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Somerset, KY Road Trips

Plan drives from Somerset, KY with practical route pages for distance, drive time, fuel cost, road character, and places to stop along the way.

Downtown Somerset, KY, KY

Photo: Boys in Bristol Photography

Trip Routes

2

Longest Drive

126.6 mi

Louisville, KY

Quickest Drive

1h 28m

Lexington-Fayette, KY

Plan Around Somerset, KY

Popular Incoming Routes

Useful if Somerset, KY is the arrival point and you want the strongest routes into the city first.

Continue From Somerset, KY

Good next legs if this city is only one stop in a longer road trip.

Trips from Somerset, KY

Somerset, KY by the Numbers

Recent demographic snapshot from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

Population

12,108

Median Income

$32,910

Median Home Value

$140,900

Median Age

39.1

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-year (public domain). See our methodology for details.

Traveler Guide to Somerset, KY

Somerset is a city in Kentucky's Southern Lakes region. It is the main gateway to Lake Cumberland, a large man-made lake that is a major draw for water recreation of all types.

1 Mill Springs Battlefield, 9020 W. Hwy 80, Nancy (11 miles west of Somerset), ☏ +1 606 636-4045. A national monument that seeks to preserve the site where the Battle of Mill Springs was fought. This battle fought on January 19, 1862 was a union victory and resulted in the death of General Felix Zollicoffer, the commander of Confederate forces operating out of Cumberland Gap. The 600 acre park offers a museum, a 10 stop battlefield driving tour, and a national cemetery. $8.00 (Museum).

1 Eagles Nest Country Club, 1811 Clubhouse Dr., ☏ +1 606 679-8341, [email protected]. A semi private country club featuring an 18 hole golf course 2 Somerset Country Club, 1216 N. Main St, ☏ +1 606 678-4623. A semi private country club featuring an 18 hole golf course. 3 Woodson Bend Resort, 14 Woodson Bend, Bronston (10 miles south of Somerset), ☏ +1 606 561-5311. An 18 hole championship golf course located on the shore of Lake Cumberland. The Center, a local venue often has theater productions and hosts concerts. 4 General Burnside Island State Park, 8801 S. Hwy. 27, Burnside (10 miles south of Somerset), ☏ +1 606 561-4104, [email protected]. A state park situated on an island in Lake Cumberland. The park features a golf course, campground, boat launch, and picnic shelters. 5 Master Musicians Festival, 808 Monticello St. (Somerset Community College), ☏ +1 606 677-6000, [email protected]. A long running 2 day music festival held in late July on the grounds of Somerset Community College.

1 Goodie Shack, 7744 US-27, Burnside, ☏ +1 606 561-6977. A family owned restaurant known for its chili dogs and ice cream.

Both Somerset and the adjoining community of Burnside are wet. They allow package alcohol sales, bars, and drinks to be sold in restaurants. 1 Baxter's Coffee, 427 Ogden Street, ☏ +1 606 676-9331.

1 Cumberland Cove Cottages, 620 Coomer Rd., Burnside (11 miles south of Somerset), toll-free: +1-800-760-9135. Eight cottages for rent featuring full kitchens ranging from 1 to 3 bedrooms. The property has a private dock and the nearest boat launch is at General Burnside Island State Park. 2 Lee's Ford Resort Marina, 451 Lees Ford Dock Rd., Nancy (7 miles west of Somerset), ☏ +1 606-636-6426. A full service marina featuring a restaurant and cottage rentals. There are 17 cabins available featuring full kitchens and ranging from 1 to 4 bedrooms. 3 Woodson Bend Resort, 14 Woodson Bend, Bronston (10 miles south of Somerset), ☏ +1 606 561-5311. A resort with 480 privately owned condos. Many are available for rent and range in size from 1 to 4 bedrooms. The resort also features a golf course and on site restaurant. 4 Cumberland Point Campground, 10000 Hwy. 761, Nancy (21 miles west of Somerset), ☏ +1 606 871-7886. A campground operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers located on the shore of Lake Cumberland. The campground offers 30 sites with electric hook ups. Amenities include shower houses, a boat ramp, and playground. The operating season is May though September. 5 Cumberland Point Campground & RV Resort, 344 Daws Ridge Rd., Nancy (16 miles west of Somerset), ☏ +1 606 271-3923, [email protected]. A privately owned campground featuring 54 sites with electric, water, and sewer hookups. Amenities include a fishing pond, general store, wifi, playground, shower houses, and a laundry facility. The campground is open year round.

Somerset is accessible from two Interstate Highways; I-75 to the east and I-65 to the west. I-75 northbound (from Tennessee and points south): Take the second London exit (exit 41) and head west on Kentucky Route 80 for about 25 miles. The highway runs right into Somerset. I-75 southbound (from Lexington, Cincinnati, and points north): Take the Mount Vernon/Renfro Valley exit (exit 62) and head south on US 25. Slightly less than a mile from I-75, take Kentucky Route 461; stay on that road for about 18 miles until it dead-ends into Kentucky 80, and turn right. You'll reach the outskirts of Somerset about 6 miles later. I-65 northbound (from Bowling Green, Nashville, and points south): Take the Cumberland Parkway exit (exit 43) and head east on the Cumberland Parkway for about 100 miles. The parkway, a four-lane controlled-access highway that was built as a toll road but is now free, ends in Somerset. I-65 southbound (from points north of Louisville): Several routes are available, depending on your tolerance for rural roads. Probably the fastest, though not the shortest in mileage, is to take I-64 east out of Louisville, and then stay on I-75 after the 64/75 split in Lexington. Exit at Mount Vernon as above. US 27 passes through Somerset, allowing easy access from Lexington, KY and Knoxville, TN (although most travelers from Lexington choose instead to take the I-75/KY 461 route). The closest regional airport is located at Lexington and the closest international airport is located at Louisville. 1 Lake Cumberland Regional Airport (SME IATA).

Automobiles are the primary method of transportation in Somerset. Many of the businesses are located along US 27, which can lead to congestion, especially during rush hour. If you need to travel from the north side of the city to the south side and wish to avoid the traffic, the KY 914 bypass provides a much faster route. The downtown business district lies a few miles off US 27. It is easily accessible from Highway 80 and Monticello Street. US 27 is only road that connects Somerset and Burnside (Burnside is located on the lake and is home to many marinas, boat docks, etc. Somerset has a small taxi service.

Travel tips adapted from Somerset (Kentucky) on Wikivoyage, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Content summarized; visit the source for the full article. See our methodology for how we use it.

Trips to Somerset, KY

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