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Harlan, Kentucky
Harlan is a city of 2,160 people in Harlan County, Kentucky, founded in 1796.
Why visit Harlan
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 2 parks and trails and 9 places to eat in and around town.
Highlights include Harlan Commercial District.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 26°F.
Weather in Harlan
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Harlan
Harlan is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Harlan County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 census, Harlan had a population of 1,776.
From the Wikipedia article Harlan, Kentucky (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks1
Harlan Commercial District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes9
Churches and places of worship11
Holy Trinity Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.5 mi
2536 US 421, Harlan
History
Harlan was first settled by Samuel and Chloe Howard in 1796. Upon the founding of Harlan County (named for Kentucky pioneer Silas Harlan) in 1819, the Howards donated 12 acres (49,000 m2) of land to serve as the county seat. The community there was already known as "Mount Pleasant", apparently owing to a nearby Indian mound. A post office was established on September 19, 1828, but called "Harlan Court House" due to another Mt. Pleasant preempting that name. During the Civil War, Confederate raiders under General Humphrey Marshall occupied the town; the local postmaster renamed the community "Spurlock" after himself; in October 1863, the courthouse was burnt down in reprisal for the Union destruction of the courthouse in Lee County, Virginia. In 1865, the post office was renamed "Harlan", and although the community was formally incorporated by the state assembly as "Mount Pleasant" on April 15, 1884, the town was already usually called "Harlan Court House" or "Harlan Town" by its inhabitants. The city's terms of incorporation were amended to change the name to "Harlan" on March 13, 1912. One year before, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad had arrived in Harlan and prompted massive growth. The city had initially expanded east along the Clover Fork; after World War II, it also expanded south along Martin's Fork.
From the History section of Harlan, Kentucky on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries12
Kentucky Tech - Harlan Regional Tech Ctr
School · 2.4 mi
164 Ball Park Road, Harlan
Map of Harlan
42 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45°F | 26°F | 4.1 in |
| Feb | 49°F | 28°F | 4.3 in |
| Mar | 58°F | 34°F | 5.0 in |
| Apr | 68°F | 42°F | 4.8 in |
| May | 76°F | 52°F | 4.7 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 61°F | 4.7 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 65°F | 4.8 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 64°F | 4.5 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 57°F | 3.5 in |
| Oct | 70°F | 45°F | 3.2 in |
| Nov | 58°F | 34°F | 3.6 in |
| Dec | 49°F | 29°F | 5.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Baxter (1 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
Harlan County has had 25 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter 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)
- 2024-11-26: Remnants Of Hurricane Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-07-23: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Lonesome Pine Airport (LNP) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 44 miles away.
- Loyall 2 mi west, about 3 min by car
- Ages 4 mi east, about 6 min by car
- South Wallins 5 mi southwest, about 9 min by car
- Cumberland 20 mi northeast, about 32 min by car
- Barbourville 32 mi west, about 51 min by car
- Morristown 44 mi south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Corbin 44 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Kingsport 48 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Greeneville 54 mi southeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Beattyville 56 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
- Harlan Kentucky Aerial view, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not specified or unknown, Public domain
- Main Street North - Harlan, MariAdkins, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Main Street Harlan Kentucky, MariAdkins, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Main Street South - Harlan, MariAdkins, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Eli Sanders, Tipple Worker, Loads Coal on Car Which Has Fallen off Cars Enroute to Tipple (3904010672), The U.S. National Archives, Public domain
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