Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville, Kentucky

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"Louisville" redirects here. For other uses, see Louisville (disambiguation).

Louisville

—  Consolidated city-county  —

Louisville-Jefferson County

Metro Government

From top: The Louisville downtown skyline at night, The Cathedral of the Assumption, Louisville fireworks at Kentucky Derby Festival, Kentucky Derby, Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, Fourth Street Live! in Downtown, The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts.

Flag    

Seal

Nickname(s): Derby City, River City, Gateway to the South, Falls City, The 'Ville[1]

Location in the Commonwealth of Kentucky

Louisville

Location in the United States

Coordinates: 38°15′15″N 85°45′37″WCoordinates: 38°15′15″N 85°45′37″W

Country          United States

State   Kentucky

County           Jefferson

Founded        

Incorporation            1780

Named for     King Louis XVI of France

Government

 - Mayor         Greg Fischer (D)

Area[2]

 - Consolidated city-county            399 sq mi (1,032 km2)

 - Land            385.09 sq mi (997.38 km2)

 - Water          13 sq mi (35 km2)

Elevation       466 ft (142 m)

Population (2010)[3]

 - Consolidated city-county            741,096

 - Density       1,866.3/sq mi (720.6/km2)

 - Metro          1,307,647

Time zone      EST (UTC-5)

 - Summer (DST)      EDT (UTC-4)

Area code(s) 502

FIPS code      21-48000

GNIS feature ID       0509453

Demonym      Louisvillian

Website          louisvilleky.gov

Louisville (i /ˈluːiːvɪl/, local i /ˈluː.əvəl/ or i /ˈlʌvəl/) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096. An important internal shipping port in the 19th century, Louisville today is best known as the location of the Kentucky Derby, the first of three annual thoroughbred horse races making up the Triple Crown.

Louisville is situated on the Ohio River in north-central Kentucky at the Falls of the Ohio. Because it includes counties in Southern Indiana, the Louisville metropolitan area is often referred to as Kentuckiana.[4][5] The river forms the border between Kentucky and Indiana. A resident of Louisville is referred to as a Louisvillian. Although situated in a Southern state, Louisville is influenced by both Southern and Midwestern culture. It is sometimes referred to as either the northernmost Southern city or the southernmost Northern city in the United States.[6][7]

The settlement that became the city of Louisville was founded in 1778 by George Rogers Clark and is named after King Louis XVI of France.

Contents [hide]

1 Nomenclature, population and ranking

1.1 Pronunciation

2 History

3 Geography

3.1 Climate

4 Cityscape

5 Government and politics

5.1 Public safety and crime

6 Demographics

6.1 Religion

7 Economy

8 Culture

8.1 Annual festivals and other events

8.2 Indie scene

8.3 Museums, galleries, and interpretive centers

8.4 Media

8.5 Parks and outdoor attractions

8.6 Performing arts

8.7 Sports

8.7.1 Current professional teams

9 Infrastructure

9.1 Education

9.2 Transportation

9.3 Utilities

10 Sister cities

11 Notable people and events

12 See also

13 References

14 Further reading

15 External links

[edit]Nomenclature, population and ranking

As of the 2000 Census, Louisville had a population of 256,231. On November 7, 2000, voters in Louisville and Jefferson County approved a referendum to merge into a consolidated city-county government named Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government (official long form) and Louisville Metro (official short form), which took effect January 6, 2003.[8]

The 2009 U.S. Census Bureau estimated population figures for Louisville are 721,594 for the consolidated Louisville-Jefferson County (17th largest in the nation);[9][10] and 557,224 for the Louisville-Jefferson County balance (30th largest).[11] The "balance" is a designation created by the Census Bureau to describe the portion of Louisville-Jefferson County that does not include any of the semi-independent separately incorporated places located within Louisville Metro (such as Anchorage, Middletown or Jeffersontown).[12] Census methodology uses balance values in comparing consolidated cities to other cities for ranking purposes.

