Map of Kentucky with Cities, Counties, and Roads Network

How to Use This Map

This map of Kentucky with cities, counties, and roads is already large enough to read directly on your desktop. To see a full-screen zoom view on a phone or tablet, tap the map image (or tap the Zoom Map label above the image). Scan by shading by county first, meaning the 120 counties are in various colored blocks with each county's seat in bold. Use the interstate system and the Ohio, Kentucky, and Cumberland rivers for quick orientation. Note that the light road layer is intentionally minimal and not designed for turn-by-turn directions using interstate (I-64, I-65, I-75). If you want a specific city or county, the full county and seat index and FAQ's lower on this page are the quickest route to click straight to it.

Large Detailed Map of Kentucky Showing Cities, Towns, and Counties with Roads Outlines

Map of Kentucky Overview

The Ohio River forms most of the north and northwest edge, touching Illinois and Indiana; the northeast arc meets Ohio and West Virginia; the rugged southeast leans on Virginia; the long south edge touches Tennessee; the far west tip reaches Missouri across the Mississippi. All 120 counties are shown, and the Ohio, Kentucky, Green, and Cumberland rivers act as the main orientation lines running through the interior. Light corridor cues for I-64, I-65, I-75, I-24, and I-69 help place the four big metro anchors the cartography marks clearly: Louisville in Jefferson County, Lexington in Fayette County, Bowling Green in Warren County, and the Northern Kentucky trio opposite Cincinnati in Boone, Kenton, and Campbell counties.

Kentucky Region by Region: Counties, Seats, and Landmarks

Far west: the Jackson Purchase and Twin Lakes

Begin at the Mississippi bend. Fulton County lists Hickman as the county seat, with Fulton close to the Tennessee line. North of it, Hickman County posts Clinton; Carlisle County shows Bardwell; Ballard County marks Wickliffe at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi. Turning east along the Ohio River, you reach McCracken County with Paducah at a prominent river junction. Immediately southeast the lake country rises: Graves County centers on Mayfield; Marshall County shows Benton near the Kentucky Lake shoreline; Calloway County shows Murray just east of Kentucky Lake and west of Tennessee; Trigg County lists Cadiz with Lake Barkley on its eastern flank; Lyon County lists Eddyville on the canal between the twin lakes and notes the historic penitentiary site; Livingston County shows Smithland at another Ohio River bend. Caldwell County, seat Princeton, sits just east on the Pennyrile side of the lakes. These counties explain the Land Between the Lakes region at a glance.

Western Coal Field arc

Northeast of the twin lakes, the color blocks step into the Western Coal Field. Along the Ohio River, Crittenden County shows Marion, Union County shows Morganfield, Henderson County shows Henderson, Daviess County shows Owensboro, Hancock County shows Hawesville, and Breckinridge County shows Hardinsburg. Just inland, you read Webster County with Dixon, Hopkins County with Madisonville, McLean County with Calhoun, Ohio County with Hartford, and Muhlenberg County with Greenville and Central City both labeled. Christian County, seat Hopkinsville, and Todd County, seat Elkton, sit just south toward the Pennyrile and Tennessee line. The light line of I-69 appears mainly to orient Madisonville and Henderson on a north-south axis without crowding the county names.

Pennyroyal Plateau and the Green River country

East and south of the coal field, the counties open into rolling farmland dotted with karst and springs. The map shows Butler County with Morgantown, Edmonson County with Brownsville near Mammoth Cave, Hart County with Munfordville, Grayson County with Leitchfield, and Barren County with Glasgow. South of those sit Logan County with Russellville, Simpson County with Franklin on the Tennessee approach, Allen County with Scottsville, Warren County with Bowling Green, Monroe County with Tompkinsville, Metcalfe County with Edmonton, Adair County with Columbia, and Green County with Greensburg. The Cumberland River and Green River labels snake quietly through the page, allowing you to place lake districts and watersheds without excess detail.

Fort Knox to Nolin and Rough rivers

The central west band stacks Meade County with Brandenburg, Hardin County with county seat Elizabethtown, and the Fort Knox area shown as a familiar label, LaRue County with Hodgenville, Nelson County with Bardstown, and Washington County with Springfield. The river-lake pair Rough River and Nolin River appear to help you orient Grayson, Breckinridge, Edmonson, and Hart without hiding the county seats. Taylor County, seat Campbellsville, rounds out this band to the southeast.

