Knox Country Decoded: Zombie-Proof Bases & Map Secrets
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Welcome to Knox Country â Survivor's Overview
Project Zomboid's Knox Country (formerly Knox County) is the expansive, fictional quarantined zone in Kentucky where the game's zombie apocalypse unfolds. This guide will delve into every corner of Knox Country â from its sleepy rural towns to the dense urban ruins of Louisville â arming even veteran survivors with advanced knowledge to improve their odds. For a broader overview of the map, check out our comprehensive Knox Country breakdown.
In the lore, Knox Country became ground zero of the Knox Event infection in 1993, prompting the US military to seal off the area in a desperate quarantine. You, however, are trapped on the inside â so knowing the lay of the land is literally a matter of life and death. Let's map out a plan for survival!
We'll cover the terrain and biome quirks, navigation challenges like rivers and military blockades, prime base locations and loot routes, plus touch on how recent updates and community mods have altered the landscape.
Knox Country at a Glance: Towns & Danger Levels
To start, here's a quick reference comparing the major population centers in Knox Country. Each locale has its own character, loot opportunities, and hazards â understanding these will inform where you choose to spawn or set up a safehouse:
| Town/City | Zombie Density | Notable Features & Loot | Popular Base Spots |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muldraugh | Medium âââ |
Many industrial warehouses (tools, generators), decent residential loot, one police station, nearby logging camp. | Large Warehouse (north edge); Storage lots on outskirts; Farmhouses south of town. |
| Riverside | Low ââ |
Rural town by the Ohio River with a Fishing Club and Country Club (golf course, some guns), farming supply store, rich homes with garages. | Gated community neighborhood (northwest; fenced); Riverside Lodge by the river; Country club (spacious but needs securing). |
| Rosewood | Very Low â |
Small town hosting county government services â courthouse, fire department, police station (armory). Near prison (huge loot but extremely dangerous). | Rosewood Fire Department (sturdy, garages); Suburban house block with fenced yards; Farm plot west of town. |
| West Point | High ââââ |
Dense downtown with many shops (food market, hardware, etc.), large residential area. Gun store on outskirts, hunting areas north. | Large warehouse west of town; "Twiggy's" bar or nearby two-story buildings (after clearing); Isolated farmhouse north of town. |
| Louisville | Extreme âââââ |
Massive city (~20k zombies) with multiple districts: downtown, residential neighborhoods, mall, hospital, university, military outposts on outskirts. | Mall roof or upper floors of tall buildings; Isolated mansion in eastern suburb; Secure apartment in a high-rise (risky). |
This table provides a starting point â read on for detailed breakdowns of each area, strategies for traveling between them, and tips for leveraging their unique advantages.
The Exclusion Zone: Story & Setting
The Knox Event Timeline
In July 1993, a mysterious outbreak (the Knox Infection) led the government to establish the Knox Exclusion Zone, cordoning off a chunk of rural Kentucky. The military set up checkpoints and forbade anyone from entering or leaving. On July 16, panicked civilians breached containment and the Army responded by demolishing the Ohio River bridges to Louisville, killing hundreds and trapping everyone inside Knox Country for good.
Understanding Knox Country's lore isn't just flavor â it often aligns with gameplay realities like blocked roads or high zombie concentration in certain areas. In-game, you'll notice military blockade props and huge highway wrecks: for example, the highway bridge leading north out of West Point toward Louisville is choked with burned cars and barbed wire fencing, reflecting how the Army stopped refugees from fleeing the area.
The Knox Event backstory simply sets the stage for the playground you're surviving in â a patch of Kentucky that has become a world unto itself, teeming with the undead. The entire region is effectively one big dead-end, sealed by nature or man-made barriers. No help is coming, and if you venture to the map edges you'll typically find blocked roads or impassable terrain.
Military blockades prevent escape from Knox Country, with destroyed bridges and reinforced checkpoints marking the edges of the quarantine zone.
