7 Most Charming River Towns in Kentucky to Visit in 2024
Kentucky is a state full of wit and charisma, so if you haven't discovered its fruitful banks along the Ohio River with many confluences, these small towns are a great place to start. Each town with a pretty downtown has a long history of ups and downs, serving as major ports until the railroad.
Maysville, the town that sheltered slaves before they escaped across the river, is the famous hometown of the singer Rosemary Clooney and her brother Nick, who is George Clooney's father. Perfect for a weekend escape, 2024 is the best year to visit Ludlow, the recreational center between 1894 and 1917 at the Ludlow Lagoon, with its recent renaissance in housing and business along the river.
Bellevue
Bellevue, a town with a pretty name that translates to a beautiful view, is the hometown of one of Kentucky’s first female doctors, Anna E. Wolfram. While it does afford pretty scenery along the fruitful Ohio River banks, particularly along the present-day impeccably verdant Bellevue Beach Park. Gen. James Taylor, the War of 1812 veteran, banker, and one of the state's wealthier early settlers, named the town on his granted land after a home plantation in Virginia. Thriving through the 1800s with under 400 locals, the small city, by then standards boasted 15 grocery stores, four bakeries, six bootmakers, seven confectionaries, six doctors, and seven saloons.
At the turn of the century, Queen City Beach became among the US' largest inland beach resorts in the country, but failing to take proper care, the popularity waned after the river was overpolluted. The rising waters wiped out the beaches after locks and dams on the Ohio River, but the town's intimate feel in a picturesque spot along the vast river banks continues to delight residents who commute to Cincinnati for work. Home to the top-rated Manhattan Harbour Yacht Club and the popular Rossford Park with a fun playground, don't miss the mega-delicious Fesslers Legendary Pizza or Hoagies or the New China Buffet just south, with a drink after at the local favorite, Darkness Brewing.
Covington
Covington, the middle city in the north of the state, in between Florence and Newport, is like Brooklyn if Cincinnati were Manhattan, just a bridge walk away from the big city's downtown. With a rich history of firsts, the town was the first in NKY to pass an ordinance protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination, while John G. Carlisle, a politician, co-created the Bottled in Bond Act, thus guaranteeing high-quality whiskey for the first time in US history. John R. Roebling's Roebling Suspension Bridge, which arches the river from Covington to Cincinnati, is a model for his Brooklyn Bridge in NYC. Covington, as local as it gets, delights visitors with authenticity through everything that it touches, like the array of unique shops, street art, and restaurants, but also walking tours, Bourbon bars, and craft breweries, each crafted with a personality.
Travel writer Jan Schroder wrote "Covington, Kentucky: Gateway to Southern Food and Culture." Explore Covington's restaurant scene through the number of unique neighborhoods, where pretty nature surrounds you at the confluence of the Licking River and the Ohio. Incorporated and named after a hero of the War of 1812 four years later, it prospered as a market for Kentucky’s tobacco and cigars, glassworks, and other businesses. Welcoming many Catholic German settlers in the 1800s, the second-largest city in Kentucky after Louisville at the turn of the 20th century is home to one of the US's 89 basilicas. Covington's popularity fell through no fault of its own but following the Great Depression. Since then, it has vibrantly touched up the historic neighborhoods, which makes it a great town to escape to just across from Cincinnati.
Ludlow
Ludlow, just a small town, bursts with big charm through a beautiful downtown area. Uniting shopping, dining, and nature, visitors can get a sense of serene living with friendly patrons and sweet outdoor spaces for recreation. Close enough to Cincinnati for a day trip, Ludlow still has a small-town vibe. Don't miss Goebel Park with a tower clock and the spectacular Devou Park, one of the state's best, overlooking Cincinnati across the river in a sweeping view, easy to access for amenities, but far enough to hone the serenity within. Other attractions include the Lagoon Motordrome Historical Landmark, a scenic old bridge, and the artsy Ludlow Incinerator.
The town, on Gen. Thomas Sandford's land grant after the American Revolution, flourished under a change of hands from a British traveler, William Bullock, who was also a naturalist and antiquarian with hopes of establishing Hygeia, or the Greek word for health. Sold to Israel L. Ludlow in 1830, platted in 1846, and incorporated in 1864, the town attracted businessmen and planters and thrived along the Cincinnati Southern Railroad through the 1870s. After the streetcars started rambling along in the 1890s, many Germans and Irish settled in. Without any major struggles, Ludlow served as a successful recreational center between 1894 and 1917 at the Ludlow Lagoon, while today, visitors can enjoy its recent renaissance in housing and business along the river.
Maysville
Founded by the famous frontiersmen Simon Kenton and Daniel Boone, scenic Maysville nestles along the banks of the Ohio River in northeastern Kentucky, where Limestone Creek flows into the Ohio. More out of reach than other small towns, Maysville, known as Limestone well into the 19th century, retains character, pristine nature, and history. Thriving as a harbor and one of the state’s two principal ports for commerce and people in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, it became revered for life and work after the steamboat traffic boosted trade and population growth. Offering locals and tourists all that the heart desires, big-city entertainment is just over an hour away in Cincinnati or Lexington.
