Central City, Kentucky
Central City is a city of 5,707 people in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, founded in 1826.
Why visit Central City
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail, 8 places to eat and 4 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Robert Thomas House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 89°F; January lows average 24°F.
Weather in Central City
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Central City
Central City is a home rule-class city in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 5,819 at the 2020 census. It is the largest city in the county and the principal community in the Central City Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Muhlenberg County.
From the Wikipedia article Central City, Kentucky (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks2
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Robert Thomas House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic house in Kentucky, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes8
Burger King
Fast food · Burger · 1.9 mi
1720 Everly Brothers Boulevard, Central City
Mo-Sa 06:00-22:00; Su 07:00-22:00
Sonic
Fast food · Burger · 0.4 mi
111 South 2nd Street, Central City
Mo-Th 06:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 06:00-24:00; Su 07:00-23:00
Taco Bell
Fast food · Tex-Mex · 1.4 mi
1409 West Everly Brothers Boulevard, Central City
Mo-We 07:00-24:00; Th-Sa 07:00-01:00; Su 07:00-24:00
Where to stay4
History
The site of present-day Central City was originally known as "Morehead's Horse Mill" after local resident Charles S. Morehead's steam-powered gristmill. A larger community began to develop after the 1870 advent of the Elizabethtown and Paducah Railroad. A post office was constructed the next year in 1871 and called "Owensboro Junction" after the projected 1872 completion of the Owensboro and Russellville Railroad. By 1873, the settlement was large enough to be incorporated by the state legislature as "Stroud City", after local landowner John Stroud.
The same year, however, the du Ponts' Central Coal and Iron Company began operation in the area and became so vital to the local economy that the city was reincorporated in 1882 as "Central City". Recessions replaced the E&P and the O&R with a procession of different companies, including the Owensboro and Nashville Railway, but the two rights of way always remained in separate hands, keeping Central City an important regional hub for the Illinois Central and the L&N, with train yards, roundhouses, and even an elevated rail station. Coal was mined from nearby fields, prompting explosions such as one in 1912 that killed five workers.
From the History section of Central City, Kentucky on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship4
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries9
Muhlenberg County Career & Tech Center
School · 6.0 mi
501 Robert Draper Way, Greenville
Healthcare2
Pennyroyal Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.4 mi
109 South 2nd Street, Central City
Map of Central City
34 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°F | 24°F | 3.4 in | 1.3 in |
| Feb | 48°F | 26°F | 4.0 in | 1.4 in |
| Mar | 58°F | 34°F | 4.2 in | 0.5 in |
| Apr | 69°F | 43°F | 5.1 in | 0.2 in |
| May | 78°F | 52°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 86°F | 61°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 89°F | 65°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 88°F | 63°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 82°F | 56°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 71°F | 43°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 58°F | 34°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 48°F | 27°F | 4.5 in | 1.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Rochester Ferry (14 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Muhlenberg County has had 18 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2025-04-24: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2025-04-03: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2025-02-24: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2025-02-16: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides (Severe Storm)
- 2024-07-23: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport (OWB) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 30 miles away.
- Beaver Dam 16 mi northeast, about 26 min by car
- Madisonville 21 mi west, about 33 min by car
- Owensboro 32 mi north, about 51 min by car
- Hopkinsville 37 mi southwest, about 59 min by car
- Rockport 41 mi north, about 1 h by car
- Bowling Green 44 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Henderson 45 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Fort Campbell North 48 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Clarksville 52 mi south, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Evansville 53 mi northwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Saint Joseph's Catholic Church (Central City, Kentucky) - exterior 2, Nheyob, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Central City KY 2022a, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Central City KY 2022b, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Central City KY 2022d, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Central City KY 2022e, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Central City KY 2022c, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Robert Thomas House, Acdixon, CC0
- ISS030-E-195469 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS030-E-195468 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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