Paducah KY (Kentucky)

Paducah is an Ohio-Tennessee river cruise port and city in Kentucky USA (McCracken County) with population around 25,000. The town is located at the confluence of two rivers (Ohio and Tennessee), and approx halfway between St Louis Missouri (northwest) and Nashville Tennessee (southeast).

The initial settlement was founded in 1821. The town was named in 1827 (during the Lewis and Clark Expedition) after the Comanche Indians (back then known as Padoucas). The town was officially founded in 1830 and incorporated in 1838. Local economy was based on river shipping, with several large port facilities serving trade and passenger transportation, including drydocks for steamboats and buildings for headquarters of cargo barge companies. As a hub of the Illinois Central Railroad (aka Main Line of Mid-America), the town's economy also benefited from the rail industry - locally served by a brick factory, a locomotive workshop and a factory producing rail tracks and locomotive parts.

The city's current-day economy is also based mainly of river shipping, with 23 barge shipping companies headquartered in Paducah KY. In 2017 was inaugurated a 340-ft (104-m) long boat dock providing transient boaters with short or overnight berthing. Dock's amenities include fueling, fresh water supply, sewage pumpout. Paducah KY's top employers are Western Baptist Hospital, Lourdes Hospital, 3 Walmart, Paducah Public Schools, WKCTC (West Kentucky Community and Technical College), Computer Services Inc, Parkview Convalescent Center, Paxton Media Group.

As cruise port, Paducah KY is included in the schedules of USA's largest river cruise companies - ACL (American Cruise Lines) and AQSC (American Queen Voyages/Steamboat Company). The port is regularly visited by the riverboats Queen of the West/American West, American Duchess, American Harmony, America/American Splendor.