London, Kentucky
London, Kentucky | |
|---|---|
City | |
 Downtown London | |
 Location in Laurel County, Kentucky | |
| Coordinates: 37°7′39″N 84°5′3″W / 37.12750°N 84.08417°WCoordinates: 37°7′39″N 84°5′3″W / 37.12750°N 84.08417°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Laurel |
| Incorporated | February 11, 1836 |
| Named for | London, England |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-Council |
| • Mayor | Troy Rudder |
| Area | |
| • City | 11.61 sq mi (30.07 km2) |
| • Land | 11.57 sq mi (29.96 km2) |
| • Water | 0.04 sq mi (0.12 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,240 ft (378 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • City | 7,993 |
| • Estimate (2019)[2] | 8,068 |
| • Density | 697.50/sq mi (269.31/km2) |
| • Metro | 126,565 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 40741-40745 |
| Area code(s) | 606 |
| FIPS code | 21-47476 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0513578 |
| Website | www |
London is a home rule-class city[3] in Laurel County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county.[4] The population was 7,993 at the time of the 2010 census.[5] It is the second-largest city named "London" in the United States and the fourth-largest in the world.[citation needed] It 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 126,369. London is also home to the annual World Chicken Festival that celebrates the life of Colonel Sanders and features the world's largest skillet.
History[]
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 and Jarvis Jackson was selected, along with their suggested name of London, honoring their English heritage.[6][7] The town was founded the next year, its post office established in 1831,[6] and its city rights granted in 1836.[8]
During the late 1930s and early 1940s, London served as a central collection agency for books donated to the Pack Horse Library Project.[9] It also had a pack horse library which delivered books to rural residents in the mountains.[10]
Geography[]
London is located in central Laurel County at 37°7′39″N 84°5′3″W / 37.12750°N 84.08417°W (37.127504, -84.084181) and at an elevation of 1,240 feet (380 m).[11]
U.S. Route 25 passes through London as its Main Street. Route 25 leads northwest 25 miles (40 km) to Mount Vernon and south 13 miles (21 km) 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 76 miles (122 km) to Lexington and south 97 miles (156 km) to Knoxville, Tennessee. The Hal Rogers Parkway runs along the northern edge of London, leading east 21 miles (34 km) to Garrard and west 32 miles (51 km) to Somerset.
According to the United States Census Bureau, London has a total area of 11.6 square miles (30.1 km2), of which 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2), or 0.39%, are water.[12] Between the 2000 and 2010 censuses, the city annexed a significant portion of land.[13]
Demographics[]
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 235 | — | |
| 1870 | 165 | −29.8% | |
| 1880 | 215 | 30.3% | |
| 1900 | 1,147 | — | |
| 1910 | 1,638 | 42.8% | |
| 1920 | 1,707 | 4.2% | |
| 1930 | 1,950 | 14.2% | |
| 1940 | 2,263 | 16.1% | |
| 1950 | 3,426 | 51.4% | |
| 1960 | 4,035 | 17.8% | |
| 1970 | 4,337 | 7.5% | |
| 1980 | 4,002 | −7.7% | |
| 1990 | 5,757 | 43.9% | |
| 2000 | 5,692 | −1.1% | |
| 2010 | 7,993 | 40.4% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 8,068 | [2] | 0.9% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[14] | |||
As of the census[15] of 2000, there were 5,692 people, 2,400 households, and 1,461 families residing in the city. The population density was 738.1 people per square mile (285.0/km2). There were 2,676 housing units at an average density of 347.0/sq mi (134.0/km2). 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.
