(lū'ēvĭl) , city (1990 pop. 269,063), seat of Jefferson co., NW Ky., at the Falls of the Ohio; inc. 1780. It is the largest city in Kentucky, a port of entry, and an important industrial, financial, marketing, and shipping center for the South and the Midwest. Whiskey distilling is a traditional industry in the city, which also produces the famous Louisville Slugger baseball bats. Other manufactures include motor vehicles; naval ordnance; wood, paper, and tobacco products; processed foods; and computers and software. There is also chemical and aluminum processing and printing and publishing.

A settlement grew after George Rogers Clark built (1778) a fort as a base of operations against the British and the Native Americans. The city was chartered by the Virginia legislature in 1780, when Kentucky was part of Virginia, and named for Louis XVI of France. Louisville developed as a portage place around the falls (until a canal was built in 1830) and as a river port and major commercial center. Many famous steamboats were constructed there. With the arrival of the railroads in the mid-19th cent., the city became the terminus of both the southern and midwestern rail lines, and shipping expanded significantly. During the Civil War it was a center of pro-Union activity in the state and a military and supply base for federal forces.

The Univ. of Louisville (est. 1798), Bellarmine College, Spalding Univ., and two theological seminaries are there, as is Churchill Downs, a noted racetrack and scene of the annual Kentucky Derby (first held in 1875). The city has many parks and is the site of the state fairgrounds. It has a symphony orchestra and an opera company and hosts an annual festival of new American plays. Among the points of interest are the American Printing House for the Blind; the J. B. Speed Art Museum; the Kentucky Center for the Arts; the Muhammad Ali Center, a museum and cultural-educational center honoring the boxing champion and native; the Actors Theatre of Louisville; “Farmington,” a historic home (built 1810); the Filson Club, with a historical library and museum; the Jefferson County Courthouse (1850); and Cave Hill Cemetery, where Clark is buried. Nearby are “Locust Grove,” the last home (1809–18) of Clark, and the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, the burial place of Zachary Taylor. Fort Knox is in the area.

Louisville, Kentucky
Seal
Nickname: Derby City, River City, Gateway to the South, Falls City, The 'Ville[1]
Location in the Commonwealth of Kentucky
Coordinates: 38°15′15″N 85°45′37″W / 38.25417, -85.76028
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
County	Jefferson
Government
- Mayor	Jerry E. Abramson (D)
Area
- City	sq mi (km²)
- Land	sq mi ( km²)
- Water	sq mi ( km²)
Elevation	ft ( m)
Population (2006)[2]
- City	{{formatnum:701,500 (consolidated) 554,496 (balance)}}
- Density	/sq mi (/km²)
- Metro
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Area code(s)	502
FIPS code	21-48000
GNIS feature ID	0509453
Website: http://www.louisvilleky.gov/

Louisville (usually pronounced ['luːǝvǝl] (help·info); see Pronunciation below) is Kentucky's largest city. It is ranked as either the 17th or 27th largest city in the United States depending on how the population is calculated (see Nomenclature, population and ranking below). 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. Louisville is famous as the home of "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports": the Kentucky Derby, the widely watched first race of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing.

Louisville is situated in north-central Kentucky on the Kentucky-Indiana border at the only natural obstacle in the Ohio River, the Falls of the Ohio. Louisville is the county seat of Jefferson County, and since 2003, the city's borders are coterminous with those of the county due to merger. Because it includes counties in Southern Indiana, the Louisville metropolitan area is regularly referred to as Kentuckiana. A resident of Louisville is referred to as a Louisvillian. Although situated in a Southern state, Louisville is influenced by both Midwestern and Southern culture, and is commonly referred to as either the northernmost Southern city or the southernmost Northern city in the United States.^[3][4]

Louisville has been the site of many important innovations through history. Notable residents have included inventor Thomas Edison, the first Jewish Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, boxing legend Muhammad Ali, newscaster Diane Sawyer, and actor Tom Cruise. Notable events occurring in the city include the first public viewing place of Edison's lightbulb, the first library in the U.S. open to African Americans,^[5][6] and medical advances including the first human hand transplant,^[7] the first self-contained artificial heart transplant,^[8] and the development site of the first cervical cancer vaccine.^[9]