Historical populations

Census           Pop.                %±

1790   200                

—

1800   359                 79.5%

1810   1,357              278.0%

1820   4,012              195.7%

1830   10,341                        157.8%

1840   21,210                        105.1%

1850   43,194                        103.6%

1860   68,033                        57.5%

1870   100,753                      48.1%

1880   123,758                      22.8%

1890   161,129                      30.2%

1900   204,731                      27.1%

1910   223,928                      9.4%

1920   234,891                      4.9%

1930   307,745                      31.0%

1940   319,077                      3.7%

1950   369,129                      15.7%

1960   390,639                      5.8%

1970   361,472                      −7.5%

1980   298,451                      −17.4%

1990   269,063                      −9.8%

2000   256,231                      −4.8%

2010   741,096                      189.2%

City of Louisville's population,

pre-merger[13][14]

As of 2009, the Louisville metropolitan area (MSA) (not to be confused with Louisville Metro), had an estimated population of 1,258,577 ranking 42nd nationally.[15] The metro area includes Louisville-Jefferson County and 12 surrounding counties, eight in Kentucky and four in Southern Indiana (see Geography below). The Louisville Combined Statistical Area, having an estimated population of 1,451,564, includes the MSA, Hardin County and Larue County in Kentucky, and Scott County, Indiana.

[edit]Pronunciation

The Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau displays many of the common pronunciations of the city's name on its logo.

Most natives of Louisville pronounce the city's name as i /ˈluːəvəl/, which is sometimes shortened to i /ˈlʌvəl/. The pronunciation i /ˈluːiːvɪl/, however, is often used by political leaders, the media and outsiders. In all but the most anglicized pronunciations, the "s" is silent due to the name's French origin.

The variability in local pronunciation of the city's name can perhaps be laid at the feet of the city's location on the border between the Northern and Southern regions of the United States. Louisville's diverse population has traditionally represented elements of both Northern and Southern culture.

[edit]History

Main article: History of Louisville, Kentucky

See also: History of Kentucky, Louisville in the American Civil War, and The Filson Historical Society

Louisville's founder, George Rogers Clark

The history of Louisville spans hundreds of years, and has been influenced by the area's geography and location. The rapids at the Falls of the Ohio created a barrier to river travel, and as a result, settlements grew up at this stopping point.

The first European settlement in the vicinity of modern-day Louisville was on Corn Island in 1778 by Col. George Rogers Clark, credited as the founder of Louisville. Several landmarks in the community are named after him.[16]

Two years later, in 1780, the Virginia General Assembly approved the town charter of Louisville. The city was named in honor of King Louis XVI of France, whose soldiers were then aiding Americans in the Revolutionary War. Early residents lived in forts to protect themselves from Indian raids, but moved out by the late 1780s.[17] In 1803, explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark organized their expedition across America in the original town of Clarksville, Indiana at the present-day Falls of the Ohio in Louisville.[18][19]

View of Main Street Louisville in 1846

The city's early growth was influenced by the fact that river boats had to be unloaded and moved downriver before reaching the falls. By 1828, the population had swelled to 7,000 and Louisville became an incorporated city. The city grew rapidly in its formative years.[20]

Louisville had one of the largest slave trades in the United States before the Civil War, and much of the city's initial growth is attributed to that trade.[citation needed] It was a major shipping port and slaves worked in a variety of associated trades. The city was often a point of escape for slaves to the north, as Indiana was a free state. The city's significant black population and location on the Ohio River resulted in its becoming a stop on the Underground Railroad.[21]

Memorial to the 1890 tornado, on Main Street in Downtown

During the Civil War Louisville was a major stronghold of Union forces, which kept Kentucky firmly in the Union. It was the center of planning, supplies, recruiting and transportation for numerous campaigns, especially in the Western Theater. By the end of the war, Louisville had not been attacked, although skirmishes and battles, including the battles of Perryville and Corydon, took place nearby. After Reconstruction, returning Confederate veterans largely took political control of the city, leading to the jibe that Louisville joined the Confederacy after the war was over.

Churchill Downs in 1901.

