# Kentucky Route 55

Kentucky Route 55 (KY 55) is a 140.858-mile-long (226.689 km) state highway in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky.
The route originates at a junction with U.S. Route 127 in Freedom, Russell County. The route continues through Columbia in Adair County to U.S. Route 68 in Campbellsville, Taylor County, where KY 55 joins US 68 east to Lebanon in Marion County. In Lebanon, KY 55 separates from US 68 and proceeds northward through Springfield in Washington County, Bloomfield in Nelson County, and Taylorsville and Elk Creek in Spencer County. In Shelby County it passes through Finchville and Shelbyville and continues north through Eminence in Henry County. Roughly three miles south of New Castle, KY 55 intersects U.S. Route 421. The two routes run concurrent for eight miles (13 km) before splitting near Campbellsburg. KY 55 continues north to Prestonville, where it ends at an intersection with U.S. Route 42 and Kentucky Route 36 on the bank of the Ohio River.

## Route description
### Russell County through Taylor County

The route originates at a junction with U.S. Route 127 in the southern Russell County community of Freedom. The route continues into Adair County through Columbia. In the 2010s, KY 55 was rerouted onto the Columbia Bypass, while the original KY 55 alignment, which went through town and provided access to the Cumberland Parkway, was re-designated as KY 55 Business.
The route continues northward, bypassing the Green River Lake State Park, and on to U.S. Route 68 in Campbellsville, Taylor County, where KY 55 joins US 68 east, and also runs concurrently with KY 70 for the remainder of that route's concurrency with US 68. US 68 and KY 55 continues north into Marion County.

### Marion County through Spencer County

At Lebanon, KY 55 splits from US 68 and continues to Springfield, Washington County, running into downtown Springfield and crossing US 150. It continues north-northwestwardly into eastern Nelson County, providing access to the Bluegrass Parkway and US 62 at Bloomfield. KY 55 goes further north to Spencer County, and goes through Taylorsville.

### Shelby County through Carroll County

From Spencer County, KY 55 runs northeast into Shelby County. The route runs through open fields with occasional houses lining the road. 2.184 miles (3.515 km) into Shelby County, KY 55 intersects with KY 148 and enters the community of Finchville. In Finchville the route is lined with houses and a few businesses, and the speed limited is reduced to 35 MPH. After meeting the eastern terminus of KY 1848, KY 55 leaves Finchville and heads north toward [[Shelbyville, where the speed limit reverts to 55 mph. A 1,000,000 sqft battery factory developed by a California-based company, a distillery aiming to boost tourism related to the bourbon trail project and several smaller businesses have recently popped up just south of the I-64 exit#32 on the eastern side of the highway. Recent construction has been completed and a traffic signal was also added just north of the interstate. Kentucky|Shelbyville]]. In Shelbyville, KY 55 crosses Interstate 64 at Exit 32. Currently, KY 55 widens to a 4 lane divided highway with a center turning lane a few tenths of a mile north of the Interstate. North of I-64, many businesses line KY 55 as well as 3 industrial parks. 1.7 miles (2.7 km) north of the interstate, KY 55 intersects with US 60 / KY 55 Business and becomes the Shelbyville Bypass (Freedom's Way). The Shelbyville Bypass opened up in November 2010, and is a 4.5 mile 4-lane divided highway. The Shelbyville Bypass runs north then curves east, crossing KY 53 near Shelby County West Middle School. The route continues east, crossing over Clear Creek and ends north of Shelbyville at an intersection with KY 55 Business. North of the Shelbyville Bypass, KY 55 becomes Eminence Pike and narrows to two-lanes as it heads north passing open fields and houses before entering into Henry County roughly 8 miles (13 km) further north. Alternatively, the business district within city limits of Shelbyville provides an alternative to taking the bypass. Running concurrently with US60 East (US60East; Main Sreet; KY Route 55 North) through Shelbyville, KY Route 55X can be picked up just a few miles later and just a mile or so south of the terminus of the KY 55 Bypass. In Henry County, KY 55 enters the city of Eminence and forms a concurrency with KY 22 for 0.1 miles (0.16 km). It continues north out of town and forms a concurrency with US 421 3 miles (4.8 km) north of KY 22. After passing by Henry County High School and traveling through New Castle, US 421 and KY 55 split in Campbellsburg. Roughly 2.5 miles (4.0 km) north of US 421, KY 55 passes over Interstate 71 and enters into Trimble County, where it travels for a short distance. The route intersects KY 316 at its eastern terminus and continues northward into Carroll County just over 1 mile (1.6 km) from the Trimble County-Henry County line.
In Carroll County, KY 55 curves toward the northeast, passing KY 549 and KY 389 in rural sections of the county. After the intersection with KY 389, the route turns toward the northwest and travels along the Kentucky River on the east, with mainly woods on the west. As it nears Presntonville, KY 55 turns toward the west, then northeast, then north at New Castle Pike. In Prestonville, it passes by a few homes before it ends at an intersection with US 42/KY 36, just west of the Kentucky River and south of the Ohio River. The entire route remains two-lanes throughout Henry, Trimble, and Carroll counties.

