It was named for the growth along its banks of mountain laurel. It is one of the few counties in the Commonwealth that is not named after a historical person.
Laurel County is located in the Eastern Coal Field region of the state.
The elevation in the county ranges from 723 to 1760 feet above sea level. The county seat is London, which began as a settlement on the Wilderness Roard running north from the Cumberland Gap. The town was formed and named for the city in England in 1826. The first post office opened in 1831. The western part of the county is covered by the Daniel Boone National Forest.