From amenities to shopping, the arts, and vivid parks for outdoor activities and sightseeing, the naturally charming town keeps up with the times while embracing its heritage. Don't miss the historic Cox Building housing the tourism office and gift shop on the second floor, to make the most of your trip in Maysville by the river. Home to a buffalo trace for centuries, visitors can stroll or drive in the footsteps of the natural trail of the Indigenous people that formed the road connecting Maysville south to Lexington. Having harbored enslaved people before crossing the river in search of freedom in Ohio, its famous residents include singer Rosemary Clooney and her brother Nick, who is George Clooney's father, as well as Miss America 2000 and a basketball star.
Paducah
One of nine UNESCO Creative Cities in the USA, Paducah is an inviting town steeped in history and delights the eye with its pretty waterfront of sailing vessels. Formally established in 1830, the county seat at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers is home to some 27,000 locals, holding true historic charm and a deep connection to the river close to the heart. Enjoy the special ambiance of the bygone-era downtown, a largely National Historic Landmark, and seek serenity at the riverside. Connecting creative thinkers and doers from around the globe, give Paducah a chance to inspire you too at the heart of the USA’s inland waterways, and see how it captured the area’s character at the Inland Waterways Museum (previously River Discovery Center) on life through the years along the river.
From numerous arts and crafts vendors for a personal gift or home decor to the renowned National Quilt Museum, as well as many theaters and art centers, you will see stunning murals. The city’s outdoor Floodwall Murals, one of the state's best attractions, feature 50 painted panels by Robert Dafford, who captured the town's history in bright, detailed form. In the summer, the beach area attracts pleasure boaters and sightseers, with many picnickers among them and swimmers in the water. Don't miss the rebuffed Lower Town Arts District, a historic, creative residential neighborhood around the Paducah School of Art & Design, whose artists showcase works in galleries around town. Historic Paducah Audio Tour celebrates the vibrant Historic Downtown with its 19th-century architecture, local shops, and restaurants, with a special mention to the time capsule of the 1927 Columbia Theatre.
West Point
West Point is a truly special town, home to just under 1,000 people. Stumbled upon at the confluence of the Salt and Ohio Rivers in 1776, but founded only after the Treaty of Greenville in 1775, in 1796 by Virginian James Young; he was a strong driving force of a man. With his amassed fortune in various businesses and as a partner in the first turnpike between Kentucky and Tennessee, the town, then the westernmost point of “English” settlement, became the state's main commercial river port. It welcomed Fort Duffield to protect its strategic location during the Civil War, while Julius Rosenwalde, a philanthropist, established one of the “Rosenwald Schools” for African American students in rural areas before the advent of the railways and highways.
From river strolls to open spaces and mountain hikes, Westpoint truly shines in this naturally blessed area. Home to avid outdoorsmen, visitors can join them in hiking, fishing, kayaking, and camping during the mild and warm summers. In west-central Kentucky, 30 miles south of Louisville, it is a quick getaway from Lexington or great access for locals to more amenities and entertainment. Don't miss Fort Duffield Park and Historic Site with a boardwalk and the riverfront Veterans Memorial Park for scenic picnics. Just south of downtown, the Tioga Falls Trail leads to a spectacular waterfall into a pool—a delicate natural sight to enjoy in nature's frame after a hike and relax in the fresh air.
Westport
Westport, a small city hidden 80 miles from Cincinnati at the mouth of Eighteenmile Creek, is a gem in the state. Offering unique experiences for visitors with deep history along the beautiful river banks, its relaxed local pace hums to the river's flow, attuned to nature. Established as Liberty around 1792 and incorporated in 1823 as the seat of Oldham County, that title moved about 8 miles to La Grange. Westport, an important river shipping town with ferry service as early as 1800, was a stop-point for steamboats and home to affluent citizens like Capt. Jack Taylor’s “Hurricane Hall.” You can see his grand home on a bluff about a mile north of town, among other flamboyant structures.
With no overcast in sight, the railroad brought a severe economic decline, while after the major flood of 1884, which destroyed 27 buildings, people lost hope and fled. Locals enjoy quick access to Louisville and Indiana, just across the river, and a variety of businesses and shops like Knock On Wood that warmly welcome visitors with excellent service and very happy patrons. Enjoy naturally breathtaking landscapes from the doorstep, like Schamback Park at Westport, with a fishing dock.
Discover the most charming river towns to explore in Kentucky in 2024. Bellevue, a town with a pretty name, is the hometown of one of Kentucky’s first female doctors, while Covington has a pocket full of "firsts" and a bridge by the designer of the Brooklyn Bridge. Ludlow's Devou Park is one of the state's best, overlooking Cincinnati across the river in a sweeping view, and don't miss Paducah's rebuffed Lower Town Arts District, a historic and creative neighborhood.
