North Corbin, Kentucky

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North Corbin is an unincorporated census-designated place spanning parts of Laurel and Knox counties in southeastern Kentucky, located directly north of the incorporated city of Corbin. The small rural community sits along major regional highway corridors, and is most widely known as the birthplace of the KFC fried chicken restaurant concept developed by Colonel Harland Sanders.

Key moments

1930Harland Sanders opens Sanders Café, a roadside diner and motel on US Route 25W in North Corbin, where he begins refining his 11-herbs-and-spices fried chicken recipe for passing travelers.
1952After perfecting his recipe at the North Corbin location, Sanders launches the first official KFC franchise in Salt Lake City, Utah, growing his local roadside food concept into an international brand.
2020The U.S. decennial census records North Corbin's official resident population at approximately 1,660.

Geographic and Local Community Context

As an unincorporated adjacent neighbor to Corbin, North Corbin operates functionally as a low-density suburban extension of the larger city, with most public services and governance ties linked to Corbin's municipal administration. Its position along historic north-south travel routes through the Appalachian foothills made it a high-traffic stop for mid-20th century cross-country road trippers, a key advantage that allowed Sanders to build a loyal customer base before fast food franchising became a widespread industry model.

Disproportionate Global Cultural Impact

Despite its tiny population and rural regional setting, North Corbin carries outsized global name recognition thanks to its connection to the KFC brand. The fully restored original Sanders Café now operates as a hybrid museum and restaurant, drawing tens of thousands of domestic and international tourists each year who visit to trace the origins of one of the world's largest fast food chains. This legacy has turned the otherwise little-known Appalachian community into a core stop on Kentucky's popular southern food heritage travel circuit.

official name	North Corbin, Kentucky
settlement type	Census-designated place
mapsize	250px
map caption	Location of North Corbin, Kentucky
subdivision type	Country
subdivision name	United States
subdivision type1	State
subdivision name1	Kentucky

subdivision type2	Counties

subdivision name2	Laurel, Knox

unit pref	Imperial

area footnotes	‡R1R‡

area total km2	4.66

area land km2	4.61

area water km2	0.05

area total sq mi	1.80

area land sq mi	1.78

area water sq mi	0.02

population as of	2020

population total	1727

population density km2	374.59

population density sq mi	970.22

timezone	Eastern (EST)

utc offset	-5

timezone dst	EDT

utc offset dst	-4

elevation ft	1204

coordinates	36.96472°N, -84.09722°W

postal code type	ZIP Code

postal code	40701 (Corbin)

area code	606

blank name	FIPS code

blank info	21-56694

blank1 name	GNIS feature ID

blank1 info	2403345‡R2R‡

North Corbin is a census-designated place (CDP) in Laurel and Knox counties in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 1,727 at the 2020 census[3] down from 1,773 at the 2010 census.[4] The census bureau also lists the Laurel County portion of North Corbin as a CCD with a population of 10,729.[5]

The city of Corbin is located south of North Corbin.

The Harland Sanders Café and Museum, the restaurant where Colonel Sanders developed the fried chicken recipe that would later become famous as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is located in the Laurel County portion of North Corbin.

Geography

North Corbin is located in southern Laurel County. A small portion extends east into Knox County. It is bordered to the south by the city of Corbin in Whitley County.

Interstate 75 forms the western edge of the North Corbin CDP, with access from Exit 29, U.S. Route 25E, which forms the northern edge of the CDP. US 25E intersects U.S. Route 25W in North Corbin, forming U.S. Route 25, which leaves town to the north and leads 12 mi to London, the Laurel county seat. US 25E leads southeast from North Corbin 16 mi to Barbourville, the Knox county seat. US 25W leads south into Corbin and 22 mi to Williamsburg, compared to 17 mi taking I-75 south. Larger destinations along I-75 include Lexington 85 mi to the north and Knoxville, Tennessee, the same distance to the south.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the North Corbin CDP has a total area of 4.66 sqkm, of which 0.05 sqkm, or 1.05%, are water.[4] Lynn Camp Creek forms the southern boundary of the community as well as the Whitley County line. The creek is a west-flowing tributary of the Laurel River and part of the Cumberland River watershed.

Demographics

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 1,662 people, 689 households, and 469 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 913.4 PD/sqmi. There were 774 housing units at an average density of 425.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.41% White, 0.06% African American, 0.60% Native American, 0.24% Pacific Islander, 0.06% from other races, and 1.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.06% of the population.

There were 689 households, out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $25,756, and the median income for a family was $27,389. Males had a median income of $26,912 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $11,104. About 26.6% of families and 33.5% of the population were below the

References

2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files United States Census Bureau, retrieved March 18, 2022^
{{GNIS|2403345}}^
North Corbin CDP, Kentucky Demographics and Housing 2020 Decennial Census^