Boston, Kentucky

7 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1949 and the latest in 1981. It stands in the Boston census division. It lies in ZIP code area 40107. It stands on White Oak Branch. The Survey maps it on the Lebanon Junction quadrangle. 253 people lived here at the 2020 count.

Boston within Nelson County

Population over time

2 figures

Boston fell from 266 to 253 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

Year	People	Change
2010	266
2020	253	-13 (-5%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

5 surveys from 7 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

1949 USGS Shepherdsville quadrangle1:62500
1957 USGS Winchester quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
1960 USGS Winchester quadrangle1:250000
1967 USGS Lebanon Junction quadrangle1:24000
1981 USGS Elizabethtown quadrangle1:100000

Fires near this place

29 since 1997

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 29 fires within 5 miles of Boston between 1997 and 2018, burning about 372 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	14
Recreation and ceremony	6
Debris and open burning	6
Misuse of fire by a minor	1
Equipment and vehicle use	1
Arson/incendiarism	1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
14 September 1999	Arson/incendiarism	2.0 acres	Kentucky Division of Forestry	not named
16 April 2005	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	4.0 acres	Kentucky Division of Forestry	not named
12 April 2018	Debris and open burning	95 acres	Kentucky Division of Forestry	HURRICANE HILL FIRE
11 April 1997	Debris and open burning	20 acres	Kentucky Division of Forestry	not named
8 March 2010	Recreation and ceremony	2.0 acres	Kentucky Division of Forestry	not named
7 March 2010	Misuse of fire by a minor	2.0 acres	Kentucky Division of Forestry	not named
7 March 2000	Debris and open burning	2.0 acres	Kentucky Division of Forestry	not named
7 March 2000	Debris and open burning	11 acres	Kentucky Division of Forestry	not named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Nelson County

Mines and quarries near this place

1 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Boston: 1 prospect. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Clay. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where	Site	Commodity	Status	Recorded
	Rolling Fork Shale	Clay	Prospect

