Best Small Towns in Kentucky
The best small towns in Kentucky are Bardstown for bourbon, Berea for crafts, Harrodsburg for Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Midway for horse country and Paducah for quilts and river murals. Most sit within an easy drive of Louisville or Lexington. Bardstown is the easy first pick: it has distilleries, My Old Kentucky Home State Park and the Old Talbott Tavern, built in 1779. Here are 10 worth the trip, grouped by region.
- Best season: Spring and fall
- Regions: Bluegrass, Northern Kentucky & Ohio River, Cave Country, Eastern Kentucky, Western Kentucky
- Closest big cities: Louisville, Lexington, Cincinnati, Nashville
| Town | Region | Best for | Nearest airport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bardstown | Bluegrass | bourbon tours, history, museums, food, weekend getaways from Louisville | Louisville (SDF), about 45 min |
| Harrodsburg | Bluegrass | history, hiking, Shaker heritage, country inns, fall farm outings | Lexington (LEX), about 45 min |
| Berea | Bluegrass | crafts and art shopping, hiking, college-town history, fall festivals | Lexington (LEX), about 50 min |
| Midway | Bluegrass | dining, horse farm tours, bourbon, festivals, easy day trips from Lexington | Lexington (LEX), about 15 min |
| Paducah | Western Kentucky | quilting and fiber art, murals, museums, river history, arts weekends | Paducah Barkley Regional (PAH), about 20 min |
| Danville | Bluegrass | history, theater, bourbon, Civil War sites, festivals | Lexington (LEX), about 50 min |
| Maysville | Northern Kentucky & Ohio River | history, bourbon, river towns, Underground Railroad heritage, murals | Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (CVG), about 1 hr 30 min |
| Horse Cave | Cave Country | caves, families, hiking, paddling, Mammoth Cave trips | Louisville (SDF), about 1 hr 15 min |
| Corbin | Eastern Kentucky | road trips, waterfalls, boating, hiking, food history | Lexington (LEX), about 1 hr 30 min |
| Pikeville | Eastern Kentucky | history, feud sites, festivals, craft beer and spirits, lake fishing | Huntington Tri-State (HTS), about 2 hr 15 min |
Bluegrass
1. Bardstown
Bardstown is the Nelson County seat and one of Kentucky's oldest towns, settled around 1780. Heaven Hill, Willett, Lux Row and Bardstown Bourbon Company give it the densest cluster of Bourbon Trail stops in the state. My Old Kentucky Home, the free Oscar Getz Museum and the Old Talbott Tavern fill out a visit.
Pop. 13,567 (2020 Census) Nelson County Founded 1780 (settled; chartered 1788) Nearest airport: Louisville (SDF), about 45 min Known for: Bourbon Capital of the World, My Old Kentucky Home, Old Talbott Tavern, Kentucky Bourbon Festival
- Best for: bourbon tours, history, museums, food, weekend getaways from Louisville
- Don't miss: My Old Kentucky Home State Park; Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience; Oscar Getz Museum of Bourbon History
- Heads up: Reserve distillery tours ahead and plan a driver; the distilleries are spread around town.
2. Harrodsburg
Harrodsburg is the Mercer County seat and Kentucky's first permanent settlement, founded in 1774. Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, with 34 original buildings on 3,000 acres, sits just outside town. Old Fort Harrod and the century-old Beaumont Inn round it out.
Pop. 9,064 (2020 Census) Mercer County Founded 1774 (by James Harrod; incorporated 1836) Nearest airport: Lexington (LEX), about 45 min Known for: Kentucky's oldest town, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Old Fort Harrod, Beaumont Inn
- Best for: history, hiking, Shaker heritage, country inns, fall farm outings
- Don't miss: Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill; Old Fort Harrod State Park; Beaumont Inn
- Heads up: Shaker Village is closed Mondays, and the fort and museum run a shorter spring-to-fall season.
