Owenton is a city in Owen County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,387 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Owen County. It is located at the junction of US 127 and Kentucky Route 22, about halfway between Louisville and Cincinnati. Owenton was founded in 1822 and named for the county, which was named for Colonial Abraham Owen, a pioneer who died at the Battle of Tippecanoe. The town incorporated on December 18, 1828. The Greek Revival courthouse was built in 1857-58. Owenton's growth in the late 19th century and beyond was limited because a railroad was never built to it. Its population has grown slightly from 1,280 in 1970.