Perry County, Kentucky was formed in 1821 from a portion of Clay and Floyd Counties, it was named to honour the American naval hero Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. It is located in the Eastern Coal Field region of the state. The elevation in the county ranges from 700 to 2520 feet above sea level. In 1990 the county population was 30,283, in 2000 the population was 29,390, a decrease of -2.9%. The county seat is Hazard.

Hazard, Kentucky the seat of Perry county in southeastern Kentucky is located on the North Fork of the Kentucky River in the Cumberland foothills just east of the Daniel Boone National Forest (Redbird Purchase Unit) and about 115 miles southeast of Lexington. Founded in 1821, it was named to honour the American naval hero Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. Growth of the town was slowed by the long blood feud between the French and Eversole families; the worst gun battle occurred in Hazard in (1888) when 12 men were killed. The arrival of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in 1912 boosted development of local resources (coal, oil, gas, timber). Hazard annexed the adjacent community of Lothair in 1965. Hazard Community College opened in 1968. Hazard, Kentucky was Inc. into a town in 1832; and into a city in 1884.

Perry County Vital Records Office Perry County Clerk P.O. Box 150 Hazard, KY 41701-0150 (606) 436-4614