Editing Hazard, Kentucky

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Hazard, Kentucky
| settlement_type    = [[list of Kentucky cities|City]]
| image_skyline      = Lovern and Main, Hazard.jpg
| imagesize          = 250px
| image_caption      = Main Street in Hazard
| image_flag         = Flag of Hazard, Kentucky.png
| image_seal         = City of Hazard Seal.gif
| image_shield       = 
| motto              = Queen City of the Mountains
| image_map          = File:Perry County Kentucky Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Hazard Highlighted 2135362.svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location of Hazard in Perry County, Kentucky
| image_map1         = 
| mapsize1           = 
| map_caption1       = 
| coordinates        = {{coord|37|14|55|N|083|11|42|W|region:US-KY_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Kentucky|County]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Kentucky]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Perry County, Kentucky|Perry]]
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = 
| established_title2 = Incorporated
| established_date2  = April 30, 1884
| named_for          = [[Commodore (U.S.)|Cdre]]. [[Oliver Hazard Perry]]
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Donald "Happy" Mobelini<ref name="Herald">{{cite news|title=Judge swears-in new city officials|url=http://hazard-herald.com/news/home_top-news/150897015/Judge-swears-in-new-city-officials|access-date=7 April 2015|newspaper=Hazard Herald|date=14 December 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414025504/http://hazard-herald.com/news/home_top-news/150897015/Judge-swears-in-new-city-officials|archive-date=14 April 2015}}</ref>
| leader_title1      = City Manager
| leader_name1       = Derrick Hall <ref name="managers">{{cite web | url=http://www.cityofhazard.com/citymanage.html | title=City Managers, City of Hazard, KY | access-date=7 April 2015 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150327180058/http://www.cityofhazard.com/citymanage.html | archive-date=27 March 2015 }}</ref>
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_sq_mi   = 7.60
| area_land_sq_mi    = 7.45
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.15
| area_water_percent = 0
| area_urban_km2     = 
| area_urban_sq_mi   = 
| area_metro_km2     = 
| area_metro_sq_mi   = 
| elevation_ft       = 928
| population_total   = 5263
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_density_sq_mi = 706.44
| population_urban   = 
| population_metro   = 
| population_density_metro_sq_mi = 
| population_note    = 
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code]]s
| postal_code        = 41701–41702
| area_code          = [[Area code 606|606]]
| area_code_type     = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
| website            = [http://hazardky.gov/ www.hazardky.gov]
| footnotes          = 
| leader_title2      = Assistant City Manager
| leader_name2       = Amie Bedwell<ref name="managers" />
| leader_title3      = City Treasurer / Secretary to the Mayor
| leader_name3       = <ref name="managers" />
| timezone           = [[Eastern Time Zone (North America)|EST]]
| utc_offset         = −5
| timezone_DST       = EDT
| utc_offset_DST     = −4
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 21-35362
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 0512617
| pop_est_as_of      = 2022
| pop_est_footnotes  = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2022/cities/totals/SUB-IP-EST2022-POP-21.xlsx|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Kentucky: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022|publisher= United States Census Bureau|access-date= May 26, 2023}}</ref>
| population_est     = 4999
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_21.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 18, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 19.68
| area_land_km2      = 19.30
| area_water_km2     = 0.38
| population_density_km2 = 272.76
| population_footnotes = 
}}

'''Hazard''' is a [[list of Kentucky cities|home rule-class city]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.klc.org/UserFiles/files/ClassificationReformFACT(3).pdf |title=Summary and Reference Guide to House Bill 331 City Classification Reform |publisher=Kentucky League of Cities |access-date=December 30, 2014}}</ref> in, and the [[county seat]] of, [[Perry County, Kentucky|Perry County]], [[Kentucky]], [[United States]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=2011-06-07|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> The population was 5,263 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/hazardcitykentucky/POP010220 |title=QuickFacts – Hazard city, Kentucky |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Hazard Kentucky bridge2.jpg|left|thumb|Coal miners' children cross a footbridge into Hazard, Kentucky, July 1940.  Photograph by [[Marion Post Wolcott]].]]

