In this Section:
Lake Cumberland
300,000 Service Area
New Interstate 66
Our Location
Friends & Neighbors
Lake Cumberland!
Getting Here
-Fly into Somerset
-From LEX airport
-From Nashville
Photo Tours
-Historic Downtown
-Aerial Photos
-Just Driving Around
-Getting Around
"The Center"
"Hub" Community
Added Facts
Ahh, Somerset! - Welcome to Somerset and Pulaski County
 

Somerset and Pulaski County combine the "vacation lifestyle" that surrounds majestic Lake Cumberland, with a robust events calendar, family fun, even the Arts, in a community that still believes in being a good neighbor.  We're home to one of the largest man-made lakes in the United States with more shoreline than the state of Florida.  We're a retirement mecca for baby-boomers seeking a moderate climate and an incredibly low cost of living. Somerset is the 42 multi-county "regional hub" for healthcare, entertainment, education, shopping, technology and recreation, so there’s a lot to do.

  • The secret we will reveal to you is we are the epicenter of life for 300,000+ in our region, with the amenities centrally located here – so although we offer an open, relaxed, pastoral life which is wrapped in the traditional friendliness of Kentuckians, we also have many amenities that are unusual for a town of our population.
  • If you consider our lower cost of living and milder four seasons, we compare favorably to the Finger Lakes of New York, Cape Cod, Myrtle Beach, or Florida – no harsh winters, or hurricanes either!
  • And we're under 3 hours to 5 major cities and their International airports – about 90 minutes to Lexington.

Growth and Compelling Technology:

  • More than $1 Billion in federal funds will be spent in Pulaski County between 2007-2012 to build a connector Interstate – I-66, which will connect I-75 to I-65, plus a bypass is being constructed that will encircle Somerset.
  • Six Kentucky colleges/universities offer courses and degree programs at our local Somerset Community College – learn more in Schools and Colleges.
  • One of two super-Internet POP sites ("Point of Preference") in the state is here in Pulaski County – which allows for the same Internet technologies as in Silicon Valley, Washington, DC, New York City, etc., upon which to attract and build a high-tech job base – a Fortune 100 company, SAIC, is already here.

If you think this suggests a growing, dynamic future, and an ideal, safe place to live and have fun, we agree!  There may be no a better place than Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital and Pulaski County to begin, or continue your career.  Allow us to show you around!

Our location is compelling – both because we are a regional “hub” set amidst rolling hills and Lake Cumberland,
but we also sit strategically between I-75 and I-65 along what will be Interstate 66 – a connector interstate under construction.

Our Location

Friends & Neighbors:

“Somerset is a smaller town but continually growing, as well as the regional center for business, recreation, entertainment, and shopping for surrounding counties – here you get the unusual benefit of having a ‘smaller town lifestyle’ but with larger city benefits.  This is an ideal combination for many.”  - Allen Anderson 

Some communities are what I would call ‘closed’ – your family has to have lived here for generations before you are accepted.  Somerset is not that way.  I find it to be a community that embraces anyone.”  - Hilma Prather

“The lake provides a scenic backdrop for our area. But one of the most important benefits is the safety. There isn’t a single part of Somerset that I would be concerned about my daughter being in. To me, that is a major plus for parents to know.”  - Don Moss

“I lived in Dallas and Houston for a couple of years. I found life in those larger cities – even in their suburbs, to be impersonal and not neighborly or welcoming.  I returned to Somerset to get that back.  I wanted to live in a place where there was a ‘sense’ of community.”  - Fire Chief James Latham


Allen Anderson

South KY Electric

2009 Chamber Chair


Hilma Prather

KY Board of Ed

Vice-Chair

LCRH Board


Jack McNeely

Commonwealth Journal

Publisher


Donald Moss

State Farm Insurance

Franchise Owner

LCRH Board

 


James Latham

Chief

Fire & EMS


Bill Neikirk

Neikirk Insurance

Civil War Historian


Michael Simpson

VP & CEO

Cumberland Bank

LCRH Board


Craig Allen

Entrepreneur

Restaurant Owner

Lake Cumberland!


