Western Kentucky

This article is about the geographic term "Western Kentucky". For the university, see Western Kentucky University. For this school's athletic program, see WKU Hilltoppers and Lady Toppers.

Western Kentucky is the western portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It generally includes part or all of several more widely recognized regions of the state.

Always included

• The Jackson Purchase, the state's westernmost generally recognized region, west of the Tennessee River.
• The Western Coal Fields.

Included in part

• The Pennyroyal Plateau, locally known as the "Pennyrile", which surrounds the Western Coal Fields and is across the Tennessee River from the Purchase. Most of this region is generally included in "Western Kentucky".

May also be included

• The western half of the region more commonly known as South Central Kentucky, which significantly overlaps with the Pennyrile.