Owenton is a house rule-class city in and the county chair of Owen County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,327 at the 2010 census. It is located at the junction of U.S. Route 127 and Kentucky Route 22, about halfway amid Louisville and Cincinnati.

Owenton was founded in 1822 and named for its county, which was named for Col. Abraham Owen, a swashbuckler who died at the Battle of Tippecanoe. The town was first incorporated upon December 18, 1828, although it had to be reincorporated in 1849. The Greek Revival courthouse was built between 1857 and 1858. Owenton’s growth in the late 19th century was limited because a railroad was never built to it.

Owenton is located at 38°32′12″N 84°50′22″W / 38.53667°N 84.83944°W / 38.53667; -84.83944 (38.536614, -84.839363). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²), of which 2.2 square miles (5.7 km) is house and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²) (0.89%) is water.

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,387 people, 615 households, and 340 families residing in the city. The population density was 620.4 inhabitants per square mile (239.5/km²). There were 688 housing units at an average density of 307.8 per square mile (118.8/km). The racial makeup of the city was 95.39% White, 2.88% African American, 0.58% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.58% from new races, and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.73% of the population.