Nomenclature, population and ranking

City of Louisville Population by year (Pre-merger)[10][11]
2000 - 256,231 1990 - 269,063 1980 - 298,451 1970 - 361,472 1960 - 390,639 1950 - 369,129 1940 - 319,077 1930 - 307,745 1920 - 234,891 1910 - 223,928 1900 - 204,731 1890 - 161,129 1880 - 123,758 1870 - 100,753 1860 - 68,033 1850 - 43,194 1840 - 21,210 1830 - 10,341 1820 - 4,012 1810 - 1,357 1800 - 359 1790 - 200

As of the 2000 Census, Louisville had a population of 256,231. Thus, Louisville's population was for the first time since 1820 less than Lexington's merged consolidated city-county population of 260,512. On November 7, 2000, Louisville and Jefferson County approved a ballot measure 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 1, 2003. This merger made Louisville Kentucky's largest city again.

The U.S. Census Bureau gives two different population figures for Louisville: for the consolidated Louisville-Jefferson County it lists the 2006 estimated population as 701,500 (17th largest in the nation and equal to that of Jefferson County);^[12][13] for the Louisville-Jefferson County balance it lists the population as 554,496 (27th largest).^[14] 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).^[15]

Census methodology uses balance values in comparing consolidated cities to other cities for ranking purposes, so the lower ranking is the figure officially reported by the Census Bureau. Nevertheless, the higher ranking continues to be claimed by Louisville Metro government and business leaders, widely reported in the local media, and has even been posted on road signs at the city limits.^[16]

The Louisville metropolitan area (not to be confused with Louisville Metro), having a population of 1,222,216, ranks 42nd nationally. The metro area also includes four Southern Indiana counties (see Geography below). The Louisville Combined Statistical Area has a total population of 1,356,798, which ranks 39th in the U.S.

Pronunciation

Most native residents pronounce the city's name as ['luːǝvǝl] (info) (IPA) — often this degrades further into ['lǝvǝl] (info). The name is often pronounced far back in the mouth, in the top of the throat. The standard English pronunciation, however, is ['luːivɪl] (info) (referring to King Louis XVI), which is often utilized by political leaders and the media. No matter how Louisville is pronounced, the 's' is always silent. (This contrasts with the name of the cities Louisville, Colorado, Louisville, Georgia, Louisville, Mississippi and Louisville, Tennessee, which, although spelled the same, are pronounced ['luːisvɪl] (info).)

The variability of the 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.

Regional migration patterns and the homogenization of dialect due to electronic media also may be responsible for the incidence of native-born Louisvillians adopting or affecting the standard English pronunciation. Nevertheless, the ['luːǝvǝl] pronunciation is most popular among residents and is, with few exceptions, used by news and sports reporters.

History

Main article: History of Louisville, Kentucky

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

The first European settlement made in the vicinity of modern-day Louisville was on Corn Island in 1778 by Col. George Rogers Clark. Today, Clark is recognized as the founder of Louisville, and several landmarks are named after him.^[17]

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 at the time were aiding Americans in the Revolutionary War. Early residents lived in forts due to Indian raids, but were moving out by the late 1780s.^[18] In 1803, explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark organized their expedition across America at the Falls of the Ohio in Louisville.

The city attributes its early growth to 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.^[19]

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. Louisville was the turning point for many enslaved blacks since Kentucky, although it was to be a border state in the Civil War, was nevertheless a slave state and crossing the Ohio River could lead to freedom in the North.

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. By the end of the war, Louisville itself had not been attacked even once, even though surrounded by skirmishes and battles. After 1865 returning Confederate veterans largely took control of the city, leading to the jibe that it joined the Confederacy after the war was over.

The first Kentucky Derby was held on May 17, 1875, at the Louisville Jockey Club track (later renamed to Churchill Downs). The Derby was originally shepherded by Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr., the grandson of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. 10,000 spectators were present at the first Derby to watch Aristides win the race.

On March 27, 1890 the city was devastated and downtown nearly destroyed when an F4 tornado tore through the city at 8:30pm as part of the Mid-Mississippi Valley Tornado Outbreak of March 1890. An estimated 74 to 120 people were killed. The city quickly recovered and signs of the tornado were nearly totally absent within a year.

Louisville also contributed to the automotive industry. Following the work of Stoughton Wagon Company (Stoughton Wisconsin), in 1929 Ford began supplying the components for a Model A station wagon, with wood from the Mengel Company of Louisville.^[20]

In late January and February of 1937, a month of heavy rain in which 19" fell prompted what became remembered as the "Great Flood of '37". The flood submerged about 70% of the city, power was lost, and it forced the evacuation of 175,000 residents, and also led to fundamental changes in where residents bought houses. 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 growth.

