See a horse race attended by fans around the world and enjoy bluegrass music in the state where the genre was first played – On a special day in May, Louisville moves to the Kentucky Derby when thoroughbred horses race the Churchill Downs oval track for just 2 minutes. Join the crowd to see the jockeys on their elegant steeds or place a bet. Remember to wear a dress and hat or bow tie. Watch the race as you sip on the local mint julep or eat a burgoo, a thick beef stew.
Spend more time in town and enjoy the Derby Festival, which takes place 2 weeks before the race. Attend or attend a marathon or Texas hold’em poker competition, take balloon rides and see a beautiful fireworks display, Thunder Over Louisville.
Enjoy many other Louisville attractions, such as the Muhammad Ali Museum about the great boxer, and the Louisville Slugger baseball bat factory and Louisville Mega Cavern.
Travel east through the poa fields to Lexington. Visit the agricultural farm at Kentucky Horse Park. Walk the 142 hectares of Raven Run Nature Sanctuary.
See horsepower of another kind at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, with over 70 vintage cars. Take an underground boat ride in the Lost River Cave and Valley.
Country United States
Before statehood Part of Virginia (District of Kentucky)
Admitted to the Union June 1, 1792 (15th)
Capital Frankfort
Largest city Louisville
Largest metro and urban areas Louisville
Government
• Governor Andy Beshear (D)
• Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman (D)
Legislature Kentucky General Assembly
• Upper house Senate
• Lower house House of Representatives
Judiciary Kentucky Supreme Court
U.S. senators Mitch McConnell (R)
Rand Paul (R)
U.S. House delegation 5 Republicans
1 Democrat (list)
Area
• Total 40,408 sq mi (104,656 km2)
• Land 39,486 sq mi (102,269 km2)
• Water 921 sq mi (2,387 km2) 2.2%
• Rank 37th
Dimensions
• Length 397 mi (640 km)
• Width 187 mi (302 km)
Elevation 750 ft (230 m)
Highest elevation (Black Mountain[1][a]) 4,145 ft (1,265 m)
Lowest elevation (Mississippi River at Kentucky Bend[1][a]) 250 ft
Population (2020)
• Total 4,509,342 Increase[2]
• Rank 26th
• Density 110/sq mi (42.5/km2)
• Rank 23rd
• Median household income $52,295[3]
• Income rank 44th
Demonym Kentuckian
Language
• Official language English[4]
Time zones
eastern half UTC−05:00 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 (EDT)
western half UTC−06:00 (Central)
• Summer (DST) UTC−05:00 (CDT)
USPS abbreviation
KY
ISO 3166 code US-KY
Traditional abbreviation Ky
Latitude 36° 30′ N to 39° 09′ N
Longitude 81° 58′ W to 89° 34′ W
Website kentucky.gov
Real Estate United States, Kentucky
Top advertisers
List of cities in kentucky
- Adairville Albany Alexandria Allen Anchorage Arlington Ashland Auburn Audubon Park Augusta
- Bancroft Barbourmeade Barbourville Bardstown[16] Bardwell Barlow[18] Beattyville[20] Beaver Dam Bedford Beechwood Village Bellefonte Bellemeade Bellevue Bellewood Benham Benton Berea Berry[23] Blackey Blaine Blandville Bloomfield[24] Blue Ridge Manor Bonnieville Booneville Bowling Green[26] Bradfordsville Brandenburg Bremen[28] Briarwood Brodhead Broeck Pointe Bromley Brooksville Brownsboro Farm Brownsboro Village Brownsville Buckhorn Burgin Burkesville Burnside Butler
- Cadiz Calhoun[31] California Calvert City Camargo Cambridge Campbellsburg Campbellsville Campton Caneyville Carlisle Carrollton[37] Carrsville Catlettsburg Cave City Centertown[40] Central City[41] Clarkson Clay Clay City Clinton Cloverport Coal Run Village[46] Cold Spring Coldstream Columbia Columbus Concord Corbin Corinth Corydon Covington Crab Orchard Creekside Crescent Springs Crestview Crestview Hills Crestwood Crittenden Crofton Crossgate Cumberland Cynthiana
