Caldwell County is a county in Kentucky, United States, in the Pennyroyal region south of the Tradewater River. It had a population of 12,649 at the 2020 census and covers 345 square miles (890 km2) of land plus 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2) of water, centred near 37°09′N 87°52′W.<\/p>\n
Princeton is the county seat, and its postal code is 42445. The county has two incorporated cities (Princeton and Fredonia) and more than a dozen unincorporated communities. Caldwell County is in the Central time zone.<\/p>\n
Caldwell County has two incorporated cities and about two dozen unincorporated communities and crossroads. CDP<\/strong> means census-designated place; Unincorp.<\/strong> covers rural communities and crossroads with no municipal government.<\/p>\n Dawson Springs, a spa town best known for its mineral springs, sits mostly across the line in Hopkins County; only a small edge of its municipal boundary reaches into Caldwell County, so it is not counted as a Caldwell city above.<\/p>\n Every address in Caldwell County falls under one of these two post offices; unincorporated communities have no ZIP code of their own.<\/p>\n Caldwell County sits in Kentucky’s Pennyroyal (Pennyrile) region, a karst limestone plateau of rolling farmland, sinkholes and hardwood ridges. The Tradewater River and Livingston Creek drain the county’s northern and western sections. Lake Barkley’s watershed reaches the county’s southwestern corner near the Lyon County line.<\/p>\n Caldwell County borders Crittenden County<\/a> to the northwest, Webster County<\/a> and Hopkins County<\/a> to the northeast, Christian County<\/a> to the southeast, Trigg County<\/a> to the south, and Lyon County<\/a> to the southwest.<\/p>\n Caldwell County had 12,649 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 37 people per square mile. Princeton (6,270) and Fredonia (372) are the county’s two largest communities; the remainder of the population lives in unincorporated rural areas. Median household income in the county runs below the Kentucky median of $61,118, consistent with the county’s agricultural and light-manufacturing economic base.<\/p>\n Agriculture remains central to Caldwell County’s economy, particularly dark-fired tobacco, corn, soybeans and cattle. Manufacturing is anchored by a Bremner cookie and cracker plant in Princeton, one of the county’s largest employers. The University of Kentucky has operated a research and education center in the county since 1925, supporting local farmers with agronomy research. Princeton’s downtown historic district and the county’s rural crossroads communities carry on a strong small-town fair and farm-market calendar each fall.<\/p>\n Caldwell County was formed in 1809 from part of Livingston County and named for John Caldwell, who served as Kentucky’s second lieutenant governor and had taken part in George Rogers Clark’s 1786 Indian campaign. During the forced removal of the Cherokee in the winter of 1838, a detachment of the Trail of Tears passed through the county. In the early 1900s, Caldwell County was one of the counties caught up in the Black Patch Tobacco Wars (1904–1909), when growers’ associations used violence to enforce boycotts of tobacco buyers offering low prices. The county was legally dry for most of its history and did not allow county-wide alcohol sales until voters approved the change in 2013.<\/p>\n U.S. Route 62 and U.S. Route 641 cross at Princeton, and the Western Kentucky Parkway runs along the county’s northern edge.<\/p>\n The nearest commercial airport is Barkley Regional Airport in Paducah.<\/p>\n Where is Caldwell County, Kentucky?<\/strong> What is the population of Caldwell County?<\/strong> How big is Caldwell County?<\/strong> What is the county seat of Caldwell County?<\/strong> How many towns are in Caldwell County?<\/strong>\n\n
\n \nPlace<\/th>\n Type<\/th>\n Pop.<\/th>\n ZIP<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Princeton<\/td>\n City · seat<\/td>\n 6,270<\/td>\n 42445<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Fredonia<\/td>\n City<\/td>\n 372<\/td>\n 42411<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Bakers<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Baldwin Ford<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Cedar Bluff<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Claxton<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Cobb<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Creswell<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Crider<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Crowtown<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Dulaney<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Enon<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Farmersville<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Flat Rock<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Friendship<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Fryer<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Harper Ford<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Hickory Grove<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Hopson<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Lakeshore<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Lewistown<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n McGowan<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Midway<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Needmore<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Otter Pond<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Pumpkin Center<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Quinn<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Rufus<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Ruth<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Scottsburg<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Smith Ford<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Tom Gray Ford<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Utley Ford<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Walche Cut<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n White Sulphur<\/td>\n Unincorp.<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n ZIP Codes<\/h2>\n
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Geography<\/h2>\n
Demographics<\/h2>\n
Economy & Local Life<\/h2>\n
History<\/h2>\n
Getting There<\/h2>\n
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Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n
It lies in the Pennyrile region of western Kentucky, between Hopkins and Trigg counties.<\/p>\n
Caldwell County had a population of 12,649 at the 2020 census.<\/p>\n
The county covers 345 square miles (890 km2) of land and 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2) of water.<\/p>\n
Princeton is the county seat.<\/p>\n
The county has two incorporated cities, Princeton and Fredonia, plus roughly two dozen unincorporated communities.<\/p>\n