The Fifth Congressional District is located in the southeastern part of Kentucky and is comprised of 29 counties that are bounded by West Virginia and Virginia to the east and Tennessee to the south. The vast majority of the area, particularly in the east, is forested and known for its rugged hill country, while the westernmost part of the district is less hilly and famous for its lakes and world-class fishing.
Settlers began arriving in the area after Daniel Boone carved a trail through the Appalachian Mountains at Cumberland Gap in 1775. By the 1900s, large amounts of coal had been discovered under the hills of eastern Kentucky, leading to the coal boom of the 1970s. Today the region is working to use the high tech tools of the modern age to create and sustain jobs.
Over the years, the hills and valleys of southern and eastern Kentucky have produced some of America's most cherished bluegrass and country music performers, including Loretta Lynn, the Osborne Brothers, Ricky Skaggs, Dwight Yoakum, and Crystal Gayle. The area is also the location of Colonel Harland Sander’s first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant.
According to the 2000 Census, the largest cities in this rural district are Somerset (population 11,352), Middlesboro (population 10,384), and Corbin (population 7,742). The vast majority of residents live outside incorporated city limits with the region’s largest counties being Pike (population 67,080), Pulaski (population 58,727) and Laurel (population 55,993).
Map of Kentucky's Fifth District
Fifth District Counties
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