U.S. Route 79 in Kentucky

US 79 in Kentucky begins at the Tennessee state line west of Guthrie and travels northeast, forming a junction with US 41 0.497 miles (0.800 km) from the state line. The route continues to the northeast, passing north of Guthrie and Allensville in rural areas of Todd County. 10.606 miles (17.069 km) from the Kentucky-Tennessee border, US 79 crosses into Logan County where it becomes known as Clarksville Road. The route continues northeast through rural areas of Logan County until it comes to an intersection with US 431, the Russellville Bypass, on the south side of Russellville 10.713 miles (17.241 km) from the Todd County line. US 79 and US 431 run concurrently along the Bypass south of town where it intersects KY 96 and the concurrency ending at Nashville Road (US 431 continues south while KY 2146 begins and heads north). US 79 and the Bypass begin to curve back north where it intersects KY 100 at its western terminus (KY 100 formerly continued along the Bypass to US 79's current terminus). US 79 ends at an intersection with Bowling Green Road which carries US 68 and KY 80 to the east and US 68 Bus. to the west towards downtown Russellville.[3][4]

Former terminus of US 79 at Russellville (201?-2017).

The current route in Kentucky was paved by 1939 but was not signed as US 79. The highway was originally designated as Kentucky Route 105. KY 105 originally ran the current designations of US Route 79 and Kentucky Route 79, from the state line to Russellville to the Rough River Lake State Resort Park area, and ending with KY 105's current alignment.[5] By 1958, the current route was signed as US 79, although, it extended a bit further northeast into Russellville.[6] Its long-time northern terminus at US 431 was created by 1999 with the construction of the Russellville Bypass.[7]

In November 2017, US 79's northern terminus returned to the east side of Russellville when it was routed onto the southern section of the Russellville Bypass loop when it was completed.[8]