Living in the city isn’t so bad. Whether you’re in Louisville, Lexington, Owensboro, or across the river from Cincinnati in Newport and Covington, Kentucky’s big cities all have their own unique charm. However, sometimes you need a break from the hustle and bustle. If you’re looking for some quaint Kentucky towns that offer some peace and quiet, check out 14 of the best small towns in Kentucky.
- Bardstown
Flickr/Dave Thompson Any “small town in Kentucky” list cannot be complete without Bardstown. Named “the Most Beautiful Small Town In America” by USA Today, Bardstown has a lot to offer. Slow down and sip your bourbon. You’re in the heart of Bourbon Country, after all! Go for a leisurely stroll in Bernheim Forest, or Bardstown’s historic downtown. Bardstown, KY 40004, USA
- Cadiz
Flickr/ J. Stephen Conn This western Kentucky town is right on the banks of Lake Barkley, and only a short distance from the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. The town offers plenty of options for outdoor activities, but make sure you stop to admire the old tobacco barns dotting the surrounding countryside. Many of them are on the Kentucky Quilt Trail and are decorated with colorful quilt squares. Cadiz, KY 42211, USA
- Berea
Flickr/Ann Althouse Berea is best known for its arts and crafts, and is therefore home to many artists and galleries. Be sure you hike the Pinnacles, which offer a ton of natural beauty and stunning views once you’re at the top. Some people even say that on a clear day, you can see buildings that are about 40 miles away in downtown Lexington from the West Pinnacle. Berea, KY, USA
- Guthrie
Delia Richmond/Google Maps This southwestern Kentucky town is located on the Kentucky-Tennessee border. Guthrie has always been synonymous with railroads, and the town itself is even named after James Guthrie, who was a United State senator and briefly president of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Guthrie is also the hometown of poet laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Penn Warren. You can visit his birthplace, which is now a museum dedicated to his life and accomplishments. Guthrie, KY 42234, USA
- Jamestown
TripAdvisor/HaRounAlRashid Located near Lake Cumberland, this town offers you the opportunity to relax on a boat or in a quiet lakeside cabin. Go sailing, jet skiing, or partake in any kind of water activity, all while being surrounded by the beauty of Lake Cumberland State Resort Park. If you’re not much of a water person, go on a hike, find a scenic overlook, and watch white clouds roll across the hills. Jamestown, KY, USA
- Pineville
Flickr/Kentucky Photo File Pineville is a town tucked in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. Located in between Pine Mountain and the Cumberland River, there is plenty of natural beauty around the town. Pineville is perhaps best known for Chained Rock. Originally just folklore, children were told that a giant, menacing boulder on top of Pine Mountain couldn’t fall and crush the town because it had been chained. That wasn’t true until 1932, when the rock was in fact harnessed by a large chain. You can take a hike to see the Chained Rock, as well as some awesome views of Pineville. Pineville, KY 40977, USA
- Augusta
Flickr/J. Stephen Conn Augusta is a small town that sits on the Ohio River, just 42 miles east of Cincinnati. You would never know a booming metropolis was such a short distance away in this quiet town. Walk along the riverfront and enjoy the scenic views of the waterway. You might even see and old-fashioned steam boat chugging along. Many people don’t realize that George Clooney spent his high school years in Augusta. Augusta, KY 41002, USA
- Stearns
Flickr/Anthony This town in southern Kentucky is located right in the middle of Daniel Boone National Forest. It is also home to the Big South Fork Scenic Railway, which will take you 600 feet down into the Big South Fork Gorge. You’ll also stop at the historic Blue Heron Mining Camp, which is a former coal mining community that sits on the banks of the Cumberland River. This town may be located in the middle of a national forest, but it’s also home to some fascinating Kentucky history. Stearns, KY, USA
- Bloomfield
Robert Myers/Google Maps This charming country town is a little less than an hour outside of Louisville, but this agricultural community has less than 1,000 residents. Enjoy the rolling countryside, or visit one of their scenic wineries, including Chuckleberry Farm and Winery and Springhill Winery. It’s also a great place for antiquing. Bloomfield, KY 40008, USA
