Corbin, Kentucky
Corbin is a city of 8,246 people in Knox County, Kentucky, founded in 1895.
Why visit Corbin
Townapedia lists 9 museums and landmarks, 14 parks and trails, 30 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Tri-County Cineplex, Sander's Cafe and Museum and Harland Sanders Café and Museum.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 27°F.
Weather in Corbin
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Corbin
Corbin is a home rule-class city in Whitley, Knox and Laurel counties in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 7,856.
From the Wikipedia article Corbin, Kentucky (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks9
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Harland Sanders Café and Museum
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Historic commercial building in Kentucky, United States
Carnegie Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Historic building in Corbin, Kentucky, United States
Corbin station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic railway station in Corbin, Kentucky, Unites States
East Main Street Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Road bridge in Corbin, Kentucky
Saint Camillus Academy
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
School in Corbin, Kentucky, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds14
Minnow Beach
Beach · 1.5 mi
Favored local spot for catching minnows for use as bait fish.
2 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes30
Brooklyn Brothers Pizzeria
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.7 mi
1899 Cumberland Falls Highway, Corbin
Mo-Sa 11:00-21:00; Su 12:00-21:00; PH off
Mi Casa
Restaurant · Mexican · 2.5 mi
14892 North US Highway 25 East, Corbin
Mo-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:30; Su 11:00-21:00
Yamato Steak House
Restaurant · Japanese · 2.5 mi
14892 North US Highway 25 East, Corbin
Mo-Th 11:00-21:30; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 12:00-21:00
Sweeties Ice Cream and Mini Doughnuts
Ice cream · 1.2 mi
315 North Main Street, Corbin
Mo-Th 13:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00; Su 11:00-19:00
Dino's Italian Restaurant
Restaurant · Italian · 1.8 mi
1895 Cumberland Falls Highway, Corbin
The Root Beer Stand
Restaurant · 0.4 mi
Famous local restaurant.
129 18th Street, Corbin
18 more on the map.
History
The first settlement in the Corbin area was known as Lynn Camp Station. The first post office was called Cummins, for community founder Nelson Cummins. It was discovered in 1885 that both Cummins and Lynn Camp were already in use as names for Kentucky post offices, and postmaster James Eaton was asked to select another name. He chose Corbin for the Rev. James Corbin Floyd, a local minister. The town was incorporated under that name in 1905.
Corbin has a troubled racial past, including a race riot in late October 1919 in which a white mob forced nearly all the town's 200 black residents onto a freight train out of town and a sundown town policy until the late 20th century. The event is the subject of a 1991 documentary, Trouble Behind. In October 2019, city leaders marked the riot's centennial with a proclamation acknowledging the riot and former sundown town policy.
For most of its history, the urbanized areas of Corbin in Laurel County were not incorporated into the city limits due to a state law prohibiting cities from being in more than two counties. However, a 2021 change to state law allowed cities to voluntarily annex property in a third county if the city already provides public infrastructure to that property. In March 2022, the Corbin City Commission approved an annexation request for a property in Laurel County.
From the History section of Corbin, Kentucky on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay5
Churches and places of worship12
First Christian Church
Church · Disciples Of Christ · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
100 South Kentucky Avenue, Corbin
Shopping6
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries23
Healthcare6
Map of Corbin
113 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45°F | 27°F | 3.9 in |
| Feb | 50°F | 30°F | 4.0 in |
| Mar | 58°F | 36°F | 4.6 in |
| Apr | 69°F | 45°F | 4.7 in |
| May | 77°F | 54°F | 5.0 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 62°F | 5.1 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 66°F | 5.2 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 65°F | 4.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 58°F | 3.5 in |
| Oct | 70°F | 45°F | 3.3 in |
| Nov | 58°F | 36°F | 3.5 in |
| Dec | 48°F | 30°F | 4.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for London Corbin Ap 72329 (11 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
Knox County has had 25 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2025-05-23: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (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
London-Corbin Airport (LOZ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 11 miles away.
- North Corbin 2 mi north, about 4 min by car
- Barbourville 13 mi east, about 21 min by car
- London 13 mi north, about 21 min by car
- Williamsburg 14 mi south, about 22 min by car
- Artemus 15 mi southeast, about 25 min by car
- Emlyn 16 mi south, about 26 min by car
- Somerset 30 mi west, about 48 min by car
- Brodhead 37 mi northwest, about 59 min by car
- Berea 47 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Beattyville 50 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 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
- Corbin Skyline2, en:User:Notla, Public domain
- First Christian Church in Corbin, Nyttend, Public domain
- L&N depot in Corbin, Nyttend, Public domain
- Gordon Hill east of Padgett in Corbin, Nyttend, Public domain
- Corbin Bank Building, Nyttend, Public domain
- Corbin Carnegie Library, Nyttend, Public domain
- East Main Street Bridge in Corbin, Nyttend, Public domain
- Kentucky Fried Chicken Restaurant and Museum, 688 Us Hwy 25 W, Corbin, Kentucky - panoramio, Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0
- Harland Sanders Cafe in Corbin, Kentucky (25552587963), Ka!zen, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Mershon Building, Nyttend, Public domain
- Saint Camillus Academy entryway, Nyttend, Public domain
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 02, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 03, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Original Kentucky Fried Chicken 2025b, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Colonel Sanders' business card, c. late 1940s, Mr. Blue MauMau, Public domain
- Colonel Sanders' business card, c. late 1940s (cropped), Mr. Blue MauMau, Public domain
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 20, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 19, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 07, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 01, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 05, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 08, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- KFC signs - Old and New, Brent Moore from Smyrna, TN, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 18, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 11, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 12, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Kentucky - Harland Sanders Café and Museum - 20220605154239, Riis2602, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 10, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 04, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 21, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 22, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 16, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Original Kentucky Fried Chicken 2025c, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 13, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 09, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 23, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 25, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 24, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 14, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Original Kentucky Fried Chicken 2025d, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
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