Central City
Motto: It's that friendly.
Location of Central City within Kentucky.
Coordinates: 37°17′42″N 87°7′43″W / 37.295, -87.12861
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
County	Muhlenberg
Established	Morehead's Horse Mill, 1826[1]
Incorporated	Stroud City, 1873[1]
Incorporated	Central City, 1882[1]
Government
- Mayor	Jerry Mitchell
Area
- Total	5.2 sq mi (13.5 km²)
- Land	5.2 sq mi (13.6 km²)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation	436 ft (133 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	5,893
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP Code	42330
Area code(s)	270
FIPS code	21-13978
GNIS feature ID	0489282

Central City is a city in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 5,893 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Central City is located at 37°17′42″N, 87°7′43″W (37.294989, -87.128622)^[2].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.2 square miles (13.5 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census^[3] of 2000, there were 5,893 people, 2,065 households, and 1,410 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,126.2 people per square mile (435.0/km²). There were 2,313 housing units at an average density of 442.0/sq mi (170.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.07% White, 10.67% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 0.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.80% of the population.

There were 2,065 households out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.1% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 116.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,371, and the median income for a family was $32,959. Males had a median income of $29,284 versus $18,265 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,637. About 18.4% of families and 20.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.3% of those under age 18 and 21.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Central City is home to Central City Elementary School (formerly Central City High School). Central City Elementary School is a feeder school for Muhlenberg North Middle School which, in turn, feeds Muhlenberg North High School.

Central City is also home to the Muhlenberg Campus of Madisonville Community College, completed in 2001.

Media

• WMTA AM 1380, founded 1955
• WNES AM, founded in 1955, owned by the Andy Anderson Corporation which founded the station.
• WQXQ FM 101.9, 100,000 watt station, owned and operated by Andy Anderson Corporation, licensed to Central City where the main studio is, tower and transmitter located in Pleasant Ridge, (Daviess County), Kentucky.
• Leader-News, weekly newspaper founded in Greenville now located in Central City, owned and published by the Andy Anderson Corporation.
• Times Argus, formerly the Messenger Times Argus, founded in 1909, published weekly.

Economy

Major employers in Central City include:

• Brewco
• Brewer, Inc.
• Green River Correctional Complex

Peabody Energy's new Thoroughbred Energy Plant, a coal-burning power generation facility, is to be located in Central City and is expected to create 450 permanent jobs.^[4] The plant is projected to begin electricity generation sometime in 2007.^[5]

Sites and events of interest

Brewco Motorsports

Central City is home to Brewco Motorsports, a NASCAR Busch Series racing team. The team includes drivers Casey Atwood, Scott Wimmer, Greg Biffle, Ken Schrader, and Brad Coleman. The shop is open for tours.

Everly Brothers Homecoming / Labor Day Cruise-In

On Labor Day Weekend 1988, Central City began hosting The Everly Brothers Homecoming event to raise money for a scholarship fund for Muhlenberg County students.^[6] The Homecoming became a popular annual event for fourteen years, before ending in 2002.^[7]

Not to be discouraged, the citizens reformed the event as a weekend long cruise-in and car show that is still held annually on Labor Day Weekend.

Kentucky Women's Hall of Fame, Inc.

Sponsored by the Central City Business & Professional Women's Club, the Hall of Fame is located inside the Central City Public Library, 108 E. Broad Street and features a portrait and memorabilia gallery which includes former Governor Martha Layne Collins, Country & Western music giant Loretta Lynn, and local author Agnes S. Harralson. Central City Library hours are Monday-Friday 9 am - 5 pm; Saturday 9 am - 1 pm in summer; after Labor Day until Memorial Day, Muhlenberg County Public Libraries are open 9 am to 8 pm on Mondays.

Muhlenberg County Rail Trail

A refurbished railcar from the Paducah and Louisville Railroad along the Muhlenberg County Rail Trail

The Muhlenberg County Rail Trail is a paved trail following and old Paducah and Louisville railway route between Central City and Greenville that is open to pedestrian and non-motorized vehicle traffic. Kentucky's most extensive rail trail conversion to date, the Muhlenberg Rail Trail opened October 20, 2000 and was named "Trail of the Month" by the Rails to Trails Conservancy in May 2004.^[8] A viewing platform and birding guide are available where the trail passes through a local wetland.^[9] The Muhlenberg County Rails to Trails Committee has railbanked an additional 3 miles of abandoned rail, possibly for a later extension into McLean County.^[10]

Notable Natives

• Don Everly, of The Everly Brothers, famous early rock and roll performers from the late 1950s.
• Tom Christerson, the second-ever recipient of an artificial heart transplant

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} History of Central City, Kentucky
2. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
3. ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
4. ^ http://www.peabodyenergy.com/Operations/Thoroughbred.asp
5. ^ Kentucky Issues Air Permit for Peabody's Thoroughbred Energy Campus
6. ^ Everly Brothers Biography
7. ^ Everlys Homecoming Ends
8. ^ Trail of the Month - Muhlenberg County Rail Trail
9. ^ Rails to Trails Conservancy - Muhlenberg County Rail Trail
10. ^ Kentucky Rails to Trails Council - Muhlenberg County Rail Trail

External links

• Greater Muhlenberg Chamber of Commerce

• Central City, Kentucky is at coordinates 37°17′42″N 87°07′43″W / 37.294989, -87.128622 (Central City, Kentucky)Coordinates: 37°17′42″N 87°07′43″W / 37.294989, -87.128622 (Central City, Kentucky)
• Central City Tourism

v â€¢ d â€¢ e Municipalities and communities of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky
County seat: Greenville
Cities	Bremen | Central City | Drakesboro | Greenville | Powderly | South Carrollton
Ghost town	Paradise