, seven confectioneries, two livery stables, a blacksmith, three millionaries, six doctors, seven saloons, and a wagon manufacturer. Throughout Bellevue's history, Fairfield Avenue has been the city's primary business area. In 1894, Bellevue city fathers, attempting to bring more settlers to the city, published a brochure describing the avenue's commercial quality: "Fairfield Avenue, running east and west through the entire town, is the principal business thoroughfare, and business houses are kept well stocked with the latest and best of everything in all branches of trade. The Taylor's Daughters Historic District is the local historic district. At the turn of the 20th century, Bellevue, like Dayton, was known for its white sandy beaches. A resort called Queen City Beach opened in the summer of 1902 and extended from Washington Avenue to the Dayton city line. Between 2005 and 2006, the average residential sale price increased by 89 percent, surpassing the market average of every other neighborhood in the Greater Cincinnati area.

Geography

Bellevue is located in Northern Kentucky, directly across the Ohio River from the Mount Adams neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. The city is bordered by Newport to the west, Dayton to the east, Fort Thomas to the south, and the Ohio River and Cincinnati to the north. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , virtually all land. Bellevue is on a gentle slope that rises toward the Kentucky Highlands region south of the city. Topographically, Bellevue is higher in elevation than its neighboring cities. When the Ohio River would rise, homes in Dayton and Newport would flood while homes in Bellevue (with the exception of homes in proximity to the riverbank) remained safe from rising water. For this reason, Bellevue is not protected by a levee, whereas Dayton and Newport are.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  28,102
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  23,876
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  22,097
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  18,451
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  18,217
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  18,193
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  16,951
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  16,907

Largest nearby schools

• Highlands High School
  High · Fort Thomas · 1,015 students · 18.1:1 ratio
• Highlands Middle School
  Middle · Fort Thomas · 732 students · 16.6:1 ratio
• Crossroads Elementary School
  Elementary · Cold Spring · 613 students · 13.6:1 ratio
• Newport High School
  High · Newport · 579 students · 10.5:1 ratio
• Moyer Elementary School
  Elementary · Fort Thomas · 544 students · 17.5:1 ratio
• Lincoln Elementary School
  Elementary · Dayton · 487 students · 12.8:1 ratio
• Johnson Elementary School
  Elementary · Fort Thomas · 425 students · 16.3:1 ratio
• Woodfill Elementary School
  Elementary · Fort Thomas · 411 students · 14.2:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2026-02-22
  2 km NE of Hillsboro, Ohio
• M 2.51 — 2024-01-28
  3 km SW of Old Washington, Kentucky
• M 3.04 — 2021-12-12
  2 km E of Manchester, Ohio
• M 2.78 — 2017-12-17
  6 km ENE of Germantown, Kentucky
• M 2.62 — 2015-05-11
  5 km ESE of Maysville, Kentucky
• M 2.6 — 2013-07-23
  6 km NNE of Germantown, Kentucky