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Quality of Life
BestValueSchools.com ranked Downtown Danville as one of the 30 Most Charming College Town Main Streets in 2017-18.- WhereTraveler.com ranked Danville as one of 12 Small Towns with Big Southern Charm in June 2020.
- Southern Living ranked Danville among the South's Best College Towns in 2016.
- TheCrazyTourist.com has named Perryville as one of the 21 most beautiful places to visit in Kentucky.
- Southern Business Development (SB&D) magazine named Danville as one of the best places in Kentucky to raise your family in its Summer 2015 edition (page 76; no longer hosted online).
- CityDescribed.com ranked Danville #1 of the Top 20 Small Cities in the USA in November 2014.
- The City of Danville received the 2014 Kentucky Governor's Award in the Arts - Government from the Kentucky Arts Council for the City's support of Danville's vibrant arts community, destinations, and events.
- Danville's Kentucky State BBQ Festival was named a Top 20 Event in the Southeastern United States for September 2013 by the Southeast Tourism Society.
- The Battle of Perryville Commemoration was named a Top 20 Event in the Southeastern United States for October 2013 by the Southeast Tourism Society.
- In 2012, Danville was named one of the Top Ten Small Towns in the United States by Livability.com and #2 among the Ten Best Small Towns in America by Business Insider.
- Danville was one of 6 finalists for "Most Beautiful" among the Best Small Towns in America in the 2012 Rand McNally/USA TODAY Best of the Road competition.
- Boyle County ranked #10 on The Progressive Farmer magazine’s Top 100 List of the Best Rural Places to Live in the Southeast region of the United States for 2008.
- Danville was one of 10 small towns “going strong” that were featured in TIME magazine’s “A Small-Town Sampler” as “places where people want to live” in its December 8, 1997 edition, the cover of which was titled “Why More Americans are Fleeing to Small Towns". (See Dec. 8, 1997 TIME Magazine cover depicted at top right.)
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“Can Do” Attitude
Known as the “City of Firsts”, Danville is the location of:
- The first college (Transylvania Seminary) west of the Allegheny Mountains in 1783.
- The first courthouse (U.S. District Court) in Kentucky in 1785.
- The first political society (the Danville Political Club) in 1786.
- The first post office west of the Allegheny Mountains in 1792.
- The first law school west of the Allegheny Mountains in 1799.
- The first successful abdominal surgery performed by Dr. Ephraim McDowell in 1809.
- The oldest college administration building and campus (Centre College) west of the Allegheny Mountains, built in 1819.
- The first state-supported school for the deaf in the United States in 1823.
- The first private home school for black students in Kentucky by 1850, taught by Willis Russell.
- The first public school for black students in Kentucky, established by John W. Bate in 1881.
- Danville was the site of 10 conventions advocating Kentucky statehood from 1785 to 1792, culminating in the adoption of the first Kentucky state constitution and admission as the 15th state of the Union on June 1, 1792. These events are now memorialized by the Constitution Square Historic Site in downtown Danville.
- Danville’s Centre College was chosen by the Commission on Presidential Debates as the host site for two Vice Presidential Debates in 2000 (Vice President Dick Cheney – U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman) and again in 2012 (Vice President Joe Biden – U.S. Congressman Paul Ryan). These debates were staged at Centre College’s Norton Center for the Arts. Learn more about Centre College's 2012 VP Debate preparation and experience by watching "600 West Walnut", a documentary produced by Christian Harris (Centre '15).
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Business Development
Southern Business & Development in its Winter 2020 edition featured the Danville-Boyle County Economic Development Partnership as one of Kentucky's "First-Rate Economic Development Agencies in the South". Read the magazine's report here (full report at page 58, Kentucky at page 70).- The March 2020 edition of SITE Selection magazine ranked the Danville Micropolitan Area (Boyle & Lincoln Counties) #14 among 542 micro communities in the United States and #3 in Kentucky for new and expanding business projects in 2019.
