Earlington is a home rule-class city[2] in Hopkins County, Kentucky, in the United States.

[4] Shortly after the town was founded, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad completed its line from Henderson to Earlington, and became the primary hauler in the area.

The early development of Earlington can most readily be credited to St. Bernard Coal Company's second president, John B. Atkinson.

He relocated to Kentucky from Boston in 1871 to take charge of mining operations at Earlington and eventually became president of the company.

[5] Unusual for Western Kentucky at the time was the firm's electric generating plant, which made Earlington one of the first fully electrified towns in the region.

Around World War I, consolidation in the mining industry sent coal company headquarters and profits to companies based in St. Louis, New York and other major cities, including the West Kentucky Coal Co. (based in New Jersey), which took over much of the Earlington operation.

[6] Like many coal towns, Earlington's population has declined by more than half over the past century, particularly since the mines played out in the 1980s.

Today, the sleepy town is primarily a local service center, with some trade to pass-through traffic along its I-69 interchange and its US 41 (Dixie Hwy.)

He amassed an impressive coaching record at Earlingon at 141-26 and was inducted into the KHSAA Hall of Fame in 2001.

Half of the students were enrolled at South Hopkins High School, about 3 miles (5 km) to the south, and the others went to West Hopkins High School, 8 miles (13 km) to the west.