Formed March 4, 1843 (98th county)
LaRue County (14,869), Hodgenville (3,234)
The red brick Modern Colonial courthouse is located on High at Howard streets. United States Highway 31 East is three blocks east of the site. Two courthouses have served LaRue County, the first dating from 1866, both in Hodgenville. The latest was built in 1964 and designed by Marye and Bond. The building sits on a hill and features columns and a tower. A sitting statue of President Lincoln sits in the middle of the town. The county was created on March 4, 1843. It was taken from Hardin County as the 98th county. Its namesake is John LaRue, a local settler. The county seat is named for mill owner Robert Hodgen.
LaRue County government consists of a sheriff, County Judge Executive, and 4 Magistrates. One Circuit Court Judge and Two District Court Judges serve LaRue, Hart, and Nelson counties. The county is in central Kentucky. Louisville, Kentucky is north and Bowling Green, Kentucky is southwest of the county. The county center is 4.1 miles East of Hodgenville nearer Buffalo. The county is surrounded clockwise by Nelson, Marion, Taylor, Green, Hart, and Hardin counties.
The area of the county is 263 square miles. It is 77 out of 120 in the state. It ranks 74 out of 120 in population in the state. It has a density of 56.5 persons per square mile making it 63 out of 120 in the state. LaRue County has 21.8% of its population in its incorporated areas. Interstate Highway 65 clips the southwest corner of the county from Hardin County to Hart County. United States Highway 31 East goes north to south from Hardin County to Hart County. United States Highway 31 West parallels Interstate Highway 65 from Hardin to Hart counties. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President, was born in this county. The county looks like a lobster claw. Hodgenville is in the western half of the county. Hodgenville is the county seat and the largest city. It is 21.8% of the county population. This county is in the Elizabethtown Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Hodgenville
Upton
