U.S. Route 421 in Kentucky
# U.S. Route 421 in Kentucky

U.S. Route 421 (US 421) in the U.S. state of Kentucky is a 250.536-mile-long (403.199 km) north–south United States highway that traverses twelve counties in the central and eastern parts of the state. It travels in a southeast-to-northwest path from the Virginia state line near Pennington Gap to the Indiana state line, on the Ohio River at Milton, Kentucky and Madison, Indiana.

## Route description

### Virginia state line to Manchester

US 421 enters Harlan County from Lee County, Virginia, and meets US 119 near Harlan. At Hyden, US 421 turns westward towards Clay County, and crosses the Hal Rogers Parkway via an overpass without access near Manchester.

### Manchester to Richmond

At Manchester, US 421 turns northwestward towards Jackson County, through McKee. It traverses the far northeastern corner of Rockcastle County before entering Madison County where it joins U.S. 25 south of Richmond near the Blue Grass Army Depot. US 25 and US 421 runs concurrently through Richmond, and all the way to the I-75 junction.

### Metro Lexington to Frankfort

US 25/421 also runs concurrently with I-75 between Exits 97 and 99. After Exit 99, the two U.S. routes continue to run concurrently until downtown Lexington just after crossing US 27/60/68. While US 25 makes a right turn onto Georgetown Road, US 421 continues straight northwestward, as Leestown Pike, towards Midway and Frankfort.

### Frankfort to Ohio River

In Frankfort, US 421 has concurrencies with US 60 on the east side of town, and US 127 on the north side. US 421 continues northwestward into Henry and far northern Shelby counties before crossing the Exit 34 exit of I-71. US 42 in Bedford is the last major intersection in Kentucky before US 421 crosses the Ohio River from Trimble County into Jefferson County, Indiana.

## History

US 421 did not have any presence in Kentucky until it was extended into Kentucky and Indiana at one point between 1939 and 1957, probably in the late 1940s or early 1950s. When US 421 was designated into Kentucky, it was routed onto the following existing routes:

* KY 66 from the Virginia state line to Harlan,
* KY 257 from Harlan to Hyden,
* KY 80 from Hyden to Manchester,
* KY 21 from Manchester to Big Hill,
* KY 169 from Big Hill to Richmond (including US 25 concurrency),
* KY 50 from downtown Lexington to Frankfort, and
* KY 37 from Frankfort to the Indiana state line at Milton.

### Current statuses for original assignments of pre-existing routes

* KY 37 now runs from Gravel Switch to Junction City to Danville, in Marion and Boyle Counties in Central Kentucky.
* The remainders of KY 21, KY 169, and KY 257 still retained their original alignments off the current US 421.
* KY 50 no longer exists in the state route system.
* KY 66 is now assigned to a road in Bell, western Leslie and eastern Clay Counties in southeast Kentucky from Middlesboro to US 421/KY 80 near Big Creek

