There are two major Army bases in Kentucky: Fort Campbell on the Tennessee line and Fort Knox south of Louisville. The state is also home to Blue Grass Army Depot near Richmond and the Kentucky National Guard's headquarters in Frankfort.
Both big posts are large, busy and very different. Fort Campbell is home to the 101st Airborne Division, while Fort Knox is a headquarters post for some of the Army's biggest commands. This guide covers each installation, what BAH pays nearby, and what to know before your PCS. PCS stands for Permanent Change of Station, the military's term for an assigned move.
Army Bases in Kentucky, at a Glance
| Installation | Nearest towns | Size | Best known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Campbell | Hopkinsville, KY, and Clarksville, TN | 106,700 acres | 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) |
| Fort Knox | Radcliff and Elizabethtown | About 109,000 acres | V Corps, Cadet Command, Human Resources Command, Recruiting Command |
| Blue Grass Army Depot | Richmond (Madison County) | About 15,000 acres | Storing and shipping munitions |
| Boone National Guard Center | Frankfort | Headquarters campus | Kentucky National Guard headquarters |
Kentucky's Army installations. Sources: Fort Campbell and Fort Knox garrison pages, Army.mil and the Kentucky National Guard.
For every military installation in the state, see our guide to what military bases are in Kentucky.
Fort Campbell
Fort Campbell sits on the Tennessee-Kentucky state line between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee. It covers 106,700 acres, per the Fort Campbell history page, across Christian and Trigg counties in Kentucky and Montgomery and Stewart counties in Tennessee, per a 2023 Army environmental assessment. Its mailing address is in Kentucky, but much of daily life spills into Clarksville.
The post's site was picked on July 16, 1941, and it became the permanent Fort Campbell in April 1950. It is named for Brig. Gen. William Bowen Campbell, a former governor of Tennessee.
Fort Campbell is home to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), the Army's only air assault division, per the 101st Airborne page. Air assault means moving troops by helicopter. Other tenants include the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, 5th Special Forces Group, 52nd Ordnance Group and Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, per the Fort Campbell tenant list.
Because the post straddles two states, families choose between Kentucky and Tennessee. Tennessee has no state income tax on wages, which is one reason many families look at Clarksville. Our Fort Campbell PCS guide covers neighborhoods on both sides of the line, and our Tennessee military bases guide covers the Clarksville side.
Fort Knox
Fort Knox sits next to Radcliff, 15 miles north of Elizabethtown and about 35 miles south of Louisville. It covers 108,955 acres in Hardin, Meade and Bullitt counties, per the Fort Knox visitor information page.
Camp Knox was set up in 1918 and named for Gen. Henry Knox, the Continental Army's chief of artillery, and the post has been Fort Knox since January 1, 1932, per Fort Knox history. On a typical weekday about 26,000 Soldiers, civilians and family members are on post, per a January 2026 Army article.
Fort Knox is a headquarters post more than a combat division post. Major commands include:
- V Corps
- U.S. Army Cadet Command, which runs ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps)
- U.S. Army Human Resources Command
- U.S. Army Recruiting Command
- 1st Theater Sustainment Command
That mix means many senior noncommissioned officers, officers and civilians get Fort Knox orders. Our Fort Knox PCS guide covers Radcliff, Elizabethtown, Vine Grove and Brandenburg.
Blue Grass Army Depot
Blue Grass Army Depot is in Madison County near Richmond. It covers about 15,000 acres, opened in 1941 and supplies munitions to the joint force, per the Blue Grass Army Depot page.
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The depot made national news in 2023. On July 7, 2023, the plant there finished destroying the last of the chemical weapons stored at the depot, 523.4 U.S. tons of agent, per the Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives. The Defense Department called it the last chemical weapon in the U.S. military arsenal. The depot is still active in its munitions mission.
Kentucky National Guard
The Kentucky National Guard's Joint Force Headquarters is at Boone National Guard Center in Frankfort, per the Kentucky National Guard. The Guard has nearly 8,000 Soldiers and Airmen, per the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
What BAH Covers Near Kentucky's Army Bases
BAH is Basic Allowance for Housing, the monthly amount the military pays you toward housing when you live off base. It is set by your pay grade, whether you have dependents, and your duty station's rate area. It is not based on the rent you actually pay.
Here are 2026 monthly rates, with dependents first and without second, from the official DTMO BAH rate lookup run by the Defense Travel Management Office.
| Location | Rate area | E-5 | E-7 | O-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Campbell | Fort Campbell, KY (KY106) | $1,815 / $1,593 | $2,244 / $1,743 | $2,496 / $1,995 |
| Fort Knox | Fort Knox, KY (KY110) | $1,647 / $1,443 | $2,241 / $1,680 | $2,421 / $1,956 |
| Frankfort (Boone NG Center) | Frankfort, KY (KY339) | $1,410 / $1,104 | $1,932 / $1,449 | $2,133 / $1,665 |
| Richmond (Blue Grass Army Depot) | County cost group (ZZ610) | $1,410 / $1,143 | $1,779 / $1,335 | $1,902 / $1,599 |
2026 BAH with dependents near Kentucky's Army installations. Source: DoD DTMO BAH rate lookup.
Fort Campbell and Fort Knox pay nearly the same at E-7 and O-3, but an E-5 with dependents gets $168 more a month at Fort Campbell. Kentucky housing costs are modest compared with much of the country, so BAH often stretches further here. Rates reset every January; see our explainer on 2026 BAH rates.
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We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.Want to see what your BAH buys near Fort Campbell? Talk with a Clarksville-area agent who works with military families. There is no cost and no obligation.
Buying a Home Near Kentucky's Army Bases
Pick your side of the line. At Fort Campbell, compare Kentucky towns like Oak Grove and Hopkinsville with Clarksville, Tennessee. Taxes, schools and commutes differ.
Use your VA loan. A VA loan is a home loan backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs that usually needs no down payment. Our guide to how much house you can afford on BAH helps you set a budget before you shop.
Check tax relief. Kentucky offers a homestead exemption for totally disabled veterans. See our Kentucky veteran property tax exemption guide for who qualifies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Army bases are in Kentucky?
Two major Army posts: Fort Campbell and Fort Knox. Kentucky also has Blue Grass Army Depot near Richmond and the Kentucky National Guard headquarters at Boone National Guard Center in Frankfort.
Is Fort Campbell in Kentucky or Tennessee?
Both. Fort Campbell straddles the state line, with land in two Kentucky counties and two Tennessee counties. Its official mailing address is Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
What units are at Fort Knox?
Fort Knox hosts V Corps, U.S. Army Cadet Command, U.S. Army Human Resources Command, U.S. Army Recruiting Command and the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, among others.
Were Fort Knox or Fort Campbell renamed?
No. Neither post was part of the 2023 or 2025 Army renamings. Both have kept their names.
Which Kentucky Army base has the highest BAH?
Fort Campbell, slightly. For 2026, an E-5 with dependents receives $1,815 a month at Fort Campbell and $1,647 at Fort Knox.
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