Background: Stroke death is the third leading cause of death in the United States, the sixth leading cause of death in Kentucky (KY), and ischemic stroke (IS) is the most prevalent type in adults (~85%). Small area estimates of stroke incidence can help identify local interventions to lower the burden of vascular risk factors and risk of recurrent IS in these areas. Therefore, the goals of this study are to calculate small area IS incidence rates, examine clusters, and understand the distribution of IS in KY. Methods: Data was obtained from the Kentucky Hospital Inpatient Discharge and Outpatient Services Databases (HIDOSD) from 2012 to 2021; and the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. HIDOSD represents KY emergency department discharges, inpatient data, and ambulatory facility services. We linked 5-digit Zip codes to (n=759) zip code tabulation areas (ZCTA) available from the US Census Bureau. The annualized IS rate per 100,000 was calculated by dividing the mean number of IS hospitalizations from 2012 to 2021 by the ZCTA 2020 population. We categorized IS rates by quartiles and calculated box plots in descriptive analyses. We tested for significant spatial clusters using the Local Moran’s I with Empirical Bayes rate smoothing in GeoDa. Results: From 2012-2021, 90,840 IS hospitalizations were reported in KY. The median IS rate was 226.5 per 100,000. The median rate in the highest quartile was 290.8 (IQR 171.7 - 290.8) vs 171.7 (IQR 171.7 - 290.8) in the lowest quartile. An area of high IS rate clusters (n=20) was identified in southeastern KY with lower clusters dispersed throughout the state. Figure. Conclusions: This 10-year analysis of IS hospitalizations across KY identified areas of potential intervention. Future efforts are needed to identify the social and medical contributors driving burden of IS in these areas and to design interventions targeted to improve health outcomes.