U.S. Route 127 (US 127) in Kentucky runs from the
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
state line in rural
Clinton County Clinton County may refer to:
*Counties named for George Clinton, first and third Governor of New York, and later the fourth Vice President of the United States:
**Clinton County, New York
** Clinton County, Ohio
*Counties named for DeWitt Clinton, ...
to the
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
state line in
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
. The southern portion of the route is mostly rural, winding through various small towns along the way. It later runs through the state capital of
Frankfort before continuing north, eventually passing through several Cincinnati suburbs in
Northern Kentucky
Northern Kentucky is the third-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, and its cities and towns serve as the de facto "south side" communities of Cincinnati, Ohio. The three main counties ...
, joining
US 42 near
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
and
US 25 in
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...
before crossing the
Ohio River via the
Clay Wade Bailey Bridge
The Clay Wade Bailey Bridge is a cantilever bridge carrying U.S. Route 42 and U.S. Route 127 across the Ohio River, connecting Cincinnati, Ohio and Covington, Kentucky. This also marks the termination of U.S. Route 25. The bridge's main span is ...
.
Route description
US 127 enters the state at
Static
Static may refer to:
Places
*Static Nunatak, a nunatak in Antarctica
United States
* Static, Kentucky and Tennessee
*Static Peak, a mountain in Wyoming
**Static Peak Divide, a mountain pass near the peak
Science and technology Physics
*Static el ...
on the state line separating
Pickett County, Tennessee
Pickett County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,001, making it the least populous county in Tennessee. Its county seat is Byrdstown. The city of Byrdstown and the Kentucky town of ...
, from
Clinton County, Kentucky
Clinton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky in the Pennyrile Region along the southern border with Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 10,272. Its county seat is Albany. The county was formed in 1835 and ...
, where it intersects
Tennessee State Route 111 (SR 111, formerly
SR 42) and
Kentucky Route 1076 (KY 1076). It passes through
Albany with a business route and bypass. After that it briefly
runs concurrently westward with
KY 90 for , then heads generally northward and crosses into
Russell County, where it goes onto Wolf Creek Dam, which impounds
Lake Cumberland
Lake Cumberland is a reservoir in Clinton, Pulaski, Russell, Wayne, and Laurel, counties in Kentucky. The primary reasons for its construction were a means for flood control and the production of hydroelectric power. Its shoreline measures ...
, and passes
State Resort Park. It passes through
Jamestown with a business route and bypass, and then through
Russell Springs, where it has a junction with the
Cumberland Parkway
The Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway is a east–west controlled-access highway in the U.S. state of Kentucky, extending from Barren County in the west to Somerset in the east. It is one of seven named highways designated in Kentucky's par ...
. The highway then traverses
Casey, western
Lincoln
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Lincol ...
, and
Boyle Counties, including the communities of
Liberty
Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom.
In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
,
Hustonville, and
Danville, respectively. After Danville, where it has a bypass with US 150, it goes north to
Harrodsburg
Harrodsburg is a home rule-class city in Mercer County, Kentucky, United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 9,064 at the 2020 census.
Although Harrodsburg was formally established by the House of Burgesses after Boonesbo ...
(
Mercer County),
Lawrenceburg (
Anderson County), both with bypasses and business routes, and then
Franklin County, the home of the state capital city of
Frankfort.
After the capital, US 127 then passes through
Owen and
Gallatin counties, including the city of
Owenton. After its junction with
Interstate 71 (I-71), US 127 joins
US 42 east of
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
. The highway then travels into
Boone County, where it has a junction with
I-75
Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from St ...
/I-71 before entering the city of
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...
, and then enters
Kenton County
Kenton County is a county located in the northern part of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 169,064, making it the third most populous county in Kentucky (behind Jefferson County and Fayette County). It ...
, and goes through the cities of
Erlanger and then
Covington before it (during its concurrency with
US 25) leaves the state by crossing the
Ohio River into downtown
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
,
Hamilton County, Ohio.
History
In 1958, US 127's southern terminus was relocated from
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wi ...
to
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020 ...
. The highway's extension into Kentucky and Tennessee resulted in the decommissioning of the following roadways:
*The original
KY 239 from US 42 to
Glencoe,
*
KY 16 from Glencoe to its junction with
US 227 (now
KY 227), and
*
KY 35 from Owenton to the Tennessee state line.
Major intersections
Business and bypass routes
References
{{state detail page browse, type=US, route=127, statebefore=Tennessee, state=Kentucky, stateafter=Ohio
Kentucky
Transportation in Clinton County, Kentucky
Transportation in Russell County, Kentucky
Transportation in Casey County, Kentucky
Transportation in Lincoln County, Kentucky
Transportation in Boyle County, Kentucky
Transportation in Mercer County, Kentucky
Transportation in Anderson County, Kentucky
Transportation in Franklin County, Kentucky
Transportation in Owen County, Kentucky
Transportation in Gallatin County, Kentucky
Transportation in Boone County, Kentucky
Transportation in Kenton County, Kentucky
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