- In March 2019, the Danville Micro ranked #10 in the US and #1 in Kentucky in 2018.
- In March 2018, the Danville Micro ranked #10 in the US and #2 in Kentucky in 2017.
- In March 2017, the Danville Micro was ranked #9 in the U.S. and #2 in Kentucky in 2016. This was the highest national ranking for the Danville Micro in the history of SITE Selection's recognition.
- In March 2016, the Danville Micro ranked #10 in the U.S. and #2 in Kentucky in 2015.
- In March 2015, the Danville Micro ranked #23 in the U.S., #2 in Kentucky for new and expanding business projects in 2014.
- In March 2014, Danville Micro ranked #27 in the U.S., #2 in Kentucky for new/expanding business projects in 2013.
- In 2009, 2010, and 2011, Danville ranked among the top 14 micros nationally (#13 in 2011, #14 in 2010, #12 in 2009) and was the top-performing Kentucky micropolitan for 3 years in a row!
- Southern Business & Development (SB&D) magazine named Boyle County one of the "Best Places in Central Kentucky for Parts Suppliers" in the feature, Best of the Southern Automotive Corridor, in its Summer 2017 edition at page 68.
- Global Trade magazine named the Danville-Boyle County Economic Development Partnership as one of America's 18 leading economic development corporations in its February-March 2016 edition at page 77. The EDP represented the smallest community in population among other state, metro, and county organizations recognized.
- Southern Business & Development (SB&D) magazine in its Summer 2015 edition named Danville as the best small market aerospace location in Kentucky (page 73) and one of the best Tier One auto supplier sites in Kentucky (page 73).
- Southern Business & Development (SB&D) magazine named Danville #34 among the top-performing 52 small Southern markets from 1994 to 2013 in its 20th Anniversary of the SB&D 100 in its Spring 2014 edition at page 63.
- Southern Business & Development magazine named Danville first among "Ten Exceptional Southern Markets to locate your reshored traditional industry" in its Winter 2014 edition. Read the article in the magazine's digital version at page 50.
- Southern Business & Development magazine named downtown Danville one of the "Top Ten Wonderful Small Town Central Business Districts in the South" in its Winter 2013 edition.
- Southern Business & Development magazine named Danville as one of the “101 Great Locations in the South for Aviation & Aerospace” in a special edition of its December 2008 publication.
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Workforce
Southern Business & Development (SB&D) magazine named Bluegrass Community & Technical College as Kentucky's best community college for workforce training in its Summer 2015 edition (page 73).- In 2012, Boyle County became the fifth Kentucky county to be certified as a “Work Ready Community” by the Kentucky Workforce Investment Board. This designation is based on Boyle County’s high school graduation rate, post-secondary educational attainment, digital literacy, community commitment to workforce development, National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) implementation, and soft/professional skills development programs. Read more about this designation by downloading our informational brochure.
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Education
Education is a long-treasured community value in Danville-Boyle County. Danville boasts four postsecondary campuses: Centre College, Bluegrass Community & Technical College, Eastern Kentucky University, and National College. For secondary education, our community is home to three public school systems (Boyle County School District, Danville Independent School District, Kentucky School for the Deaf) and two private schools (Danville Christian Academy, Danville Montessori School). Learn more about these institutions at the Data Bank under Education.Centre College
- The Wall Street Journal/Times of London Higher Education College Ranking placed Centre College #48 in the nation, #6 in the South among all liberal arts colleges and #1 in Kentucky among all colleges and universities.
- U.S. News & World Report ranked Centre #45 among all liberal arts colleges in the nation for the second year in a row in its 2016 "Best Colleges" rankings. Read more.
- Forbes in its 2016 listing of "America's Top Colleges" ranked Centre College #100 overall, #5 among liberal arts colleges in the South, and #18 of all Southern colleges and universities. 2015 marks the ninth year in a row that Forbes has named Centre a top college or university in the South. Read more.