The first Kentucky Derby was held on May 17, 1875, at the Louisville Jockey Club track (later renamed Churchill Downs). The Derby was originally shepherded by Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr.. He was the grandson of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and grandnephew of the city's founder George Rogers Clark. Horse racing had a strong tradition in Kentucky, whose Inner Bluegrass Region had been a center of breeding high quality livestock throughout the 19th century. Ten thousand spectators watched the first Derby, where Aristides won.[22]

On March 27, 1890 the city was devastated and its downtown nearly destroyed when an F4 tornado tore through as part of the March 1890 Mid-Mississippi Valley tornado outbreak. An estimated 74 to 120 people were killed. The city quickly recovered and within a year had rebuilt damaged areas.[citation needed]

Louisville during the "Great Flood of '37"

In late January and February 1937, 19 inches (48 cm) of rain fell during a month of heavy rain. It caused the "Great Flood of '37".[23][24] The flood submerged about 70% of the city, caused the loss of power, and forced the evacuation of 175,000 residents. It led to dramatic changes in where residents lived. Today, the city is protected by numerous flood walls. After the flood, the areas of high elevation in the eastern part of the city saw decades of residential growth.

Louisville was a center for factory war production during World War II. In May 1942, the U.S. government assigned the Curtiss-Wright Aircraft Company, a war plant located at Louisville's air field, for wartime aircraft production. The factory produced the C-46 Commando cargo plane, among other aircraft. In 1946 the factory was sold to International Harvester Corporation, which began large-scale production of tractors and agricultural equipment.

Similar to many other older American cities, Louisville began to experience a movement of people and businesses to the suburbs in the 1960s and 1970s. Middle class residents used newly built freeways and interstate highways to commute to work, moving into more distant but newer housing. Because of tax laws, businesses found it cheaper to build new rather than renovate older buildings. Economic changes included a decline in local manufacturing. The West End and older areas of the South End, in particular, began to decline economically as many local factories closed.

Entrance to the Fourth Street Live! entertainment complex in Louisville, featuring the marquee of the Hard Rock Cafe

In 1974, a major (F4) tornado hit Louisville as part of the Super Outbreak of tornadoes that struck 13 states. It covered 21 miles (34 km) and destroyed several hundred homes in the Louisville area. Only two people died.[25]

Since the 1980s, many of the city's urban neighborhoods have been revitalized into areas popular with young professionals and college students. The greatest change has occurred along the Bardstown Road corridor, Frankfort Avenue, and the Old Louisville neighborhoods. Downtown has had significant residential and retail growth, including the tripling of its population since 1990,[citation needed] the conversion of waterfront industrial sites into Waterfront Park, and the refurbishing of the former Galleria into the bustling entertainment complex Fourth Street Live!.

[edit]Geography

Main article: Geography of Louisville, Kentucky

Hilly terrain blankets the Southwest part of the city

Louisville is located at 38°13′44″N 85°44′58″W (38.228870, -85.749534)[26]. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Louisville Metro (in 2000 measurements for Jefferson County) has a total area of 399 square miles (1,030 km2), of which, 385 square miles (1,000 km2) of it is land and 13 square miles (34 km2) of it (3.38%) is water.

Louisville is located in the Bluegrass region.[27] Its development has been influenced by its location on the Ohio River, which spurred Louisville's growth from an isolated camp site into a major shipping port. Much of the city is located on a very wide and flat flood plain surrounded by hill country on all sides. Much of the area was swampland that had to be drained as the city grew. In the 1840s most creeks were rerouted or placed in canals to prevent flooding and disease outbreaks.

New condominium construction along East Main Street

Areas generally east of I-65 are above the flood plain, and are composed of gently rolling hills. The Southernmost parts of Jefferson County are in the scenic and largely undeveloped Knobs region, which is home to Jefferson Memorial Forest.

The Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), the 42nd largest in the United States,[15] includes the Kentucky county of Jefferson (coterminous with Louisville Metro), plus twelve outlying counties—eight in Kentucky and four in Southern Indiana.

