{"id":3966,"date":"2023-06-13T16:21:31","date_gmt":"2023-06-13T16:21:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/?p=3966"},"modified":"2026-08-07T10:25:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T10:25:04","slug":"elliott-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/elliott-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Elliott County, Kentucky"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Elliott County is a county in Kentucky, United States, about 45 miles northeast of Morehead and 45 miles southwest of Ashland. It had a population of 7,354 at the 2020 census, an estimated 7,265 by 2025, and covers 234 square miles (610 km2) centred near 38\u00b007\u2032N 83\u00b006\u2032W.<\/p>\n<p>Sandy Hook is the county seat and the county&rsquo;s only incorporated city; its postal code is 41171. The county holds 1 city and 35 unincorporated communities, and it runs on Eastern Time. Its FIPS code is 21063.<\/p>\n<h2>Towns &amp; Villages in Elliott County<\/h2>\n<p>Elliott County has 36 named places on record: one incorporated city, Sandy Hook, and 35 unincorporated communities with no local government of their own. Unincorp. covers crossroads and rural hollows with no formal boundary; population and ZIP figures read &mdash; where the Census Bureau or Postal Service keeps no separate count for the place.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tv-table-scroll\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Place<\/th>\n<th>Type<\/th>\n<th>Pop.<\/th>\n<th>ZIP<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Sandy Hook<\/td>\n<td>City &middot; seat<\/td>\n<td>641<\/td>\n<td>41171<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Isonville<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>41149<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Ault<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Bascom<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Beartown<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Bell City<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Bigstone<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Bruin<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Burke<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Culver<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Devil Fork<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Dewdrop<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Dobbins<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Edsel<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Eldridge<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Fannin<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Faye<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Fielden<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Gimlet<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Gomez<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Green<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Halcom<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Ibex<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Little Sandy<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Lytten<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Newcombe<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Newfoundland<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Ordinary<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Roscoe<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sarah<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sideway<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Spanglin<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Stark<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Stephens<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>The Ridge<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Wyett<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h2>ZIP Codes<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>41171 &mdash; Sandy Hook (the county&rsquo;s main post office, covering the seat and most rural routes)<\/li>\n<li>41149 &mdash; Isonville<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The other 34 communities have no ZIP code of their own; mail there is delivered under either Sandy Hook&rsquo;s or Isonville&rsquo;s code, depending on which side of the county a hollow sits.<\/p>\n<h2>Geography<\/h2>\n<p>Elliott County sits on the northern edge of the eastern Kentucky coalfield, a landscape of steep, forested ridges and narrow hollows in the foothills of the Cumberland Plateau. Of its 235 square miles, 234 are land and 1.0 is water, about 0.4 percent &mdash; low because the county has no large lake, and the Little Sandy River and its forks account for nearly all of its surface water. The Little Sandy River, which gives the community of Little Sandy its name, drains most of the county&rsquo;s western half.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/carter-county\/\">Carter County<\/a> lies to the north, <a href=\"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/lawrence-county-kentucky\/\">Lawrence County<\/a> to the east, <a href=\"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/morgan-county-kentucky\/\">Morgan County<\/a> to the south, and Rowan County to the west. Carter, Lawrence and Morgan counties all border Elliott directly; Rowan County does too, though it has no page of its own on this site yet.<\/p>\n<h2>Demographics<\/h2>\n<p>Elliott County had a population of 7,354 at the 2020 census, and the latest estimate puts the county near 7,265 residents, a small decline. Sandy Hook, with 641 residents, is the county&rsquo;s largest community by a wide margin; Isonville and the county&rsquo;s many unincorporated hollows hold the rest. Median household income runs $45,776, well below Kentucky&rsquo;s statewide figure of $61,118 and the county&rsquo;s poverty rate of 25.1 percent ranks among the highest in the state. Population density works out to roughly 31 people per square mile of land, sparse even for rural eastern Kentucky.<\/p>\n<h2>Economy &amp; Local Life<\/h2>\n<p>Manufacturing employs the most workers in the county, about 420 people, followed by construction at 348 and public administration at 224. The Little Sandy Correctional Complex, a medium-security state prison about six miles northeast of Sandy Hook, is among the county&rsquo;s largest employers and accounts for much of the public-administration total. Elliott County is a dry county: selling alcoholic beverages is illegal everywhere within its borders. Sandy Hook is the birthplace of country singer Keith Whitley, marked today by a cemetery statue and a street renamed in his honor, and the town&rsquo;s Rocky J. Adkins Public Library serves as the county&rsquo;s only lending library.<\/p>\n<h2>History<\/h2>\n<p>Kentucky&rsquo;s General Assembly formed Elliott County in 1869, carving it out of parts of Morgan, Lawrence and Carter counties. It was named for John Milton Elliott, a judge on the Kentucky Court of Appeals and a U.S. congressman; some historians argue it instead honors his father, John Lyle Elliott. A fire at the county courthouse in 1957 destroyed many of the county&rsquo;s early records.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott County held the longest streak of any county in the United States voting the same way in presidential elections: it backed the Democratic nominee in every race from its founding in 1869 through 2012, then voted Republican for the first time in 2016, ending a run of more than 140 years.<\/p>\n<h2>Getting There<\/h2>\n<p>Kentucky Route 7 is the county&rsquo;s main highway, running north from West Liberty in Morgan County through Sandy Hook to Grayson in Carter County and on to South Shore on the Ohio River. No interstate crosses Elliott County.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Grayson &mdash; about 20 miles north<\/li>\n<li>West Liberty &mdash; about 15 miles south<\/li>\n<li>Morehead &mdash; about 25 miles west<\/li>\n<li>Ashland &mdash; about 45 miles northeast<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Huntington Tri-State Airport, roughly 50 miles northeast of Sandy Hook across the West Virginia line, is the nearest commercial airport. Amtrak&rsquo;s Cardinal stops at the South Portsmouth&ndash;South Shore station in Greenup County, about 45 miles north.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Where is Elliott County located?<\/strong><br \/>\nIt sits in northeastern Kentucky&rsquo;s coalfield foothills, bordered by Carter, Lawrence, Morgan and Rowan counties.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the population of Elliott County?<\/strong><br \/>\n7,354 at the 2020 census, with a 2025 estimate near 7,265.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How big is Elliott County?<\/strong><br \/>\n235 square miles (610 km2) total, of which 234 square miles are land.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the county seat of Elliott County?<\/strong><br \/>\nSandy Hook, established in 1850, is the county seat and the county&rsquo;s only incorporated city.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How many towns and villages are in Elliott County?<\/strong><br \/>\nOne incorporated city, Sandy Hook, plus 35 unincorporated communities including Isonville, Bruin, Dewdrop and Little Sandy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What ZIP codes does Elliott County use?<\/strong><br \/>\n41171 for Sandy Hook and 41149 for Isonville; the rest of the county uses one of those two codes by mail route.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is Elliott County known for?<\/strong><br \/>\nBeing a dry county, the Little Sandy Correctional Complex, and holding the longest Democratic presidential-voting streak of any US county until it flipped in 2016. It is also the birthplace of country singer Keith Whitley.<\/p>\n<p>More counties in this state: <a href=\"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/category\/kentucky\/\">Towns and villages in Kentucky<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Elliott County is a county in Kentucky, United States, about 45 miles northeast of Morehead and 45 miles southwest of Ashland. It had a population of 7,354 at the 2020 census, an estimated 7,265 by 2025, and covers 234 square miles (610 km2) centred near 38\u00b007\u2032N 83\u00b006\u2032W. Sandy Hook is the county seat and the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"Towns & Villages in Elliott County, Kentucky","_seopress_titles_desc":"All 36 places in Elliott County, Kentucky - type, population and ZIP for each, plus Sandy Hook history and the county's Democratic voting streak.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[6],"class_list":["post-3966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-kentucky","tag-towns-and-cities","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3966"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3966\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9250,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3966\/revisions\/9250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}