## Major Intersections

| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Harlan | ​ | 0.000 | 0.000 | US 421 south – Pennington Gap | Continuation into Virginia |
| Harlan | ​ | 1.351 | 2.174 | KY 3462 north (Garrett Hollow Road) | Southern terminus of KY 3462 |
| Harlan | Cranks | 2.783 | 4.479 | KY 568 north | Southern terminus of KY 568 |
| Harlan | ​ | 3.795 | 6.107 | KY 3001 north (Old US 421) | Southern terminus of KY 3001 |
| Harlan | ​ | 4.034 | 6.492 | KY 1138 west | Eastern terminus of KY 1138 |
| Harlan | ​ | 6.410 | 10.316 | KY 987 west – Cawood, Martins Fork Lake, Pennington Gap | Eastern terminus of KY 987 |
| Harlan | ​ | 8.008 | 12.888 | To KY 1556 | Connector road |
| Harlan | ​ | 10.784 | 17.355 | KY 3001 south (Old US 421) | Northern terminus of KY 3001 |
| Harlan | ​ | 10.974 | 17.661 | KY 2074 north | Southern terminus of KY 2074 |
| Harlan | ​ | 12.901 | 20.762 | KY 2428 south | Northern terminus of KY 2428 |
| Harlan | Harlan | 14.966 | 24.085 | KY 72 west | Southern end of KY 72 concurrency |
| Harlan | Harlan | 15.127 | 24.345 | KY 72 east (South Main Street) / KY 3459 north | Northern end of KY 72 concurrency; southern terminus of KY 3459 |
| Harlan | Harlan | 15.704 | 25.273 | KY 3459 south | Northern terminus of KY 3459 |
| Harlan | Harlan | 15.967 | 25.696 | KY 38 east | Western terminus of KY 38 |
| Harlan | ​ | 16.761 | 26.974 | KY 840 west | Eastern terminus of KY 840 |
| Harlan | ​ | 17.003 | 27.364 | KY 72 | |
| Harlan | ​ | 17.107 | 27.531 | US 119 south – Pineville | Southern end of US 119 concurrency |
| Harlan | ​ | 17.846 | 28.720 | US 119 north – Cumberland, Kingdom Come State Park, Kentucky Coal Mining Museum | Northern end of US 119 concurrency |
| Harlan | ​ | 17.936 | 28.865 | KY 413 | |
| Harlan | ​ | 21.800 | 35.084 | KY 1679 east (Little Shepherd Trail) | Western terminus of KY 1679 |
| Harlan | Bledsoe | 23.893 | 38.452 | KY 221 west | Southern end of KY 221 concurrency |
| Harlan | ​ | 24.942 | 40.140 | KY 221 east | Northern end of KY 221 concurrency |
| Leslie | ​ | 30.543 | 49.154 | KY 2058 west | Eastern terminus of KY 2058 |
| Leslie | Asher | 38.352 | 61.722 | KY 1780 | Northern terminus of KY 1780 |
| Leslie | Hoskinston | 41.848 | 67.348 | KY 2009 south | Northern terminus of KY 2009 |
| Leslie | Stinnett | 42.827 | 68.923 | KY 406 south | Northern terminus of KY 406 |
| Leslie | Hyden | 49.113 | 79.040 | KY 80 east – Hazard | Southern end of KY 80 concurrency |
| Leslie | Hyden | 49.619 | 79.854 | KY 257 north (Dryhill Road) | Southern terminus of KY 257 |
| Leslie | Hyden | 50.140 | 80.693 | KY 118 west | Eastern terminus of KY 118 |
| Leslie | Bobs Fork | 60.747 | 97.763 | KY 1482 north (Bullskin Road) | Southern terminus of KY 1482 |
| Leslie | ​ | 62.375 | 100.383 | KY 3428 north (Ulysses Creek Road) | Southern terminus of KY 3428 |
| Clay | ​ | 64.752 | 104.208 | KY 66 north to Hal Rogers Parkway – Oneida | Southern end of KY 66 concurrency |
| Clay | ​ | 65.527 | 105.455 | KY 66 south – Peabody, Beverly | Northern end of KY 66 concurrency |
| Clay | ​ | 73.337 | 118.024 | KY 2443 west to KY 1524 | Eastern terminus of KY 2443 |