3. Berea
Berea is a Madison County college town at the edge of the Appalachian foothills, home to tuition-free Berea College since 1855. It calls itself the Folk Arts & Crafts Capital of Kentucky, with studios, galleries and the state's Kentucky Artisan Center. The Pinnacles hikes and Boone Tavern's spoonbread round it out.
Pop. 15,539 (2020 Census) Madison County Founded 1890 (incorporated); Berea College 1855 Nearest airport: Lexington (LEX), about 50 min Known for: Folk Arts & Crafts Capital of Kentucky, Berea College, the Pinnacles, Boone Tavern spoonbread
- Best for: crafts and art shopping, hiking, college-town history, fall festivals
- Don't miss: The Pinnacles at the Berea College Forest; Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea; Historic Boone Tavern Hotel & Restaurant
- Heads up: Pinnacles trails are short but steep; stay on marked paths and watch for copperheads.
4. Midway
Midway is a Woodford County town of about 1,700 people, founded by a railroad in 1835 halfway between Lexington and Frankfort. The tracks still run through its restaurant-lined Main Street. Thoroughbred farms like Three Chimneys and distilleries like Woodford Reserve are minutes away.
Pop. 1,718 (2020 Census) Woodford County Founded 1835 (established by the Lexington and Ohio Railroad; incorporated 1846) Nearest airport: Lexington (LEX), about 15 min Known for: Kentucky's first railroad town, thoroughbred farms, Main Street restaurants, Midway University
- Best for: dining, horse farm tours, bourbon, festivals, easy day trips from Lexington
- Don't miss: Main Street and the Midway Historic District; Three Chimneys Farm stallion tour; Woodford Reserve Distillery
- Heads up: Book farm and distillery tours ahead; Three Chimneys visits are by booked tour only.
5. Danville
Danville is the Boyle County seat, where Kentucky's first constitution was signed in 1792. Constitution Square, the McDowell House and Centre College anchor downtown. Pioneer Playhouse, a June brass band festival and Perryville Battlefield round it out.
Pop. 17,234 (2020 Census) Boyle County Founded 1783 (settled); incorporated 1787 Nearest airport: Lexington (LEX), about 50 min Known for: Kentucky's first constitution, Constitution Square, Centre College, Pioneer Playhouse, Great American Brass Band Festival
- Best for: history, theater, bourbon, Civil War sites, festivals
- Don't miss: Constitution Square Historic Site; McDowell House & Apothecary Shop Museum; Pioneer Playhouse
- Heads up: Many museums keep Tuesday-through-Saturday hours; don't plan a Monday around them.
Western Kentucky
6. Paducah
Paducah is the McCracken County seat, where the Tennessee River meets the Ohio. It's home to the National Quilt Museum and more than 50 murals painted on its floodwall, and UNESCO named it a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art in 2013. The River Discovery Center and Lower Town's artist district round it out.
Pop. 27,137 (2020 Census) McCracken County Founded 1827 (laid out by William Clark; incorporated as a city 1838) Nearest airport: Paducah Barkley Regional (PAH), about 20 min Known for: National Quilt Museum, floodwall murals, UNESCO Creative City, Tennessee-Ohio river confluence
- Best for: quilting and fiber art, murals, museums, river history, arts weekends
- Don't miss: National Quilt Museum; Wall to Wall Floodwall Murals; River Discovery Center
- Heads up: QuiltWeek in April brings big crowds; book lodging early or pick another week.
Northern Kentucky & Ohio River
7. Maysville
Maysville is the Mason County seat on the Ohio River, founded as the Limestone landing. Ten floodwall murals tell its history, and Old Pogue Distillery revives an 1876 family bourbon. Old Washington and a downtown museum trace its Underground Railroad past.