Louisville Metro and the Oldham–Shelby–Spencer ring

The map makes Louisville bold as the anchor of Jefferson County. Surrounding it, Oldham County lists La Grange along the river corridor, Bullitt County lists Shepherdsville to the south, Shelby County lists Shelbyville to the east, and Spencer County lists Taylorsville at the lake. The light I-64 and I-65 references serve as simple guides to the metro ring and the Shelby Oldham run toward Frankfort and Cincinnati.

The Bluegrass: Frankfort to Lexington and the inner arc

East of Louisville, the Bluegrass counties appear in a tight cluster of courthouse towns and horse-farm names. Franklin County marks Frankfort, the state capital, on the Kentucky River. Around it, the page shows Henry County with New Castle, Trimble County with Bedford, Carroll County with Carrollton at the Ohio River confluence, Owen County with Owenton, Gallatin County with Warsaw, Grant County with Williamstown, Scott County with Georgetown, Woodford County with Versailles, Anderson County with Lawrenceburg, and Shelby County already mentioned. The Lexington label fills Fayette County while neighboring Bourbon County has Paris, Harrison County has Cynthiana, Nicholas County has Carlisle, Clark County has Winchester, Jessamine County has Nicholasville, Madison County has Richmond with Berea also shown, Garrard County has Lancaster, Mercer County has Harrodsburg, Boyle County has Danville, Marion County has Lebanon, and Nelson sits to the west with Bardstown. Light references to I-64 and I-75 anchor the Lexington–Frankfort–Louisville triangle.

Northern Kentucky along the Ohio River

From the river bend near Cincinnati, the counties stack clearly. Boone County lists Burlington with the city of Florence labeled, Kenton County lists Independence. At the same time, Covington is marked as a major city, and Campbell County lists Alexandria with Newport and Fort Thomas on the river. Continuing east, the page shows Pendleton County with Falmouth, Bracken County with Brooksville, Mason County with Maysville, Lewis County with Vanceburg, and the green ridge line toward Greenup County with seat Greenup and the city of Ashland across the mouth of the Big Sandy in Boyd County, seat Catlettsburg. The US-52 across the river and bridge hints are present only as subtle cues to cross-state context.

Gateway to the mountains: the Licking, the Red River, and Morehead

Between Lexington and Ashland, the map threads the Licking and Red River basins. You will see Montgomery County with Mount Sterling, Bath County with Owingsville, Rowan County with Morehead, Fleming County with Flemingsburg, Robertson County with Mount Olivet, and Menifee County with Frenchburg. South of those lie Powell County with Stanton and Clay City near the Red River Gorge, Estill County with Irvine, Lee County with Beattyville, and Owsley County with Booneville. The cartography keeps the gorge and river labels gentle so the small county seats remain readable.

Eastern Coalfield: the high counties of the Kentucky Appalachians

Now drop into the big mountain fan that fills the east. The counties and seats appear close together but remain legible: Carter County with Grayson and Olive Hill; Elliott County with Sandy Hook; Morgan County with West Liberty; Wolfe County with Campton; Jackson County with McKee; Laurel County with London; Clay County with Manchester; Leslie County with Hyden; Perry County with Hazard; Knott County with Hindman; Letcher County with Whitesburg; Harlan County with Harlan; Bell County with Pineville and the city Middlesboro; Knox County with Barbourville; Whitley County with Williamsburg and city Corbin; McCreary County with Whitley City; Wayne County with Monticello; Pulaski County with Somerset; Rockcastle County with Mount Vernon; Lincoln County with Stanford; Casey County with Liberty; Russell County with Jamestown; Cumberland County with Burkesville; Clinton County with Albany; Monroe already noted; Magoffin County with Salyersville; Johnson County with Paintsville; Floyd County with Prestonsburg; Pike County with Pikeville; and Martin County with Inez along the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy. Thin corridors hint of US-23, US-119, and I-64 exist only to set bearings along the ridge valleys.