Every working recorded in Nelson County

Storms near this place

56 since 1998

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Boston in 56 storm reports between 1998 and 2024: 29 flood, 15 hail, 11 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
May 2010	Flood	Boston	$750,000	The Rolling Fork River at Boston crested around 50.7 feet at 730 PM EST on May 4. Flood stage at Boston is 35 feet. Major flooding occurs at this level, with water in businesses and homes in Boston and New Haven.
April 2008	Flood	Boston	$100,000	The Rolling Fork River at Boston crested at 43.6 feet around 930 AM EST on April 6. Flood stage at Boston is 35 feet. Moderate flooding occurs at this level, with a few homes and trailers flooded outside of Boston.
July 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Boston	$40,000	A strong downburst near the Nelson Bullitt County line brought severe damage to two mobile homes, a barn, and several trees.
June 2018	Thunderstorm Wind	Boston	$5,000	A small shed was destroyed due to severe thunderstorm winds.
May 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Boston	$5,000	no account filed
February 2024	Hail	Boston	-	Report came from mPing.
May 2022	Hail	Boston	-	Two inch diameter hail was observed near Boston and caused damage to car windows.
May 2022	Hail	Boston	-	Quarter-sized hail was observed at Hurricane Hills Lake in western Nelson County.
May 2022	Hail	Boston	-	Tennis ball-sized hail was observed near Boston.
June 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Boston	-	There was a potion of a roof removed from a distillery.
March 2021	Hail	Boston	-	Quarter sized hail was observed by an NWS employee family member near Hurricane Hills Lake.
October 2018	Thunderstorm Wind	Boston	-	Trees fell and were blocking Boston Road near the Hardin County line.
March 2015	Flood	Boston	-	Several inches of snow that melted as 1 to 2 inches of rain fell brought the Rolling Fork River at Boston above flood stage. The river crested at 41.64 feet during the evening of March 6th. The river fell below flood stage during the early morning hours of March 8th.
March 2015	Flood	Boston	-	Heavy rain falling on top of already saturated ground pushed the Rolling Fork River at Boston above flood stage. The river crested at 39.12 feet during the morning of March 12th and then fell below flood stage in the morning hours of March 13th.
April 2015	Flood	Boston	-	Between 1 and 3 inches of rain fell on top of already saturated ground and pushed the Rolling Fork River at Boston above flood stage. The river crested at 40.11 feet on April 16th.
July 2015	Flood	Boston	-	Repeated rounds of severe thunderstorms that brought several inches of rain across the region resulted in significant rises on the Rolling Fork River near Boston. The river crested at 38.85 feet during the morning of July 16th, 3.85 feet above flood stage. The river then dropped below flood stage during the morning hours July 17th.
July 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Boston	-	A law enforcement official reported trees and power lines down in the area from severe thunderstorms.
March 2015	Flood	Boston	-	Heavy rainfall pushed the river level on the Rolling Fork River near Boston above flood stage. The river crested at 38.83 feet on March 15th.
April 2015	Flood	Boston	-	Heavy rain brought the Rolling Fork River at Boston into flood. The river crested at 40.42 feet on the afternoon of April 5th.
December 2015	Flood	Boston	-	Several heavy rain events during late December brought widespread 3 to 5 inch rainfall totals to the area. This resulted in the Rolling Fork River near Boston to go into minor flood. The river crested at 39.27 feet, 4.27 feet above its flood stage, late on December 27th.
April 2014	Flood	Boston	-	The Rolling Fork River at Boston began to flood around noon on April 30th. It reached a peak stage of 35.6 feet during the mid-evening hours before falling below flood stage the morning of May 1st. Flood stage at Boston is 35 feet.
April 2014	Flood	Boston	-	Heavy rains April 3rd and 4th brought minor flooding to the Rolling Fork River at Boston. Flood stage at Boston is 35 feet. The river crested at 36.7 feet just after midnight on the 6th of April.
July 2013	Flood	Boston	-	Heavy rains from July 4th through the 6th led to moderate flooding on the Rolling Fork River at Boston. The river crested at 42.2 feet during the late afternoon on July 8th. Flood state is 35 feet.
January 2013	Flood	Boston	-	Heavy rain over several days ending on January 13th led to minor flooding on the Rolling Fork River at Boston. The river crested at 36. 2 feet during the early evening of the 15th. Flood stage is 35 feet.
March 2013	Flood	Boston	-	Heavy rains on March 18th brought the Rolling Fork River at Boston barely in flood. Flood stage at Boston is 35 feet. The river crested at 35.9 feet around noon on March 20th.
May 2011	Flood	Boston	-	The Rolling Fork River near Boston crested around 44.3 feet at 10 AM EST on May 5. Flood stage at Boston is 35 feet. Moderate flooding occurs at this level, with a few homes and trailers outside of Boston flooded.
March 2011	Flood	Boston	-	The Rolling Fork River at Boston crested around 38.1 feet at 230 PM EST on March 2. Flood stage at Boston is 35 feet. Minor flooding occurs at this level with agricultural bottom land flooded.
March 2011	Flood	Boston	-	The Rolling Fork River at Boston crested around 36.2 feet at 345 AM EST on March 11. Flood stage at Boston is 35 feet. Minor flooding occurs at this level, with agricultural bottom land flooded.
April 2011	Hail	Boston	-	Pea to quarter sized hail was reported.
April 2011	Flood	Boston	-	The Rolling Fork River near Boston crested around 44.2 feet at 2 PM EST on April 14. Flood stage at Boston is 35 feet. Moderate flooding occurs at this level, with a few homes and trailers flooded outside of Boston.
April 2011	Flood	Boston	-	The Rolling Fork River at Boston crested around 43.2 feet at 115 PM EST on April 26. Flood stage at Boston is 35 feet. Moderate flooding occurs at this level with a few homes and trailers outside the town of Boston flooded. The river was still above flood stage at the end of the month.
November 2011	Flood	Boston	-	The Rolling Fork river at Boston went into flood early on the 29th. It crested in early December. Flood stage is 35 feet.
May 2011	Flood	Boston	-	The Rolling Fork River near Boston had crested at 43.2 feet on April 26.
December 2011	Flood	Boston	-	Minor flooding occurred on the Rolling Fork River at Boston the first two days in December. The river peaked 40.2 feet at 1 am on December 1st. Flood stage at Boston is 35 feet.
December 2011	Flood	Boston	-	The Rolling Fork River near Boston crested at 35.6 feet around 3 PM EST on December 7. Flood stage at Boston is 35 feet. Minor flooding occurs at this level with some agricultural bottom land flooded.
March 2008	Flood	Boston	-	The Rolling Fork River at Boston crested at 41.2 feet around 345 PM EST on March 20. Flood stage at Boston is 35 feet. Minor flooding occurs at this level, with the moderate flood threshold at 42 feet. Water covers some low spots on county roads, and some homes in the flood plain are cut off.
January 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Boston	-	Thunderstorm winds downed numerous trees and power lines.
March 2008	Flood	Boston	-	The Rolling Fork River at Boston crested at 37.6 feet around 7 AM EST on March 6. Flood stage at Boston is 35 feet. Minor flooding occurs at this level, with some agricultural bottom land covered with water.
April 2008	Flash Flood	Boston	-	Heavy rains caused widespread flooding and numerous road closures around the county. A mud slide on highway 62 near Boston closed the road for ten hours.
December 2007	Flood	Boston	-	The Rolling Fork River at Boston crested at 39.3 feet around 1700EST on December 12. Flood stage at Boston is 35 feet. Minor flooding occurs at this level, with some agricultural bottom land covered.
January 2006	Flood	Boston	-	The Rolling Fork River at Boston crested at 36.2 feet in the pre dawn hours of January 25. Flood stage at Boston is 35 feet. Minor flooding occurs at this level, with agricultural bottomland covered with water.
March 2006	Flood	Boston	-	The Rolling Fork River at Boston crested at 35.23 feet around 6 PM EST on March 14. Flood stage at Boston is 35 feet. Minor flooding occurs at this level, with agricultural bottomland covered with water.
September 2006	Flood	Boston	-	The Rolling Fork River at Boston crested at 39.5 feet around 1245 PM EST on September 25. Flood stage at Boston is 35 feet. Minor flooding occurs at this level, with some agricultural bottomland covered with water.
July 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Boston	-	Numerous trees were downed.
May 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Boston	-	Trees were downed.
April 2017	Hail	Boston	-	no account filed
April 2017	Hail	Boston	-	no account filed
May 2016	Hail	Boston	-	no account filed
June 2009	Hail	Boston	-	no account filed
June 2009	Hail	Boston	-	no account filed
June 2009	Hail	Boston	-	no account filed
June 2009	Hail	Boston	-	no account filed
June 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Boston	-	no account filed
May 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Boston	-	no account filed
May 2002	Hail	Boston	-	no account filed
May 2002	Hail	Boston	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Nelson County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Place	Distance	Sheets
Nelsonville	4.3 miles	10
Bellwood	6.7 miles	11
Cravens	7.0 miles	11
Blue Gap	8.9 miles	9
Culvertown	9.1 miles	9
Balltown	9.4 miles	9
Deatsville	9.7 miles	11
Samuels	9.9 miles	11

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on Boston	An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q2883787	The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 487710. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.