Pop. 8,873 (2020 Census) Mason County Founded 1787 (established as Maysville; settled earlier as Limestone) Nearest airport: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (CVG), about 1 hr 30 min Known for: Ohio River floodwall murals, Old Pogue bourbon, Underground Railroad history, Rosemary Clooney, Russell Theatre
- Best for: history, bourbon, river towns, Underground Railroad heritage, murals
- Don't miss: Floodwall Murals; Old Pogue Distillery; Kentucky Gateway Museum Center
- Heads up: Most museums open only late in the week, and distillery visits need an appointment.
Cave Country
8. Horse Cave
Horse Cave is Hart County's largest city, built right over Hidden River Cave. The free American Cave Museum sits beside it. Mammoth Cave National Park covers much of the county's western side.
Pop. 2,212 (2020 Census) Hart County Founded 1864 (incorporated) Nearest airport: Louisville (SDF), about 1 hr 15 min Known for: Hidden River Cave under downtown, American Cave Museum, gateway to Mammoth Cave
- Best for: caves, families, hiking, paddling, Mammoth Cave trips
- Don't miss: Hidden River Cave; American Cave Museum; Mammoth Cave National Park cave tours
- Heads up: Mammoth Cave tours can sell out weeks ahead; reserve before you go.
Eastern Kentucky
9. Corbin
Corbin is an old railroad town on I-75 where Harland Sanders developed his fried chicken recipe; his 1940 cafe is now a museum with a working KFC. Cumberland Falls, home of the moonbow, is about 20 miles southwest. Laurel River Lake sits just west.
Pop. 7,856 (2020 Census) Whitley, Knox and Laurel counties Founded 1905 (incorporated) Nearest airport: Lexington (LEX), about 1 hr 30 min Known for: Harland Sanders Cafe (birthplace of KFC), Cumberland Falls moonbow, Laurel River Lake
- Best for: road trips, waterfalls, boating, hiking, food history
- Don't miss: Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum; Cumberland Falls State Resort Park; Laurel River Lake
- Heads up: Moonbows need a clear night near the full moon; check the park's site first.
10. Pikeville
Pikeville is the Pike County seat on the Levisa Fork, in the heart of Hatfield-McCoy feud country. Between 1973 and 1987 it cut a 523-foot-deep gap through a mountain to reroute the river. Come for the feud museum and driving tour, Dueling Barrels and Hillbilly Days each April.
Pop. 7,754 (2020 Census) Pike County Founded 1824 (established; incorporated 1848 as Piketon) Nearest airport: Huntington Tri-State (HTS), about 2 hr 15 min Known for: Hatfield-McCoy feud sites, the Pikeville Cut-Through, Hillbilly Days, University of Pikeville
- Best for: history, feud sites, festivals, craft beer and spirits, lake fishing
- Don't miss: Big Sandy Heritage Center Museum; Hatfield-McCoy Feud Driving Tour; Pikeville Cut-Through Overlook
- Heads up: Feud sites are spread across the county on mountain roads; get the free driving tour first.
- April–June: Horse farms turn green around Midway, Pikeville throws Hillbilly Days in mid-April, and Paducah hosts QuiltWeek in April. It’s good hiking weather at Cumberland Falls.
- September–October: Fall color in the Bluegrass and Appalachian hills, harvest weekends at Shaker Village, Berea’s Spoonbread Festival and the Midway Fall Festival. Book Bardstown rooms early.
- Summer and winter: Summers are hot and humid, but caves like Hidden River Cave in Horse Cave hold a steady cool temperature all year. Winter is quiet, and many museums shorten their hours.
What is the prettiest small town in Kentucky?
Bardstown, with its courthouse square, 1816 cathedral and My Old Kentucky Home, is the usual answer. Midway, ringed by horse farms, is a close second.
What small towns in Kentucky are best for a weekend?
Pair Bardstown with Harrodsburg for bourbon and Shaker Village, or spend a weekend in Paducah for the quilt museum, murals and river. Danville is next door to Harrodsburg if you want a third stop.
What is the smallest town in Kentucky worth visiting?
Midway has about 1,700 people and a downtown built along the railroad. Horse Cave is close behind, with a cave under its main street. Tours there include the American Cave Museum.