## Major intersections

| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
| Russell | Freedom | 0.000 | 0.000 | US 127 – Jamestown, Wolf Creek Dam, Albany | Southern terminus |
| Russell | ​ | 0.520 | 0.837 | KY 2284 | Southern terminus of KY 2284 |
| Russell | ​ | 2.027 | 3.262 | KY 1058 | Eastern terminus of KY 1058 |
| Russell | Olga | 4.309 | 6.935 | KY 379 – Creelsboro, Russell Springs | |
| Adair | ​ | 8.460 | 13.615 | KY 1313 | Northern terminus of KY 1313 |
| Adair | Glens Fork | 11.499 | 18.506 | KY 900 | Northern terminus of KY 900 |
| Adair | Glens Fork | 11.505 | 18.516 | KY 768 | Southern end of KY 768 overlap |
| Adair | Glens Fork | 11.670 | 18.781 | KY 768 | Northern end of KY 768 overlap |
| Adair | ​ | 14.304 | 23.020 | KY 92 east (Montpelier Road) | west terminus of KY 92 |
| Adair | ​ | 17.455 | 28.091 | KY 704 – Burkesville | Northern terminus of KY 704 |
| Adair | Columbia | 18.800 | 30.256 | KY 55 Bus. north / KY 6177 (Industrial Drive) – Columbia | Southern terminus of KY 55 Bus. |
| Adair | Columbia | 19.061 | 30.676 | KY 61 south / KY 80 (Burkesville Street) | Southern end of KY 61 overlap |
| Adair | ​ | 20.165 | 32.452 | KY 61 north / KY 439 (Greensburg Street) – Greensburg | Western terminus of KY 439/Northern end of KY 61 overlap |
| Adair | ​ | 21.594 | 34.752 | KY 767 (Dillon Street) | |
| Adair | ​ | 23.221 | 37.371 | KY 55 Bus. south (Campbellsville Street) | Northern terminus of KY 55 Bus. |
| Adair | ​ | 23.365 | 37.602 | KY 551 (Knifley Road) | Southern terminus of KY 551 |
| Adair | ​ | 25.434 | 40.932 | KY 530 (Cane Valley Road) | Southern terminus of KY 530 |
| Adair | Cane Valley | 27.407 | 44.107 | KY 2972 (Cane Valley Mill Road) | Eastern terminus of KY 2972 |
| Adair | ​ | 28.112 | 45.242 | KY 633 (Farris Road) | Eastern terminus of KY 633 |
| Adair | ​ | 28.891 | 46.496 | KY 682 (Cane Valley Road) – Holmes Bend Recreation Area | Western terminus of KY 682 |
| Adair | Coburg | 28.983 | 46.644 | KY 1913 (Coburg Lane) | Eastern terminus of KY 1913 |
| Taylor | ​ | 21.980 | 35.373 | KY 565 west (Ebenezer Road) | Eastern terminus of KY 565 |
| Taylor | Burdick | 26.788 | 43.111 | KY 1701 south (Milder Creek Road) | north terminus of KY 1701 |
| Taylor | Burdick | 27.009 | 43.467 | KY 3183 north (Old Columbia Road) | Southern terminus of KY 3183 |
| Taylor | Hatcher | 27.851 | 44.822 | KY 1061 (Lone Valley Road) – Green River Reservoir State Park | |
| Taylor | ​ | 29.308 | 47.167 | KY 1625 (Blue Hole Road) | Southern terminus of KY 1625 |
| Taylor | ​ | 30.371 | 48.877 | KY 3183 south (Old Columbia Road) | Northern terminus of KY 3183 |
| Taylor | Campbellsville | 31.598 | 50.852 | US 68 west / KY 70 west / KY 210 west – Hodgenville, Greensburg, Jacob Hiestand Museum | Southern end of US 68 / KY 70 overlap |
| see US 68 ||||||
| Marion | Lebanon | 50.949 | 81.994 | US 68 east (West Main Street) – Danville | Northern end of US 68 overlap |
| Marion | Lebanon | 51.338 | 82.621 | KY 49 north (Loretto Road) / KY 52 west to KY 84 – Bardstown | Southern end of KY 49 / KY 52 overlap |
| Marion | Lebanon | 51.491 | 82.867 | KY 49 south (Proctor Knott Avenue / KY 52 east) | Northern end of KY 49 / KY 52 overlap |
| Marion | Lebanon | 51.669 | 83.153 | Spalding Avenue (KY 55S south) | Northern terminus of KY 55S |
| Marion | Lebanon | 51.886 | 83.502 | KY 429 north (St. Rose Road) | Southern terminus of KY 429 |
| Marion | Lebanon | 52.716 | 84.838 | KY 2154 east (Corporate Drive) to US 68 east | Southern end of KY 2154 overlap |
| Marion | Lebanon | 52.968 | 85.244 | KY 2154 west – truck to US 68 west / KY 55 south | Northern end of KY 2154 overlap |
| Washington | ​ | 57.494 | 92.528 | KY 3165 (Old Lebanon Road) | Northern terminus of KY 3165 |
| Washington | ​ | 58.574 | 94.266 | KY 3164 / KY 528 (Lebanon Road) – Springfield | Eastern terminus of KY 3164/Western terminus of KY 528 |
| Washington | Springfield | 60.322 | 97.079 | US 150 Bus. east / KY 152 east (Main Street) / KY 555 north to US 150 / Bluegrass Parkway – Springfield, Lincoln Homestead State Park | Southern end of US 150 Bus. / KY 152 overlap |