Similar to many other older American cities, Louisville began to decline as an important city in the 1960s and 1970s. Highways that had been built in the 1950s facilitated a flight to the suburbs, and the downtown and west end areas in particular began to decline economically. 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 but was only responsible for two deaths.^[21]

From 1974 to 1987, Jefferson County lost population, but is now averaging around a 1,500 net gain in population per year. The population within the old city limits dropped by almost 100,000 from its peak in 1970, falling from 33rd nationally to 58th, although its population has now stabilized.^[22]

Since the 1970s Louisville's population decline has slowed and the city has seen gentrification, especially in The Highlands, Old Louisville, and the Clifton and Crescent Hill areas. The city also made efforts to revitalize its downtown and the city in general, including significant downtown infrastructure improvements such as the conversion of waterfront industrial sites into Waterfront Park and the development of luxury condominiums and entertainment areas like Fourth Street Live!.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville is located at 38°13′44″N, 85°44′58″W (38.228870, -85.749534)¹. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Louisville Metro (in 2000 measurements for Jefferson County) has a total area of 1,032 km² (399 mi²). 997 km² (385 mi²) of it is land and 35 km² (13 mi²) of it (3.38%) is water.

Louisville is located in the Bluegrass region, but the city has a greater affinity for 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 and had to be drained as the city grew. In the 1840s most creeks were rerouted or placed in canals to prevent flooding and subsequent disease outbreaks.

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

The Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), the 42nd largest in the United States, includes the Kentucky county of Jefferson (coterminous with Louisville Metro), plus twelve outlying counties — eight in Kentucky and four in Southern Indiana. Between the 1990 Census and 2000 Census, the Louisville MSA's population outgrew Lexington's by 149,415, and Cincinnati's by 23,278. This 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. The Louisville CSA ranks 39th in the U.S. in population.^[23]

Climate

Louisville is located on the northern limit of the humid subtropical climate. Summers are typically hot and humid with mildly warm evenings. The mean annual temperature is 56 °F (13 °C), with an average annual snowfall of 16.4 inches (41 cm) and an average annual rainfall of 44.53 inches (1131 mm). The wettest seasons are the spring and summer, although rainfall is fairly constant all year round. During the winter, particularly in January and February, several days of snow can be expected, allowing for winter sports. January is the coldest month with average highs of 41 °F and average lows of 25 °F (5 to −4 °C) and July the hottest month with average high and low temperatures from 87 to 69.8 °F (31 and 21 °C).^[25] The highest recorded temperature was 105 °F (41 °C) on July 14, 1954, and the lowest recorded temperature was −22 °F (−30 °C) on January 19, 1994.^[26] However, in any season, temperatures can vary widely day by day, because of Louisville's location where many fronts often converge. Severe weather is not uncommon; the area is prone to almost all types of non-tropical weather extremes, including tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, ice storms and extreme heat and cold.

Much like the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, Louisville's Ohio River Valley location traps air pollution. The city is ranked by Environmental Defense as America's 38th worst city for air quality.^[27] Louisville also often exemplifies the heat island effect. Temperatures in commercial areas and in the industrialized areas along interstates are often higher than in the suburbs, particularly the shaded areas, like Anchorage, where temperatures are often five degrees Fahrenheit (3 °C) cooler.

Cityscape

Main article: Cityscape of Louisville, Kentucky

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

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 to all directions, like the spokes of a wheel. The airport is located approximately 6.75 miles (10 km) south of the downtown area. The industrial sections of town are located to the south and west of the airport, while most of the residential areas of the city are located to the southwest, south and east of downtown. The Louisville skyline is slated to be changed with the proposed 62-story Museum Plaza as well as a 22,000-seat waterfront arena.

Another primary business and industrial district is located in the suburban area east of the city on Hurstbourne Parkway.^[28] 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, it is also the fourth 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 boast the largest collection of cast iron facades of anywhere outside of New York's SoHo district.^[29]

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 Africans Americans no longer live in areas where more than 80% of residents are black.

