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Kentucky is located in the eastern south-central area of the United States. It is the 37th largest state by area and 26th largest by population. Its nickname is the Bluegrass State, based upon the bluegrass found in much of the state. Kentucky borders Ohio to the north and northeast, Illinois and Indiana to the northwest, Missouri to the west, Tennessee to the south, Virginia to the southeast, and West Virginia to the east. Kentucky is situated in the Upland South, and a large portion of eastern Kentucky is part of Appalachia. The largest city is Louisville, with Lexington being the next largest, and Frankfort is the capital.

Kentucky has the world's longest cave system in Mammoth Cave National Park, the longest number of navigable waterways and streams in the contiguous U.S., other than Alaska, and the two largest man-made lakes east of the Mississippi. Its northern border is formed by the Ohio River and the western border is formed by the Mississippi River. Other major rivers include Big Sandy River, Tug Fork, Kentucky River, Tennessee River, Cumberland River, Green River, and Licking River. Lake Cumberland is the largest artificial lake east of the Mississippi by water volume, and Kentucky Lake is the largest by surface area. The far western part of the state is known as the Kentucky Bend, which is an exclave surrounded completely by Missouri and Tennessee. Kentucky has one national park, two national recreation areas, two national historic parks, two national forests, two national wildlife refuges, 45 state parks, more than 37,500 acres of state forest, and 82 wildlife management areas. Some notable attractions include Cumberland Gap, the primary passage through the Appalachian Mountains in early U.S. history, Cumberland Falls, Mammoth Cave National Park, the longest known cave system in the world, Red River Gorge, Land Between the Lakes, a large national recreation area between Lake Cumberland and Kentucky Lake, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, and Black Mountain, the highest point in Kentucky.

Historically, Kentucky's primary industry was agriculture, due to its excellent farming conditions. The first commercial winery in the U.S. was in Kentucky. The Bluegrass region became a major horse breeding and racing area, due to the excellent pastureland. Kentucky is fifth in the county in goat farming, eighth in beef cattle production, and 14th in corn production. Kentucky is also predominant in the tobacco industry, both as a business center and for farming tobacco. Other industries include automobile manufacturing, for which it ranks fourth among U.S. states for the number of vehicles assembled, coal mining, and the producer of 95 percent of the world's supply of bourbon whiskey. With many natural wonders and outdoor recreation areas and resorts, and extensive rivers and large lakes, a large part of Kentucky's economy is tourism. The state has eight public four-year universities, with notable schools being University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, Western Kentucky University, and Northern Kentucky University. The Kentucky Community and Technical College System includes 16 public two-year colleges, and there are also more than 30 private colleges and universities. Transylvania University in Lexington, founded in 1780, is the oldest university west of the Allegheny Mountains.