Livingston County is a county in Kentucky, United States, on the point where the Ohio, Cumberland and Tennessee rivers converge in the far-western Purchase region. It had a population of 8,888 at the 2020 census and covers 342 square miles (890 km2) — 313 square miles (810 km2) of land and 29 square miles (75 km2) of water — centred near 37°13′N 88°21′W.
Smithland is the county seat; its postal code is 42081. The county has four incorporated cities, two census-designated places and a scatter of unincorporated river landings and crossroads communities. Livingston County sits in the Central time zone and is part of the Paducah, KY–IL micropolitan statistical area.
Towns & Villages in Livingston County
Roughly two dozen named places appear on county maps, split between four incorporated cities, two census-designated places (CDPs) and the rest unincorporated river landings, junctions and crossroads. Grand Rivers, on the county’s southeastern edge along Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, is the largest incorporated city and the only “wet” community in an otherwise dry county — voters there approved alcohol sales in 2016.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ledbetter | CDP | — | 42058 |
| Smithland | City · seat | — | 42081 |
| Grand Rivers | City | — | 42045 |
| Salem | City | — | 42078 |
| Carrsville | City | — | — |
| Burna | CDP | — | 42028 |
| Tiline | Unincorp. | — | 42083 |
| Hampton | Unincorp. | — | 42047 |
| Iuka | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Joy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lola | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bayou | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Birdsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cooper Landing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crowell Landing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Heater | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lake City | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lemen Landing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Miller Landing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mitchell Landing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Moxley Landing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mullikin Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Newbern | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pinckneyville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stanley Landing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Upper Hodge Landing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vicksburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
Several of these names — Cooper Landing, Crowell Landing, Lemen Landing, Miller Landing, Mitchell Landing, Moxley Landing, Stanley Landing and Upper Hodge Landing — mark old riverboat landings on the Ohio, Cumberland and Tennessee rivers rather than settlements with a modern center; several survive today mainly as boat-ramp or road names.
ZIP Codes
- 42081 — Smithland
- 42058 — Ledbetter
- 42045 — Grand Rivers
- 42078 — Salem
- 42028 — Burna
- 42047 — Hampton
- 42083 — Tiline
Carrsville and the smaller river landings and crossroads communities do not have their own ZIP code and are served by one of the delivery towns above.
Geography
Livingston County occupies the wedge of far-western Kentucky where the Ohio, Cumberland and Tennessee rivers meet within a few miles of one another, giving the county an unusually high share of water surface (8.5% of its total area). The Ohio River forms the county’s northern and western boundary with Illinois; the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers cross the eastern part of the county on their way to the Ohio, and the eastern edge of the county touches Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, the reservoirs formed behind Kentucky and Barkley dams.
Livingston County borders Hardin County, Illinois to the north, Pope County, Illinois to the northwest, Massac County, Illinois to the west, Crittenden County to the northeast, Lyon County to the southeast, Marshall County to the south and McCracken County to the southwest.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 8,888 residents in Livingston County. Grand Rivers and Ledbetter are the county’s two largest communities; Ledbetter, just south of Paducah on U.S. 60, is the county’s biggest unincorporated concentration of population, while Grand Rivers anchors the county’s tourism economy on Kentucky Lake. Against the Kentucky median of $61,118, Livingston County — a mostly rural county without a large employment center of its own — has historically run below the state figure, though a current county-level estimate is not verified here. With 313 square miles of land, the county’s overall density works out to roughly 28 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Tourism and recreation tied to Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley drive much of the local economy around Grand Rivers, which markets itself as “the village between the lakes” and draws boaters, anglers and RV travelers each summer. Elsewhere in the county, farming, timber and river-barge traffic on the Ohio remain steady employers, and many residents commute to Paducah in neighboring McCracken County for work. Livingston County is a dry county under Kentucky’s local-option alcohol laws, with the single exception of Grand Rivers, which voters opted to make wet in 2016 to support its restaurant and marina trade.
History
Livingston County was formed in 1798 from land taken from Christian County, in the same era Kentucky was carving new counties out of its western frontier. It is named for Robert R. Livingston, a member of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence and later the U.S. minister who negotiated the Louisiana Purchase. During the Civil War the county was strongly pro-Confederate, and a substantial share of its military-age men joined Confederate units rather than the Union Army, a divide that set the county apart from much of the rest of Union-aligned Kentucky.
Getting There
U.S. Route 60 and U.S. Route 641 cross the county, and the Julian M. Carroll Purchase Parkway (I-69/Purchase Parkway) passes through its southern edge near Grand Rivers, offering direct access to the Kentucky/Barkley lakes area.
- Paducah — 15 miles southwest
- Marion — 15 miles northeast
- Kentucky Dam Village — 10 miles southeast
- Eddyville — 20 miles east
Barkley Regional Airport in Paducah is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Livingston County, Kentucky?
It is in the far-western Purchase region of Kentucky, at the confluence of the Ohio, Cumberland and Tennessee rivers, bordering Illinois across the Ohio River.
What is the population of Livingston County?
8,888 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Livingston County?
342 square miles (890 km2), including 29 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Livingston County?
Smithland.
How many towns are in Livingston County?
Four incorporated cities — Smithland, Grand Rivers, Salem and Carrsville — plus the CDPs of Ledbetter and Burna and a number of smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Livingston County?
42081 (Smithland), 42058 (Ledbetter), 42045 (Grand Rivers), 42078 (Salem), 42028 (Burna), 42047 (Hampton) and 42083 (Tiline).
Is Livingston County a dry county?
Yes, with one exception: Grand Rivers voted to allow alcohol sales in 2016, making it the only wet community in an otherwise dry county.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kentucky.