Locations

Locations covers the map of Project Zomboid: Knox Country, Kentucky. It is a large stretch of towns, farmland, forests and rivers around the real area of Fort Knox and Louisville. The game tells its story there, through the Knox Event and the Knox Virus. Every run starts somewhere on this map, and survival depends on knowing it well.

All Locations Categories

Knox Country

Knox Country is the name of the map. It was once called Knox County, before the original map was remade. The map follows the real land around Fort Knox and Louisville in northern Kentucky. Some towns, such as Muldraugh and West Point, are based on real places. Rosewood and Riverside are fictional.

The in-game world map labels the towns of Brandenburg, Echo Creek, Ekron, Fallas Lake, Irvington, Louisville, March Ridge, Muldraugh, Riverside, Rosewood, Valley Station and West Point. It also labels the Ohio River and the Salt River. The Knox Boundary Camp sits south of Louisville on the map. Fort Knox itself appears only in lore, as the base of the soldiers who live in March Ridge.

Knox Event

The game calls the outbreak the Knox Event and the disease the Knox Virus. In-game newspapers tell the story in order. The local paper reports a military truck crash near March Ridge with "No danger to public". Then an "unusual illness" appears in Muldraugh. The Kentucky Herald reports an illness outbreak there, and the Louisville Sun Times asks what is going on in Muldraugh.

The story grows quickly. The National Dispatch reports a blockade in Kentucky, with the US military closing roads in and out of the area. Officials claim the Knox Event is contained. Then the Louisville Sun Times names the Knox Virus and reports walking corpses. The same paper says the Exclusion Zone has been widened. Today the Exclusion Zone border is a fence that separates Louisville from the rest of the map. Later papers say the virus spreads through body fluids, that the Knox boundary has been breached, and finally that the virus has gone airborne.

Starting Locations

New characters can start in Brandenburg, Echo Creek, Ekron, Fallas Lake, Irvington, March Ridge, Muldraugh, Riverside, Rosewood, Valley Station or West Point. Each town has its own spawn description on the start screen. Muldraugh is an old Army town, Rosewood a service hub beside a prison, and Irvington a racing town.

The occupation shapes the exact starting house. In Muldraugh, most jobs start in a modest house. A Doctor can start in a medium or rich house, and a Police Officer can start at the police station.

The starting conditions change the world too. The Six Months Later start describes a "Large horde, ransacked homes and an overgrown game world," with water and electricity already shut off. Other starts include Initial Infection, The First Week and Survival.

Buildings

Every town is packed with buildings, and each kind holds its own items. Restaurants, offices, clothing stores, bars and gas stations are the most common businesses. Grocery stores, bakeries, convenience stores and supermarkets hold food. Hardware stores hold tools. Gun stores and police stations hold weapons and ammo. Pharmacies and medical clinics hold medicine. Book stores hold skill books and magazines.

Louisville has by far the most buildings of any place on the map. Riverside, Rosewood, Muldraugh and Brandenburg follow. Doe Valley holds more buildings than many towns, spread across its farmland.

A few landmarks stand out. The Kentucky State Prison lies at Rosewood, and the Irvington Speedway lies outside Irvington. The West Maple Country Club sits beside Riverside, and Crossroads Mall anchors Valley Station. Louisville holds the Louisville Expo Center, the Grand Ohio Mall and the Fossoil Refinery.

Travel

The world map fills in as the character explores. Paper maps such as Map: Muldraugh and Map: Riverside fill in a whole town at once. Fliers reveal single shops and homes. A pen or pencil marks the map with notes and symbols.

Roads tie the towns together. The Dixie Highway runs past Muldraugh, March Ridge and Valley Station. Kentucky 60 reaches Coalfield and Bright Valley Trailer Park. A working car crosses the map in minutes, but engine noise draws zombies. On foot, the forests offer cover, and the Park Ranger moves much faster through them.

Seasons and Climate

The weather changes with the seasons. The game's guide warns that rain, snow and fog can freeze or wet the character and lower visibility, especially in winter.

The land changes over time as well. The erosion system adds vines, long grass and new trees across the map. Roads and yards slowly turn green as the plants spread. The Erosion Speed sandbox option sets how fast this happens.

Notes

• Water and electricity shut off at a sandbox-set time after the start.
• Annotated maps mark stashes hidden across the towns.
• The Towns and Areas pages describe each place in detail.