Kentucky Geography and Regions

Kentucky borders seven states, from both the Midwest and the Southeast. West Virginia lies to the east, Virginia to the southeast, Tennessee to the south, Missouri to the west, Illinois and Indiana to the northwest, and Ohio to the north and northeast.  Kentucky's northern border is formed by the Ohio River and its western border by the Mississippi River; however, the official border is based on the courses of the rivers as they existed when Kentucky became a state in 1792.

Rivers are an important feature of Kentucky geography. The Ohio River forms the entire northern boundary of the state, flowing southwest below Covington, until it joins the Mississippi River at Paducah. In the east, the Big Sandy River and its tributary, the Tug Fork, form the boundary with West Virginia. Many rapid creeks in the Cumberland Mountains feed the Kentucky, the Cumberland, and the Licking rivers, which, together with the Tennessee and the Ohio, are the chief rivers of the state. The Kentucky Dam on the Tennessee River near Paducah is a major part of the Tennessee Valley Authority system.

The state of Kentucky has a moderate climate, characterized by warm, yet moist conditions. Summers are usually warm, and winters cool. Kentucky's weather patterns are influenced by the Gulf of Mexico, especially during summer. Much of Kentucky's average 46 inches of precipitation a year falls in spring, the rainiest season. From south to north, precipitation decreases. Southern Kentucky receives the highest average precipitation, about 50 inches a year, while the north averages only 40 inches.

Kentucky is composed of five geographic regions: the Bluegrass Region, the Cumberland Plateau, the Western Coal Field, the Pennyroyal Region, and the Jackson Purchase Region.

Bluegrass Region: In the northern central area of Kentucky lies the Bluegrass Region. This area extends into Ohio but is bordered in Kentucky on the north and west by the Ohio River. This area of Kentucky is characterized by rolling meadows in the central portion and by sandstone "knobs" on the eastern, southern, and western edges. These areas are referred to as the Knobs Region.

Cumberland Plateau (Knobs and Eastern Mountains and Coalfields): The Appalachian Plateau which extends from New York to Alabama is referred to as the Cumberland Plateau in Kentucky. This area, in the eastern portion of the state, consists of mountains, plateaus, and valleys. The Cumberland and Pine mountain ranges are found in this region of Kentucky as well as Black Mountain, the highest point in the state.

Western Coal Field: Northwestern Kentucky is a land of hills bordered by the Ohio River on the north, and the Pennyroyal region on the east, west, and south. It's called the Western Coal Field because of its large coal deposits. Farmland borders the Ohio River in the Western Coal Field.

Pennyroyal Region: The Pennyroyal Region (also called Pennyrile) stretches along the southern border of Kentucky from the Appalachian Plateau west all the way to Kentucky Lake. The southern portion of the Pennyroyal Region consists of flat lands with some rolling hills. In the center of the region lies a treeless area called The Barrens. The northern section consists of rocky ridges. Under this rocky area are underground caves and tunnels. Mammoth Cave is located in the Pennyroyal region. By the way, the Pennyroyal region is named after the small herb that grows there.

Jackson Purchase Region: In the far western tip of Kentucky is the Jackson Purchase Region, part of greater Gulf Plains Region that starts at the Gulf of Mexico and extends north to Illinois. This area is bordered on the east by Kentucky Lake. To the north is the Ohio River; to the west, the Mississippi River. This area is characterized by flood plains with low hills. The Mississippi River crosses the Madrid Fault zone here. Earthquakes in 1811 and 1812 caused the Mississippi River to flow backwards! Reelfoot Lake, near the Tennessee border was created when this happened.

Kentucky has 120 counties, third in the U.S. behind Texas' 254 and Georgia's 159. The original motivation for having so many counties was to ensure that residents in the days of poor roads and horseback travel could make a round trip from their home to the county seat and back in a single day. Later, however, politics began to play a part, with citizens who disagreed with the present county government simply petitioning the state to create a new county. However, in 1891, the Kentucky Constitution placed stricter limits on county creation, which has allowed for only one new county creation since then.