Drive America’s Highways for 45 miles south along Interstate 65 from downtown Louisville to Elizabethtown, Kentucky 🏇
We begin our journey in the heart of downtown Louisville at the busy interchange where Interstate 65 meets Interstate 71. As we merge onto I-65 southbound, we immediately snake our way through the city’s core, passing landmarks like the KFC Yum! Center and Louisville Slugger Field just to the west. Quickly, the route rises above the streets on elevated lanes, offering fleeting views of the urban skyline before descending near the interchange with U.S. Highway 150 and Broadway. This is where I-65 starts to shift from an urban corridor to a major intercity route.
Leaving downtown, we pass by the interchange with Interstate 264 (Watterson Expressway), a major loop route that circles the city. Just beyond this point, the highway brushes the eastern edge of Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport—keep an eye out for planes approaching overhead, especially near the Standiford Field interchange. South of the airport, I-65 continues through the suburban stretch of southern Jefferson County before reaching the large, looping interchange with Interstate 265 and KY-841, marking the official transition from metro Louisville to more rural Kentucky terrain.
Past I-265, the highway takes on a more open, rolling character as it stretches toward Bullitt County. At Shepherdsville, we cross KY-44, a connector route leading west toward Fort Knox, located just over the hills to our right. Though not directly visible from the highway, the sprawling Fort Knox military reservation occupies much of the land west of I-65. From here, we start the gradual climb out of the Ohio River Valley, gaining elevation as we pass through thick woods and farmland. At the crest of the climb, we encounter the interchange with KY-313 (Joe Prather Highway), another Fort Knox access route and one of the main corridors for military and civilian traffic heading east-west across this part of Kentucky.
Entering Hardin County, the landscape begins to level out again as we approach Elizabethtown—often shortened to “E-town” by locals. The city is a regional hub and a key waypoint along I-65, featuring several major interchanges. We first cross paths with U.S. Highway 62, which provides access to downtown Elizabethtown and continues east toward Hodgenville and west toward Leitchfield. Just south of here, we hit the interchange with the Bluegrass Parkway, a major east-west corridor connecting Elizabethtown to Lexington. Finally, our drive ends at the eastern terminus of the Western Kentucky Parkway, another major route branching westward toward Central and Western Kentucky.
This stretch of I-65 offers a mix of cityscape, suburban sprawl, military importance, and rolling Kentucky countryside. Whether you’re traveling for business, heading south for warmer weather, or simply exploring the Bluegrass State, the corridor between Louisville and Elizabethtown serves as both a functional artery and a scenic introduction to central Kentucky.
Note: The exit sign at Interstate 265 is mislabeled in our video. It shows I-264, but it should be I-265.
🗺️ Route Map
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