West Liberty, Kentucky
14 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1889 and the latest in 1982. It stands in the West Liberty census division. It lies in ZIP code area 41472. It stands on Long Branch. The Survey maps it on the West Liberty quadrangle. 3,215 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 817 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in West Liberty
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 3 records
Judge John E. Cooper Houselisted 1996
Morgan County Courthouselisted 1976- Christian Church of West Libertylisted 2010
Population over time
2 figuresWest Liberty fell from 3,435 to 3,215 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 | 3,435 | |
| 2020 | 3,215 | -220 (-6%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
8 surveys from 14 printed sheetsMatched 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.
- 1889 USGS Salyersville quadrangle1:125000
- 1891 USGS Salyersville quadrangle1:125000, 2 printings
- 1899 USGS Salyersville quadrangle1:125000, 4 printings
- 1951 USGS West Liberty quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1957 USGS Jenkins quadrangle1:250000
- 1960 USGS Jenkins quadrangle1:250000
- 1977 USGS West Liberty quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1982 USGS Irvine quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
82 since 1997Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 82 fires within 5 miles of West Liberty between 1997 and 2020, burning about 836 acres in total. None started naturally. 23 were 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 | 28 |
| Debris and open burning | 26 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 23 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 5 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 September 2001 | Debris and open burning | 4.0 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
| 22 September 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
| 19 September 2008 | Debris and open burning | 30 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
| 15 August 2007 | Debris and open burning | 3.0 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
| 5 May 2001 | Debris and open burning | 10 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
| 22 May 2007 | Recreation and ceremony | 1.0 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
| 16 May 2000 | Arson/incendiarism | 5.0 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
| 8 April 2002 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Storms near this place
60 of 75 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names West Liberty in 75 storm reports between 1996 and 2022: 52 thunderstorm wind, 13 hail, 6 flash flood, 3 heavy rain. 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 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $25,000 | Numerous trees were blown down from West Liberty to Ezel. |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $10,000 | Trees were blown down in and around town. |
| May 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $10,000 | Several trees and large limbs were blown down. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $8,000 | A roof was blown off a house in West Liberty. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $5,000 | Several trees were blown down along Liberty Rd in West Liberty near the Davis Lane intersection. Some structural damage to a trailer also occurred just west of the Morgan county hospital. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $5,000 | Trees were blown down along Cow Branch Rd off Hwy 172 and also on Hwy 772 at mile marker 6. |
| February 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $5,000 | Trees were blown onto and blocking roads near West Liberty. |
| January 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $5,000 | Trees were blown down onto Highways 2499, 172, and 460 by wind gusts estimated at 61 mph. |
| June 1998 | Flash Flood | West Liberty | $5,000 | Numerous roads covered with water in town and surrounding areas. Some homes with water damage. |
| June 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $3,000 | The Morgan County emergency management reported that strong thunderstorm wind gusts had knocked down multiple trees in the trailer park just off of KY-7, and that at least one tree had fallen onto a mobile home. |
| January 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $3,000 | ATV trailer blown into another parked vehicle in parking lot. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $3,000 | Tree limb blown onto car caused damage to the car. |
| August 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $3,000 | Winds in West Liberty were estimated at 60 mph. Just outside of town trees and power lines were downed. |
| March 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $3,000 | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $2,000 | Strong winds downed several trees. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $1,500 | Several tree limbs 2 to 3 inches in diameter were blown down by thunderstorm wind gusts on Dye Lane and Wells Hill Lane in West Liberty. |
| June 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $1,000 | A 48 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured by the Mesonet unit. |
| July 2015 | Flash Flood | West Liberty | $1,000 | Water surrounded a house and was up to the top of the steps at the front door. |
| July 2015 | Flash Flood | West Liberty | $1,000 | At least a foot of water was observed flowing over a roadway in downtown West Liberty. A park was also flooded. |
| July 2015 | Flood | West Liberty | $1,000 | U.S. Hwy 460 was closed at mile marker 17.5 due to flooding. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $1,000 | A tree was blown down. |
| February 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $1,000 | A tree was blown down in West Liberty. |
| April 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $1,000 | A couple of large limbs were blown down. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $1,000 | A tree was blown down by thunderstorm wind gusts on McClain Way. |
