Ashland is a city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States. It is located on the southern bank of the Ohio River at the state border with Ohio and near West Virginia. The population was 21,625 at the 2020 census, making it the most populous city in Boyd County. It is a principal city of the Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area, referred to locally as the "Tri-State area" and home to 376,155 residents in 2020. Ashland serves as an important economic and medical center for northeastern Kentucky. Ashland is a home-rule class city under Kentucky law.