Powell County, Kentucky

Powell County
County
Powell County courthouse in Stanton
Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
Kentucky's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 37°50′N 83°50′W / 37.83°N 83.83°W / 37.83; -83.83
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
Founded	1852
Named for	Lazarus W. Powell
Seat	Stanton
Area
• Total	180 sq mi (500 km2)
• Land	179 sq mi (460 km2)
• Water	1.1 sq mi (3 km2)  0.6%
Population  (2020)
• Total	13,129
• Estimate  (2023)	12,972
• Density	73/sq mi (28/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	6th
Website	powellcountyky.us

Powell County is a county located in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,129.^[1] Its county seat is Stanton.^[2] The county was formed January 7, 1852, by Kentucky Governor Lazarus W. Powell from parts of Clark, Estill, and Montgomery counties.^[3] It is no longer a dry county as of 2018. Powell County is home to Natural Bridge State Resort Park and the Red River Gorge Geologic Area, two of Kentucky's most important natural areas and ecotourism destinations, as well as the Pilot Knob State Nature Preserve.