The county was organized in 1848 in the Highland Rim region. It is named for United States Army General, Zachary Taylor who later became President of the United States. Taylor County was the 100th of the 120 counties created by Kentucky. It was first settled by people from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and North Carolina after the American Revolutionary War. The county has a total area of 277 square miles and a total population of over 24,500 residents.