| Washington | Springfield | 60.408 | 97.217 | US 150 Bus. west / KY 152 west – Bardstown | Northern end of US 150 Bus. / KY 152 overlap |
| Washington | ​ | 61.442 | 98.881 | US 150 | |
| Washington | ​ | 65.719 | 105.764 | KY 438 east (Beechland Road) | Western terminus of KY 438 |
| Washington | Mooresville | 68.770 | 110.675 | KY 458 (Mt. Zion Road) | Western terminus of KY 458 |
| Washington | ​ | 69.313 | 111.548 | KY 529 south (Valley Hill Road) | north terminus of KY 529 |
| Nelson | ​ | 72.669 | 116.949 | KY 1858 west (Stringtown Road) | Eastern terminus of KY 1858 |
| Nelson | ​ | 75.125 | 120.902 | Bluegrass Parkway – Elizabethtown, Lexington | Bluegrass Parkway exit 34 |
| Nelson | ​ | 75.649 | 121.745 | KY 2738 (Tunnel Mill Road) | Western terminus of KY 2738 |
| Nelson | ​ | 75.867 | 122.096 | US 62 west – Bardstown | Southern end of US 62 overlap |
| Nelson | Bloomfield | 78.164 | 125.793 | US 62 east / KY 48 west – Fairfield | Northern end of US 62 overlap |
| Spencer | ​ | 81.505 | 131.170 | KY 458 south (Chaplin Road) | north terminus of KY 458 |
| Spencer | ​ | 81.654 | 131.409 | KY 1066 east (Franklin Road) | Western terminus of KY 1066 |
| Spencer | ​ | 83.728 | 134.747 | KY 1392 south | north terminus of KY 1392 |
| Spencer | ​ | 84.220 | 135.539 | KY 2239 north (Overlook Road) – Taylorsville Lake State Park | Southern terminus of KY 2239 |
| Spencer | ​ | 85.759 | 138.016 | KY 652 south (Little Union Road) – Fairfield | |
| Spencer | ​ | 87.526 | 140.859 | KY 2885 south (West River Road) | Eastern terminus of KY 2885 |
| Spencer | Taylorsville | 87.816 | 141.326 | KY 44 west (Main Street) – Mount Washington | Southern end of KY 44 overlap |
| Spencer | Taylorsville | | | KY 3200 east (East Main Street) – Mount Eden | |
| Spencer | Taylorsville | 88.519 | 142.458 | KY 44 east (Little Mount Road) – Taylorsville Lake State Park | Northern end of KY 44 overlap |
| Spencer | ​ | | | To Elk Creek Road / KY 1633 | |
| Spencer | ​ | 92.561 | 148.962 | KY 1169 (Normandy Road) | |
| Spencer | Elk Creek | 93.271 | 150.105 | KY 155 north / KY 1663 south – Louisville | Northern terminus of KY 1663/Southern terminus of KY 155 |
| Shelby | Finchville | 97.751 | 157.315 | KY 148 (Fisherville Road) | |
| Shelby | Finchville | 97.753 | 157.318 | KY 1848 north (Buck Creek Road) | south terminus of KY 1848 |
| Shelby | Shelbyville | 101.784 | 163.805 | I-64 – Louisville, Lexington | I-64 exit 32 |
| Shelby | ​ | 102.727 | 165.323 | KY 2862 north (Pearce Industrial Road) | south terminus of KY 2862 |
| Shelby | ​ | 103.465 | 166.511 | US 60 / KY 55 Bus. north (Shelbyville Road) – Louisville, Shelbyville | |
| Shelby | ​ | 105.683 | 170.080 | KY 53 (LaGrange Road) | |
| Shelby | ​ | 107.967 | 173.756 | KY 55 Bus. south (Eminence Pike) | Northern terminus of KY 55 Bus. |
| Henry | Eminence | 116.555 | 187.577 | KY 1899 north (Mulberry Pike) | south terminus of KY 1899 |
| Henry | Eminence | 117.226 | 188.657 | KY 22 west (West Broadway) – Louisville | Southern end of KY 22 overlap |
| Henry | Eminence | 117.328 | 188.821 | KY 22 east (Elm Street) – Owenton | Northern end of KY 22 overlap |
| Henry | ​ | 120.074 | 193.240 | KY 1861 west (Sunnyside Road) | Eastern terminus of KY 1861 |
| Henry | ​ | 120.410 | 193.781 | US 421 south (Castle Highway) – Frankfort | Southern end of US 421 overlap |
| see US 421 ||||||
| Henry | ​ | 128.694 | 207.113 | US 421 north (Campbellsburg Road) to I-71 – Bedford | Northern end of US 421 overlap |
| Trimble | ​ | 131.673 | 211.907 | KY 316 west | Eastern terminus of KY 316 |
| Carroll | ​ | 136.171 | 219.146 | KY 549 north | Southern terminus of KY 549 |
| Carroll | ​ | 138.363 | 222.674 | KY 389 south to I-71 | |
| Carroll | ​ | 140.405 | 225.960 | KY 549 south | Northern terminus of 549 |
| Carroll | Prestonville | 140.858 | 226.689 | US 42 / KY 36 | Northern terminus |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus ||||||

