Kentucky Route 40 (KY 40) is a 42.339-mile-long (68.138 km) state highway in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The highway begins at an intersection with US 460/KY 7 in Salyersville, within Magoffin County, then continues eastward through Paintsville, within Johnson County. KY 40 ends in Martin County at an intersection with KY 292 and an access bridge to US 52 at the West Virginia state line.

History

KY 40 originally extended west to Frankfort. US 460 replaced the entire route west of Paintsville in the 1940s. Around 1980, it was moved onto a new alignment east of Salyersville, and KY 40 was extended back west.

Major intersections

CountyLocationmikmDestinationsNotes
MagoffinSalyersville0.0000.000US 460 (South Church Street/West Maple Street) / KY 7 to Mountain ParkwayWest Liberty, Paintsville
1.1101.786KY 2020 east (Mashfork Road)Western terminus of KY 2020
Falcon4.5677.350KY 1081 west (Mine Fork Road)Eastern terminus of KY 1081
6.43810.361KY 1437 north (Litteral Fork Road)Southern terminus of KY 1437
Johnson7.87412.672KY 825 eastEastern terminus of KY 825
Oil Springs8.47313.636KY 580 eastWestern end of KY 580 overlap
8.61413.863KY 580 westEastern end of KY 580 overlap
Barnetts Creek12.04619.386KY 580 west – Paintsville Lake State ParkEastern terminus of KY 580
13.40721.576KY 2275 west – Paintsville Lake State ParkEastern terminus of KY 2275
13.46021.662KY 172 west – Flat Gap, Sandy HookEastern terminus of KY 172
Paintsville14.88023.947US 23 north – AshlandInterchange; only northbound 23 can be accessed from 40 - the ramp to southbound 23 is off 460
15.01424.163US 460 west to US 23 south / US 460 east – Salyersville, Prestonsburg, Louisa
15.45924.879KY 321
16.83127.087KY 321 Bus. south (College Street)Eastern terminus of KY 321 Bus.
17.45428.089KY 1428 south (Depot Road)Northern terminus of KY 1428
17.47328.120KY 581 north – Jenny Wiley Grave, Johnson County Thealka ParkSouthern terminus of KY 581
17.81228.666KY 3388 south (Ponderosa Drive)Northern terminus of KY 3388
18.74430.166KY 1107 south – Van LearWestern end of KY 1107 overlap
19.27731.023KY 1145 south – Woodland Estates
19.46931.332KY 1107 north (Main Street)Eastern end of KY 1107 overlap
Meally20.31232.689KY 3389 south (Dicey Branch)Northern terminus of KY 3389
25.15640.485KY 2040 north – OffuttSouthern terminus of KY 2040
Boons Camp26.71642.995KY 1596 south (Greasy Creek Road)Northern terminus of KY 1596
28.85846.442KY 3390 north – Whitehouse, ChestnutSouthern terminus of KY 3390
MartinTomahawk34.35955.295KY 1224 south (Rockhouse Road)Northern terminus of KY 1224
Stidham35.90957.790KY 1884 north (Milo Road)Southern terminus of KY 1884
38.17561.437KY 645Paintsville, Louisa, Prestonsburg
Inez39.21963.117KY 3 north (Rockcastle Road) – Clifford, LouisaWestern end of KY 3 overlap
39.37963.374KY 3 south (Holy Street)Eastern end of KY 3 overlap
39.86964.163KY 908 north (Turkey Creek Road)Western end of KY 908 overlap
40.90565.830KY 645 westInterchange
40.93965.885KY 908 south (Coldwater Road)Eastern end of KY 908 overlap
44.49971.614KY 2032 south (Little Rockcastle Road)Northern terminus of KY 2032
Beauty47.26576.066KY 2031 north (Big Elk Road)Southern terminus of KY 2031
Warfield48.53578.110KY 292 north (Riverfront Road)Western end of KY 292 overlap
49.24579.252KY 292 southEastern end of KY 292 overlap
49.27079.292Virginia Avenue - Kermit, WVWest Virginia state line (Kermit Bridge over Tug Fork)
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus

Popular culture

The highway is the subject of the Ricky Skaggs song "Highway 40 Blues." According to songwriter Larry Cordle, "A lot of people who hear it think it's about Interstate 40, which runs right through Nashville, but I actually wrote it about that little state highway in Kentucky."

See also

  • U.S. roads portal
  • United States portal