Louisville's MSA is included in the Louisville-Elizabethtown-Scottsburg, KY-IN Combined Statistical Area (CSA), which also includes the Elizabethtown, KY MSA as well as the Scottsburg, IN Micropolitan Statistical Area.

[edit]Climate

Louisville has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) and experiences four seasons. Spring-like conditions typically begin in mid to late March, summer from mid- to late-May to late September, with fall in the October–November period. Seasonal extremes in both temperature and precipitation are not uncommon during early spring and late fall; severe weather is not uncommon, with occasional tornado outbreaks in the region. Winter typically brings a mix of rain, sleet, and snow, with occasional heavy snowfall and icing. Louisville averages 87 days with low temperatures below freezing. Summer is typically hazy, hot, and humid with long periods of 90-100 degree temperatures and drought conditions at times. Louisville averages 31 days a year with high temperatures above 90 degrees. The mean annual temperature is 56.9 °F (13.8 °C), with an average annual snowfall of 14.7 inches (37 cm) and an average annual rainfall of 44.5 inches (1,130 mm).

The wettest seasons are spring and summer, although rainfall is fairly constant year round. During the winter, particularly in January and February, several days of snow can be expected. January is the coldest month, with a mean temperature of 33.0 °F (0.6 °C). July is the average hottest month with a mean of 78.4 °F (25.8 °C).[28] The highest recorded temperature was 107 °F (42 °C) on July 14, 1936, and the lowest recorded temperature was −22 °F (−30 °C) on January 19, 1994.[29] In 2010, Louisville had the third hottest summer on record, with the temperature rising up to 102 °F (39 °C). Temperatures in commercial areas and in the industrialized areas along interstates are often higher than in the suburbs, often as much as five degrees Fahrenheit (3 °C).

Air pollution is trapped in Louisville's Ohio River Valley location. The city is ranked by Environmental Defense as America's 38th worst city for air quality.[30] Louisville also often exemplifies the heat island effect.

[show]Climate data for Louisville, Kentucky (Louisville Airport)

[edit]Cityscape

Main article: Cityscape of Louisville, Kentucky

See also: Downtown Louisville, Louisville neighborhoods, and List of parks in Louisville, Kentucky

East Louisville's Highlands district, specifically, the Bonnycastle neighborhood.

The downtown business district of Louisville is located immediately south of the Ohio River, and southeast of the Falls of the Ohio. Major roads extend outwards from the downtown area in all directions, like the spokes of a wheel. The airport is approximately 6.75 miles (10.86 km) south of the downtown area. The industrial sections of town are to the south and west of the airport, while most of the residential areas of the city are to the southwest, south and east of downtown. The Louisville skyline is slated to be changed with the proposed 62-story Museum Plaza[34] as well as the 22,000-seat KFC Yum! Center.[35][36] Twelve of the 15 buildings in Kentucky over 300 feet (91 m) are located in downtown Louisville.

Another primary business and industrial district is located in the suburban area east of the city on Hurstbourne Parkway.[37]

Louisville's late 19th and early 20th century development was spurred by three large suburban parks built at the edges of the city in 1890.

The city's architecture contains a blend of old and new. The Old Louisville neighborhood is the largest historic preservation district solely featuring Victorian homes and buildings in the United States;[38][39] it is also the third largest such district overall. There are many modern skyscrapers downtown, as well as older preserved structures. The buildings of West Main Street in downtown Louisville have the largest collection of cast iron facades of anywhere outside of New York's SoHo district.[40]

Werne's Row in Old Louisville

Broadway and 3rd Street in Downtown

Since the mid-20th century, Louisville has in some ways been divided up into three sides of town: the West End, the South End, and the East End. In 2003, Bill Dakan, a University of Louisville geography professor, said that the West End, west of 7th Street and north of Algonquin Parkway, is "a euphemism for the African-American part of town" although he points out that this belief is not entirely true, and most African Americans no longer live in areas where more than 80% of residents are black. Nevertheless, he says the perception is still strong.[41] The South End has long had a reputation as a white, working-class part of town, while the East End has been seen as middle and upper class.[42]

