London is a city in Laurel County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the main city, or "county seat," of Laurel County. In 2020, about 8,053 people lived there.

London is the second-largest city named "London" in the U.S. and the fourth-largest worldwide. It is part of the London, Kentucky micropolitan area, which is the largest of its kind in Kentucky. London is also famous for its yearly World Chicken Festival. This festival celebrates the life of Colonel Sanders and features the world's largest skillet!

History of London, Kentucky
Where is London, Kentucky?
- What is London's Climate Like?
Who Lives in London, Kentucky?
Education in London
- Colleges in London
- Public Library
What is London's Economy Like?
How to Get Around London
Famous People from London
Images for kids
See also

History of London, Kentucky

When Laurel County was created in 1825, people voted to choose a main city for the new area. The land offered by John Jackson and his son Jarvis Jackson was chosen. They also suggested the name London, to honor their English background.

The town was officially started in 1826. Its post office opened in 1831, and it became a city in 1836.

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

In the late 1930s and early 1940s, London was a key place for the Pack Horse Library Project. This project collected books and delivered them to people living in rural mountain areas. London also had its own pack horse library that brought books to local residents.

Where is London, Kentucky?

London is located in the middle of Laurel County. U.S. Route 25 goes through London and is known as its Main Street. Route 25 goes northwest about 25 miles to Mount Vernon. It also goes south about 13 miles to Corbin.

Interstate 75 runs next to US 25, along the west side of London. You can get on I-75 from Exits 38 and 41. I-75 goes north about 76 miles to Lexington. It also goes south about 97 miles to Knoxville, Tennessee. The Hal Rogers Parkway is on the north side of London. It goes east about 21 miles to Garrard and west about 32 miles to Somerset.

London covers a total area of about 11.6 square miles (30.1 square kilometers). Only a very small part of this area is water. Between 2000 and 2010, the city grew by adding more land.

What is London's Climate Like?

London has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot and humid summers with many storms. July is the hottest month, with average highs around 86°F (30°C).

Winters are cold, but there are some mild days. January is the coldest month, with average highs around 44°F (7°C). The highest temperature ever recorded was 105°F (41°C) on June 29, 2012. The lowest was -25°F (-32°C) on January 19, 1994. May usually has the most rain, and October has the least.

Climate 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)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	65.6 (18.7)	69.1 (20.6)	77.4 (25.2)	84.1 (28.9)	87.0 (30.6)	91.7 (33.2)	93.2 (34.0)	92.5 (33.6)	90.1 (32.3)	83.4 (28.6)	74.7 (23.7)	67.0 (19.4)	94.5 (34.7)
Mean daily maximum °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)
Mean daily minimum °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)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	5.0 (−15.0)	11.5 (−11.4)	17.9 (−7.8)	28.2 (−2.1)	37.5 (3.1)	49.4 (9.7)	57.0 (13.9)	54.8 (12.7)	43.1 (6.2)	29.7 (−1.3)	20.0 (−6.7)	13.6 (−10.2)	2.4 (−16.4)
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)

Who Lives in London, Kentucky?

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%
2020	8,053	0.8%
2022 (est.)	7,578	−5.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2000, there were 5,692 people living in London. These people lived in 2,400 households. About 25% of these households had children under 18. Around 45% were married couples.

The average age of people in the city was 40 years old. About 19% of the population was under 18. About 20% of the population was 65 years or older.

The average income for a household was about $27,283. For families, it was about $34,340. About 20% of the people in London lived below the poverty line. This included about 32% of children under 18.

Education in London

Public schools in London are managed by Laurel County Public Schools. There are two main high schools:

North Laurel High School
South Laurel High School

London also has a private school called London Christian Academy.

Colleges in London

Laurel Technical College
Somerset Community and Technical College (Laurel Campus)

Public Library

London has a lending library called the Laurel County Public Library. It's a great place to find books and learn new things!

What is London's Economy Like?

Many important companies have operations in London, providing jobs for local residents. Some of the major employers 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

How to Get Around London

Greyhound Lines offers bus service to London. Their routes connect London to cities like Atlanta, Knoxville, and Detroit.

Rural Transit Enterprises Coordinated provides public transportation that you can request. This service covers Laurel County and nearby areas. Other transit services also connect to Greyhound in London.

Famous People from London

Many notable people have connections to London, Kentucky:

Granville Pearl Aikman – A state judge in Kansas.
Teel Bruner – An inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Chera-Lyn Cook – Miss Kentucky 1998, who placed 4th runner-up in the Miss America 1999 pageant.
Brady J. Deaton – A former Chancellor of the University of Missouri.
Silas House – A well-known author.
Gene Huff – A politician.
Derek Lewis – An American politician born in London.
Jamie Mosley – A racing driver.
Nan Phelps – An artist.
Flem D. Sampson – The 42nd governor of Kentucky.
Darrell Scott – A musician.
Reed Sheppard (born 2004) – A basketball player, picked 3rd overall in the 2024 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets.