Take a scenic ride through the Appalachian foothills and the rolling horse country of Kentucky as we follow Interstate 64 westbound from the West Virginia state line to Lexington. This 110-mile journey traces a vital corridor through eastern Kentucky’s rugged hills, the dense greenery of Daniel Boone National Forest, and into the heart of the Bluegrass region, blending natural beauty with cultural landmarks.
Our drive begins at the Kentucky-West Virginia border, where Interstate 64 crosses the Big Sandy River and immediately immerses us in the wooded hillsides characteristic of eastern Kentucky. Within just a few miles, we reach the interchange with U.S. Highway 23, also known as the “Country Music Highway,” a route famous for its ties to country music legends. The terrain here is a patchwork of small communities nestled among tree-lined ridges, with gentle curves guiding us westward. Shortly thereafter, the first of several encounters with U.S. Highway 60 greets us, a reminder of the older east-west corridors that predate the interstate system. This stretch carries us past towns like Catlettsburg and Cannonsburg, bypassing the bustling city of Ashland, which itself straddles the edge of Kentucky’s coal country.
Continuing west, the landscape softens only slightly as we reach Grayson and Olive Hill, where the interchange with U.S. 60 again appears, paralleling our journey. Here, we begin to taste the transition from Appalachian topography to the rolling hills of central Kentucky. The highlight of this portion is our entrance into the Daniel Boone National Forest, a sprawling preserve of hardwood forests, rugged cliffs, and winding streams. The road gently ascends and descends through forested valleys, providing glimpses of rock cuts and distant ridgelines. It’s a refreshing break from urban congestion, and the drive feels more intimate as it winds through natural corridors largely untouched by modern development.
Emerging from the National Forest near Morehead and Owingsville, the terrain becomes more open and pastoral. Kentucky State Highway 32 crosses our path, and once again, U.S. 60 punctuates the route near Mt. Sterling. Each of these small towns serves as a gateway to local communities, with hints of historical charm visible even from the interstate. As we approach Winchester, the scenery flattens into the lush, green pastures that signal our arrival into the Bluegrass region — a landscape famous for thoroughbred farms and stately homesteads. Winchester marks the confluence of several major routes, including U.S. 60 once again and the Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway, a major link to eastern Kentucky’s highlands. Notably, the Mountain Parkway features a peculiar interchange: westbound I-64 travelers can see it but can’t access it directly — a quirk of Kentucky highway engineering.
The final miles carry us past the interchange with KY-859, bringing us closer to the metropolitan fringes of Lexington. As we approach the sprawling Interstate 75 interchange, the road transforms from a rural expressway to a bustling urban artery, signaling our transition from the tranquility of the forested hills into Kentucky’s second-largest city. The journey concludes east of downtown Lexington, where the Bluegrass Parkway system branches out in multiple directions, leading travelers deeper into Kentucky or northward to Cincinnati.
This drive offers a unique tapestry of Kentucky’s geography — from Appalachian ridges to rolling horse pastures, from isolated towns to a thriving urban center. It’s a quiet but compelling reminder of the varied landscapes that coexist within a single state, and how the interstate system elegantly connects them all.
🎵 Additional Music:
Hoedown by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Artist: http://audionautix.com/
🗺️ Route Map
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