Jenkins, Kentucky
Jenkins is a city of 1,406 people in Letcher County, Kentucky, founded in 1912.
Why visit Jenkins
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail, 1 place to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Jenkins School and David A. Zegeer Coal-Railroad Museum.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 22°F, and about 38 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Jenkins
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Jenkins
Jenkins is a home rule-class city in Letcher County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 census, Jenkins had a population of 1,902.
From the Wikipedia article Jenkins, Kentucky (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks6
Jenkins School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic building in Jenkins, Kentucky, United States
David A. Zegeer Coal-Railroad Museum
Museum · 1.8 mi
Museum in Kentucky, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Where to stay1
History
In autumn of 1911, the Consolidation Coal Company purchased the current location of Jenkins as part of a 100,000-acre (40,000 ha) tract of land in Pike, Letcher, and Floyd counties from the Northern Coal and Coke Company. After the acquisition was finalized, plans were made to extend the Lexington and Eastern Railroad from Jackson to a town named McRoberts. The plans also included the establishment of the town of Jenkins for George C. Jenkins, one of the Consolidation Coal Company's directors.
Because of the need of hundreds of homes and other structures, nine sawmills and two brickyards were erected. A dynamo was built to temporarily generate power for the houses. Next, a temporary narrow-gauge railroad was built over Pine Mountain from Glamorgan, Virginia, in order to carry supplies to further the development of the town. Jenkins's city government was established as soon as the businesses and land were put up for sale. The company even went as far to supply the town with its own marshals to enforce the law. Jenkins was finally incorporated as a sixth-class city on January 9, 1912.
Jenkins was home to minor league baseball from 1948 to 1951. The Jenkins Cavaliers played as members of the Class D level Mountain States League. Jenkins played home games at the Jenkins Athletic Field.
Jenkins has been home to a Masonic Lodge Hall since October 16, 1912
From the History section of Jenkins, Kentucky on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship8
Saint George Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.0 mi
22 Dotty Lane, Jenkins
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Map of Jenkins
24 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°F | 22°F | 3.7 in | 11.5 in |
| Feb | 46°F | 24°F | 3.9 in | 10.5 in |
| Mar | 56°F | 29°F | 4.4 in | 6.6 in |
| Apr | 68°F | 38°F | 4.6 in | 0.8 in |
| May | 74°F | 48°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 56°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 61°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 81°F | 60°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 53°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 66°F | 40°F | 2.8 in | 0.3 in |
| Nov | 55°F | 30°F | 2.8 in | 1.1 in |
| Dec | 46°F | 25°F | 4.2 in | 7.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Clintwood 1W (9 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
Letcher 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)
- 2023-05-09: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Lonesome Pine Airport (LNP) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 15 miles away.
- Payne Gap 2 mi southwest, about 4 min by car
- McRoberts 3 mi north, about 5 min by car
- Cumberland 23 mi southwest, about 37 min by car
- Coal Run Village 25 mi north, about 41 min by car
- Hazard 31 mi west, about 49 min by car
- Harlan 43 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Kingsport 46 mi south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Bristol 47 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Jackson 48 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Bristol 49 mi southeast, 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
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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
- Jenkins post office 41537, Nyttend, Public domain
- Jenkins city hall, Nyttend, Public domain
- Former school, Jenkins, Kentucky, Nyttend, Public domain
- Pound Gap historical marker, Nyttend, Public domain
- US23 cut at Pound Gap, Nyttend, Public domain
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