Local landowner [[Elijah Combs|Elijah Combs Sr.]] laid out the town in 1824 as the planned seat of the newly established [[Perry County, Kentucky|Perry County]]. Both the town and the county were named for [[Commodore (U.S.)|Cdre]]. [[Oliver Hazard Perry]], a commander in the 1813 [[Battle of Lake Erie]] in the [[War of 1812]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1AksAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cG0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3595%2C5275109 | title=Origins of place names are traced | work=Kentucky New Era | date=December 11, 1984 | access-date=29 April 2015 | author=Bergstrom, Bill | pages=2B}}</ref> The post office was initially known as '''Perry Court House''' but the name was officially changed to Hazard in 1854.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3Lac2FUSj_oC&pg=PA134 | title=Kentucky Place Names | publisher=University Press of Kentucky | year=1987 | access-date=28 April 2013 | author=Rennick, Robert M. | pages=134–135| isbn=0813126312 }}</ref> The city was formally incorporated by the [[Kentucky Assembly|state assembly]] in 1884.<ref name=sos>Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "Hazard, Kentucky". Accessed 29 July 2013.</ref>

Long isolated by the surrounding mountains, Hazard was opened to the outside world by the arrival of the railroad in 1912. The only access to the valley had previously been 45 miles down the [[North Fork Kentucky River|North Fork of the Kentucky River]] or a two-week trip over the surrounding mountains.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hazardky.gov/history.html|title=History|publisher=City of Hazard|accessdate=1 July 2023|archive-date=July 1, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701182846/https://hazardky.gov/history.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The railroad brought prosperity to the town, which ended up on the start of the [[Great Depression]].

The song "High Sheriff of Hazard" was written by [[Tom Paxton]] in reference to a coal miner's strike in 1964.

In 1981, several cast members of the television series ''[[The Dukes of Hazzard]]'', including [[Catherine Bach]], [[James Best]], [[Sorrell Booke]] and [[Rick Hurst]], visited Hazard during its Black Gold Festival.<ref name="Hensley">{{cite news|url=http://www.wkyt.com/wymtnews/headlines/59675622.html|title=A look back at the 1981 Black Gold Festival|last=Hensley|first=Steve|date=2009-09-17|publisher=[[WYMT-TV]]|access-date=2009-09-17|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110505012802/http://www.wkyt.com/wymtnews/headlines/59675622.html|archive-date=2011-05-05}}</ref> Soon afterwards, the series' stars [[Tom Wopat]] and [[John Schneider (screen actor)|John Schneider]] made appearances in Hazard.

After several decades of population decline, the city has seen a rapid increase of new residents as the growth rate approached 20% between 2010 and 2020. In July 1999, Hazard was the first stop on [[President of the United States|President]] [[Bill Clinton]]'s tour of poverty-stricken communities that had failed to share in the boom of the 1990s.  [[Hillary Clinton]] visited Hazard on November 2, 2008, at a political rally for [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] candidate [[Bruce Lunsford]].<ref>"[http://polwatchers.typepad.com/pol_watchers/2008/11/hillary-makes-pick-in-ky-house-speaker-race.html Hillary makes pick in KY House speaker race?]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=Willking1979 |fix-attempted=yes }}" ''Pol Watchers''. Accessed 2 November 2008.</ref><ref>"[http://www.wkyt.com/wymtnews/headlines/33722949.html Hillary Clinton Stumps for Bruce Lunsford] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523084603/http://www.wkyt.com/wymtnews/headlines/33722949.html |date=2011-05-23 }}". [[WYMT-TV]]. Accessed 2 November 2008.</ref>

One of the two [[ZIP Code|ZIP codes]] serving Hazard is 41702; as of 2024, there are precisely 41,702 ZIP codes in the United States.
{{Clear|left}}

==Geography==
{{see also|North Fork tributaries at Hazard, Kentucky}}
Hazard is located at {{coord|37|15|21|N|83|11|37|W|region:US-KY_type:city}} (37.255910, −83.193706).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|7.0|sqmi|km2}}, all land.

==Climate==
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.  According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Hazard has a [[humid subtropical climate]], abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.<ref name="weatherbase.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=417351&cityname=Hazard,+Kentucky,+United+States+of+America&units=|title=Hazard, Kentucky Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)|website=Weatherbase}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1880 = 76
| 1910 = 587
| 1920 = 4348
| 1930 = 7021
| 1940 = 7397
| 1950 = 6985
| 1960 = 5958
| 1970 = 5459
| 1980 = 5371
| 1990 = 5416
| 2000 = 4806
| 2010 = 4456
| 2020 = 5263
| estyear = 2022
| estimate = 4999
| estref = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2022/cities/totals/SUB-IP-EST2022-POP-21.xlsx|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Kentucky: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022|publisher= United States Census Bureau|access-date= May 26, 2023}}</ref>
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2021, there were 5,263 people, and 2,046 households. The population density was {{convert|692.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 78.4% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 16.57% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.08% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 2.07% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.15% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.87% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.86% of the population.

