Lexington Visitor Guide 

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Geographical Location

Lexington is located at the  crossroads of  Interstates 75 and 64. The Bluegrass Parkway provides access to western Kentucky and Interstate 65. The Mountain Parkway provides access to Southeastern Kentucky. This creates an extremely attractive location for a company distributing products as the area is within a days drive of most of the states east of the Mississippi River. Major Companies who make a home here include Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Lexmark International, Clark Material Handling, Link–Belt Construction , Valvoline Oil and Jif division of Smuckers.

Lexington Fayette County (LFUCG) is the most populous of the seven counties that form the  Bluegrass Region  that includes neighboring Bourbon, Clark, Jessamine, Madison, Scott, and Woodford Counties. Fayette County was one of the original three counties founded in 1780, long before Kentucky became the fifteenth state in the Union in 1792. All or portions of Bourbon, Clark, Jessamine, Scott, and Woodford Counties were originally part of Fayette County as defined by the 1780 survey. 

Navigating Lexington

Lexington is unlike any City that I have encountered in my travels.  To navigate your way around our town, you must forget  (or at least re-learn) basic navigation.  Most cities are are laid out on a grid, parallel and perpendicular lines.  Lexington is not.  To navigate the city, you must think of a wheel and spokes or a sliced pie with a few trans-verging streets thrown in  to aid in navigation. The crust or rim is Highway 4, New Circle Road which makes a full  and complete circle of  older (circa 1971) Lexington. It is about 26 miles in diameter. The majority of  Circle 4  is limited access. The limited access portion is depicted in black on our city map. The original portion, from Highway 922, Newton Pike  to Richmond Road, depicted in red is typical stop and go city traffic. The spokes or "slice lines", also pictured in red on the map are the major arterial streets. To further confuse you streets, even major ones will change their name in the middle of the intersection. Sometimes more than once within a few miles. The fastest way to most any point for a newbie is to drive the crust and edges of the pie shaped slice and stick with the trans-verging streets depicted on our map until you are forced to jump into a slice to reach you final destination.

Other Sites within a Short Drive 
Pike is just another name for road.

Versailles Road.

Versailles Road, US 60 leaves town to the west of Lexington. It will take you by Keeneland Race Track and the Airport  (Bluegrass Field) on you way to Versailles (Woodford County). Midway is a few miles to the North of Versailles. Midway remains much like it was 60 years ago.  Nostalgia buffs will enjoy the trip. The railroad tracks still divide Main Street in half.  Some of the oldest and most beautiful horse farms are located in this part of the Bluegrass. A few of the family farms in in this area can trace their deeds back to original land grants from the Virginia Legislature (Kentucky was once a  part of Virginia).

 For more information, please call the Woodford County Chamber of Commerce at (859) 873-5122.

Harrodsburg Road

Harrodsburg Road, US 68  leaves Lexington to the Southwest. Highway 68 is a two lane blacktop road and is not recommended for travel during periods of inclement weather. Shortly after you leave Lexington you enter western Jessamine county and if you continue on it can be quite enjoyable as  it will take by the Palisades along the Kentucky River and to Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill.. Ultimately you will wind up in Harrodsburg/Mercer County.

Harrodsburg can also be reached via the Highway 127 exit off of I64 on the west side of Frankfort.  This is a four lane divided highway.

For more information, please call the Harrodsburg/Mercer County Tourist Commission 859-734-2364 or 800-355-9192

Nicholasville Road

Nicholasville Road, US 27 will deliver you to Nicholasville/Jessamine County. Nicholasville is just 12 miles south of downtown Lexington. Wilmore which is a few miles west of Nicholasville in home to Asbury Theological Seminary.  High Bridge, the nations highest railroad bridge over a navigable stream is in Wilmore. South of Nicholasville you will find Camp Nelson National Cemetery.

 For more information, please call the Jessamine County Chamber of Commerce at (859) 887-4351.

Richmond Road

Richmond Road will take to Richmond/Madison County. It can be a somewhat scenic drive.  During inclement weather I suggest that you take Richmond Road to I-75 and take the Interstate to Richmond.  Stop along the way at exit 95 and see Fort Boonesboro State Park  where Daniel Boone first settled in 1775.  The current fort is a reproduction and is a popular recreational spot. Seasonal swimming facilities are available. White Hall State Historic Site,  the home of Cassius Marcellus Clay is also in Richmond. The Hummel Planetarium on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University has a state-of-the-art star show. A few miles South of Richmond is Berea.  Berea is well know for its Art and Crafts. 

For more information, please call the Richmond Chamber of Commerce at (859) 623-1720.

Old Frankfort Pike 

Leestown Road

Georgetown Road

Georgetown Road, US 25 leaves Lexington to the North.  Georgetown/Scott County is  a short 12 miles away. Georgetown  is home to the Toyota plant. The NFL Cincinnati Bengals maintain their Summer  training camp in Georgetown. Another popular Fall event is  the Pumpkin Festival at Double Stink Hog Farm. History buffs may wish to visit St Francis Mission, the Second oldest Catholic Church West of the Allegheny Mountains and East of the Mississippi River. The church is located about 8 miles west of downtown Georgetown on US 460. The current church still in use was built in 1820 at a cost of thirty-six hundred dollars after the original structure built in 1794 was destroyed by fire. The nearby cemetery has headstones dating from the late 1700's.

For more information, please call the Georgetown-Scott County Chamber of Commerce at (502) 863-5424. 

Paris Pike 

Paris Pike, U.S. 68 leaves Lexington to the Northeast. The short drive to Paris/Bourbon county is indeed a beautiful drive.  You will see a lot of dry laid (mortar-less) stone fences and beautiful farms. Brief side excursions on some of the side roads will be even more rewarding. Downtown Paris retains much of the small town charm of yesteryear. 

The recently completed improvements (4 lane, divided) demonstrate that road improvements do not have to destroy the character of a roadway. Some of the original stone fences still compliment the center of the divided highway. Many of the fences on the sides of the road were reconstructed during the process.

 For more information, please call the Paris-Bourbon County Chamber of Commerce at (859) 987-3205.

Winchester Road

Winchester Road, US 60 leave Lexington to the East and a short drive takes you to Winchester/Clark County. Winchester is best known to locals as the home of  Ale-8-One, a ginger flavored soft drink produced and bottled there.

For more information, please call the Winchester-Clark County Chamber of Commerce at (859) 744-6420. 

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