Written Directions
Start at the intersection of4th Street (US 51/62) and Court Street (KY-121) in downtown Wickliffe, KY (approximately 4 miles south of the Cairo Ohio River Bridge). Head south on US 51/62 (4th Street) for approximately 8 miles to the intersection of Elm Street (US 51) and Paducah Road (US 62) in Bardwell. Turn left onto Paducah Road and continue for 14.2 miles to Lovelaceville. Turn right onto Walnut Street to continue on US 62. Follow the road for 12.2 miles to the interchange for I-24 on the east side of Paducah.
Scenery
The route travels from the Mississippi River through the lowlands of western Kentucky. The route is mostly tree-lined, providing flowering trees in the spring, shade in the summer and good fall colors, with the occasional stretches of open farm fields and yards, as it passes a few small towns and communities between Wickliffe and Paducah.
Drive Enjoyment
As this is a US highway, it is definitely a cruising route. The route is mostly straight sections with easy curves, broken up by small town and communities, and mild elevation changes. The road surface is a combination of newer and older rolled asphalt. It is mostly a two lane road until just before Paducah, when it become first a four lane, then a divided four lane highway.
Tourism Opportunities
Wickliffe has a historic county courthouse and the Fort Jefferson Memorial Cross at the Confluence Park, as well as a number of restaurants and shops. There are restaurants and shops in the towns of Bardwell, Cunningham, Lovelaceville, The beginning of the route passes by the Winford and Coil Estate Wildlife Management Areas, and ends passing the Western Kentucky Community and Technical College in Paducah. Paducah has numerous historic sites, restaurants and shopping opportunities, as well as the Four Rivers Harley-Davidson dealership (which looks like a sidewheeler river boat).
Motorcycle Road Additional info
While not the most direct route between the Cairo, IL area and Paducah (that would be KY-286), it is somewhat better maintained, and a nice alternative to that route or to US 60 to the north. One of the earliest of the US highways (this stretch was designated in 1932), it is part of the only east-west US highway that connects Canada and Mexico.
