Kentucky River

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Kentucky River

river, Kentucky, United States

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Apr 8, 2025 • Article History

News •

Swollen rivers are flooding towns in the US South after a prolonged deluge of rain • Apr. 7, 2025, 10:06 PM ET (AP)

Kentucky flood forces Buffalo Trace Distillery to temporarily close • Apr. 7, 2025, 7:11 PM ET (AP)

Kentucky River, tributary of the Ohio River in north-central Kentucky, U.S., and navigable along its 259-mile (417-km) course by means of locks. It is formed by the confluence of North, Middle, and South forks near Beattyville in Lee county and empties into the Ohio at Carrollton. The North Fork rises in the Cumberland Mountains in Letcher county, near the Virginia line, and flows 168 miles (270 km) southwest, then northwest. The Middle and South forks originate in Leslie and Bell counties in the Cumberlands, and both flow generally north for 97 miles and 75 miles (156 km and 120 km), respectively, before joining the main stream.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.