Symsonia Map
Symsonia is a census-designated place in Graves County, Kentucky, United States. The community lies in the far northeastern part of the county, 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Paducah, 11 miles (18 km) northwest of Benton, and 12 miles (19 km) north of the county seat Mayfield, in the Jackson Purchase region of the state. The 2010 United States Census reported that Symsonia’s population is 615.
The Symsonia community consists of a land area of approximately 16 square miles (41 km2), extending approximately 2 miles (3 km) in each direction east, west, north, and south from the intersection of Kentucky Highways 131 and 348. The intersection contains the community's only four-way stop and only flashing red light. It has an elevation of 407 feet (124 m) above sea level and is bordered by the East Fork and the West Fork of the Clarks River, a major tributary to the Tennessee River, sitting at approximately 340 feet (104 m) above sea level.
The Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge was first identified as a high priority site for protection in 1978 by the Service's Bottomland Hardwood Preservation Program. In 1991, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources asked the service to consider the site for protection as a unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Clarks River is the only National Wildlife Refuge located solely within the bounds of the State of Kentucky. The refuge was established in July 1997, with a proposed acquisition boundary of 18,000 acres (73 km2). The first tract of land was purchased in August 1998, and the refuge currently consists of over 7,000 acres (28 km2). Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge is a beautiful bottomland hardwood forest located in western Kentucky near Benton. The refuge lies along the East Fork of the Clarks River and is seasonal home to over 200 different species of migratory birds. The bottom lands are dominated with overcup oaks, bald cypress, and tupelo gum, and the slightly higher, better drained areas, are covered with willow oak, swamp chestnut oak, red oak, sweet gum, sycamore, ash and elm.
Nearby cities include Benton, Calvert City, Paducah, Mayfield, Gilbertsville.