The highway between Smithland and the area just west of Iuka was originally a part of
KY 50 from 1929 until sometime in the mid-1930s,
US 62 until the mid-1950s, and
KY 93 until sometime before 1970, while the rest of the route to the present-day US 62/641 alignment was signed as KY 482. KY 453 was extended to its pre-2000 length in 1967. KY 453 was extended south to the US 68 corridor just west of
Golden Pond sometime around 1956. KY 453 would later be extended south of US 68 to the Tennessee state line between 1957 and 1960, replacing the original KY 289 designation in that area. Before the Land Between The Lakes Recreation Area was in the hands of the USDA, the
Tennessee Valley Authority owned the recreation area, and KY 453 continued southward through the area to the
Tennessee state line. ==Major intersections==