How to read the page for practical questions

Because every county block is colored and every county seat is printed in a consistent symbol, the eye can answer everyday questions quickly: Which county is Lexington in? Fayette. Where does Louisville sit? Jefferson on the Ohio. Which seat serves Mammoth Cave country? Brownsville in Edmonson. What is the seat in the far southwest tip? Hickman in Fulton. Where is Morehead relative to Mount Sterling? East across Rowan from Montgomery along the light I-64 cue. Where is Somerset relative to London? Southwest across Pulaski from Laurel. That is the power of this detailed map for both residents and visitors: counties first, with just enough network to anchor direction.

Rivers and orientation recap

Four rivers do most of the orientation work on this page. The Ohio River traces the north and northwest border past Paducah, Owensboro and Louisville. The Kentucky River cuts through the Bluegrass past Frankfort. The Green River drains the Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field. The Cumberland River threads the south-central counties through Lake Cumberland toward Tennessee. Keep these four in mind and any county on the map is easy to place.

Road-light snapshot

The road layer is intentionally minimal. I-64 runs Louisville–Frankfort–Lexington–Morehead–Ashland. I-65 runs Bowling Green–Louisville. I-75 runs the Tennessee line–London–Richmond–Lexington–Northern Kentucky. I-24 clips the far southwest Purchase corridor, and I-69 serves the Henderson–Madisonville corridor in the Western Coal Field. None of these are meant for turn-by-turn navigation, only as county-placement cues.

Complete county and seat index

Every one of Kentucky's 120 counties and its seat, in alphabetical order: Adair County (Columbia), Allen County (Scottsville), Anderson County (Lawrenceburg), Ballard County (Wickliffe), Barren County (Glasgow), Bath County (Owingsville), Bell County (Pineville), Boone County (Burlington), Bourbon County (Paris), Boyd County (Catlettsburg), Boyle County (Danville), Bracken County (Brooksville), Breathitt County (Jackson), Breckinridge County (Hardinsburg), Bullitt County (Shepherdsville), Butler County (Morgantown), Caldwell County (Princeton), Calloway County (Murray), Campbell County (Alexandria and Newport), Carlisle County (Bardwell), Carroll County (Carrollton), Carter County (Grayson), Casey County (Liberty), Christian County (Hopkinsville), Clark County (Winchester), Clay County (Manchester), Clinton County (Albany), Crittenden County (Marion), Cumberland County (Burkesville), Daviess County (Owensboro), Edmonson County (Brownsville), Elliott County (Sandy Hook), Estill County (Irvine), Fayette County (Lexington), Fleming County (Flemingsburg), Floyd County (Prestonsburg), Franklin County (Frankfort), Fulton County (Hickman), Gallatin County (Warsaw), Garrard County (Lancaster), Grant County (Williamstown), Graves County (Mayfield), Grayson County (Leitchfield), Green County (Greensburg), Greenup County (Greenup), Hancock County (Hawesville), Hardin County (Elizabethtown), Harlan County (Harlan), Harrison County (Cynthiana), Hart County (Munfordville), Henderson County (Henderson), Henry County (New Castle), Hickman County (Clinton), Hopkins County (Madisonville), Jackson County (McKee), Jefferson County (Louisville), Jessamine County (Nicholasville), Johnson County (Paintsville), Kenton County (Covington and Independence), Knott County (Hindman), Knox County (Barbourville), LaRue County (Hodgenville), Laurel County (London), Lawrence County (Louisa), Lee County (Beattyville), Leslie County (Hyden), Letcher County (Whitesburg), Lewis County (Vanceburg), Lincoln County (Stanford), Livingston County (Smithland), Logan County (Russellville), Lyon County (Eddyville), McCracken County (Paducah), McCreary County (Whitley City), McLean County (Calhoun), Madison County (Richmond), Magoffin County (Salyersville), Marion County (Lebanon), Marshall County (Benton), Martin County (Inez), Mason County (Maysville), Meade County (Brandenburg), Menifee County (Frenchburg), Mercer County (Harrodsburg), Metcalfe County (Edmonton), Monroe County (Tompkinsville), Montgomery County (Mount Sterling), Morgan County (West Liberty), Muhlenberg County (Greenville), Nelson County (Bardstown), Nicholas County (Carlisle), Ohio County (Hartford), Oldham County (La Grange), Owen County (Owenton), Owsley County (Booneville), Pendleton County (Falmouth), Perry County (Hazard), Pike County (Pikeville), Powell County (Stanton), Pulaski County (Somerset), Robertson County (Mount Olivet), Rockcastle County (Mount Vernon), Rowan County (Morehead), Russell County (Jamestown), Scott County (Georgetown), Shelby County (Shelbyville), Simpson County (Franklin), Spencer County (Taylorsville), Taylor County (Campbellsville), Todd County (Elkton), Trigg County (Cadiz), Trimble County (Bedford), Union County (Morganfield), Warren County (Bowling Green), Washington County (Springfield), Wayne County (Monticello), Webster County (Dixon), Whitley County (Williamsburg), Wolfe County (Campton), and Woodford County (Versailles).

