sˈɛvɹəl smˈɔːl sˈɪɾiz fˈɜːðɚ saʊθwˈɛst ˌɔn bˈɑːɹdstaʊn ɹˈoʊd dᵻfˈaɪn ðɛmsˈɛlvz æz ðɪ ˌʌpɚ hˈaɪləndz, ænd hæd sˈɪksθklˈæs sˈɪɾi stˈæɾəs bᵻfˌoːɹ kɛntˈʌki ɹˈædɪkli sˈɪmplᵻfˌaɪd ɪts sˈɪɾi klˌæsɪfɪkˈeɪʃən sˈɪstəm ɪn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd fˈɪftiːn:
Several small cities further southwest on Bardstown Road define themselves as the Upper Highlands, and had sixth-class city status before Kentucky radically simplified its city classification system in 2015: