Metcalfe County sits in south-central Kentucky with Edmonton as the main settlement and road reference. U.S. 68 and Kentucky routes 80 and 163 meet around the city, while Shady Grove, Summer Shade, and Cyclone help orient the northern, southwestern, and southern parts of the county. The physical maps show the Little Barren River system, County Lake, Dunham Lake, Blue Spring Creek, and a dense set of tributary valleys. High-resolution JPG versions of the supplied maps can also be downloaded together in one ZIP archive for printing, classroom work, presentations, or offline reference. High-resolution map files are available for download in the section below.
The official Metcalfe County government website identifies Edmonton as the county seat and notes that U.S. 68 and Kentucky routes 80 and 163 serve the city. The map reflects that role: Edmonton is the clearest developed center, while most of the surrounding county consists of small roads, creeks, and rolling hill country. The elevation surface reports an actual range of about 172 to 358 meters with a mean near 259 meters, with the central river valleys generally lower than the southwestern and eastern uplands.
Table of Contents
Edmonton ties together routes 68, 80, and 163
The general county map makes Edmonton the easiest place to begin. Route 68 approaches from the north and passes through the city, route 80 crosses the Edmonton area from west to east, and route 163 continues south toward Cyclone. Routes 533 and 861 serve nearby southeastern and western areas. The concentration of road connections around Edmonton makes its central role obvious even before the smaller place names are considered.
North of Edmonton, routes 543 and 869 cross rolling interior terrain, while routes 745 and 544 continue toward the long northeastern county boundary. Shady Grove appears near the northern end with route 218 nearby. This part of the county contains repeated creek valleys and low ridges, so the roads tend to curve with the terrain rather than forming a rigid grid.
The western side includes routes 70 and 314, and Summer Shade provides a southwestern reference near route 640. Cyclone lies farther south around route 163 and close to route 90, while route 496 reaches toward the southeastern edge. As the map moves away from Edmonton, major urban labels become less prominent and the rural road-and-creek network takes over.
This is a geographic road reference rather than a live navigation product. It does not show current construction, temporary closures, bridge conditions, or travel times. In a county with many stream valleys and hills, the actual driving route between two nearby points can be noticeably longer than their direct separation.
Edmonton is the only ranked major city on the supplied city map
The city-distribution map ranks Edmonton as the county’s only major city and labels its population as 2,330. The city sits slightly south of the county’s geographic middle, surrounded by a much larger area of small roads, creeks, and rural land. That single ranked marker makes the county’s settlement pattern easy to understand: one principal center serves a wide rural area.
The neighboring county labels provide regional context. Hart and Green counties are shown to the north, Adair County to the east, Cumberland County to the west, and Barren and Monroe counties toward the southwest. Those names make it easier to place Edmonton within south-central Kentucky rather than viewing the county in isolation.
The absence of another ranked city does not mean that other communities are missing. Shady Grove, Summer Shade, and Cyclone are visible on the general county map, and local roads connect many smaller rural places. The city-distribution view is deliberately simplified to emphasize the main urban center; the road map provides the finer local detail.
Once Edmonton is fixed as the reference point, the physical maps become easier to follow. The Little Barren River system runs through the central county, Dunham Lake sits northeast of the city, and lower valley terrain extends through much of the same area. Higher ridges become more common farther southwest and east.
Little Barren River branches organize the county’s central drainage
The terrain-and-water map is organized around the Little Barren River system. East Fork Little Barren River winds through the north-central county, while the main Little Barren River continues through the central area south of Edmonton. South Fork Little Barren River occupies a separate southeastern valley before joining the broader drainage network.
Adams Creek appears in the northeast, while County Lake provides a small but useful water landmark farther toward the center. Dunham Lake is located northeast of Edmonton and sits close to the Little Barren River system. Along the western side, Blue Spring Creek forms a long named drainage corridor that helps separate the west-central hills from the county boundary.
Farther south, East Fork Creek, Logsdon Creek, and Moccasin Creek occupy separate valleys. Nobob Creek appears in the southwest, Marrowbone Creek follows the southern edge, and Flat Rock Creek makes a broad winding route in the southeast. Many smaller unnamed tributaries fill the spaces between them, showing how densely the county is cut by drainage lines.
A practical way to read the map is to begin with East Fork Little Barren River, trace the main Little Barren River, and then add the South Fork. County Lake, Dunham Lake, and Blue Spring Creek provide secondary landmarks. This is a geographic reference map rather than a flood, water-depth, fishing-regulation, or property-access product, so current conditions should be checked with the responsible agencies.