Kentucky at a glance

Kentucky borders Illinois and Indiana across the Ohio River to the north and northwest, Ohio and West Virginia to the northeast, Virginia to the southeast, Tennessee along the long south edge, and touches Missouri across the Mississippi at its far western tip. The state holds 120 counties, more than every state except Texas, Georgia and Virginia's independent-city system. Pike County is the largest by land area at about 788 square miles, while Robertson County is the smallest at about 100 square miles, and also the least populous with roughly 2,382 residents. Jefferson County, home to Louisville, is the most populous at roughly 793,881 residents. Fayette, Jefferson, and Lincoln counties share the title of oldest county, all three carved from the original Kentucky County of Virginia in 1780. Kentucky covers about 40,408 square miles in total, with 39,486 square miles of land. The capital, Frankfort, sits in Franklin County on the Kentucky River, and the state's major metros run from Louisville and Lexington through Bowling Green to the Northern Kentucky communities across from Cincinnati. Landscape-wise, the state moves from the rolling Bluegrass core outward through the Knobs, the Western Coal Field, the Pennyrile, the rugged Cumberland Plateau and Appalachian ridges in the east, and the Jackson Purchase with its twin lakes in the far west.

People, economy, and activity

Kentucky's ten largest cities by current population are Louisville (about 622,981, Jefferson County), Lexington (about 320,154, Fayette County), Bowling Green (about 76,212, Warren County), Owensboro (about 60,140, Daviess County), Covington (about 40,972, Kenton County), Georgetown (about 39,462, Scott County), Richmond (about 37,206, Madison County), Elizabethtown (about 32,978, Hardin County), Florence (about 32,917, Boone County), and Nicholasville (about 32,425, Jessamine County). Louisville anchors logistics and healthcare, home to UPS's Worldport air-cargo hub and Humana's headquarters, alongside the state's cluster of bourbon distillers. Lexington centers the Bluegrass horse industry and sits next to Georgetown's Toyota plant, the automaker's largest manufacturing complex in North America. Northern Kentucky's Boone County hosts the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and a growing air-cargo corridor, and Bowling Green is home to the only General Motors plant that builds the Corvette. Agriculture still runs through the state's identity: cattle, soybeans and corn now dominate acreage once given to tobacco, while the Bluegrass region's limestone soils continue to support thoroughbred breeding. With no coastline, Kentucky's water commerce moves through river ports instead, led by Louisville on the Ohio and Paducah near the Tennessee-Ohio confluence.

Culture and heritage

Kentucky's cultural identity is tied closely to its counties. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail runs through Bluegrass and Nelson County distilleries, since state law requires bourbon to be made in the USA and the overwhelming majority of it is produced here. Bluegrass music takes its name from the region and traces to Bill Monroe, born in Ohio County near Rosine. The Kentucky Derby, run each May at Churchill Downs in Jefferson County, anchors the state's horse-racing culture alongside the working horse farms around Lexington. In the east, Harlan, Letcher and Perry counties carry strong Appalachian folk-music and craft traditions. Historic sites include My Old Kentucky Home in Bardstown (Nelson County) and Abraham Lincoln's birthplace in LaRue County. Higher education is spread across the state's counties too, with the University of Kentucky in Lexington, the University of Louisville, Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, and Morehead State University in Rowan County.

Physical geography (quick orientation)

On this map, Black Mountain (Cumberland Plateau, Harlan County) and the Ohio, Kentucky, and Green rivers double as landmarks for finding counties quickly. For elevation, terrain, watersheds, and land-cover detail, see our Physical Map of Kentucky.

