There’s A Piece Of Kentucky That’s Broken Off From The Rest Of The State And Its Story Is Fascinating
If you live in Kentucky, you are likely very familiar with the shape of our state. You may not have the state line memorized, but you have a general idea of how Kentucky is formed. But did you know that there is a piece of the Bluegrass State that is actually not connected to Kentucky at all? This peninsula of land is definitely a part of our state, but it’s broken off from the rest of Kentucky and its story is fascinating.
As you drive through southwestern Kentucky and cross into Tennessee, you may not realize that you can actually head northwest to enter Kentucky again.
Known as the Kentucky Bend or the New Madrid Bend, this small peninsula is technically a part of the Bluegrass State, though it is almost completely surrounded by the Mississippi River with only a small land connection to Tennessee. On the opposite bank of the river, Missouri land further separates the exclave by wrapping around it.
That means that the Kentucky Bend is not connected to any other part of our state. To reach it, you have to either drive through Tennessee or travel across the Mississippi River by boat.
The area was greatly affected by the New Madrid earthquakes in the early 1800s - some of the strongest our country has seen - and the changes in the river at that time may have been a contributing factor.
For many years, Tennessee fought for this land, which many believed was mistakenly given to Kentucky.
Even the people who lived here were divided, and the area was known for intense disagreements and family feuds. These disagreements eventually subsided and the Kentucky Bend is now recognized as a part of Kentucky. Today, there are only a few residents left in this exclave, and they must travel at least 10 miles to reach any sort of gas station or store.
You can see in the photo below how the streets change as you cross the state line along State Route 22.
The Kentucky Bend is 26.9 square miles of land and water that is broken apart from the rest of the state, creating an incredibly unique territory and a fascinating tale.
Now that you know it exists, don't forget about this small peninsula that is completely separate from the Bluegrass State, yet adds an unusual feature to the shape of our state.
This short video shared by cherokeephil gives a great visual of the location of Kentucky Bend:
The story of the Kentucky Bend is one of many fascinating tales in our state, but it may just be the most interesting geography lesson in the Bluegrass. Did you know about this exclave in Kentucky? Tag a friend in the comments who would find this interesting!
And for another fascinating geographical feat in Kentucky, check out our previous article here.
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A Cincinnati native who has lived in Kentucky for over 10 years, Andrea's heart belongs both in the Queen City and the Bluegrass State. After earning an education degree and working in that field for a number of years, Andrea began to pursue her passion for writing over 6 years ago. Since then she has written for a number of print and online publications, as well as published a children's book.