Elevation from 172 to 358 meters separates the river valleys from higher ridges
The elevation map reports an actual county range of about 172 to 358 meters and a mean near 259 meters. Lower green terrain follows East Fork Little Barren River, the main Little Barren River, South Fork, and several named creeks. Higher yellow, orange, and brown ridges are more widespread in the southwest and east, creating a clear contrast with the central drainage corridors.
The northwestern part of the county is generally green to light green, although it is still broken by small hills and valleys. Blue Spring Creek and nearby tributaries create lower routes through this area. Around the northern and northeastern boundary, terrain becomes more strongly ridged in places, especially away from the main stream valleys.
The Summer Shade side and the broader southwest contain some of the largest high-elevation areas on the map. Around routes 640 and 163, brown and orange ridges are divided by narrow green creek valleys. The Flat Rock Creek area in the southeast shows a similar relationship, with a low winding corridor surrounded by higher ground.
The elevation colors are intended for county-scale comparison rather than precise site measurement. They are useful for distinguishing river valleys from higher uplands, but they should not be treated as survey-grade elevation for a road, building, property, or engineering project. Exact site work should rely on current source elevation data or professional surveying.
Following the maps from Edmonton to the northern forks and southern hills
Edmonton is the simplest starting point for comparing all of the map views. On the road map, locate routes 68, 80, and 163, then identify Shady Grove, Summer Shade, and Cyclone in different directions. On the water map, the Little Barren River and Dunham Lake provide the first physical references around the city.
For the north, routes 543, 869, and 745 help divide the county into smaller sections. East Fork Little Barren River and County Lake then provide the water references, while the elevation view shows low green valleys bordered by higher ridges toward the east.
For the south, route 163 and route 90 lead toward Cyclone, while Moccasin Creek, Marrowbone Creek, and Flat Rock Creek organize the drainage. The Summer Shade area in the southwest is noticeably higher than the central Edmonton corridor. Following the same place names across road, water, and elevation maps makes the county much easier to understand.
Choosing the best Metcalfe County map for print, class, or reference
Use the general county map when Edmonton, Shady Grove, Summer Shade, Cyclone, numbered roads, and the full boundary need to appear together. The city-distribution map is cleaner when the main point is that Edmonton is the only ranked major city and that the county sits among several neighboring south-central Kentucky counties.
Choose the terrain-and-water map for the Little Barren River system, Blue Spring Creek, County Lake, Dunham Lake, and the named southern creeks. The elevation map is the strongest view for explaining the difference between low central valleys and higher southwestern and eastern ridges. Comparing water and elevation together makes the local terrain much easier to understand.
The WebP images in the article are optimized for browser viewing. The downloadable ZIP contains the original JPG maps at 2,572×3,638 pixels each, which is better suited to printing, classroom worksheets, presentations, and offline reference. These maps are general geographic resources rather than legal boundary records, flood studies, parcel surveys, navigation products, or engineering plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Edmonton within Metcalfe County?
Edmonton sits slightly south of the county’s geographic center at the junction of routes 68, 80, and 163. The official Metcalfe County government website identifies Edmonton as the county seat. Its road connections make it the easiest starting point for locating Shady Grove, Summer Shade, Cyclone, and the Little Barren River system.
Which map best shows Little Barren River, County Lake, and Dunham Lake together?
The terrain-and-water map is the best choice. It shows East Fork Little Barren River, the main Little Barren River, South Fork, Blue Spring Creek, Logsdon Creek, Moccasin Creek, Flat Rock Creek, County Lake, and Dunham Lake in one view.
Can the 172–358 meter elevation range be used as an exact property elevation?
No. The range summarizes the actual countywide elevations shown on the supplied map, with a mean near 259 meters. It is useful for comparing low stream valleys with higher ridges, but exact site elevations should come from current source data or professional surveying.
Map File Information
The ZIP archive contains the original high-resolution JPG versions of the Metcalfe County road-and-boundary map, city-distribution map, terrain-and-water map, and elevation map. Each image is 2,572×3,638 pixels for printing, classroom work, presentations, and offline reference.
- File Type: 4 JPG files inside one ZIP archive
Related Maps
Sources and references
County and Edmonton information is available from the official Metcalfe County government website and the Kentucky.gov Metcalfe County profile. For underlying geographic data, see the U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line Shapefiles for boundaries and roads, USGS National Hydrography for rivers, lakes, and streams, and the USGS 3D Elevation Program for elevation data.
These maps are intended for geographic explanation, printing, and general reference. Legal boundary decisions, live traffic, flood and water-safety questions, property surveying, and engineering work should rely on the latest authoritative information from the responsible public agency.
Green Map creates custom-edited map images using open geographic data sources such as geoBoundaries, Natural Earth, OpenStreetMap, and government open data. These maps are edited visual materials, not raw data files, and are provided for education, documents, presentations, and graphic reference.