Muldraugh: "Dead Center" of Knox Country
Often considered the default starter town, Muldraugh sits roughly in the middle of Knox Country. In real life it's a small military town, and in-game it retains that "army adjacent" vibe: it's just north of the (non-accessible) Fort Knox base and south of Louisville's outskirts. Muldraugh itself is basically a single long highway strip surrounded by woods, dotted with modest homes and a lot of industrial buildings.
Survival Highlights
- Abundance of tools and supplies in warehouses
- Self-storage facilities and logging company on outskirts
- Two gas stations for fuel acquisition
- Small police station for potential weapons
- Central location makes it ideal as a supply base
Muldraugh Map
A stylized tourist map of Muldraugh, KY, with its north-south highway and clustered buildings. The town grew as an Army town but now hosts a mix of warehouses (black squares), shops, and lower-income housing. Its linear layout means zombies tend to wander along the main road or spill out from the dense southern neighborhoods.
Best Base Spots
- â North Warehouse: Isolated edge of town, tall roof, lots of storage
- â Self Storage Lot: Pre-fenced sections, few windows
- â South Farms: Remote with minimal zombies, great for custom builds
Challenges
The flip side of a linear town is that zombies can line the main road like a gauntlet. If you make a lot of noise driving through, expect them to pour out of the residential side-streets. Also, Muldraugh's lack of big weapon stashes means you'll eventually need to venture out for guns or skill books (the local bookstore is small). It's a town you outgrow as your needs evolve, but it serves as an excellent start or fallback location.
Riverside: Quiet, Wealthy Riverside Community
Riverside Map
Map of Riverside. This small town hugs the riverbank, with a dense cluster of shops (purple squares) downtown and spacious estates to the east. The Ohio River forms its northern edge (blue area), providing fishing and a natural barrier. Riverside's layout makes it easy to isolate sections of town and deal with zombies neighborhood by neighborhood.
Key Locations
- Gigamart grocery and hardware store in town center
- Knox Heights Country Club (golf course, pool, rare weapons)
- Farming supply store on outskirts (tools, seeds, ammo)
- Isolated Boat Club on the river (food, potential boat mods)
- Wealthy eastern area with large houses
Tucked up along the banks of the mighty Ohio River, Riverside offers a very different atmosphere â and pace of undead â compared to other towns. It's known as the "Pride of the Ohio" and is depicted as a colorful, affluent town.
In gameplay terms, Riverside is often recommended to players who want a "chill" start. It has the second-lowest zombie population of any starting town (only Rosewood is sparser). Fewer zombies plus immediate fishing and water access can make it a gentle introduction... or a sandbox for an experienced player to build a luxe base in peace.
Best Base Spots
- â â â Gated Community: Pre-fortified neighborhood with single entrance/exit
- â â Riverfront Warehouse: Isolated, spacious, by the docks
- â â Lodge at Country Club: Fenced area, remote location, great for groups
Challenges
While initially light on zombie pressure, Riverside has one big drawback: it lacks specialized loot. It has the fewest nearby gun locations (no police station in town â the closest is in Rosewood or West Point) and limited bookstores. You might struggle to find certain skill books or a sledgehammer here. That means eventually you'll venture out to other towns to round out your supplies.
Rosewood: Small Town, Big Safety (and a Prison)
Rosewood lies in the southwest reaches of Knox Country, and it's notable for being the easiest starting location for most players. This town has the lowest zombie population of the four spawns â many newcomers survive their first week here relatively unharassed. The vibe is "community hub": Rosewood has the Knox County courthouse, administration buildings, a brand new fire department, and a well-equipped police station all close together.
The Rosewood Prison
Just west of town (down winding dirt roads) is the Knox Penitentiary. It's huge and absolutely packed with zombies (prison riot meets zombie outbreak), but inside are an armory, infirmary, and tons of storage. Raiding the prison is a late-game challenge; succeed and you'll be swimming in guns, ammo, body armor, and maybe some rare finds.