| Clay | ​ | 73.525 | 118.327 | KY 1524 east | Western terminus of KY 1524 |
| Clay | ​ | 76.619 | 123.306 | KY 149 east | Western terminus of KY 149 |
| Clay | Garrard | 78.234 | 125.905 | KY 1999 east (Paces Creek Road) | Western terminus of KY 1999 |
| Clay | ​ | 78.654 | 126.581 | KY 11 south | Southern end of KY 11 concurrency |
| Clay | Manchester | 79.842 | 128.493 | KY 80 west / KY 2076 north (Muddy Gap Road) to Hal Rogers Parkway | Southern end of KY 80 concurrency; southern terminus of KY 2076; 80 and the parkway to the south, 2076 to the west |
| Clay | Manchester | 80.896 | 130.189 | KY 2438 east (2nd Street) | Western terminus of KY 2438 |
| Clay | Manchester | 80.947 | 130.272 | KY 2440 north (Main Street) | Southern terminus of KY 2440 |
| Clay | Manchester | 81.043 | 130.426 | KY 687 west (Town Branch Road) | Eastern terminus of KY 687 |
| Clay | Manchester | 81.380 | 130.968 | KY 2442 west (Maple Street) | Eastern terminus of KY 2442 |
| Clay | Manchester | 81.453 | 131.086 | KY 2440 south (Cool Springs Road) | Northern terminus of KY 2440 |
| Clay | Manchester | 81.507 | 131.173 | KY 3472 east (Memorial Drive) | Western terminus of KY 3472 |
| Clay | Manchester | 81.774 | 131.602 | KY 638 west | Eastern terminus of KY 638 |
| Clay | ​ | 83.140 | 133.801 | KY 3560 west | Eastern terminus of KY 3560 |
| Clay | ​ | 83.741 | 134.768 | KY 3473 west (Charlie Sizemore Road) | Eastern terminus of KY 3473 |
| Clay | ​ | 85.779 | 138.048 | KY 3477 east (Jacks Branch Road) | Western terminus of KY 3477 |
| Clay | ​ | 86.943 | 139.921 | KY 11 north – Oneida, Oneida Baptist Institute | Northern end of KY 11 concurrency |
| Clay | ​ | 87.333 | 140.549 | KY 472 west (Fogertown Road) | Eastern terminus of KY 472 |
| Clay | ​ | 91.420 | 147.126 | KY 1350 north | Southern terminus of KY 1350 |
| Clay | ​ | 92.703 | 149.191 | KY 3478 west (Robinson Creek Road) | Eastern terminus of KY 3478 |
| Clay | ​ | 94.359 | 151.856 | KY 577 west | Southern end of KY 577 concurrency |
| Clay | ​ | 95.134 | 153.103 | KY 577 east | Northern end of KY 577 concurrency |
| Jackson | ​ | 97.305 | 156.597 | KY 3443 west | Eastern terminus of KY 3443 |
| Jackson | ​ | 99.265 | 159.752 | KY 30 west | Southern end of KY 30 concurrency |
| Jackson | ​ | 99.417 | 159.996 | KY 1431 east | Western terminus of KY 1431 |
| Jackson | Tyner | 99.550 | 160.210 | KY 3630 west | Eastern terminus of KY 3630 |
| Jackson | ​ | 100.364 | 161.520 | KY 30 east – Booneville | Northern end of KY 30 concurrency |
| Jackson | ​ | 103.251 | 166.166 | KY 1071 east | Western terminus of KY 1071 |
| Jackson | ​ | 105.717 | 170.135 | KY 3445 east (Soaptown Road) | Western terminus of KY 3445 |
| Jackson | Deer View | 106.542 | 171.463 | KY 587 north | Southern terminus of KY 587 |
| Jackson | McKee | 109.951 | 176.949 | KY 290 south (Annville Road) | Southern terminus of KY 290 |
| Jackson | McKee | 110.001 | 177.029 | KY 89 north (2nd Street) | Southern end of KY 89 concurrency |
| Jackson | McKee | 110.548 | 177.910 | KY 89 south | Northern end of KY 89 concurrency |
| Jackson | ​ | 117.303 | 188.781 | KY 3446 east | Western terminus of KY 3446 |
