LaRue County is a county in the central region of the U.S. state of Kentucky, outside the Bluegrass Region and larger population centers. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,867. Its county seat is Hodgenville, which is best known as the birthplace of United States President Abraham Lincoln. The county was established on March 4, 1843, from the southeast portion of Hardin County. It was named for John P. LaRue, an early settler.