Pulaski County, Kentucky | |
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Pulaski County Courthouse
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Location in the U.S. state of Kentucky |
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Kentucky's location in the U.S. |
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Founded | 1798 |
Named for | Kazimierz Pułaski |
Seat | Somerset |
Largest city | Somerset |
Area | |
• Total | 677 sq mi (1,753 km2) |
• Land | 658 sq mi (1,704 km2) |
• Water | 19 sq mi (49 km2), 2.8% |
Population | |
• (2010) | 63,063 |
• Density | 96/sq mi (37/km²) |
Congressional district | 5th |
Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
Website | pcgovt |
Pulaski County is a county located in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,063. Its county seat is Somerset. The county was founded in December 1798 from land given by Lincoln and Green Counties and named for Polish patriot Count Kazimierz Pułaski.
Pulaski County comprises the Somerset, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area. Despite having a city population of just over 11,000, the statistic is misleading, as the Micropolitan Area for Somerset/Pulaski County is approaching 64,000, as Somerset is one of the few south-central Kentuckian cities with over 10,000 people.
In the early 2010s, after Lake Cumberland's water level raised to its normal level after its drastic fall (in which caused a drought in Pulaski County's economy) and Somerset and Burnside went "wet", Pulaski County's economy began to grow exponentially due to tourism, mainly from Ohio. Downtown Burnside had become a ghost town during Lake Cumberland's decline, and has not fully recovered to this day, although a few new businesses are popping up. Before the lake's decline, the Seven Gables Motel was a prominent motel in south central Kentucky.
Pulaski County is a "moist" county as defined by The Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. The County features two "Small Farm Wineries" that sell wine to the public. The City of Somerset voted on June 26, 2012 to go fully "wet" which means alcoholic beverages can be purchased by the package and restaurants and bars can serve alcoholic beverages by the drink. On October 15, 2013 the City of Burnside voted to go fully "wet" by a count of 123-39. All other areas of Pulaski County are "Dry".
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 677 square miles (1,750 km2), of which 658 square miles (1,700 km2) is land and 19 square miles (49 km2) (2.8%) is water. It is the third-largest county by area in Kentucky.