We are a vacation community like Cape Cod, or the Finger Lakes of New York, but without the harsh winters and high prices.  We are also like Myrtle Beach or Florida’s coasts, but without the hurricanes.  We’re like Palm Springs, but no hot desert summers here.  Our life is very much about enjoying the relaxed lifestyle of a vacation community.

Getting Here:

Commercial Service from Somerset!

Community Tours:

Special thanks to Jared Nugent, pilot, and Dennis Bolton at the airport, for our aerial photos, especially of these beautiful photos of our glorious countryside and the lake! 

Our Historic Downtown square has a quaint "roundabout" with charming art and sundry shops, our 2008 Pulsaki County Library, and is set amidst historic homes and hills, and Somerset High School and its school district – a brisk morning walk and a stop into one of the coffee shops makes for a wonderful start to the day.

  • To add to the convenience of life, since Somerset is the County Seat, the Courthouse and municipal offices are here, so many basic necessities like getting your license renewed, are easy to do!

Here you can drive to a state park to one of only two waterfalls in the world that make a "Moon bow" (the other in Africa), past fresh produce stands, to your “mountain cabin,” or past horse farms and ranches. Imagine a relaxing, cool fall day with the warm sunshine and the top down in your convertible…

We Can Entertain You!   

The Center is the epicenter of art/culture/entertainment for southern and eastern Kentucky.  Along with Somerset Community College, The Center's Department for Training and Education assists with the development and delivery of technology training programs for the recruitment of industry.  The Center Training Department is equipped with mobile computer labs, and has facilities in 30 counties – it’s truly a resource for our region.

  • One-of-a-kind planning and information distribution organization
  • Serves 42 counties in southern and southeastern KY
  • Distance learning and satellite networks for adults/employers/youth
  • Economic, Education, and Rural initiatives
  • 750-seat Theater
  • Philharmonic, Broadway Shows, Children’s Theatre, Home Shows (brochure immediately below)

"The Center" is the meeting place of the Somerset Community for concerts, fairs, trade shows, and art festivals. State-of-the-art meeting rooms and facilities with the latest technology is available for use and meetings for visiting companies on retreat at Lake Cumberland, as well as regional corporations for banquets and company gatherings.  See all there is to do in Life in Pulaski County.

Pulaski County: Also the "Economic Hub" for our Region – this is important for jobseekers considering their long term careers. Please spend time learning about our diversified economy!

$3.5 million built the new terminal at Somerset-Pulaski County airport – the FAA contributed 95% of the funding.
Our airport authority is working hard to bring regional commercial flight service to our community.

700,000 SF Toyotetsu America, Inc. employs 900, stamping and welding automotive parts for auto manufacturers,
including the top selling car for Toyota – the Prius

If you're a physician considering a practice opportunity, or a healthcare professional considering a permanent position, how much thought have you given to the economy of the community you are evaluating?   We're the hub for industry and commerce for a huge region that spans 42 counties in south-central Kentucky.  We are ahead of our state and region in population and job growth.  Interstate 66 will connect I-75 and I-65 and run alongside Somerset. We have growing technology, industrial, and rail parks.  A promising economic future means a secure future - check it out in Economic Development.

Additional Facts:

Left Photo Courtesy Burnside SP

The “Moon bow” at Burnside State Park – there’s only one other, at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Africa.
And there’s only one Lake Cumberland!

  • Pulaski County hosts 5 million tourists each year.
  • Are you a Civil War buff?  See our Mill Springs Battlefield Association in Life in Pulaski County.
  • Each year our Rotary Club hosts its International Dinner (PDF), celebrating the cultures of our residents.
  • Energy prices rival Idaho for the lowest in the country.
  • Fresh water and natural resources are in abundance in our area.
  • Real Estate prices and taxes are perhaps the lowest in the US, so you can build the home of your dreams and it will be inexpensive compared to most areas in the country! See our Real Estate section.
  • Special Note:  Unless otherwise noted, all photos you see were taken specifically for this presentation – we're grateful to friends and neighbors who took part in the production of our Online Job Tour – they care about our community and want to recruit the very best medical professionals! This says a lot about how they will support your career if you choose us!

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