Rosewood Map
Rosewood's map, highlighting its compact nature. Key services (Police Station, Courthouse, Firehouse) are labeled in the town center. Note the road leading far southwest ("to Rosewood Prison") â an ominous trip that promises high risk/reward. Rosewood's well-spaced buildings and low zombie count make it relatively easy to secure.
Best Base Spots
- â â â Fire Department: Modern two-story building, garage, limited windows
- â â Police Station: Perimeter fence, yard for farming, secure building
- â Town Hall Block: Multiple buildings, shared parking lots
Challenges
Rosewood's calm can lull you into a false sense of security. Don't get complacent â roaming hordes from the highway or migrating out of the woods can still stumble into town. Also, while Rosewood has a little of everything, it doesn't have a lot of anything. You might find one generator, one axe, one box of ammo... but not the variety or quantity that West Point or Louisville offers. Some crucial items like higher-tier literature or military gear require leaving town.
West Point: High-Pop Hell with High Rewards
West Point Map
West Point's layout as per the tourist map. The town clusters near the river bend (top right) with a dense grid of streets. Note the long highway connecting toward Valley Station/Louisville â this is where a military blockade of wrecks appears, preventing easy road access north.
Key Locations
- Main street with grocery, hardware, pharmacy, restaurants
- Famous Twiggy's Bar with upstairs pool hall
- Video store for VHS tapes (skills XP)
- West Point Hunting Lodge (gun store) on highway west of town
- Police station (small but has firearms)
- Country club and golf course to the north (shooting range)
If Rosewood is easy mode, West Point is nightmare mode â at least in the early game. West Point has the highest population density of the starting towns, making it a challenge even for seasoned survivors. This riverside town is more urbanized than the others aside from Louisville.
The devs intended West Point to test your limits â it has some of the best loot on the map, but you'll pay for it in blood, sweat, and tears if you rush in unprepared.
Survival Strategy
West Point is an exercise in patience and stealth. On Day 1, you'll want to stay quiet â an alarm or gunshot here can pull literally hundreds of zombies to your location.
Many players adopt a "smash and grab" approach: identify one target (say the hardware store for tools) and carefully clear a path there, grab loot, then fall back to an edge of town safehouse.
Best Base Spots
- â â Twiggy's Bar: Second floor, multiple exits, sheet rope potential
- â â â West Warehouse: Outside town, near gun store, fortifiable
- â â South Farmland: Safe distance from town, raiding base
Challenges
Plainly, West Point's challenge is the sheer number of zombies. Even on normal settings, it's not uncommon to see streets flooded with dozens of zombies, and migration from the forests or Louisville's edge means they keep coming.
Another challenge: West Point is relatively far from other towns. Traveling from West Point can be perilous as the main north road to Louisville is initially blocked (littered with burned vehicles in a quarantine blockade). You'll likely have to go the long way around via backroads to reach Muldraugh or use the railroad tracks to sneak west.
Louisville: Urban Playground of the Dead
Once you've looted the smaller towns and honed your survival skills, Louisville awaits. Louisville is an enormous city taking up the entire northeast quadrant of the map â by far the largest and most diverse location in Knox Country. It's essentially endgame content: the devs advise only heading into Louisville when you're well-armed and supplied.
The zombie population in Louisville is gargantuan (20,000+ on default settings) and the area is so large that it's easy to get lost or overwhelmed. That said, the potential rewards are equally high: think of any building that exists in a real city, and Louisville probably has it, filled with loot and storytelling details.
Districts & Landmarks
- Downtown area with skyscrapers
- Commercial zones with malls and restaurants
- Suburban residential blocks on the edges
- University campus
- Fairgrounds and expo center
- Hospital (medical supplies, surgical equipment)
- Police headquarters (multiple gun caches)
- Military checkpoint base on southern fringe
Louisville Map Section
Portion of the Louisville city map. The Ohio River is at the top, and the dense blocks of colored lots indicate the urban sprawl. Louisville dwarfs the other towns in size; the area shown here is just a fraction of the full city. High-density areas come with thousands of zombies but also unmatched loot variety.
