Can You Really Sleep at a Kentucky Rest Area? I Had to Find Out

You would think that if it were called a "rest area," you could actually rest...as in, crack the windows, recline the car seat, and get a little shut-eye. You would think that, right? I certainly would and do.

Sleeping at Rest Areas

Thirteen years ago, on the way to Cleveland from Niagara Falls, I had to pull over and get a little nap at an Ohio rest area. Again, the word "rest" has always led me to believe that that was okay in such a location. I never thought twice about it. So it's a good thing the Buckeye State has no such hang-ups. I couldn't find any prohibitions against it in Kentucky's neighbor to the northeast.

What I did find are not necessarily bans on getting some sleep, but time limits on how long you can stay at rest areas. Pennsylvania (where I nearly stopped that day in 2012), Tennessee, Florida, Illinois, New York, Washington, and Maryland all have limits that range from two hours (that's Pennsylvania; good thing I kept driving) to eight hours in Washington State. Not bad, Evergreen State, that's a good night's sleep.

In New York, however, sleeping in your car is prohibited, and not just at rest areas, but on any public property, in general.

Overnight Parking at Rest Areas

Other states like Hawaii, Colorado, Virginia, and the Carolinas forbid overnight parking at rest areas. I guess you could get a nap in at their rest stops, so long as you don't spend the night.

(By the way, if you frequent rest areas when traveling, take note of this fun clip from Bill Marion.)

On a recent trip to Nashville, we stopped at the state line rest area on I-65 on the way back, and I noticed someone sleeping in their truck. The Boondocker's Bible seems to be of two minds here. It tells us that overnight parking is allowed at Kentucky rest areas, but you can only sleep in your vehicle for four hours, and then you gotta get going.

If I were someone who counted on rest areas for catnaps to avoid spending money at a hotel, I'd hang onto the Boondocker's Bible, despite that conflicting information about Kentucky.