- Kiplinger's Personal Finance ranked Centre #33 in the nation, #4 in the South as a "Best Value in Private Colleges" for 2016, the 10th consecutive year Centre made this list which measures academic quality and affordability. Read more.
- For the second consecutive year, Centre ranked #1 in the nation for "Overall Happiness" of its alumni by The Alumni Factor in 2013. It also ranked #2 in the South and #11 in the nation among liberal arts colleges, as well as #18 among all colleges and universities. Read more.
- The 2014 Fiske Guide to Colleges ranked Centre as one of the best of 300 colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom, and "the unrivaled best institution of higher learning in Kentucky". Read more.
- Centre was ranked #1 in the nation for study abroad participation among baccalaureate institutions by the Institute for International Education's Open Doors 2010-2011 report. Read more.
- Centre was rated among "The Best 378 Colleges" in America by the 2016 edition of The Princeton Review. Read more.
Boyle County School District
- Niche.com ranked the Boyle County School District #4 among the 2021 Best School Districts in Kentucky, and was the highest-ranked county school district recognized. Niche also ranked Boyle County #3 for 2021 School Districts with the Best Teachers in Kentucky.
- In U.S. News & World Report's 2019 "Best High Schools" rankings, Boyle County High School ranked #20 among all Kentucky public high schools .
- Boyle County School District ranked #9 in 2012, #10 in 2013, #6 in 2014, #6 in 2015, and #4 in 2016 among 173 Kentucky K-12 school districts in K-PREP state accountability testing results, earning a District of Distinction designation for five years in a row. Boyle County is Kentucky's only county school district to earn District of Distinction status. All schools within the Boyle County School District were designated as Distinguished or Distinguished/Progressing as a result of their 2016 K-PREP test scores.
- Boyle County High School ranked #8 among all Kentucky high schools in 2016 K-PREP test scores.
- Woodlawn Elementary School ranked among the top 3% of all Kentucky elementaries in 2016 K-PREP test scores. Woodlawn was #1 of all Kentucky elementary schools in 2013 K-PREP science testing scores.
Danville Independent School District
- Danville Independent School District is one of only 7 school districts in Kentucky to be selected as a District of Innovation by the Kentucky Board of Education to implement student-directed, project-based learning models and strategies.
- Education Week magazine featured Danville Schools in its March 16, 2015 article "What Should High School Graduates Know and Be Able to Do" for the district's commitment to the ten graduation outcomes of its Danville Diploma.
- Danville was one of 38 schools or districts in the United States to launch its innovation program in part with a Next Generation Learning Challenges (NGLC) grant funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on July 16, 2013.
- PBS Newshour featured Danville's District of Innovation initiative in its April 3, 2013 report "Kentucky School District Wants Project Based Learning to Outshine Testing".
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Retirement
Where to Retire magazine named Danville among America's 100 Best Places to Retire in its 5th edition book released on September 12, 2013. - CNN/Money magazine ranked Danville among the "25 Best Places to Retire" in the United States for two years in a row, 2011 and 2012.
- Bankrate, Inc., named Danville as one of "10 Great Places to Retire in the U.S." in October 2010 based upon median home prices for communities named in Elizabeth Armstrong's book "America's 100 Best Places to Retire".
- Best Boomer Towns continues to rank Danville among the "Best 21 U.S. Places for Retirement" for Baby Boomers to thrive.
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Historic Preservation
OnlyInYourState.com named Danville as one of 11 "perfectly picturesque small towns in Kentucky" on February 22, 2016. - OnlyInYourState.com named Perryville as one of 11 "historic villages in Kentucky [that] will transport you into a different time" on February 19, 2016.
- USA Today named the Perryville Battlefield to its "Best of" lists of Civil War Battlegrounds in the South on August 4, 2014.
- Danville was named one of the Top 10 Cities for Historic Preservation in 2012 by Livability.com.
- Danville was ranked #9 among the Top 10 Cities for Historic Preservation in the United States by Preservation Network in September 2012.
- Danville was named a Great American Main Street Award winner by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2001.