London, Kentucky

London is a home rule-class city in Laurel County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 8,053 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the second-largest city named "London" in the United States and the fourth-largest in the world. 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 126,368. 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 Jackson and his son Jarvis Jackson was selected, along with their suggested name of London, honoring their English heritage. The town was founded the next year, its post office established in 1831, and its city rights granted in 1836.

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.

During the late 1930s and early 1940s, London served as a central collection agency for books donated to the Pack Horse Library Project. It also had a pack horse library which delivered books to rural residents in the mountains.

Geography
London is located in central Laurel County. U.S. Route 25 passes through London as its Main Street. Route 25 leads northwest 25 mi to Mount Vernon and south 13 mi 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 mi to Lexington and south 97 mi to Knoxville, Tennessee. The Hal Rogers Parkway runs along the northern edge of London, leading east 21 mi to Garrard and west 32 mi to Somerset.

According to the United States Census Bureau, London has a total area of 30.1 km2, of which 0.1 km2, 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 86 F and an average low of 66 F. Winters are cold with a few mild periods. January is the coldest month with an average high of 44 F and an average low of 26 F. The highest recorded temperature was 105 F on June 29, 2012, and the lowest recorded temperature was -25 F on January 19, 1994. May has the highest average rainfall of 4.92 in and October has the lowest average rainfall of 3.01 in.

Demographics
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 738.1 PD/sqmi. There were 2,676 housing units at an average density of 347.0 /sqmi. 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.

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)

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

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

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.

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
 * Donald Harvey, serial killer
 * Silas House, author
 * Gene Huff, politician
 * Derek Lewis, American politician; born in London
 * Jamie Mosley, racing driver
 * Nan Phelps, artist
 * Flem D. Sampson, 42nd governor of Kentucky
 * Darrell Scott, musician
 * Reed Sheppard (born 2004), basketball player, picked 3rd overall in 2024 NBA draft by Houston Rockets