Stretching along the Mississippi River where Missouri meets Kentucky, a handful of towns mark the state line with riverfront access, historical points, and routes visitors use to cross. These communities are small but useful waypoints for anyone tracing the river or planning short detours between the two states.
There are 6 Missouri – Kentucky Bordering Towns, ranging from Bird’s Point to Wickliffe. For each entry you’ll find below the data organized as Country,State,Nearest crossing (name, dist km), making it easy to compare location and crossing access at a glance — you’ll find the full list below.
How should I interpret the “Nearest crossing (name, dist km)” column when planning a trip?
That column gives a quick reference to the closest official crossing and an approximate distance so you can prioritize bridges or ferries; treat it as a starting point, then check current driving directions, ferry schedules, and local road conditions before you go since routes and access can change.
Are these towns practical stops for services or sightseeing?
Some towns offer viewpoints or historical markers while others are primarily residential or industrial—Bird’s Point and Wickliffe show that range—so plan fuel, food, or lodging in larger nearby towns and use the list below to identify which crossings and amenities are closest.
Missouri – Kentucky Bordering Towns
| Name | Country | State | Nearest crossing (name, dist km) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wickliffe | USA | Kentucky | Cairo Mississippi River Bridge, 1.5 |
| Bird’s Point | USA | Missouri | Cairo Mississippi River Bridge, 0.1 |
| Hickman | USA | Kentucky | Dorena-Hickman Ferry, 0.5 |
| Dorena | USA | Missouri | Dorena-Hickman Ferry, 0.1 |
| New Madrid | USA | Missouri | Dorena-Hickman Ferry, 27 |
| Kentucky Bend | USA | Kentucky | Dorena-Hickman Ferry, 17 |
Images and Descriptions
Wickliffe
A small city in western Kentucky near the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. It sits just opposite Bird’s Point, Missouri, and is connected by the U.S. 60/62 bridge. The town is well-known for the nearby Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site.
Bird’s Point
A small community located at the western end of the U.S. Route 60/62 bridge in Mississippi County, Missouri. It serves as the direct counterpart to Wickliffe, Kentucky, marking a key crossing point right at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.
Hickman
A historic port city and the county seat of Fulton County, resting on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. It is directly connected to Dorena, Missouri, via the Dorena-Hickman Ferry, one of the last remaining car ferries operating on the lower Mississippi River.
Dorena
A small, unincorporated community in Missouri known almost exclusively as the landing for the Dorena-Hickman Ferry. This settlement provides a vital and scenic transportation link across the Mississippi River, directly connecting this rural part of Missouri with the city of Hickman, Kentucky.
New Madrid
A historic city on the Mississippi River, famous for the powerful 1811–12 earthquakes named after it. It sits on the outside curve of the river, directly facing the isolated Kentucky Bend exclave. No bridge connects them, highlighting the river’s meandering and isolating nature.
Kentucky Bend
Also known as the New Madrid Bend, this is a peculiar exclave of Kentucky surrounded by a loop of the Mississippi River and Missouri. This sparsely populated rural area lies directly across the river from New Madrid, Missouri, and is only accessible by land through Tennessee.