Climate (quick note)

Kentucky has a humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and mild-to-cool winters, and slightly cooler, snowier conditions in the eastern mountains than in the western Purchase region. For a full seasonal and biome breakdown, see our Physical Map of Kentucky.

Getting around (map-aligned)

North-south travel runs mainly on I-65 (Bowling Green to Louisville) and I-75 (the Tennessee line through London, Richmond, and Lexington to Northern Kentucky). East-west travel runs on I-64 (Louisville to Frankfort to Lexington to Morehead to Ashland), with I-24 clipping the far southwest Purchase corridor and I-69 serving the Henderson-Madisonville stretch of the Western Coal Field. Keep in mind that ZIP codes do not follow county lines in Kentucky, so a single ZIP code can span two counties. Always confirm the county name directly from the map or index rather than assuming it from a ZIP prefix.

A county-by-county directory that matches the labels on the map

Use this as a quick index. Every line lists the county with its county seat (and a familiar city when the map labels one). Short cues mention river, border, or gentle corridor context only.

Jackson Purchase and Twin Lake counties

• Ballard – Wickliffe; Mississippi and Ohio confluence.

• Carlisle – Bardwell, between Wickliffe and Clinton.

• Hickman – Clinton; inland from the Mississippi bend.

• Fulton – Hickman (city of Fulton also shown); far southwest tip to Tennessee.

• McCracken – Paducah; Ohio River junction.

• Graves – Mayfield, south of Paducah.

• Marshall – Benton, on Kentucky Lake.

• Calloway – Murray, near the Tennessee line and Kentucky Lake.

• Trigg – Cadiz, between Lake Barkley and the state forest.

• Lyon – Eddyville; canal between the lakes.

• Livingston – Smithland; Ohio River bend.

• Caldwell – Princeton; east of the twin lakes on the Pennyrile side.

Western Coal Field and the lower Ohio

• Crittenden – Marion; river interior.

• Union – Morganfield; Ohio River bottomland.

• Webster – Dixon, between Union and Hopkins.

• Henderson – Henderson, on the river opposite Indiana.

• Daviess – Owensboro; a large river city.

• Hancock – Hawesville; upriver from Owensboro.

• McLean – Calhoun; Green River valley.

• Ohio – Hartford; junction of Green and Rough river areas.

• Muhlenberg – Greenville (Central City labeled); coal field interior.

• Breckinridge – Hardinsburg; near Rough River Lake.

• Grayson – Leitchfield; between Nolin and Rough River lakes.

• Butler – Morgantown; Green River crossing.

• Hopkins – Madisonville; coal field hub on the I-69 cue.

• Christian – Hopkinsville; Pennyrile hub near Fort Campbell.

• Todd – Elkton, on the Tennessee approach.

Pennyroyal and Barren-Cumberland arc

• Logan – Russellville, north of Tennessee.

• Simpson – Franklin; on the Kentucky–Tennessee approach.

• Allen – Scottsville, east of Franklin.

• Warren – Bowling Green; regional hub.

• Edmonson – Brownsville; Mammoth Cave area.

• Hart – Munfordville; Green River corridor.

• Barren – Glasgow; near Barren River Lake.

• Metcalfe – Edmonton; between Barren and Adair.

• Monroe – Tompkinsville, near the Tennessee border.

• Adair – Columbia, on the Cumberland highlands.

• Green – Greensburg; along Green River.

• Taylor – Campbellsville, university town.

• Larue – Hodgenville; Lincoln birthplace area.

• Marion – Lebanon; central Bluegrass edge.

• Nelson – Bardstown: Historic Bourbon Center.

• Washington – Springfield, between Bardstown and Danville.

Fort Knox–Louisville metro and Oldham ring

• Meade – Brandenburg; Ohio River bluffs.

• Hardin – Elizabethtown; Fort Knox area.

• Bullitt – Shepherdsville, south of Louisville.

• Jefferson – Louisville; metro anchor on the Ohio.

• Oldham – La Grange, northeast of Louisville.

• Spencer – Taylorsville; lake and farm country.

• Shelby – Shelbyville; on the I-64 orientation line.

• Trimble – Bedford; the river bends to the north.