- Danville Dawson Springs[54] Dayton[55] Dixon Douglass Hills Dover Drakesboro Druid Hills Dry Ridge
- Earlington Eddyville Edgewood Edmonton Ekron Elizabethtown Elkhorn City Elkton Elsmere Eminence Erlanger Eubank[60] Evarts Ewing
- Fairfield Fairview Falmouth Ferguson Fincastle Flatwoods Fleming-Neon Flemingsburg Florence Fordsville Forest Hills Fort Mitchell Fort Thomas Fort Wright Fountain Run Fox Chase Frankfort Franklin Fredonia Frenchburg Fulton
- Gamaliel Georgetown[67] Germantown Ghent Glasgow Glencoe Glenview Glenview Hills Glenview Manor Goose Creek Goshen Grand Rivers Gratz Graymoor-Devondale Grayson Green Spring Greensburg Greenup[75] Greenville Guthrie
- Hanson Hardin Hardinsburg Harlan[77] Harrodsburg Hartford Hawesville Hazard Hazel Hebron Estates Henderson Heritage Creek[79] Hickman Hickory Hill Highland Heights[80] Hills and Dales Hillview Hindman Hodgenville Hollow Creek Hollyvilla Hopkinsville Horse Cave Houston Acres Hunters Hollow Hurstbourne Hurstbourne Acres Hustonville Hyden
- Independence Indian Hills Inez[84] Irvine Irvington Island
- Jackson Jamestown Jeffersontown Jeffersonville Jenkins Junction City
- Keene Kenton Vale Kevil Kingsley Kuttawa
- LaCenter LaFayette La Grange Lakeside Park Lakeview Heights Lancaster Langdon Place Lawrenceburg[88] Lebanon Lebanon Junction Leitchfield Lewisburg Lewisport Lexington Liberty Lincolnshire Livermore Livingston London Loretto Louisa Louisville Loyall Ludlow Lynch Lyndon Lynnview
- Mackville Madisonville Manchester[94] Manor Creek Marion Martin Maryhill Estates Mayfield Maysville McHenry McKee Meadow Vale Meadowbrook Farm Meadowview Estates Melbourne Mentor Middlesboro Middletown Midway Millersburg Milton Mockingbird Valley Monterey Monticello Moorland Morehead Morganfield Morgantown Mortons Gap Mount Olivet Mount Sterling Mount Vernon Mount Washington[105] Muldraugh Munfordville Murray Murray Hill
- Nebo New Castle New Haven Newport Nicholasville Norbourne Estates North Middletown Northfield Nortonville[109] Norwood
- Oak Grove Oakland Old Brownsboro Place Olive Hill Orchard Grass Hills Owensboro Owenton Owingsville
- Paducah Paintsville Paris[110] Park City Park Hills Parkway Village Pembroke Perryville Pewee Valley Pikeville[112] Pineville Pioneer Village Pippa Passes Plantation Pleasureville Plum Springs Poplar Hills Powderly Prestonsburg[114] Prestonville Princeton Prospect Providence
- Raceland[115] Radcliff Ravenna Raywick Richlawn Richmond River Bluff Riverwood Robards Rochester Rockport Rolling Fields Rolling Hills Russell[117] Russell Springs Russellville Ryland Heights
- Sacramento Sadieville St. Charles St. Mary St. Matthews St. Regis Park Salem Salt Lick Salyersville Sanders Sandy Hook Sardis Science Hill Scottsville Sebree Seneca Gardens Sharpsburg Shelbyville Shepherdsville Shively Silver Grove Simpsonville Slaughters[125] Smithfield Smithland Smiths Grove Somerset Sonora South Carrollton South Park View South Shore Southgate Sparta Spring Mill Spring Valley Springfield Stamping Ground Stanford Stanton Strathmoor Manor Strathmoor Village Sturgis Sycamore
- Taylor Mill Taylorsville Ten Broeck Thornhill Tompkinsville Trenton
- Union Uniontown Upton
- Vanceburg Versailles Vicco Villa Hills Vine Grove
- Walton Warfield Warsaw[132] Watterson Park Waverly Wayland Wellington West Buechel West Liberty West Point Westwood Wheatcroft Wheelwright White Plains Whitesburg Whitesville Wickliffe Wilder Wildwood Williamsburg Williamstown Willisburg Wilmore Winchester Windy Hills Wingo Woodburn Woodbury Woodland Hills Woodlawn Woodlawn Park Worthington Worthington Hills Worthville Wurtland