From the canyons of Red River Gorge to the shores of Land Between the Lakes, the mountains of Appalachia to small towns and big cities of the Bluegrass, there’s no state more wholly, wonderfully unique than Kentucky. Straddling the Kentucky-Tennessee border, the town of Middlesboro is quite literally an outlier; it’s betwixt and between two Southern states with a unique identity and culture all its own.

In the far southeast corner of Kentucky, straddling the line between the Bluegrass State and the Volunteer State sits the lovely little town of Middlesboro.
Johnnie Nicholson/Google Local
From all appearances, Middlesboro is your typical small town in Kentucky, boasting a bustling business district full of well-supported local shops and restaurants.
Middlesboro Main Street/Facebook
And indeed, Middlesboro is most certainly a charming small town in Kentucky -- one of the state's finest, in fact. But it's also one of the most wholly, wonderfully unique towns in Kentucky.
Middlesboro Main Street/Facebook
For starters? Middlesboro is built entirely within a meteorite impact crater which is 3.6 miles across. It was founded by an English land company in the 1880s and named for Middlesborough, England.
Stephanie Carson/Google Local

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With its location in the heart of coal country, Middlesboro is your classic mining town. Its mining history is epitomized by the Coal House. Built in 1926 with 42 tons of coal, today, this historic site houses the town's Chamber of Commerce.
Brent Moore/Flickr
The town's geography -- both in terms of natural resources and natural beauty -- is immensely important to Middlesboro's identity. Adjacent to Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Middlesboro has the kind of mountainous views prevalent in its neighbor to the South (hi, Tennessee!) -- but they're all ours!
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park/Facebook
This Southern spirit is alive and well in Middlesboro, with the town home to some fantastic eateries such as Shades Cafe & Steakhouse and Conley's Drive-In Restaurant. Wherever you go, you'll be warmly welcomed and fed like family.
Shades Cafe & Steakhouse/Facebook
With its mining legacy, scenic beauty, and whole unique geography, topography, and location, Middlesboro is, without a doubt, the most unique town in Kentucky!
The City of Middlesboro Kentucky/Facebook

Have you visited this unique Kentucky town before? There really is no place like Middlesboro, Kentucky! But then again, there’s no place like home in Kentucky.

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Middlesboro, KY 40965, USA