In 2000, there were 1,946 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. Of all households, 31.7% were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.

The [[median income]] for a household in the city was $20,690, and the median income for a family was $27,226. Males had a median income of $34,398 versus $22,386 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $14,782. About 30.9% of families and 30.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 44.3% of those under age 18 and 13.9% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
* [[Galen College of Nursing]]
* [[Hazard Community and Technical College]]
* [[Hazard Independent Schools]] – a school district that serves the city; operates one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school
** [[Hazard High School]]
* [[Perry County Schools (Kentucky)|Perry County Schools]] – operates six elementary schools, one K–12 school, one high school, and one alternative school
* [[Hazard Christian Academy]]

Hazard has a [[public library|lending library]], the Perry County Public Library.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://kdla.ky.gov/librarians/pages/librarydirectory.aspx | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190111202017/https://kdla.ky.gov/librarians/pages/librarydirectory.aspx | url-status=dead | archive-date=11 January 2019 | title=Kentucky Public Library Directory | publisher=Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives | access-date=7 June 2019}}</ref>

==Media==
[[File:Mother-Goose-Building.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The Mother Goose House in Hazard, Kentucky]]

===Television===
*[[WYMT-TV]], a semi-satellite of CBS affiliate [[WKYT-TV]] in Lexington
*[[WKHA]], a satellite station of [[Kentucky Educational Television]]

===Radio===
[[File:Hazard main2006.jpg|right|thumb|Main Street]]

* [[WSGS]]
* [[WKIC (AM)|WKIC]]
* [[WZQQ (FM)|WZQQ]]
* [[WJMD]]
* WEKH, a satellite station of [[WEKU]]
* [[WQXY]]
* [[WLZD-LP]]

===Newspapers===
* ''Hazard Herald''
* ''Perry County Advocate''

==Notable people==
{{See also|Category:People from Hazard, Kentucky}}
<!-- Alphabetical in the table by family name, or mononym if there is no family name. -->
* [[Red Allen (bluegrass)|Red Allen]], [[Bluegrass music|Bluegrass]] singer
* [[Baddiewinkle]], Internet personality
* [[Blue Fugates|Martin Fugate]], patriarch of "Blue Fugates", a family with a genetic trait that led to the blood disorder methemoglobinemia
* [[J. Dudley Goodlette]], politician and lawyer
* [[Louann Brizendine]], neuropsychiatrist, clinician, researcher, and professor
* [[Joe Craft]], businessman and philanthropist
* [[Rebecca Gayheart]], actress
* [[Daniel Mongiardo]], physician, state senator, and [[Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky]]
* [[Brandon Smith (Kentucky)|Brandon Smith]], businessman, state representative and senator
* [[Sam Smith (basketball, born 1944)|Sam Smith]], basketball player, one of the first three [[African American]] [[basketball]] players at the [[University of Louisville]]
* [[Mary Lou Turner]], [[country music]] singer

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite web |last=Vowell |first=Nicole |date=August 31, 2018 |title=As Coal Jobs Become Scarce Nationwide, One Small Kentucky City Is Hiring |url=https://www.newschannel5.com/news/national/democracy-2018/as-coal-jobs-become-scarce-nationwide-one-small-kentucky-city-is-hiring |publisher=[[WTVF]] |access-date=September 20, 2018}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Cite web |last=Matthews |first=Scott |title=John Cohen in Eastern Kentucky: Documentary Expression and the Image of Roscoe Halcomb During the Folk Revival |work=[[Southern Spaces]] |date=2008-08-06 |url=http://southernspaces.org/2008/john-cohen-eastern-kentucky-documentary-expression-and-image-roscoe-halcomb-during-folk-revival}}

{{Perry County, Kentucky}}
{{Eastern Mountain Coal Fields (Kentucky)}}
{{Kentucky}}
{{Kentucky county seats}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Hazard, Kentucky|*]]
[[Category:Appalachian culture in Kentucky]]
[[Category:Cities in Kentucky]]
[[Category:Cities in Perry County, Kentucky]]
[[Category:Coal towns in Kentucky]]
[[Category:County seats in Kentucky]]