Hart County is a county located in the south central portion of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,288. Its county seat is Munfordville, its largest city is Horse Cave. Hart County is a moist county with alcohol sales permitted in Horse Cave by city ordinance.
History
Hart County was formed in 1819 from portions of Hardin and Barren counties. The county is named for Captain Nathaniel G. S. Hart, a Kentucky militia officer in the War of 1812 who was wounded at the Battle of Frenchtown and died in the Massacre of the River Raisin.
The Battle of Munfordville, a Confederate victory, was fought in the county in 1862, during the American Civil War.
A courthouse fire in January 1928 resulted in the loss of some county records.
In 1989 the Amish settlement near Munfordville was founded. It has ties to the Geauga Amish settlement in Ohio, from where many of the Munfordville Amish came. It is the fastest growing Amish settlement in America and had 14 church districts and a total population of about 1,800 people .
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.4%) is water.
Fauna
A female wolf shot in 2013 in Hart County by a hunter was the first gray wolf seen in Kentucky in modern times.
Adjacent counties
- Hardin County (north/Eastern Time Border)
- LaRue County (northeast/Eastern Time Border)
- Green County (east)
- Metcalfe County (southeast)
- Barren County (south)
- Edmonson County (southwest)
- Grayson County (northwest)
Natural features
A portion of Mammoth Cave National Park and the cave for which it is named is located in western Hart County.
The Fisher Ridge Cave System is located in Hart County. it has been mapped to a length of and is the fifth-longest cave in the United States and the tenth-longest cave in the world.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 19,288. The median age was 39.9 years. 25.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.5 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 91.1% White, 3.7% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.7% from some other race, and 4.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.7% of the population.
There were 7,418 households in the county, of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 24.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
|label1 = Evangelical Churches
|value1 = 28.5
|color1 = Blue
|label2 = Anabaptist Church ( Amish)
|value2 = 12.9
|color2 = DodgerBlue
|label3 = Mainline Protestant Churches
|value3 = 4
|color3 = Red
|label4 =
|value4 =
|color4 =
|label5 = Catholic Church
|value5 = 0.8
|color5 = Purple
|label6 = Others
|value6 = 0.9
|color6 = Orange
|label7 = None *
|value7 = 52.9
|color7 = White
- "Nones" is an unclear category. Researchers argue that most of the "Nones" should be considered "unchurched", rather than objectively nonreligious; especially since most "Nones" do hold some religious-spiritual beliefs and a notable amount participate in behaviors. For example, 72% of American "Nones" believe in God or a Higher Power.
Communities
Cities
- Horse Cave
- Munfordville (county seat)
Census-designated place
- Hardyville
Other unincorporated places
- Bee
- Big Windy
- Bonnieville
- Bunnell Crossing
- Canmer
- Cash
- Cub Run
- Eudora
- Hammonville
- Jonesville
- Legrande
- Linwood
- Lone Star
- Monroe
- Northtown
- Pascal
- Priceville
- Rowletts
- Seymour
- Three Springs
- Uno
- Woodsonville
Politics
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In presidential elections, Hart County was a swing county up until the 21st century. After that, they have shifted heavily towards the Republican Party. The last Democratic Party presidential candidate to carry the county was Bill Clinton in 1992.
Elected officials
{| class=wikitable
|-
| colspan="3" |Elected officials as of January 3, 2025
|-
! scope=row|U.S. House
| |Brett Guthrie (R)
| |
|-
! scope=row|Ky. Senate
| |David P. Givens (R)
| |9
|-
! scope=row|Ky. House
| |Ryan Bivens (R)
| |24
|}
Education
School districts include:
- Caverna Independent School District
- Hart County School District
See also
- Dry county
- James Greene Hardy Local politician of the 1850s, was Lt. Gov. of Kentucky.
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Hart County, Kentucky