- Fredonia
Shannon Hackney/Google Maps Fredonia is a small community of about 500 people in western Kentucky. This is one of those classic Southern towns with a tight-knit feel where everybody knows your name. Fredonia, KY 42411, USA
- Upton
Antoinette Lavere/Google Maps Upton, which is just outside of Elizabethtown, has a total area of 1.5 square miles and 654 residents. The Louisville and Nashville Railroad used to run through Upton, and the town was a target of Confederate General John Hunt Morgan during the Civil War. Upton, KY 42784, USA
- Elkton
Flickr/OZinOH This town in southern Kentucky has a quaint city square with a historic courthouse. Stop and get an old-fashioned milkshake at L&R Soda Shop, or purchase homemade breads, pastries, and jellies from the Amish community located along nearby Highway 68-80. Elkton, KY 42220, USA
- Wilmore
Stuart Ferguson/Google Maps The motto of Wilmore is “small town charm,” and that’s exactly what you’ll get in this town located in Jessamine County. Not far from Wilmore are the Kentucky River Palisades, which are a series of steep limestone cliffs and outcroppings along the Kentucky River. Wilmore is also close to the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. Wilmore, KY 40390, USA
- Princeton
Flickr/Brent Moore Princeton is a beautiful small town in western Kentucky. Be sure to to check out Big Springs Park, which is a natural spring flowing from a cave in downtown Princeton. Get some country ham at Col. Bill Newsom’s Aged Country Hams, which has been in operation since 1917. Princeton, KY 42445, USA
Obviously, this list only scratches the surface of peaceful and quiet small towns in Kentucky. Tell us what you think the best small towns in Kentucky are!
Flickr/Dave Thompson
Any “small town in Kentucky” list cannot be complete without Bardstown. Named “the Most Beautiful Small Town In America” by USA Today, Bardstown has a lot to offer. Slow down and sip your bourbon. You’re in the heart of Bourbon Country, after all! Go for a leisurely stroll in Bernheim Forest, or Bardstown’s historic downtown.
Bardstown, KY 40004, USA
Flickr/ J. Stephen Conn
This western Kentucky town is right on the banks of Lake Barkley, and only a short distance from the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. The town offers plenty of options for outdoor activities, but make sure you stop to admire the old tobacco barns dotting the surrounding countryside. Many of them are on the Kentucky Quilt Trail and are decorated with colorful quilt squares.
Cadiz, KY 42211, USA
Flickr/Ann Althouse
Berea is best known for its arts and crafts, and is therefore home to many artists and galleries. Be sure you hike the Pinnacles, which offer a ton of natural beauty and stunning views once you’re at the top. Some people even say that on a clear day, you can see buildings that are about 40 miles away in downtown Lexington from the West Pinnacle.
Berea, KY, USA
Delia Richmond/Google Maps
This southwestern Kentucky town is located on the Kentucky-Tennessee border. Guthrie has always been synonymous with railroads, and the town itself is even named after James Guthrie, who was a United State senator and briefly president of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Guthrie is also the hometown of poet laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Penn Warren. You can visit his birthplace, which is now a museum dedicated to his life and accomplishments.
Guthrie, KY 42234, USA
TripAdvisor/HaRounAlRashid
Located near Lake Cumberland, this town offers you the opportunity to relax on a boat or in a quiet lakeside cabin. Go sailing, jet skiing, or partake in any kind of water activity, all while being surrounded by the beauty of Lake Cumberland State Resort Park. If you’re not much of a water person, go on a hike, find a scenic overlook, and watch white clouds roll across the hills.
Jamestown, KY, USA
Flickr/Kentucky Photo File
Pineville is a town tucked in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. Located in between Pine Mountain and the Cumberland River, there is plenty of natural beauty around the town. Pineville is perhaps best known for Chained Rock. Originally just folklore, children were told that a giant, menacing boulder on top of Pine Mountain couldn’t fall and crush the town because it had been chained. That wasn’t true until 1932, when the rock was in fact harnessed by a large chain. You can take a hike to see the Chained Rock, as well as some awesome views of Pineville.