• Henry – New Castle, a farm county on the Louisville–Frankfort axis.

Frankfort and the inner Bluegrass

• Franklin – Frankfort, Kentucky’s capital on the river.

• Anderson – Lawrenceburg, between Frankfort and Bardstown.

• Scott – Georgetown, northwest of Lexington.

• Woodford – Versailles; thoroughbred country.

• Bourbon – Paris; east of Lexington.

• Harrison – Cynthiana; Licking River setting.

• Nicholas – Carlisle; small seat north of the Bluegrass center.

• Fayette – Lexington; consolidated urban county.

• Clark – Winchester; east gateway to the mountains.

• Jessamine – Nicholasville, south of Lexington.

• Madison – Richmond (Berea labeled); south-central Bluegrass.

• Garrard – Lancaster, between Richmond and Danville.

• Boyle – Danville; Constitution town.

• Mercer – Harrodsburg; pioneer settlement.

• Casey – Liberty, south of Danville on the hill front.

• Lincoln – Stanford; ridge between the Bluegrass and the plateau.

• Pulaski – Somerset, north of Lake Cumberland.

• Russell – Jamestown; Lake Cumberland headwaters.

• Cumberland – Burkesville; on the river bend.

• Clinton – Albany, south of Lake Cumberland.

Northern Kentucky and the mid-Ohio shore

• Boone – Burlington (Florence noted).

• Kenton – Independence (Covington, a prominent city).

• Campbell – Alexandria (Newport and Fort Thomas on the river).

• Grant – Williamstown, between Cincinnati and Lexington.

• Pendleton – Falmouth; Licking River valley.

• Bracken – Brooksville; rolling tobacco ridge.

• Mason – Maysville; major river city.

• Lewis – Vanceburg; rugged river hills.

• Greenup – Greenup; near Ashland on the Ohio.

• Boyd – Catlettsburg; Ashland is labeled as the large river city.

• Carter – Grayson; east of Morehead on the I-64 cue.

Licking–Red River basin and the eastern gateway

• Owen – Owenton, north of Frankfort.

• Gallatin – Warsaw, a river port on the Ohio.

• Carroll – Carrollton; at the confluence.

• Robertson – Mount Olivet; the smallest county by area.

• Fleming – Flemingsburg, north of Morehead.

• Bath – Owingsville; gateway to the east.

• Montgomery – Mount Sterling, east of Lexington.

• Rowan – Morehead, university town on the ridge.

• Menifee – Frenchburg, between Morehead and Stanton.

• Powell – Stanton; Red River Gorge area.

• Estill – Irvine; confluence of the Kentucky and Red rivers.

• Lee – Beattyville; Triple River Forks.

• Owsley – Booneville; a small seat in the hills.

Appalachian East and Big Sandy–Cumberland Highlands

• Jackson – McKee; Hill Crossroads.

• Laurel – London, a corridor town on the I-75 cue.

• Rockcastle – Mount Vernon; between London and Richmond.

• Whitley – Williamsburg (Corbin labeled); Tennessee line.

• Knox – Barbourville; north of Williamsburg.

• Bell – Pineville (Middlesboro city); Cumberland Gap.

• Harlan – Harlan; deep coalfield.

• Letcher – Whitesburg; Mountain Ridge.

• Perry – Hazard; North Fork Kentucky River.

• Leslie – Hyden; high hollows.

• Clay – Manchester; headwaters of the Kentucky River.

• Breathitt – Jackson; Middle Fork basin.

• Knott – Hindman, beside Perry and Floyd.

• Floyd – Prestonsburg; Levisa Fork.

• Johnson – Paintsville; Big Sandy Valley.

• Magoffin – Salyersville; mountain crossroads.

• Martin – Inez; Tug Fork border.

• Pike – Pikeville; far east hub and the largest county by area.

• Lawrence – Louisa; junction of Tug and Levisa forks.

• Elliott – Sandy Hook; small interior seat.

• Morgan – West Liberty, along the mountain parkway.

• Wolfe – Campton; Red River headwaters.

• Wayne – Monticello, south of Lake Cumberland.

• McCreary – Whitley City; Big South Fork.

This directory aligns with what you see on the page: every county, its seat, and a one-line locator that keeps the focus on counties rather than driving steps.