Nevertheless, he says the perception is still strong.^[30] 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.^[31]

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.^[32] Immigrants from Southeast Asia tend to settle in the South End, while immigrants from Eastern Europe settle in the East End.^[33]

Government and politics

Main article: Government of Louisville, Kentucky

See also: List of mayors of Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville Metro is governed by an executive dubbed the Metro Mayor as well as a city legislature dubbed the Metro Council. The first and current Metro Mayor is Jerry E. Abramson (D), who was also the longest serving Mayor of the former City of Louisville's history, serving from 1985 to 1998. This has earned him the nickname "Mayor for Life"^[34]

The Metro Council consists of 26 seats corresponding to 26 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 Rick Blackwell (D), who is elected by the council members annually.

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 signify 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 areas of the city are in the 2nd congressional district, which is represented by Ron Lewis (R).^[35]

Crime and public safety

See also: Louisville Metro Police Department

Louisville is consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in the country and has been ranked in the Top 10 safest large cities by Morgan Quitno in the past 4 years. In the 2005 Morgan Quitno survey, Louisville was rated as the seventh safest large city in the United States.^[36] The 2006 edition of the survey ranked Louisville eighth.^[37]

In 2006, Louisville-Jefferson County recorded only 55 murders, compared to well over 100 murders annually in the similarly sized and surrounding cities of Cincinnati-Hamilton, Indianapolis-Marion and Nashville-Davidson. Louisville's total crime rate was less than half of most surrounding cities.^[38]

The Louisville Metro Area's overall violent crime rate was 412.6 per 100,000 residents in 2005, which was less than half the rate of Nashville's and significantly lower than Indianapolis and St Louis.^[39] In addition, the Elizabethtown, Kentucky Metro Area, which is part of Louisville's Combined Statistical Area, was ranked as the 17th safest Metro in the U.S.^[40] Kentucky as a state has the 5th lowest violent crime rate out of the 50 States.^[41]

Demographics

Note: All demographics are the same as that of Jefferson County, Kentucky, which merged with the former City of Louisville on January 6, 2003.

As of the census² of 2000, there were 693,604 people, 287,012 households, and 183,113 families residing in the city/county. The population density was 695/km² (1,801/mi²). There were 305,835 housing units at an average density of 307/km² (794/mi²). The racial makeup of the city/county is 77.38% White, 18.88% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 1.39% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. 1.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 287,012 households out of which 29.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.20% were married couples living together, 14.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.20% were non-families. 30.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.97.

The age distribution is 24.30% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 30.40% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.60 males.

The median income for a household is $39,457, and the median income for a family was $49,161. Males had a median income of $36,484 versus $26,255 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,352. About 9.50% of families and 12.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.10% of those under age 18 and 8.80% of those age 65 or over.

17% of the state's population lives in Jefferson County and 25% live in counties in the Louisville CSA, and also Jefferson County has 2.5 times more people than Kentucky's second most populous county, Fayette County. 12 of the 15 buildings in Kentucky over 300 feet are located in downtown Louisville. Over one-third of the population growth in Kentucky is in Louisville's CSA counties.

Religion

Religion is very prominent in Louisville which hosts several religious institutions of various faiths. There are 135,421 Catholic Louisvillians who attend 163 Catholic churches in the city.^[42] The Cathedral of the Assumption located in downtown Louisville is the seat of the Archdiocese of Louisville. Our Lady of Gethsemani Abbey, the monastic home of Catholic writer Thomas Merton, is in nearby Bardstown, Kentucky and also located in the archdiocese. Louisville is also the home of Our Lady's Rosary Makers, the largest Catholic Rosary making group in the United States with 17,000 active members worldwide.

A sizable number of Louisvillians belong to a Protestant faith. One in three Louisvillians is Southern Baptist belonging to one of 147 local Southern Baptist Congregations.^[43] Southeast Christian Church, a megachurch and one of the largest Christian churches in the United States, is located in Louisville. The city is home to The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and the headquarters of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Additionally, Louisville is home to the oldest African American Seventh-day Adventist congregation, Magazine Street Seventh-day Adventist Church.

There is a Jewish population of around 8,500 in the city and five synagogues. Most Jewish families originally came from Eastern Europe at the turn of the 20th century, and around 800 Soviet Jews have moved to Louisville since 1991.^[44] Jewish immigrants founded Jewish Hospital, which was once the center of the city's Jewish district. Jewish hospital recently merged with the Catholic healthcare system CARITAS.

Kentucky's only Hindu temple opened in su