Paducah, KY City Guide and Yellow Pages

More About Paducah, Kentucky

que town located at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers, Paducah, Ky., is the county seat of McCracken County. Known as “The Heart of Four Rivers Region,” Paducah is near the Ohio, Tennessee, Cumberland, and Mississippi Rivers, midway between St. Louis, Mo., and Nashville, Tenn. With a population of more than 26,000, Paducah covers a total area of 19.5 square-miles.

The western Kentucky town’s “humid subtropical” climate zone brings hot, humid summers and cool winters, with an average annual temperature of about 57 degrees.

A thriving, family-oriented area, Paducah’s inclusive community and arts-friendly culture have earned it a national reputation for tourism and arts. Paducah residents enjoy a variety of recreational activities, such as entertainment at the Luther F. Carson Center for the Performing Arts, the restored Metropolitan Hotel, the Paducah Symphony Orchestra, the farmers market, Greenway Trail, skate park, disc golf course, and ice skating rink.

A focal point of Paducah is its nationally honored restoration efforts in historic downtown, Lowertown and the riverfront. The National Trust for Historic Preservation awarded the Paducah Renaissance Alliance the 2010 Great American Main Street Award. Paducah has received numerous awards for its exceptional arts-driven achievements in “revitalizing” its historic and traditional Main Street commercial district. Another winning restoration strategy for Paducah has been Main Street’s Artists Relocation Program. Artists from across the nation received financial incentives to refurbish historic homes and buildings for living and studio space. The city now boasts an abundance of creative transplants, art galleries, and arts-related businesses. Twenty blocks of downtown Paducah are recognized in the National Register of Historic Places.

Since 2005, more than 45 vibrantly painted flood-wall panels, the Wall to Wall Mural Project, enliven downtown Paducah, bringing the city’s colorful past to life. “Portraits of Paducah’s Past” has grown into a popular panoramic sight to see, and a rich reminder of Paducah’s history. Visual arts in Paducah can also be found at Yeiser Art Center, independent films at the Maiden Alley Cinema, and other arts district venues. William Clark, head of the famed Lewis & Clark Expedition, arrived in 1827 with the titled deed for the area now known as the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway. He named the settlement in honor of the Padouca Indians. Paducah incorporated as a town in 1830. A strategic site in crucial border state during the Civil War, Confederate Lt. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest used guerilla warfare to capture Paducah in 1864. Civil War buffs can visit Paducah’s Tilghman Civil War Museum.

Each spring, the American Quilters Society holds its annual show at the Paducah Expo Center, the Julian Carroll Convention Center, and the new AQS Pavilion, attracting visitors from around the world. Quilt fans can also visit Paducah’s National Quilt Museum of the United States.

Another annual event held in Paducah is the OMGcon, an anime and gaming convention.

Paducah showcases its local talent during its annual Paducahpalooza music festival.

Since 1959, Paducah’s local NBC affiliate, WPSD, and the area Lions Club host an annual telethon to raise money for local charities. Such celebrities as Betty White, Leonard Nimoy, Count Basie, Carl Perkins, Bobby Vee, Pam Tillis and Barbara Mandrell have appeared.

“Beaded ice cream” called Dippin’ Dots, “the ice cream of the future,” is manufactured in Paducah. This cool Kentucky-made confection is the result of “flash freezing” ice-cream ingredients with liquid nitrogen, producing little balls of ice cream. The company offers Dippin’ Dots at thousand of locations worldwide, from fairs, fundraisers, festivals and theme parks, to franchised retail shops.

The Paducah and Louisville Railway, “The right location for the right connection,” is a full-service regional railroad. For train enthusiasts, there is the Paducah chapter National Railway Historical Society, which also has a museum dedicated to “ the romantic past of America’s railways.”

Written by Kathleen Cooney

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