Fayette county was formed in 1780. It is located in the Inner Bluegrass region of the state. The elevation in the county ranges from 549 to 1070 feet above sea level. In 2000 the county population was 260,512 in a land area of 284.52 square miles, an average of 915.6 people per square mile. The county seat is Lexington. Fayette was one of the original counties in the Kentucky territory of Virginia.