Grand Rivers

Understand

Grand Rivers is a small home rule-class city in Livingston County, Kentucky, United States, with a population of about 345 residents. Known as the "Village Between the Lakes," it sits on the isthmus between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley and serves as the northern gateway to the 170,000-acre Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. Grand Rivers developed as a small river and railway community and later became closely associated with tourism and recreation around Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley.

The town is sometimes known as the "Village Between the Lakes" because of its location between the two large reservoirs. Fishing, boating, camping and other outdoor activities are important attractions in the area. Grand Rivers has a small, walkable downtown with local restaurants, shops and historic buildings. The population of Grand Rivers is 345 according to the 2020 U.S. Census, though recent American Community Survey estimates place the local population around 436 residents.

Get in

Grand Rivers is located in the heart of Kentucky's Western Waterlands, between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. Grand Rivers borders the northern entrance to Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area.

By car

Grand Rivers is three miles off of I-24/I-69, KY exit 31 (exit numbers in this area use I-24 mileage); two hours Northwest of Nashville, TN, and three and a half hours Southeast of St. Louis, MO. Major roads include Interstate 24/69 and US Highway 453 (The Trace).

By boat

Grand Rivers is located on Kentucky Lake (Tennessee River, mile marker 24) and Lake Barkley (Cumberland River, mile marker 31), and offer navigable deep water access from the Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico via the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, and to Chicago and the Great Lakes by way of the Ohio-Mississippi River system.

Get around

Grand Rivers is small enough to explore on foot, particularly around the downtown area.

History

Grand Rivers may have originally been known as Narrows from its position between the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers. The local post office was established in 1879 as Otisville; changed its name in 1882 to Bernard; and was then changed again to Nickells the next year after the name of a new Illinois Central station.