Hancock County, Kentucky

Hancock County Education, Geography, and History

Hancock County is a county located in the state of Kentucky. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 8,565. Hancock County was created in 1829. The county seat is Hawesville. The county is named for John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Hancock County is included in the Owensboro, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Etymology - Origin of Hancock County Name

Hancock county is named for John Hancock (1737-1793), President of the Continental Congress; signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Hancock County History

Hancock County was formed in 1829 from portions of Breckinridge, Daviess, and Ohio counties.  It is located in the Western Coal Field region of the state. The elevation in the county ranges from 358 to 840 feet above sea level. In 2000 the county population was 8,392 in a land area of 188.80 square miles, an average of 44.4 people per square mile. The county seat is Hawesville.

Hancock is a prohibition or dry county.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 199 square miles (520 km²), of which 188 square miles (490 km²) is land and 11 square miles (28 km²) (5.6%) is water.

 Hancock county is located in west Kentucky. The northern border of the county lies along the Ohio River.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Northeast: Perry County, Ind.
• Southeast: Breckinridge County
• South: Ohio County
• Southwest: Daviess County
• Northwest: Spencer County, Ind.

Education

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