Paris is a city in and the county seat of Bourbon County, Kentucky, United States. It is part of the Lexington-Fayette, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area. Settled in 1775, it lies 113 mi east of Louisville, on the Stoner Fork of the Licking River. The town was originally known as Hopewell, Virginia when it was chartered in 1789. The name was changed in 1790 to reflect appreciation for French assistance during the Revolutionary War. Its tourism motto is "Horses, history and hospitality". Paris was first chartered as a city in 1862. In 1900, 4,603 people lived here; in 1910, 5,859; and in 1940, 6,697. The population was 9,183 at the 2000 census. Its ZIP code is 40361. [more on Wikipedia]