Marshall County is a county in Kentucky, United States, part of the Jackson Purchase region and the only county in the Purchase Area that does not border another state. It had a population of 31,659 at the 2020 census and covers 340 square miles (880 km2), centred near 36°53′N 88°20′W.
Benton is the county seat, and its postal code is 42025. The county holds three incorporated cities (Benton, Calvert City and Hardin), one census-designated place (Gilbertsville) and dozens of unincorporated communities. Marshall County observes Central time.
Towns & Villages in Marshall County
Marshall County has three incorporated cities and one census-designated place; everything else on the list below is an unincorporated community, hamlet or crossroads — common in rural western Kentucky, where most rural population lives outside any city limit.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benton | City · seat | — | 42025 |
| Calvert City | City | — | 42029 |
| Hardin | City | — | 42048 |
| Gilbertsville | CDP | — | 42044 |
| Aurora | Unincorp. | — | 42048 |
| Sharpe | Unincorp. | — | 42025 |
| Birmingham | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fairdealing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Draffenville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Briensburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Palma | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Scale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Olive | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elva | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Iola | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Joppa | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Little Cypress | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Level | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Walnut Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Possum Trot | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Unity | Unincorp. | — | — |
| South Marshall | Unincorp. | — | — |
| The Moors | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cambridge Shores | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sherwood Shores | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tatumsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dogtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Angle Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Altona | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brewers | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bethel | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Buena Vista | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cloud Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Glade | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Haddox Ferry | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Harris Hill Ford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Harvey | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Marshall | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Little Bear Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
Birmingham was partly relocated when Kentucky Lake was impounded behind Kentucky Dam in the 1940s, and its riverside site is now mostly underwater; the surviving community keeps the name. Draffenville, near the geographic centre of the county, hosts several county government offices though it has never incorporated.
ZIP Codes
- 42025 — Benton (also serves Sharpe and much of central and southern Marshall County)
- 42029 — Calvert City
- 42044 — Gilbertsville
- 42048 — Hardin (also serves Aurora)
These four ZIP codes cover the entire county; unincorporated communities without their own post office use whichever ZIP serves their mail route.
Geography
Marshall County sits in the Jackson Purchase region of far western Kentucky, a belt of gently rolling hills between the Tennessee and Mississippi rivers. The Tennessee River and Kentucky Lake, formed by Kentucky Dam, define the county’s northeastern and eastern edge; a thin strip of land in neighboring Livingston County keeps Marshall from touching the Ohio River or the Illinois state line. The county is bordered by Livingston County to the north, Lyon and Trigg County to the east across Kentucky Lake, Calloway County to the south, and Graves County and McCracken County to the west.
Demographics
Marshall County had 31,659 residents at the 2020 census, spread over 301 square miles of land for a density of about 105 people per square mile. Benton and Calvert City are its two largest communities. Kentucky’s statewide median household income was the state median of $61,118 in the 2023 American Community Survey; Marshall County’s own median has not been independently verified for this profile and is omitted rather than estimated.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture defined the county’s economy for its first century, but the impoundment of Kentucky Lake in the 1940s brought tourism, recreational boating and sport fishing to the Aurora and Kentucky Dam areas, and the cheap hydroelectric power from Kentucky Dam drew chemical and manufacturing plants to Calvert City, which remains the county’s industrial center. Benton is home to the FLW (now Major League Fishing) bass-tournament organization. The county’s best-known annual events are Tater Day, a market-day festival held in Benton on the first Monday in April with roots as a 19th-century mule and tobacco trading day, and The Big Singing, an annual Southern Harmony shape-note gospel singing held each May.
History
Marshall County was formed in 1842 from the northern part of Calloway County and named for John Marshall, the U.S. Supreme Court chief justice who died in 1835. The area’s first European-American settlers arrived around 1818, after the Jackson Purchase opened the region to settlement. Marshall was a dry county for most of its history; residents voted to approve off-premises alcohol sales on July 28, 2015, making it a wet county.
Getting There
Interstate 24 crosses the northern part of the county near Calvert City, and US 641 and US 68/KY 80 are the main north–south and east–west routes through Benton.
- Paducah, Kentucky — about 25 miles northwest
- Murray, Kentucky — about 15 miles south
- Mayfield, Kentucky — about 25 miles west
- Paris, Tennessee — about 25 miles southeast
The nearest commercial airport is Barkley Regional Airport in Paducah.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Marshall County, Kentucky?
It is in the Jackson Purchase region of far western Kentucky, bordered by Kentucky Lake on the east and Livingston County on the north.
What is the population of Marshall County?
31,659 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Marshall County?
340 square miles (880 km2) in total, of which 301 square miles is land and 39 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Marshall County?
Benton is the county seat.
How many towns are in Marshall County?
Three incorporated cities — Benton, Calvert City and Hardin — plus the census-designated place of Gilbertsville and dozens of unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Marshall County?
42025 (Benton), 42029 (Calvert City), 42044 (Gilbertsville) and 42048 (Hardin).
When did Marshall County allow alcohol sales?
Voters approved off-premises alcohol sales on July 28, 2015, ending the county’s long history as a dry county.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kentucky.