Pineville, KY 40977, USA
Flickr/J. Stephen Conn
Augusta is a small town that sits on the Ohio River, just 42 miles east of Cincinnati. You would never know a booming metropolis was such a short distance away in this quiet town. Walk along the riverfront and enjoy the scenic views of the waterway. You might even see and old-fashioned steam boat chugging along. Many people don’t realize that George Clooney spent his high school years in Augusta.
Augusta, KY 41002, USA
Flickr/Anthony
This town in southern Kentucky is located right in the middle of Daniel Boone National Forest. It is also home to the Big South Fork Scenic Railway, which will take you 600 feet down into the Big South Fork Gorge. You’ll also stop at the historic Blue Heron Mining Camp, which is a former coal mining community that sits on the banks of the Cumberland River. This town may be located in the middle of a national forest, but it’s also home to some fascinating Kentucky history.
Stearns, KY, USA
Robert Myers/Google Maps
This charming country town is a little less than an hour outside of Louisville, but this agricultural community has less than 1,000 residents. Enjoy the rolling countryside, or visit one of their scenic wineries, including Chuckleberry Farm and Winery and Springhill Winery. It’s also a great place for antiquing.
Bloomfield, KY 40008, USA
Shannon Hackney/Google Maps
Fredonia is a small community of about 500 people in western Kentucky. This is one of those classic Southern towns with a tight-knit feel where everybody knows your name.
Fredonia, KY 42411, USA
Antoinette Lavere/Google Maps
Upton, which is just outside of Elizabethtown, has a total area of 1.5 square miles and 654 residents. The Louisville and Nashville Railroad used to run through Upton, and the town was a target of Confederate General John Hunt Morgan during the Civil War.
Upton, KY 42784, USA
Flickr/OZinOH
This town in southern Kentucky has a quaint city square with a historic courthouse. Stop and get an old-fashioned milkshake at L&R Soda Shop, or purchase homemade breads, pastries, and jellies from the Amish community located along nearby Highway 68-80.
Elkton, KY 42220, USA
Stuart Ferguson/Google Maps
The motto of Wilmore is “small town charm,” and that’s exactly what you’ll get in this town located in Jessamine County. Not far from Wilmore are the Kentucky River Palisades, which are a series of steep limestone cliffs and outcroppings along the Kentucky River. Wilmore is also close to the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill.
Wilmore, KY 40390, USA
Flickr/Brent Moore
Princeton is a beautiful small town in western Kentucky. Be sure to to check out Big Springs Park, which is a natural spring flowing from a cave in downtown Princeton. Get some country ham at Col. Bill Newsom’s Aged Country Hams, which has been in operation since 1917.
Princeton, KY 42445, USA
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The OIYS Visitor Center
Kentucky Is Full Of Southern Surprises October 07, 2022 William Suphan What are the most intriguing roadside attractions in Kentucky? While Kentucky is full of Southern charm, it also ahs a strange sense of humor, which you can find on display while driving around this beautiful state. Munfordville has built its own Stonehenge, and this one you can actually wander around in! Kentucky likes to do things its own way, and has its version of Mt. Rushmore. Louisville has a mural dedicated to Muhammad Ali, Abraham Lincoln, Colonel Sanders, and the racehorse Secretariat. Covington contains a house that looks like a flying saucer, attracting thousands of visitors each year. The Futuro House is really out of this world! What are some unique and surprising things found only in Kentucky? Kentucky has all manner of oddities to pique one’s interest. There are actually Appalachian Blue People. A mutation known as methemoglobinemia is passed down genetically and causes the skin to be vividly blue and the small towns of Troublesome and Ball Creek was where they lived. With so few people, two families continued to inbreed so many in the area contained this trait. More medical marvels can be found at the Monroe Moosnick Medical and Science Museum with all sorts of medical contraptions from the 1800s. The items there look like something you might find in the laboratory of a mad scientist. What interesting foods is Kentucky known for? Kentucky loves to experiment with culinary creativity. A fun breakfast is stack cakes, where they layer pancakes with thick banana slices, jam, fried apples, and other fruits, constructing a pancake skyscraper. Then they go in for the attack like Godzilla. Nom nom nom! Kentucky pizza is a far cry from New York or Chicago styles. They go full Southern and make barbecue chicken pizza! No tomato sauce here, just barbecue sauce, chicken, onions, and cheese. Speaking of cheese, have you ever tried cheese…with beer? Yes, Kentucky has beer cheese, and you can explore a whole trail of places serving it up proudly.