Surviving Louisville
Treat Louisville as a separate chapter of the game. Moving on foot is slow but safer (driving in Louisville is suicide unless you've cleared a route). You'll want to move methodically, claiming a base on the outskirts and then doing clearing operations block by block.
Stealth and distraction are key â setting an alarm or noisemaker far away to lure zombies, then looting in the opposite direction is a viable strategy here.
Best Loot in the Game
Almost everything that is one-of-a-kind or extremely rare elsewhere can be found in Louisville if you know where to look:
- Louisville Public Library: Huge selection of all skill books
- KY National Guard base: Military-grade weapons and armor
- Dealership row: Perfect condition vehicles
- Electronics stores: Generators and batteries
- Specialty clothing boutiques: Rare outfits and protective gear
- Sewers and drainage system: Sneaky routes and maintenance tools
Base Potential
Holding a base inside Louisville is the ultimate flex, especially in multiplayer PvP where control of a neighborhood can make you "king of the city." Some viable options:
- â â Tall Apartment Building: Destroy staircases, use sheet ropes
- â â Self-Storage Lot or Junkyard: Fenced facilities
- â â â Louisville Fire Department HQ: Tall fence, sturdy building
- â â Eastern Church: High fence around graveyard
- â Mall Second Floor: Block stairwells (noisy below)
Strategic Base Building Across Knox Country
General Base Tips
- Defensibility: Look for places with existing fences or walls. Second-story entrances (roof access or external staircases) are a huge plus.
- Location: A base near the center of the map is convenient for loot runs in all directions, but those areas tend to see more zombie migration.
- Tools & Storage: Barricade windows with planks, move large furniture in front of ground-floor windows. Stockpile loot in an organized way.
- Sustainability: Rain collector barrels on roofs, farming plots within fenced areas. Some top base locations have wells (unlimited water).
The ideal base combines security, storage, sustainability, and strategic location - balancing safety with access to resources.
Community Favorite Base Spots
- â â â McCoy Logging Company: Huge fenced lumberyard north of Muldraugh
- â â â Riverside Gated Community: Pre-built safe zone with a single entrance
- â â â Rosewood Fire Station: Sturdy two-story building with garages
- â â â West Point Warehouse: Isolated building near the gun store
- â â Edge of Louisville Farmhouse: Quiet base on city border for raiding
- â â Valley Station "Secret Bunker": House with a hidden room containing supplies
PvP Considerations
If you're on a PvP server, stealth is key. You might opt for a base away from known points of interest â build in the middle of nowhere, with no road leading to it.
Camouflage your base by not chopping all trees around it. Avoid using generators at night (lights can be seen far off). Consider making decoy bases to lure raiders away from your real stash.
Surviving and Thriving: Advanced Tips and Tricks
Use the Map
The Project Zomboid online map project is an external tool that shows the entire Knox Country with searchable buildings. Use it to plan your loot runs. In-game, acquire town maps and read them to mark important locations. With Build 41+, you can annotate your map â mark where you left caches or which houses you already looted.
Sound Diversion
Knox's connected world means sound travels far. Use that to your advantage: set a car alarm or honking car up the road, or even toss a noisemaker in one direction then go around the other. For instance, to enter West Point's dense center, trigger an alarm at one end of town to draw zombies away from your target.
Tame the Highways
Over time, invest effort in clearing main roads between your frequent routes. Drag wrecks off the road with a tow truck, disassemble corpses, and put up sheet rope ladders over big highway fences for shortcuts. Establish "rest stops" by placing supplies in specific roadside houses for emergencies.
Power & Water Independence
Get a generator early and learn how to use it (find the "How to Use Generators" magazine). Place generators on roofs to reduce noise. Stockpile fuel before pumps shut off. Set up rain collector barrels even before water goes out. If you find a property with a well, prioritize it as a base for unlimited water.
Exploit Biomes
Each "biome" has its use. Forests yield forage items (medicinal herbs, food, materials). Rivers and lakes mean fishing (renewable food source). Urban areas yield weapons and medicine. Animals like deer and rabbits appear more in quieter, wooded zones â don't expect to trap a rabbit downtown.
