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 2010 the county population was 295,803 in a land area of 283.65 square miles, an average of 1042.8 people per square mile.

The county seat is Lexington.

Fayette was one of the original counties in the Kentucky territory of Virginia. The Lexington and Fayette County governments are merged into the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government.