Fordsville is a small Ohio County city of 446 residents (2020 census), settled around 1830 and named for the early merchant Elisha Ford. The state assembly incorporated it in 1886. It is best known for hosting Kentucky’s official tug-of-war championship and for Fordsville Days, a yearly fair that has run for more than 25 years.

Quick answer: Owensboro Dumpster Pros schedules dumpsters to Fordsville, KY, a city of 446 residents in Ohio County, ZIP code 42343. Event weeks use a 10- or 15-yard ($250–$450) delivered before the weekend, and barn cleanouts use a 20- or 30-yard ($400–$650).

Fordsville at a glance

• County: Ohio County, ZIP code 42343.
• Population: 446 (2020), down from a 1910 peak of 649.
• Landmark: Fordsville City Hall.
• Events: the Fordsville Tug-of-War Championship and Fordsville Days.

Fair and tournament weeks

When a small town hosts a state championship and an annual fair, the volunteers and vendors generate a lot of cups, boxes and food waste in a short time. If you are an organizer, a 10-yard or 15-yard delivered before the weekend and collected after is the usual setup. The event rental page explains it, and please give us your dates well ahead so we can plan the delivery and pickup around them.

Farm and shed cleanouts

Lumber, tin and equipment parts are the common loads. A 20-yard or 30-yard works for a barn, and the heavy debris page explains how weight adds up.

A sample Fordsville job

An owner clears an old tobacco barn. A 30-yard at $500 to $650 holds the lumber and tin.

The Railroad That Tied Fordsville to Owensboro

Fordsville’s story is a railroad story, and part of it runs straight to Owensboro. The first train reached Fordsville on October 1, 1889, on the newly built Owensboro and Fordsville Railroad, and regular freight and passenger service began about a week later. The Illinois Central added a branch from Horse Branch to Fordsville in 1893, and the Louisville and Nashville bought the lines in 1905. As many as six passenger trains a day once ran between Horse Branch and Owensboro. Passenger service ended on June 15, 1941, and freight lasted into the late 1970s.

The depot that stands today was built in 1916. It is a long, low concrete-block building with a tile roof, closest in style to the Prairie School, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 26, 1991. It sits on Walnut Street about 200 feet north of the junction with KY 54, across from City Hall, and houses the Fordsville Historical Society and L&N Depot Museum. Call 270-929-5792 before visiting, since hours can change. If you are working on a building in the depot’s blocks, tell us the street, because the old downtown is compact and a container has to fit between the buildings and the road.

A Town That Peaked in 1910

The railroad also explains the population curve. Fordsville counted 85 residents in 1880, 281 in 1890, 586 in 1900 and 649 in 1910, its highest count. It held between about 520 and 590 for most of the century after that and was down to 446 by 2020. The city covers only about half a square mile, so almost every job is within a few blocks of City Hall.

The 2000 census adds a useful detail: the median age was 43, and 29.4 percent of residents were 65 or older, with 36 percent of households made up of one person living alone. That is a snapshot from 2000, but it points to the kind of work an older small town generates: estate cleanouts, downsizing and clearing a house after a move. Our estate cleanout guide walks through sorting, sizing and timing for that kind of job.

Placement in a Half-Square-Mile Town

Fordsville is an incorporated city, so a container that needs to sit on a public street or the curb is a question for the city, not for the county. Ask City Hall what it requires before you book, and read our permit requirements page for the general rules, which are written for Owensboro and Daviess County. A container on your own lot normally needs no permit. Tell us the street, how much room there is beside the house and whether overhead lines cross the drive, and we will plan the approach. For a barn or field property on the edge of town, gravel and soft ground are the questions to raise.

What Event Weeks Leave Behind

Fordsville Days and the state tug-of-war championship both depend on volunteers and local groups, so cleanup tends to fall to the same few people. A container delivered the day before and collected the day after lets them clear the grounds in one pass. Cups, boxes and food waste are light, so a 10- or 15-yard is usually enough. Our event dumpster rental page covers the details.

Prices

Fordsville event and farm jobs use the 15-yard ($300 to $450), the 20-yard ($400 to $550) or the 30-yard ($500 to $650) for barns. See the cost guide.

Fordsville questions

Do you deliver on weekends?

Call +1 (270) 552-0098 and ask about the schedule for your date. Weekend delivery in Fordsville depends on route and container availability, so book early, especially before Fordsville Days or the tug-of-war championship, when event hosts often need a container before the weekend.

What if the road is gravel?

Tell us when you call. A gravel road or drive in Fordsville is fine if the truck can reach the spot, but we need the length, the surface and how firm it is. Plywood under the skids spreads the weight of the container on soft ground.

Nearby

Hartford and Beaver Dam are the closest. See the service area page.

More Fordsville Questions

Can I book a dumpster for Fordsville Days or the tug-of-war championship?

Yes. A 10-yard ($250–$350) or 15-yard ($300–$450) delivered before the weekend and collected after is the usual setup for organizers of Fordsville Days or the state tug-of-war championship. Give us your dates well ahead so delivery and pickup can be planned around them.

What size dumpster do I need for an old tobacco barn in Fordsville?

An old tobacco barn near Fordsville typically fits a 30-yard dumpster at $500–$650, which holds the lumber and tin. A smaller shed fits a 20-yard ($400–$550). Read the heavy debris page for how weight adds up, and ask for the limit when you book.

Can a dumpster fit near the L&N depot in downtown Fordsville?

The old downtown around the L&N depot on Walnut Street is compact, so a container has to fit between the buildings and the road. Tell us the street and the space available when you book, and we will recommend a size such as a 10-yard ($250–$350).

Related Pages

In eastern Ohio County, see Olaton.