The OIYS Visitor Center
Kentucky Is Full Of Southern Surprises
October 07, 2022
William Suphan
What are the most intriguing roadside attractions in Kentucky? While Kentucky is full of Southern charm, it also ahs a strange sense of humor, which you can find on display while driving around this beautiful state. Munfordville has built its own Stonehenge, and this one you can actually wander around in! Kentucky likes to do things its own way, and has its version of Mt. Rushmore. Louisville has a mural dedicated to Muhammad Ali, Abraham Lincoln, Colonel Sanders, and the racehorse Secretariat. Covington contains a house that looks like a flying saucer, attracting thousands of visitors each year. The Futuro House is really out of this world! What are some unique and surprising things found only in Kentucky? Kentucky has all manner of oddities to pique one’s interest. There are actually Appalachian Blue People. A mutation known as methemoglobinemia is passed down genetically and causes the skin to be vividly blue and the small towns of Troublesome and Ball Creek was where they lived. With so few people, two families continued to inbreed so many in the area contained this trait. More medical marvels can be found at the Monroe Moosnick Medical and Science Museum with all sorts of medical contraptions from the 1800s. The items there look like something you might find in the laboratory of a mad scientist. What interesting foods is Kentucky known for? Kentucky loves to experiment with culinary creativity. A fun breakfast is stack cakes, where they layer pancakes with thick banana slices, jam, fried apples, and other fruits, constructing a pancake skyscraper. Then they go in for the attack like Godzilla. Nom nom nom! Kentucky pizza is a far cry from New York or Chicago styles. They go full Southern and make barbecue chicken pizza! No tomato sauce here, just barbecue sauce, chicken, onions, and cheese. Speaking of cheese, have you ever tried cheese…with beer? Yes, Kentucky has beer cheese, and you can explore a whole trail of places serving it up proudly.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
While Kentucky is full of Southern charm, it also ahs a strange sense of humor, which you can find on display while driving around this beautiful state. Munfordville has built its own Stonehenge, and this one you can actually wander around in! Kentucky likes to do things its own way, and has its version of Mt. Rushmore. Louisville has a mural dedicated to Muhammad Ali, Abraham Lincoln, Colonel Sanders, and the racehorse Secretariat. Covington contains a house that looks like a flying saucer, attracting thousands of visitors each year. The Futuro House is really out of this world!
What are some unique and surprising things found only in Kentucky?
Kentucky has all manner of oddities to pique one’s interest. There are actually Appalachian Blue People. A mutation known as methemoglobinemia is passed down genetically and causes the skin to be vividly blue and the small towns of Troublesome and Ball Creek was where they lived. With so few people, two families continued to inbreed so many in the area contained this trait. More medical marvels can be found at the Monroe Moosnick Medical and Science Museum with all sorts of medical contraptions from the 1800s. The items there look like something you might find in the laboratory of a mad scientist.
What interesting foods is Kentucky known for?
Kentucky loves to experiment with culinary creativity. A fun breakfast is stack cakes, where they layer pancakes with thick banana slices, jam, fried apples, and other fruits, constructing a pancake skyscraper. Then they go in for the attack like Godzilla. Nom nom nom! Kentucky pizza is a far cry from New York or Chicago styles. They go full Southern and make barbecue chicken pizza! No tomato sauce here, just barbecue sauce, chicken, onions, and cheese. Speaking of cheese, have you ever tried cheese…with beer? Yes, Kentucky has beer cheese, and you can explore a whole trail of places serving it up proudly.
