Letcher County was formed in 1842 from portions of Harlan and Perry counties and is located in the Eastern Coal Field region of the state. The elevation in the county ranges from 940 to 3720 feet above sea level. The county has a land area of 339 square miles, with an average of 79.6 people per square mile (1990). The county seat is Whitesburg. Whitesburg is located on the North Fork of the Kentucky River and was founded in 1842, with the forming of the county, on land donated for the purpose. Whitesburg was named in honor of Daugherty White, legislator from Clay county. The post office opened in 1843 as Whitesburgh Court House. The population in 1990 was 1,636.