Louisville, Kentucky is probably best known for horse races, bluegrass music, bourbon whiskey and Daniel Boone. The first settlement in the area was established in the 1770s and Louisville was formally recognized by the Virginia General Assembly in 1780, named for King Louis XVI. The city was incorporated in 1828 and Louisville was well on the way to becoming a metropolitan area.
The city is located on the Ohio River at the river's only natural obstacle - a series of falls. For this reason, Louisville has sometimes been called the Falls City. It has depended on the river for transportation and economic stability. But in 1937, the Ohio left its banks after weeks of heavy rains, submerging much of the town and forcing a mass exodus of the residents. The city's downtown area seemed to decline during the middle of the century, but saw a renewed growth around 1980. Much of the area is stereotyped as 'backwoods' and 'countrified', but those ideas have changed dramatically over the past couple of decades. As country lifestyles have become more acceptable, Louisville has come into its own as an area that can offer the best of both worlds. You'll have to visit Louisville to understand the attraction of this community where history, culture, traditions and ideas have come together. Louisville Fast Facts Location: Louisville is located on the Kentucky/Indiana border in Jefferson County.
- Population: 256,261
- Housing units: 121,275
- Land area: 62 square miles
- Persons per square mile: 4,124.9
- Average annual rainfall: 43 inches per year
- Elevation: 462 feet above sea level
- Information provided by the U.S. Census Bureau
Do you need to start a new business in Kentucky? Kentucky corporation from $89 + State fee.