| Jackson | ​ | 117.878 | 189.706 | KY 2004 north | Southern terminus of KY 2004 |
| Jackson | ​ | 121.950 | 196.260 | KY 1955 south | Northern terminus of KY 1955 |
| Jackson | ​ | 124.669 | 200.635 | KY 3447 east | Western terminus of KY 3447 |
| Jackson | Morrill | 125.260 | 201.586 | KY 1912 south (Climax Road) | Northern terminus of KY 1912 |
| Rockcastle | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions |
| Madison | ​ | 128.085 | 206.133 | KY 21 east (Owsley Creek Road) | Southern end of KY 21 concurrency |
| Madison | Big Hill | 128.250 | 206.398 | KY 21 west (Big Hill Road) | Northern end of KY 21 concurrency |
| Madison | ​ | 129.480 | 208.378 | KY 594 east (Red Lick Road) | Western terminus of KY 594 |
| Madison | Bobtown | 133.205 | 214.373 | KY 1016 south | Northern terminus of KY 1016 |
| Madison | ​ | 135.058 | 217.355 | KY 3376 east (Dreyfus Road) | Southern end of KY 3376 concurrency |
| Madison | ​ | 135.549 | 218.145 | KY 3376 west (Old Kingston-Berea Road) | Northern end of KY 3376 concurrency |
| Madison | ​ | 136.162 | 219.131 | KY 499 west (Crooksville Road) | Southern end of KY 499 concurrency |
| Madison | ​ | 136.196 | 219.186 | KY 499 east (Crooksville Road) | Northern end of KY 499 concurrency |
| Madison | ​ | 138.579 | 223.021 | US 25 south (Berea Road) | Southern end of US 25 concurrency |
| Madison | ​ | 139.580 | 224.632 | KY 2872 west (Duncannon Lane) | Eastern terminus of KY 2872 |
| Madison | Richmond | 141.994 | 228.517 | KY 876 west (Eastern Bypass) / US 25 Bus. north / US 421 Bus. north (Big Hill Avenue) – Eastern Kentucky University | Eastern terminus of KY 876; southern terminus of US 25 Bus. and US 421 Bus.; EKU to the west via KY 876 |
| Madison | Richmond | 142.751 | 229.735 | KY 52 (Irvine Road) – Irvine, Ravenna | |
| Madison | Richmond | 145.250 | 233.757 | KY 1986 north (Trooper Cunningham Memorial Highway) to KY 388 | Southern terminus of KY 1986 |
| Madison | ​ | 146.426 | 235.650 | US 25 Bus. south / US 421 Bus. south (Lexington Road) | Northern terminus of US 25 business route; unsigned KY 2876 to the north |
| Madison | Richmond | 146.730– 146.939 | 236.139– 236.475 | I-75 – Lexington, Knoxville | I-75 exit 90 |
| Madison | Richmond | 147.516 | 237.404 | KY 1156 north (Jacks Creek Road) | Southern terminus of KY 1156 |
| Madison | ​ | 149.009 | 239.807 | KY 2878 north (Colonel Road) | Southern terminus of KY 2878 |
| Madison | ​ | 151.925 | 244.500 | KY 627 east (Boonesborough Road) / KY 3005 south (White Hall Shrine Road) | Western terminus of KY 627; northern terminus of KY 3005 |
| Madison | ​ | 154.348 | 248.399 | KY 2328 north (Lexington Road) | Southern terminus of KY 2328 |
| Madison | ​ | 154.547 | 248.719 | I-75 south – Knoxville | I-75 Exit 97 |
| Madison | ​ | 154.691– 154.713 | 248.951– 248.986 | I-75 north / KY 2884 east (Igo Road) – Lexington | Southern end of I 75 concurrency; KY 2884 straight ahead |
| Fayette | Lexington | 155.828 | 250.781 | KY 2328 / I-75 south | Exit from I-75 south; northern terminus of KY 2328 |
| Fayette | Lexington | 155.028 | 249.493 | I-75 north | Northern end of I-75 concurrency; I-75 exit 99 |