## Special routes
### Columbia business route

Kentucky Route 55 Business (KY 55 Business) is a business route of KY 55 in Columbia. The highway runs 3.025 miles (4.868 km) between junctions with KY 6177/KY 55 south of Columbia and KY 55 north of Columbia. The route runs north from its southern terminus and passes over the Cumberland Expresway as it enters Columbia. 0.934 miles (1.503 km) from KY 55 south of Columbia, the route forms a concurrency with KY 80 and turns northwest as it passes through the heart of town. At an intersection with KY 80 and KY 439, it turns toward the north. KY 55 Business intersects KY 206 as it continues its northward path out of Columbia. A little over 1 mile (1.6 km) north of KY 206, KY 55 Business ends at an intersection with KY 55 (Columbia Bypass).

### Lebanon spur

Kentucky Route 55 Spur (KY 55 Spur) in Lebanon is 0.255 miles (0.410 km) long and connects KY 55 to US 68 in the heart of downtown Lebanon.

### Shelbyville business route

Kentucky Route 55 Business (KY 55 Business) is a business route of KY 55 in Shelbyville. The highway runs 5.150 miles (8.288 km) between junctions with US 60/KY 55 west of Shelbyville and KY 55 north of Shelbyville. The route was formed in 2010 with the completion of the Shelbyville Bypass (Freedom's Way), which re-routed KY 55 around Shelbyville. The old route that passed through Shelbyville became KY 55 Business. For the first 3.074 miles, the route forms a concurrency with US 60 and is a four-lane highway. From its origin, it passes through a commercial area of Shelbyville with many businesses and shopping centers lining the roadway. Roughly 1.3 miles (2.1 km) from its origin, KY 55 Business splits into two one-way routes, Main Street going west to east, and Washington Street going east to west. Here it also forms a concurrency with KY 53. The route passes through downtown Shelbyville and the one-way routes join just east of downtown. The route then departs with US 60 and KY 53 and turns north and becomes a two-lane highway, passing by multiple businesses and subdivisions. After intersecting KY 43 and KY 2268, it continues north for roughly 0.8 miles (1.3 km) before ending at KY 55 north of Shelbyville.