London, Kentucky

London is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Laurel County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 8,053. London is home to the annual World Chicken Festival that celebrates the life of Colonel Sanders and features the world's largest skillet.

History

The area around London had been territory of the Cherokee people for centuries. In 1776 Daniel Boone passed through the area that would become London.

Upon the establishment of Laurel County in 1825, a vote was held to provide for the new area's seat of government. The land offered by John Jackson and his son Jarvis Jackson was selected, along with their suggested name of London, honoring their English heritage.Rennick, Robert. ''Kentucky Place Names''
p. 178
University Press of Kentucky (Lexington), 1987. Accessed August 1, 2013.

The town was founded the next year, its post office established in 1831, and its city rights granted in 1836.Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "London, Kentucky". Accessed August 1, 2013.

One of John Jackson's sons was Hancock Lee Jackson, 13th governor of Missouri. His second cousin was Claiborne Fox Jackson, 15th governor of Missouri.

In 1861, the Battle of Camp Wildcat was fought early in the American Civil War to the north of the town.

In 1865 the non denominational, First Christian Church of London was founded.

The St. Joseph's Hospital was founded in 1926.

During the Depression of the late 1930s and early 1940s, the Works Progress Administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Pack Horse Library Project to serve rural people in the mountains. London served as a central collection agency for books donated to tis program. It also had a pack horse library, whose riders delivered books to rural residents.

2025 tornado

On the night of May 16, 2025, a violent EF4 tornado tore through the southern portions of London. The tornado resulted in catastrophic damage and killed 17 people in the city.

Geography

London is located in central Laurel County. U.S. Route 25 passes through London as its Main Street. Route 25 leads northwest to Mount Vernon and south to Corbin. Interstate 75, running parallel to US 25, passes along the western edge of London, with access from Exits 38 and 41. I-75 leads north to Lexington and south to Knoxville, Tennessee. The Hal Rogers Parkway runs along the northern edge of London, leading east to Garrard and west to Somerset.

According to the United States Census Bureau, London has a total area of , of which , or 0.39%, are water. Between the 2000 and 2010 censuses, the city annexed a significant portion of land.

Climate

London has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: ''Cfa'') with continental influences. Summers are hot and humid with frequent storms. July is the warmest month, with an average high of and an average low of . Winters are cold with a few mild periods. January is the coldest month with an average high of and an average low of . The highest recorded temperature was on June 29, 2012, and the lowest recorded temperature was on January 19, 1994. May has the highest average rainfall of and October has the lowest average rainfall of .

Demographics

London is part of the London, Kentucky micropolitan area. Of the seventeen micropolitan areas in Kentucky, London is the largest; the London micropolitan area's 2010 Census population was 126,368.

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,692 people, 2,400 households, and 1,461 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,676 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.03% White, 1.83% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.11% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.47% of the population.

There were 2,400 households, out of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.78.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.3% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,283, and the median income for a family was $34,340. Males had a median income of $32,355 versus $19,873 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,046. About 19.4% of families and 20.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.9% of those under age 18 and 18.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Major employers in London include:
*ABC Group
* Aisin
* Bimbo Bakeries USA
* Flowers Foods
*Maximus
* Hearthside Food Solutions
*Highlands Diversified Services
*Niflheim Finances
* Springleaf Financial
*Senture
*SourceHOV
*Walmart
*Xerox
* Serco

Education

Public schools are administered by Laurel County Public Schools. The district has two comprehensive high schools: North Laurel High School and South Laurel High School.

There is a private school, London Christian Academy.

Colleges

* Laurel Technical College
* Somerset Community and Technical College (Laurel Campus)
* Sue Bennett College was a private college in London, which operated from 1897 through 1997.

Public library

London has a lending library, the Laurel County Public Library.

Transportation

Greyhound Lines provides service to London on its route serving Atlanta, Knoxville, and Detroit. Rural Transit Enterprises Coordinated provides on-demand public transportation to Laurel County and surrounding counties. Daniel Boone Transit and Harlan County Community Action Agency provide connecting services from other counties to Greyhound in London.

London-Corbin Airport is located three miles south of London.

Notable people

* Granville Aikman, Kansas state judge
* Teel Bruner, College Football Hall of Fame inductee
* Chera-Lyn Cook, Miss Kentucky 1998; placed 4th runner-up to Miss America 1999
* Brady Deaton, Chancellor of the University of Missouri
* Donald Harvey, serial killer
* Gene Huff, politician
* Derek Lewis, American politician; born in London
* Nan Phelps, artist
* Flem Sampson, 42nd governor of Kentucky
* Darrell Scott, musician
* Reed Sheppard (born 2004), basketball player, picked 3rd overall in 2024 NBA draft by Houston Rockets

Gallery

File:Laurel_County_Kentucky_Courthouse.jpg, Laurel Country Court house (2007)

File:Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse and Annex, London, Kentucky LCCN2015646761 (cropped).jpg, Federal building and US courthouse Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse and Annex. U.S. Courthouse built in 1910 by Architect James Knox Taylor. Annex built in 2002. The historic building was designed to house the post office for London, Kentucky. The stucture is masonry bearing wall with steel interior columns. There is a two-story half elliptical wing that projects from the rear of the building reflecting the elliptical shape of the second floor court room.

File:First_Christian_Church_London,_Kentucky_(est._1865-1907).jpg, First Christian Church London (2018)

File:Saint_William_Church_(London,_Kentucky)_-_exterior_2.jpg, Saint William Church (2023)

See also

References

External links

City of London

Laurel County History Museum & Genealogy Center

{{Authority control

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Cities in Kentucky
County seats in Kentucky
Cities in Laurel County, Kentucky
Populated places established in 1836
1836 establishments in Kentucky