| Fayette | Lexington | 158.573 | 255.199 | KY 1973 north (South Cleveland Road) | Southern terminus of KY 1973 |
| Fayette | Lexington | 158.820 | 255.596 | KY 1975 north (Jacks Creek Pike) | Southern terminus of KY 1975 |
| Fayette | Lexington | 159.336 | 256.426 | KY 418 east (Athens-Booneburg Road) | Western terminus of KY 418 |
| Fayette | Lexington | 165.762 | 266.768 | Man o' War Boulevard | |
| Fayette | Lexington | 166.763– 166.864 | 268.379– 268.542 | New Circle Road (KY 4) | Interchange. KY 4 exit 15 |
| Fayette | Lexington | 169.461 | 272.721 | US 60 east | Southern end of US 60 concurrency; begin one-way split of east/west lanes |
| Fayette | Lexington | 170.197 | 273.906 | US 27 / US 60 west / US 68 (South Broadway) | North end of US 60 concurrency; 27 and 68 both ways, 60 continues to the south |
| Fayette | Lexington | 170.226 | 273.952 | US 25 south / US 421 south (West Vine Street) | North end of one-way split |
| Fayette | Lexington | 170.660 | 274.651 | US 25 north / KY 922 (Newtown Pike) | North end of US 25 concurrency; 25 continues to the north, 922 both ways |
| Fayette | Lexington | 172.380– 172.524 | 277.419– 277.650 | New Circle Road (KY 4) | Interchange; KY 4 exit 7 |
| Fayette | Lexington | 172.956 | 278.346 | KY 1978 north (Greendale Road) | Southern terminus of KY 1978 |
| Fayette | Lexington | 173.541 | 279.287 | Citation Boulevard (KY 1878 west) | Eastern terminus of KY 1878 |
| Fayette | Lexington | 176.371 | 283.842 | KY 1977 east (Yarnallton Road) | Western terminus of KY 1977 |
| Scott | ​ | 179.580 | 289.006 | US 62 east (Paynes Depot Road) | Southern end of US 62 concurrency |
| Woodford | Midway | 180.512 | 290.506 | KY 341 north (Georgetown Road) to I-64 | Southern terminus of KY 341 |
| Woodford | Midway | 182.747 | 294.103 | US 62 west (Midway Road) | Northern end of US 62 concurrency |
| Woodford | ​ | 186.122 | 299.534 | KY 1685 (Woodlake Road) | |
| Franklin | Frankfort | 190.750 | 306.982 | KY 676 west (East-West Connector) / US 60 east (Versailles Road) to I-64 – Versailles | Interchange; KY 676 straight ahead, ramp to US 60; eastern terminus of KY 676; southern end of US 60 concurrency |
| Franklin | Frankfort | 192.202 | 309.319 | US 60 west / US 460 east (East Main Street) | Northern end of US 60 concurrency; western terminus of US 460 |
| Franklin | Frankfort | 193.653 | 311.654 | US 127 north / KY 2261 south (Holmes Street) – Owenton, Frankfort | Southern end of US 127 concurrency; interchange |
| Franklin | Frankfort | 195.448 | 314.543 | KY 420 south (Clinton Street) | Northern terminus of KY 420 |
| Franklin | Frankfort | 195.592– 195.736 | 314.775– 315.007 | Robert C. Yount Memorial Bridges over the Kentucky River (one bridge for each direction of travel) | Robert C. Yount Memorial Bridges over the Kentucky River (one bridge for each direction of travel) |
| Franklin | Frankfort | 195.856 | 315.200 | US 127 south (West Frankfort Connector) / KY 1211 south (Taylor Avenue) | Northern end of US 127 concurrency; northern terminus of KY 1211 |
