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Major city · United States

BentonBenton, Kentucky

Skip Benton as a base unless you are here for Kentucky Lake: use it for 1 night, or stay at a lakeside resort 15–25 min east on US 68.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jul–Aug (heat and humidity), peak summer weekends on the lake
Airports
PAH · BNA · STL
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Benton is the county seat of Marshall County and a small town on the edge of Kentucky Lake, in the Western Waterlands between Paducah and Murray. There is no downtown sight to plan a trip around: the draw is the lake resorts, the Land Between the Lakes corridor and the family attractions strung along US 68. Most travellers pass through on I-69 or sleep here one night on the way to somewhere else.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Benton, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee to go$2–5
  • Street or quick mealDiner breakfast$9–15
  • BeerDraught beer at a bar$5–8
  • Budget bedBudget motel double room, a night, per roomUS$70
  • Mid-range bedBudget motel double room, a night, per roomUS$95
  • High-end bedBudget motel double room, a night, per roomUS$140

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$60 · Mid US$110 · High US$200

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Kentucky Lake and Land Between the LakesKentucky Opry country music showClarks River National Wildlife RefugeBBQ and lakeside resorts on US 68
Airports
PAH Barkley Regional, Paducah (About 45 min west by car; small regional airport with limited flights) · BNA Nashville International (About 2 h 15 min southeast by car; the usual big-airport option) · STL St. Louis Lambert International (About 3 h northwest by car)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Benton: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

7°C

−3°C

9 rd

Feb

10°C

−1°C

9 rd

Mar

16°C

3°C

10 rd

Apr

22°C

8°C

10 rd

May

26°C

13°C

11 rd

Jun

30°C

18°C

9 rd

Jul

32°C

21°C

9 rd

Aug

32°C

20°C

8 rd

Sep

28°C

16°C

7 rd

Oct

22°C

9°C

8 rd

Nov

15°C

3°C

9 rd

Dec

9°C

−1°C

10 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

You need a car. Benton has no useful public transport; I-69 (the former Purchase Parkway) meets US 68 and US 641 here, and the lake resorts are spread along two-lane roads east of town. Distances are short in km but slow in minutes.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area

go

Door to door: About 40 min

US 68 east, then the Trace; about 30–40 min to the north entrance

Elk and bison prairie, planetarium and forest roads; a full day, and a car is required.

Gilbertsville and Kentucky Dam

go

Door to door: About 25 min

US 641 north, about 20 min

Dam, marina and the family fun centres on the US 641 strip.

Murray

go

Door to door: About 35 min

US 641 south, about 30 min

University town with the better restaurant and coffee choice in the area.

Paducah

go

Door to door: About 50 min

US 68 west to I-24, about 45 min

Quilt museum, riverfront and the lowertown arts district; the best rainy-day option.

Calvert City

skip

Door to door: About 20 min

I-69 north, about 15 min

Highway services and industry; nothing here that Benton does not already cover.

Grand Rivers

go

Door to door: About 35 min

I-24 east, about 30 min

Small lake town at the canal; good for a meal and a walk.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Benton town centre (Main St)

Cheapest beds and the only walkable cluster; a handful of motels, restaurants and shops.

Draffenville and US 68 East

Chain hotel and the family attractions; 10–15 min east of Benton by car.

Kentucky Lake resorts (Jonathan Creek, Big Bear, Shawnee Bay)

Cabins, marinas and lake access; 15–25 min east, car required, book early for summer weekends.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$60–100 excl. bed
Mid
$100–170 excl. bed
High
$170+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Chain hotel double room1 × 1 night × US$130US$130
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$110US$220
Rental car, one day1 × US$65US$65
Fuel, about 100 km of local driving1 × US$12US$12
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15US$30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$46
Trip total≈ US$252 per person per day, bed includedUS$503

2026 estimate in US dollars; sales tax added at checkout. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee to go$2–5
BBQ plate with two sides$12–20
Diner breakfast$9–15
Draught beer at a bar$5–8
Gallon of petrol$3–3.60
Mini-golf round$8–12
Kentucky Opry show ticketcheck the official site

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Low street crime in a small town; the real risks are driving the two-lane lake roads at night, deer on the road, and summer heat on trails with no shade.
  • No public transport: without a car you are limited to Main St.
  • Summer heat and humidity; ticks and mosquitoes near the lake and refuge trails.
  • Lake-area resort cabins sell out for summer weekends and holidays: book weeks ahead.
  • Alcohol rules changed: Marshall County is now wet, but hours and licences vary by business.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
Marshall County Sheriff (non-emergency)
270-527-1333
Kentucky State Police, Mayfield post (non-emergency)
270-856-3721

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

BentonBenton, Kentucky

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Please take me to this addressPlease take me to this address

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • Marshall County Sheriff (non-emergency)270-527-1333

Embassy

No embassies in Benton; consulates are in Chicago, Atlanta, Houston or Washington, DC — check your country's list.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Benton → Paducah by car: about 45 min, roughly $6 of fuel
  • Benton → Murray by car: about 30 min on US 641
  • Benton → Nashville airport by car: about 2 h 15 min

Say or show

  • Where's the nearest gas station? — Where is the nearest petrol station?
  • Table for two, please — A table for two, please
  • Do you take card? — Can I pay by card?
  • Is there a boat ramp here? — Is there a boat ramp here?
  • How far is it to the lake? — How far to the lake?
  • Thanks, appreciate it — Thank you

Dial all 10 digits for local calls: 270 and the newer 364 overlay both serve this area.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Benton. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jul–Aug (heat and humidity), peak summer weekends on the lake · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 6 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for PAH and BNA: last sensible arrival time, taxi and rideshare fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking cluster for Main St with rescue anchors: motels, BBQ, antiques, grocery.
  3. Place pages with verified hours and seasonality (Kentucky Opry, Clarks River refuge, Forgotten Past, Kentucky Shores) and eat pages with closing days.
  4. Lake-resort fixture set so summer-weekend and off-season prices can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources