Edmonson County, Kentucky facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Edmonson County
U.S. county
Edmonson County Courthouse in Brownsville
Flag
Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
Kentucky's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
Founded	January 12, 1825
Named for	John Edmonson
Seat	Brownsville
Largest city	Brownsville
Area
• Total	308 sq mi (800 km2)
• Land	303 sq mi (780 km2)
• Water	5.1 sq mi (13 km2)  1.7%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	12,126
• Estimate  (2023)	12,448
• Density	39.37/sq mi (15.201/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	2nd

Edmonson County is a county located in the south-central part of Kentucky, a state in the United States. As of the 2020 census, about 12,126 people live there. The main town and county seat is Brownsville. It is also the only official city in the county.

Edmonson County was created in 1825. It is named after Captain John "Jack" Edmonson, who was a soldier. He was killed in the War of 1812 at the Battle of Frenchtown. Edmonson County is part of the larger Bowling Green area.

History of Edmonson County

Edmonson County was officially formed on January 12, 1825. It was created from parts of Grayson, Hart, and Warren counties. The first courthouse was replaced in 1873. This happened after its floor collapsed, making it unsafe.

Geography of Edmonson County

Edmonson County covers a total area of about 308 square miles (798 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 303 square miles (785 square kilometers), is land. The remaining 5.1 square miles (13 square kilometers) is water.

Neighboring Counties

Edmonson County shares its borders with several other counties:

• Grayson County (to the north)
• Hart County (to the east)
• Barren County (to the southeast)
• Warren County (to the southwest)
• Butler County (to the west)

Protected Natural Areas

A significant part of Edmonson County is home to Mammoth Cave National Park. This park is a national protected area.

Population of Edmonson County

In 2000, there were 11,644 people living in Edmonson County. There were 4,648 households and 3,462 families. The county had about 38 people per square mile (15 per square kilometer).

The population was spread out by age:

• 23.6% were under 18 years old.
• 9.0% were between 18 and 24.
• 27.8% were between 25 and 44.
• 25.3% were between 45 and 64.
• 14.4% were 65 years or older.

The average age in the county was 38 years.

Education in Edmonson County

The combined Edmonson County High and Middle School complex is located in Brownsville.

The Edmonson County School System has five public schools. These schools include:

• Kyrock Elementary (in the Kyrock area)
• South Edmonson Elementary (near the Chalybeate area)
• Edmonson County Fifth/Sixth Grade Center
• Edmonson County Middle School
• Edmonson County High School

The last three schools are all located in Brownsville.

Transportation in Edmonson County

A water tower along KY101 welcomes visitors as they enter southern Edmonson County.

Two main roads help people travel through Edmonson County.

• KY 70 goes from west to east across the county.
• KY 259 enters from Grayson County. It crosses the Green River, which is the only bridge over this river in Edmonson County. KY 259 then meets KY 101. KY 101 continues as a major north-south road through the county.

Other important roads include KY 185. This road connects Bowling Green to the western part of the county. I-65 also passes through a small part of the county, but there are no exits within Edmonson County.

Attractions in Edmonson County

Sign marking the boundary of Mammoth Cave National Park, the most popular tourist attraction in Edmonson County.

The biggest attraction in Edmonson County is Mammoth Cave National Park. Almost 2 million people visit the park each year. About a quarter of the county's land is part of this park.

Another popular spot is the Nolin Lake area. It became a Kentucky State Park in 1996. The lake was formed in 1963 when the Nolin River was dammed. Nolin Lake is a great place for fishing and other fun outdoor activities.

Media in Edmonson County

Print Media

Publishing offices of the Edmonson News, the printed newspaper in Edmonson County.

Edmonson County has a weekly newspaper called the Edmonson News. It is sometimes called "the Gimlet" and has the slogan "It Bores In". About 3,704 copies of the paper are printed each week.

Online Media

Edmonson County also has an online news website called Edmonson Voice. This website acts like an online newspaper, a streaming broadcaster, and a video reporter. It is a main source of news for the county, with over 23,000 readers each week.

Volunteers have also created an online video archive on YouTube for Edmonson County High School. This archive includes videos of graduation ceremonies, proms, and sports events.

Local Events in Edmonson County

Edmonson County hosts several fun events throughout the year:

• Big Brownsville Bash: This event takes place in early June and started in 2022.
• Edmonson County Lions Club Fair: Held in early September, this fair includes a parade in downtown Brownsville. It is one of the oldest county fairs in Kentucky.
• Nolin Fest: This festival happens in July or August at Nolin Lake State Park. The Friends of Nolin Lake organize it.
• Annual Saddle Club Horse Show: Horse shows are held at the Edmonson County Fairgrounds.
• Freedom Fest: This event is held in late June at the Chalybeate Sports Complex.

Communities in Edmonson County

City

• Brownsville (county seat)

Unincorporated Communities

Former Communities

• Chaumont (partly in Barren County)
• Elko
• Kyrock

Notable People from Edmonson County

• Joe Blanton: A professional Major League Baseball pitcher. He was born in Nashville, Tennessee, but grew up mostly in Edmonson County.
• Ben Helson: A talented guitarist who plays for the country music artist Dierks Bentley. He is originally from the Chalybeate community.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Edmonson para niños