| Franklin | ​ | 198.083 | 318.784 | KY 1570 north (Saint Johns Road) | Southern terminus of KY 1570 |
| Franklin | ​ | 200.290 | 322.336 | KY 1665 south (Bark Branch Road) | Northern terminus of KY 1665 |
| Franklin | ​ | 202.465 | 325.836 | KY 12 (Dry Ridge Road/Flat Creek Road) | |
| Franklin | ​ | 208.280 | 335.194 | KY 561 north (Gest Road) | Southern terminus of KY 561 |
| Henry | ​ | 213.652 | 343.840 | KY 1922 south (Cedarmore Road) – Jacksonville | Northern terminus of KY 1922 |
| Shelby | ​ | 215.900 | 347.457 | KY 43 south (Cropper Road) – Cropper | Northern terminus of KY 43 |
| Henry | Pleasureville | 217.863 | 350.617 | KY 22 north (Bethlehem Road) – Bethlehem | Southern end of KY 22 concurrency |
| Henry | Pleasureville | 217.878 | 350.641 | KY 241 south (Main Street) – Shelbyville | Northern terminus of KY 241 |
| Henry | ​ | 220.435 | 354.756 | KY 3222 north (Point Pleasant Road) / KY 22 south (Elm Street) | Northern end of KY 22 concurrency; southern terminus of KY 3222 |
| Henry | ​ | 223.267 | 359.313 | KY 55 south (Eminence Road) – Eminence | Southern end of KY 55 concurrency |
| Henry | New Castle | 224.611 | 361.476 | KY 573 west / KY 146 east (Cross Main Street) | Eastern terminus of KY 573; western terminus of KY 146 |
| Henry | ​ | 225.110 | 362.279 | KY 202 north (Drennon Road) | Southern terminus of KY 202 |
| Henry | ​ | 226.871 | 365.113 | KY 193 north (Port Royal Road) | Southern terminus of KY 193 |
| Henry | ​ | 231.478 | 372.528 | KY 574 east (Turners Station Road) | Western terminus of KY 574 |
| Henry | Campbellsburg | 231.551 | 372.645 | KY 55 north (Carrollton Road) – Carrollton | Northern end of KY 55 concurrency |
| Henry | Campbellsburg | 232.538 | 374.234 | KY 997 south (Hillsboro Road) | Northern terminus of KY 997 |
| Henry | ​ | 234.046– 234.195 | 376.661– 376.900 | I-71 – Louisville, Cincinnati | I-71 exit 34 |
| Henry | ​ | 234.719 | 377.744 | KY 1606 south (Fallen Timber Road) | Northern terminus of KY 1606 |
| Trimble | ​ | 238.188 | 383.326 | KY 316 east | Western terminus of KY 316 |
| Trimble | Bedford | 241.686 | 388.956 | US 42 west (Main Street) | Southern end of US 42 concurrency |
| Trimble | Bedford | 241.857 | 389.231 | US 42 east (Main Street) | Northern end of US 42 concurrency |
| Trimble | Bedford | 242.933 | 390.963 | KY 625 north (Mt. Pleasant Road) | Southern terminus of KY 625 |
| Trimble | ​ | 245.425 | 394.973 | KY 2870 west (New Hope Road) | Eastern terminus of KY 2870 |
| Trimble | ​ | 246.031 | 395.949 | KY 1226 east (Palmyra Road) | Western terminus of KY 1226 |
| Trimble | ​ | 247.820 | 398.828 | KY 1492 east (Mt. Carmel Road) | Western terminus of KY 1492 |
| Trimble | Milton | 251.507 | 404.761 | KY 625 south (Mt. Pleasant Road) | Northern terminus of KY 625 |
| Trimble | Milton | 253.228 | 407.531 | KY 36 east (Ferry Street) to I-71 north | Western terminus of KY 36 |
| Ohio River | Ohio River | 253.933– 254.351 | 408.666– 409.338 | Milton–Madison Bridge | Milton–Madison Bridge |
| Jefferson | Madison | 0.000 | 0.000 | US 421 north (Vaughn Street) to SR 56 | Continuation into Indiana |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus ||||||