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 86 °F (30 °C) and an average low of 66 °F (19 °C). Winters are cold with a few mild periods. January is the coldest month with an average high of 44 °F (7 °C) and an average low of 26 °F (−3 °C). The highest recorded temperature was 105 °F (41 °C) on June 29, 2012, and the lowest recorded temperature was −25 °F (−32 °C) on January 19, 1994.[16] May has the highest average rainfall of 4.92 inches (125 mm) and October has the lowest average rainfall of 3.01 inches (76 mm).[16]
| hideClimate data for London, Kentucky (London-Corbin Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1954–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 74 (23) |
81 (27) |
87 (31) |
90 (32) |
91 (33) |
105 (41) |
101 (38) |
102 (39) |
97 (36) |
94 (34) |
83 (28) |
78 (26) |
105 (41) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 45.2 (7.3) |
49.7 (9.8) |
58.4 (14.7) |
69.3 (20.7) |
76.7 (24.8) |
83.5 (28.6) |
86.3 (30.2) |
85.6 (29.8) |
80.0 (26.7) |
69.5 (20.8) |
57.9 (14.4) |
48.5 (9.2) |
67.5 (19.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 36.0 (2.2) |
39.7 (4.3) |
47.3 (8.5) |
57.1 (13.9) |
65.4 (18.6) |
72.9 (22.7) |
76.3 (24.6) |
75.2 (24.0) |
68.8 (20.4) |
57.5 (14.2) |
46.7 (8.2) |
39.4 (4.1) |
56.9 (13.8) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 26.7 (−2.9) |
29.7 (−1.3) |
36.2 (2.3) |
44.9 (7.2) |
54.1 (12.3) |
62.4 (16.9) |
66.3 (19.1) |
64.8 (18.2) |
57.6 (14.2) |
45.4 (7.4) |
35.5 (1.9) |
30.3 (−0.9) |
46.2 (7.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −25 (−32) |
−17 (−27) |
−12 (−24) |
19 (−7) |
28 (−2) |
34 (1) |
45 (7) |
44 (7) |
32 (0) |
18 (−8) |
2 (−17) |
−17 (−27) |
−25 (−32) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.89 (99) |
4.02 (102) |
4.57 (116) |
4.65 (118) |
5.04 (128) |
5.06 (129) |
5.16 (131) |
3.97 (101) |
3.55 (90) |
3.29 (84) |
3.52 (89) |
4.54 (115) |
51.26 (1,302) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 4.5 (11) |
3.1 (7.9) |
0.6 (1.5) |
1.0 (2.5) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.1 (2.8) |
10.3 (26) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 11.8 | 12.0 | 12.9 | 12.5 | 13.7 | 12.6 | 13.4 | 10.2 | 8.3 | 9.0 | 9.8 | 12.0 | 138.2 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 2.6 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 6.3 |
| Source: NOAA (snow 1981–2010)[16][17][18] | |||||||||||||
Education[]
Public schools are administered by Laurel County Public Schools.[19] The district has two comprehensive high schools: and .
There is a private school, London Christian Academy.
Colleges[]
- Laurel Technical College
- (Laurel Campus)
Public library[]
London has a lending library, the Laurel County Public Library.[20]
Economy[]
Major employers in London include:[21]
- ABC Group
- Aisin
- Bimbo Bakeries USA
- Flowers Foods
- General Dynamics Information Technology
- Hearthside Food Solutions
- Highlands Diversified Services
- Springleaf Financial
- Senture
- SourceHOV
- Walmart
- Xerox
- Serco
Notable people[]
- Granville Pearl 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 J. Deaton, Chancellor of the University of Missouri[22]
- Donald Harvey, serial killer
- Silas House, author
- Gene Huff, politician
- Nan Phelps, artist
- Darrell Scott, musician
- Flem D. Sampson, 42nd governor of Kentucky
See also[]
- Sue Bennett College
- London-Corbin Airport
- London, Kentucky micropolitan area
References[]
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
- ^ "Summary and Reference Guide to House Bill 331 City Classification Reform" (PDF). Kentucky League of Cities. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "Total Population: 2010 Census DEC Summary File 1 (P1), London city, Kentucky". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Rennick, Robert. Kentucky Place Names, p. 178. University Press of Kentucky (Lexington), 1987. Accessed August 1, 2013.
- ^ "London, Kentucky". City Town Info. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
- ^ Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "London, Kentucky". Accessed August 1, 2013.
- ^ Ayers, Ruth (October 26, 1936). "Pittsburgh Woman Heads Pack Horse Library Service to Mountain Homes". The Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved September 3, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mountain Trails Used By WPA Employees to Distribute Books". The Cincinnati Enquirer. March 18, 1937. Retrieved September 3, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "GNIS Account Login".
- ^ "U.S. Gazetteer Files: 2019: Places: Kentucky". U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
- ^ "Kentucky Cities and Counties: London, Kentucky". Land Office, Kentucky Secretary of State. Retrieved July 28, 2007.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
- ^ "Station: London Corbin AP, Ky". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
- ^ "Station: London Corbin Airport, Ky". U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1981-2010). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
- ^ "Laurel County Public Schools". Laurel KY Schools. Digital School Network. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
- ^ "Kentucky Public Library Directory". Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. Archived from the original on January 11, 2019. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- ^ London Laurel County Community Profile
- ^ Duan, Crystal (November 13, 2013). "Deaton departs". The Maneater. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
External links[]
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Wikivoyage has a travel guide for London (Kentucky). |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to London, Kentucky. |
| show Municipalities and communities of Laurel County, Kentucky, United States |
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- Cities in Kentucky
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