city, seat (1848) of Mason county, northeastern Kentucky, U.S. It lies at the confluence of Limestone Creek and the Ohio River, there bridged (1931) to Aberdeen, Ohio. The town was established as Limestone in 1787 at the site of a tavern operated (1786–89) by frontiersman Daniel Boone (Boone, Daniel) and his wife, Rebecca. It was laid out by Simon Kenton and John May (for whom it was later renamed). By 1792 it had become a landing point for pioneers. General Ulysses S. Grant (Grant, Ulysses S.) attended school there, and the birthplace of Confederate General Albert Sydney Johnston (Johnston, Albert Sidney) is preserved as a historic shrine at nearby Washington.

Maysville is a river port with a balanced farm-industrial economy. It is an important marketing centre for burley tobacco; manufactures include power transmission products and automotive seat covers. A second bridge over the Ohio between Maysville and Aberdeen opened in 2001. Maysville Community College opened in 1968. Blue Licks Battlefield State Park, which preserves the site of a skirmish (August 1782) during the American Revolution, is about 25 miles (40 km) southwest. Inc. city, 1833. Pop. (1990) 7,169; (2000) 8,993.