| Route information | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maintained byKYTC | ||||
| Length | 51.880 mi[1] (83.493 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end | ||||
| Major intersections |
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| North end | ||||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Kentucky | |||
| Counties | Fulton,Hickman,Graves,McCracken | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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U.S. Route 45 (US 45) enters Kentucky atFulton inFulton County and travels northeast throughHickman County,Graves County, andMcCracken County. After passing throughMayfield in Graves County it heads directly north intoPaducah as a four-lane highway. In Paducah, US 45 serves as a major artery, intersecting withInterstate 24 at Exit 7, and intersectingUS 60 and62. U.S. 45 leaves Kentucky from Paducah's northern border across the two-lane, metal-grateBrookport Bridge toBrookport, Illinois across theOhio River.
US 45 enters Kentucky at Fulton in Fulton County where it travels around the west side and then north side of town before entering Hickman County. It travels just to the south and east ofI-69 as it passes briefly through Hickman County and into Graves County. In Graves County US 45 travels northeast and passes through the communities ofWater Valley andWingo. Roughly 7 miles (11 km) northeast of Wingo, US 45 passes through Mayfield where it forms an intersection with US 45 Bypass before passing through the heart of town. Just north of town, US 45 intersects US 45 Bypass and Purchase Parkway and becomes a four-lane divided highway as it turns toward the north. US 45 continues northward through rural sections of Graves County and into McCracken County. The previous routing between these two points is now designated Kentucky Route 1241. In McCracken County, US 45 passes throughLone Oak and then passes underI-24 as it enters Paducah. In Paducah, US 45 forms intersections withUS 60,US 62, US 60 Business, I-24 Business, and US 45 Business as it passes through the western part of town. US 45 crosses the Ohio River via theBrookport Bridge into Illinois 51.880 miles (83.493 km) from the Tennessee state line.[2]
US 45 was signed in Kentucky by 1928, although it was not yet paved.[3] The entire route in Kentucky was paved by 1939.[4]
| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton | Fulton | 0.000 | 0.000 | Continuation into Tennessee | |
| North end of KY 116 overlap (southbound only);Kentucky–Tennessee line | |||||
| 0.065 | 0.105 | ||||
| 0.579 | 0.932 | Redbud Lane (KY 1644 north) | |||
| 0.579 | 0.932 | ||||
| 1.345 | 2.165 | ||||
| 1.790 | 2.881 | South end of KY 307 overlap | |||
| 1.845 | 2.969 | North end of KY 307 overlap | |||
| Hickman | | 3.439 | 5.535 | ||
| | 3.846 | 6.190 | |||
| | 5.162 | 8.307 | South end of KY 94 overlap | ||
| Graves | Water Valley | 6.670 | 10.734 | North end of KY 94 overlap | |
| 7.012 | 11.285 | ||||
| 7.118 | 11.455 | ||||
| | 13.122 | 21.118 | |||
| Wingo | 13.668 | 21.997 | |||
| 13.963 | 22.471 | South end of KY 339 overlap | |||
| 14.043 | 22.600 | North end of KY 339 overlap | |||
| | 16.916 | 27.224 | South end of KY 58 overlap | ||
| Pryorsburg | 17.572 | 28.279 | |||
| | 21.184 | 34.092 | Interchange | ||
| Mayfield | 23.719 | 38.172 | North end of KY 58 overlap | ||
| 24.697 | 39.746 | ||||
| 24.833 | 39.965 | ||||
| | 25.563 | 41.140 | I-69 exit 25 | ||
| | 25.833 | 41.574 | |||
| | 27.055 | 43.541 | |||
| | 27.289 | 43.917 | |||
| Hickory | 29.082 | 46.803 | Powell Road (KY 3043 west) | ||
| | 30.743 | 49.476 | |||
| | 31.861 | 51.275 | |||
| | 33.475 | 53.873 | |||
| | 34.427 | 55.405 | |||
| McCracken | | 38.347 | 61.714 | ||
| | 40.672 | 65.455 | |||
| | 41.695 | 67.102 | |||
| | 43.865 | 70.594 | |||
| | 44.215 | 71.157 | |||
| Lone Oak | 44.413 | 71.476 | |||
| 44.779 | 72.065 | ||||
| | 45.447 | 73.140 | |||
| Paducah | 46.098 | 74.188 | I-24 exit 7 | ||
| 46.976 | 75.601 | ||||
| 47.304 | 76.128 | South end of US 62 overlap | |||
| 47.950 | 77.168 | North end of US 62 overlap; south end of US 60 overlap | |||
| 48.197 | 77.566 | ||||
| 48.886 | 78.674 | North end of US 60 overlap | |||
| 49.132 | 79.070 | ||||
| 49.796 | 80.139 | ||||
| 50.186 | 80.767 | ||||
| Ohio River | 51.880 | 83.493 | Brookport Bridge;Kentucky–Illinois line | ||
| Continuation into Illinois | |||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| |||||
| Location | Mayfield, Kentucky |
|---|---|
| Length | 3.818 mi[1] (6.144 km) |
US 45 Bypass in Mayfield begins at a junction with US 45 on the southwest side of Mayfield and forms a concurrency with I-69 at exit 21 0.958 miles (1.542 km) north of US 45. It carries this concurrency for 2.860 miles (4.603 km) and ends at a junction with US 45 at exit 25 of the parkway north of Mayfield. Since the formerPurchase Parkway has been re-designated I-69, US 45 Bypass signs have been removed from the I-69 concurrency, and the north interchange with US 45.
The entire route is inGraves County.
| Location | mi[1] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | 0.000 | 0.000 | Partial interchange; southern terminus; south end of KY 80 concurrency | |||
| Mayfield | 21 | South end of I-69 overlap; I-69 Exit 21 | ||||
| 1.338 | 2.153 | 22 | North end of KY 80 concurrency; western terminus of KY 80 Business | |||
| 2.794 | 4.497 | 24 | ||||
| | 3.818 | 6.144 | Northern terminus; north end of I-69 overlap; I-69 exit 25 | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| ||||||
| Location | Paducah, Kentucky |
|---|---|
| Length | 4.378 mi[1] (7.046 km) |
US 45 Business in Paducah begins at an intersection with US 45 in downtown Paducah and travels northeast through town. As it nears the Ohio River, it turns to the northwest and ends at a junction with US 45 south of the Brookport Bridge over the Ohio River 4.378 miles (7.046 km) from its origin.
The entire route is inPaducah,McCracken County.
| mi | km | Destinations | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.000 | 0.000 | Southern terminus | |||
| 2.039 | 3.281 | South end of US 60 Business overlap | |||
| 2.119 | 3.410 | ||||
| 2.188 | 3.521 | ||||
| 2.946 | 4.741 | North end of US 60 Business overlap | |||
| 4.378 | 7.046 | Northern terminus | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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| Previous state: Tennessee | Kentucky | Next state: Illinois |