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 2020 the county population was 62,613 in a land area of 433.95 square miles, an average of 144.3 people per square mile.

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

Laurel county is in the London micro statistical area and the Cumberland Valley Area Development District. It is in the Appalachian region according to the Appalachian Regional Commission.

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

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© 2025 David C. Elbon