Mobility Options
Always have a backup vehicle stashed somewhere safe. Consider keeping a bicycle or motorcycle (with mods) for quick solo errands. Maintain your vehicle: grab spare parts from auto shops. When moving between towns, take two cars â leapfrog them if possible, so if the front car dies, you can use the second.
Recommended Mods
- "Fort Knox" mod: Adds the Fort Knox military base to the map (south of Muldraugh)
- "Over the River" mod: Connects new areas on the west side by adding bridges
- Map Item Mods: Ensure you can find maps for every region
- Base Construction Mods: More ways to fortify (concrete walls, metal barricades)
- Navigation Mods: "Minimap" and "GPS" mods for easier orientation
- Faction Territories (MP): Shows who controls areas in multiplayer
Learn From the Community
Don't underestimate the wealth of knowledge from other players. There are YouTube series where pros attempt insane challenges, effectively teaching by example. For instance, a popular series saw a player attempt to clear every zombie from Knox Country â watching how they systematically moved town to town is basically a masterclass in strategy.
Community guides (on the PZwiki or Reddit) often have maps marked with things like "high loot", "good base", "fuel locations" etc. Use them. Hearing others' stories â how they died, or miraculously didn't die â will give you ideas to write your own story with a happier ending.
Patch History & Map Changes (Last 18 Months)
Dec 2021 (Build 41.60) â Louisville Expansion
The official map grew dramatically with the introduction of Louisville. This update increased Knox Country's size by about 4x, adding the huge city area and surrounding neighborhoods. It also added the quarantine wall and new story elements (burnt buildings at Louisville's edge, military checkpoints). This was a game-changer for late-game play, giving veterans a new challenge.
2022 â Polishing and Minor Zones
Throughout 2022, several smaller patches tweaked existing locations. Zombie distributions were adjusted (more uniform respawn in farmlands to prevent completely empty zones). Map bugs were fixed â like stuck zombie spawn points or inaccessible rooms. The devs quietly updated some building models in West Point and Muldraugh to prepare for Build 42. No new towns were added, but performance optimizations made handling big hordes smoother for most.
Early 2023 â Build 41.78 Stable & Build 42 Dev
Build 41 had its final stable patch around spring 2023 focusing on MP stability and introducing improved foraging system (which indirectly affects map use). Meanwhile, Build 42 development was in full swing. Dev blogs in mid-2023 hinted at expanding Knox Country westwards with new areas, as well as adding underground locations (like basements, bunkers) and even railroad infrastructure to the map.
Late 2024 (Build 42 Unstable) â Knox Country Expansion
In November 2024, Build 42 entered unstable public beta. This update explicitly expanded the Knox Country map with three new towns: Ekron, Brandenburg, and Irvington. These fill out the previously empty western portion of the map and come with unique sites like a community college, a "wild west town" tourist attraction, and an orphanage. Existing towns got touch-ups: Muldraugh and others received new building models and "a glow up" in some districts.
Early 2025 â Ongoing Unstable Patches
As of May 2025, Build 42 is still in testing (around version 42.7.x). The devs have been patching issues in the new map areas â fixing misaligned stairs, loot distribution in new towns, and vehicle spawn zones on newly added roads. The community mapping community also released compatibility updates (e.g., the popular Bedford Falls custom map was updated to fit alongside the new vanilla towns).
Mod Community Map Packs
In the last 18 months, modders have been very active too. Noteworthy releases included:
- Eerie Country: A huge mod map north of Knox Country
- Grapeseed & Blackwood: Adding fictional towns that connect to the vanilla map
- Fort Knox mod integration: Improvements to existing mod maps
- Taylorsville: Featured in Indie Stone's Mod Spotlight (May 2024)
The past year and a half have expanded Knox Country significantly and laid groundwork for the future. The devs are committed to filling out the remaining blank areas of the map, so eventually we might see Fort Knox and maybe even beyond the current boundaries.