Barren County
| Barren County, Kentucky | |
|---|---|
Barren County Courthouse in Glasgow
|
|
 Location in the U.S. state of Kentucky |
|
 Kentucky's location in the U.S. |
|
| Founded | 1798 |
| Named for | The Barrens, a region of grassland in Kentucky |
| Seat | Glasgow |
| Largest city | Glasgow |
| Area | |
| • Total | 500 sq mi (1,295 km2) |
| • Land | 488 sq mi (1,264 km2) |
| • Water | 12 sq mi (31 km2), 2.5% |
| Population | |
| • (2010) | 42,173 |
| • Density | 87/sq mi (34/km²) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Website | www |
Barren County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 census, the population was 42,173. Its county seat is Glasgow. The county was founded on December 20, 1798, from parts of Warren and Green Counties. It was named for the Barrens, meadow lands that cover the northern third, though actually the soil is fertile.
Barren County is part of the Glasgow, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Bowling Green-Glasgow, KY Combined Statistical Area.
In 2007 Barren County was named the "Best Place to Live in Rural America" by Progressive Farmer Magazine.
Barren County was established in 1798 from land given by Green County and Warren County. Six courthouses have served the county throughout its history, the first built of logs.
Barren County, like most of south central Kentucky, was settled by the Scots-Irish, and still bears many cultural aspects that trace back to that heritage. The Scottish heritage is the most evident, as indicated by the name of the county seat, which is named for Glasgow, Scotland, and is celebrated annually with the Glasgow Highland Games, one of three highland games held each year in Kentucky.
Barren was a prohibition or dry county, until voters overturned the status in September 2016. Before the vote, there were two exceptions to laws against alcohol sales:
...
Wikipedia