Laurel county is in the Eastern Coal Field region of Kentucky. The elevation in the county ranges from 723 to 1760 feet above sea level.

It was formed in 1826 from Clay, Knox, Rockcastle, and Whitley counties. Laurel county was a source of Jackson (1858) county. The county seat is London.

In 2010 the county population was 58,849 in a land area of 433.95 square miles, an average of 135.6 people per square mile.

The equine population was 1,900 in the 2012 Kentucky Equine Survey.

Laurel county is in the Cumberland Valley Area Development District.

Laurel county was named for the mountain laurel, which is abundant in the region.

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© 2021 David C. Elbon