According to the Greater Louisville Association of Realtors, the area with the lowest median home sales price is west of Interstate 65, in the West and South Ends, the middle range of home sales prices are between Interstates 64 and 65 in the South and East Ends, and the highest median home sales price are north of Interstate 64 in the East End.[43] Immigrants from Southeast Asia tend to settle in the South End, while immigrants from Eastern Europe settle in the East End.[44]

[edit]Government and politics

Main article: Government of Louisville, Kentucky

See also: List of mayors of Louisville, Kentucky and Louisville Metro Council

Louisville Metro is governed by an executive dubbed the Metro Mayor and a city legislature dubbed the Metro Council. The second and current Metro Mayor is Greg Fischer (D), who entered office on January 3, 2011.

Louisville City Hall in downtown.

The Metro Council consists of 26 seats representing districts apportioned by population throughout the city and county. The residents of the semi-independent municipalities within Louisville Metro are apportioned to districts along with all other county residents. Half (13) of the seats come up for reelection every two years. The council is chaired by a Council President, currently Jim King (D), who is elected by the council members annually. Democrats currently have a 17 to 9 seat majority on the council.

The Official Seal of the City of Louisville, no longer used following the formation of a consolidated city-county government in 2003, reflected its history and heritage in the fleur-de-lis representing French aid given during the Revolutionary War, and the thirteen stars signifying the original colonies. The new seal of the consolidated government retains the fleur-de-lis, but has only two stars, one representing the city and the other the county.

Kentucky's 3rd congressional district is roughly coterminous with Louisville Metro, which is represented by Rep. John Yarmuth (D), though some of the southern and southwestern areas of the community are in the 2nd congressional district, which is represented by Brett Guthrie (R).[45]

[edit]Public safety and crime

See also: Louisville Metro Police Department, Louisville Metro EMS, and Louisville Division of Fire

A Louisville Metro Police cruiser

Louisville has been ranked among the top 10 safest large cities by Morgan Quitno in the past four years.[when?] In the 2005 Morgan Quitno survey, the city was ranked as the seventh safest large city in the United States.[46] The 2006 edition of the survey ranked Louisville eighth.[47]

In 2004, Louisville recorded 70 murders. The numbers for 2005 ranged from 55 to 59 (FBI says 55, LMPD says 59), which was down 16 percent from 2004.[48] In 2006, Louisville-Jefferson County recorded 50 murders, which was significantly lower than previous years. Louisville's total crime rate was less than half that of most surrounding cities.[citation needed] In 2008, Louisville recorded 79 murders.[49]

The Louisville Metro Area's overall violent crime rate was 412.6 per 100,000 residents in 2005.[50] The Elizabethtown, Kentucky Metro Area, which is part of Louisville's Combined Statistical Area, was the 17th safest Metro in the U.S.[51] Kentucky has the 5th lowest violent crime rate out of the 50 states.[52]

Violent crime is most concentrated west of downtown, especially in the Russell neighborhood. The West End, located north of Algonquin Parkway and West of 9th Street, had 32 of the city's 79 murders in 2007.[53]

Louisville Metro EMS ambulance

The primary law enforcement agencies are the Louisville Metro Police Department and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. 911 emergency medical services are provided by the government as Louisville Metro EMS which responds to about 100,000 calls for service annually. Louisville Metro Department of Corrections operates a 1,000+ bed centralized "mega jail" as well as a few other smaller facilities.

Fire protection, which is not solely a Metro government function, is provided by 20 independent fire departments (most of which are autonomous taxing districts) working in concert through mutual aid agreements. The only fire department operated by metro government is Louisville Fire & Rescue (formerly Louisville Division of Fire before city-county merger in 2003). The independent city of Shively in western Jefferson County possesses a city-run department. The other 18 fire departments in Louisville-Jefferson County are taxing districts known collectively as the Jefferson County Fire Service.

[edit]