| February 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $1,000 | A tree was blown across Liberty Road. |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $400 | Dispatch reported a tree blown down near the intersection of U.S. Highway 460 and Liberty Road in West Liberty. This resulted in power being knocked out to West Liberty ARH Hospital. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | $200 | Dispatch received a call that trees had been blown down just north of West Liberty. These trees also took down some power lines with them. |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | A tree was reported down on Davis Lane in West Liberty. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | Trees were blown down in and around West Liberty and elsewhere throughout the county. |
| April 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | Dispatch relayed a report of trees downed just northeast of West Liberty. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | Dispatch reported numerous trees down in West Liberty. This includes along Main Street, Kentucky Highway 519, and Kentucky Highway 191. |
| March 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | Trees were blown down. |
| June 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | A tree was blown down on Branch Street in West Liberty. |
| June 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | Tree and debris were blown down on Alec Spencer Drive in West Liberty. |
| June 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | Large tree limbs and small pieces of debris were blown down. |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | Shingle damage occurred and large limbs were down due to thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| October 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | A roof was blown off a garage. A chimney was knocked off of a house. Several trees were snapped off. The damage occurred in West Liberty on Hwy 460 West. |
| August 2013 | Heavy Rain | West Liberty | - | The twenty four hour rainfall total near West Liberty was 2.03 inches. |
| March 2012 | Hail | West Liberty | - | Tennis ball size hail left indentation in the ground 3 miles west of West Liberty. |
| July 2011 | Heavy Rain | West Liberty | - | A weather service employee measured 2.63 inches of rain at his home near West Liberty. The rain fell between 310pm and 440pm. |
| March 2011 | Hail | West Liberty | - | The hail was the size of a quarter. |
| March 2011 | Hail | West Liberty | - | The hail was the size of a quarter. |
| May 2010 | Flash Flood | West Liberty | - | Two county roads near West Liberty were flooded and closed due to high water from flash flooding. |
| June 2009 | Heavy Rain | West Liberty | - | A coop observer measured a 24 hour rainfall total of 3 inches 11 miles northwest of West Liberty. |
| April 2009 | Hail | West Liberty | - | A coop observer reported one inch diameter hail at New Cummer. |
| April 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | Several large tree limbs down in roads countywide. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | Large tree down across Highway 1950 near Menifee county line. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | Several large limbs down. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | Widespread tree damage across county. |
| May 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | One tree and large limbs two to four inches in diamter blown down. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | Trees were down along Highway 203. |
| May 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | Large tree limbs were down. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | Large limbs were blown down. |
| April 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | One inch diameter hail was reported along with large tree limbs blown down. |
| April 2001 | Hail | West Liberty | - | 1 inch diameter hail accumulated to two inches on the ground in downtown West Liberty. |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | Trees were blown down. |
| October 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | Trees were blown down. |
| October 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | Trees were blown down. |
| February 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | Strong winds brought several large trees down in the city of West Liberty. |
| April 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Liberty | - | Trees down. |
Newspapers printed here
1,403 digitised pages1 paper published in this town, digitised by the Library of Congress and free to read: 346 issues, 1,403 pages. Every page is searchable, so a name or a street can be looked for directly in what the town printed about itself at the time.
| Newspaper | Published |
|---|---|
| Licking Valley Courier | 19?? to Current |
What the paper printed
4,021 wordsFront pages of the local paper, read from the Library of Congress scans: 2 issues all from 1911, 4,021 words in total. Each is reproduced on its own page, exactly as the recogniser returned it.
These pages read less well than anything else here, and the number is worth stating: about three words in four come through cleanly, against nine in ten for the building records. An 1896 broadsheet sets eight-point type in seven columns on microfilm, which is the hardest thing in this archive to read by machine. We tested our own recognisers against the Library's and they were not better, so the Library's text is what appears, with the wholly unreadable columns removed. Read it as a guide to what the paper covered, and follow the link to the scan before quoting anything.
| Issue | Paper | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1911-08-31 | Licking Valley Courier | 3,203 words |
| 1911-11-23 | Licking Valley Courier | 818 words |
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.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neal Valley (historical) | 1.3 miles | 14 | |
| Liberty Road | 2.1 miles | 14 | |
| Index | 2.1 miles | 14 | |
| Licking River | 2.7 miles | 14 | |
| Pomp | 2.9 miles | 14 | |
| Gordon Ford | 2.9 miles | 14 | |
| Straight Creek (historical) | 3.2 miles | 14 | |
| Bear Wallow (historical) | 3.2 miles | 14 |
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 West Liberty | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q2485102 | 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 516279. 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.
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.







