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Do not fill this in! {{Short description|Largest city in Kentucky, United States}} {{redirect2|Louisville|Gateway to the South||Louisville (disambiguation)|and|Gateway to the South (disambiguation)}} {{pp-move|small=yes}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}} {{use American English|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Louisville | official_name = Louisville/Jefferson County<br />Metro Government | settlement_type = [[Consolidated city-county]] | nicknames = Derby City, River City,<ref>{{cite web|title=Transit Authority of River City (TARC)|url=https://www.ridetarc.org/|website=ridetarc.org|access-date=June 11, 2016|archive-date=June 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605220011/http://www.ridetarc.org/|url-status=live}}</ref> {{nowrap|(The) Gateway to the South}},<ref>Multiple sources: * {{cite web |url=https://blog.virgin-atlantic.com/t5/Our-Places/The-Gateway-to-the-South-A-Beginner-s-Guide-to-Louisville/ba-p/15505#.Vcjp4fnU51Q |title=The Gateway to the South: A Beginner's Guide to Louisville |website=The Virgin Atlantic Blog |date=January 2014 |access-date=August 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911063630/http://blog.virgin-atlantic.com/t5/Our-Places/The-Gateway-to-the-South-A-Beginner-s-Guide-to-Louisville/ba-p/15505#.Vcjp4fnU51Q |archive-date=September 11, 2015 |url-status=dead }} * {{cite book |last=K'Meyer |first=Tracy E. |title=Civil Rights in the Gateway to the South: Louisville, Kentucky, 1945–1980 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=akGSwilkI7kC |location=[[Lexington, Kentucky]] |publisher=[[University Press of Kentucky]] |date=January 1, 2010 |access-date=August 10, 2015 |isbn=978-0813139203 |archive-date=November 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106012909/https://books.google.com/books?id=akGSwilkI7kC |url-status=live }} * {{cite web |url=http://digital.library.louisville.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/potter/id/72/rec/6 |title=Flooded riverfront, Louisville, Kentucky, 1937. :: R. G. Potter Collection |quote=View of downtown Louisville, Kentucky, with buildings submerged by floodwater. Neon sign on top of building reads: "The Gateway to the South Louisville Gas & Electric Co." |access-date=August 10, 2015 |archive-date=September 29, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929115753/http://digital.library.louisville.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/potter/id/72/rec/6 |url-status=dead }} </ref> Falls City, {{nowrap|The 'Ville<ref>Multiple sources: * {{cite news|last1=Puckett|first1=Jeffrey Lee|title=The Who, other must-see shows in the 'Ville|url=http://www.courier-journal.com/story/entertainment/music/2016/03/09/top-5-shows-louisville/81148470/|access-date=June 11, 2016|work=[[The Courier-Journal]]|date=March 9, 2016|archive-date=November 6, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106012909/https://www.courier-journal.com/story/entertainment/music/2016/03/09/top-5-shows-louisville/81148470/|url-status=live}} * {{cite news |title=UofL's bogus billboards don't impress experts |date=September 10, 2003 |last=Forde |first=Pat |newspaper=[[The Courier-Journal]]}} </ref>}} | image_skyline = {{multiple image | border = infobox | perrow = 1/2/3/1 | total_width = 290 | caption_align = center | image1 = Louisville Skyline 2021 (3).jpg | caption1 = [[Downtown Louisville]] skyline | image2 = Thunder over LOUISVILLE.jpg | caption2 = [[Thunder Over Louisville]] | image3 = Muhammad Ali Center (photo 2).jpg | caption3 = [[Muhammad Ali Center]] | image4 = LouisvilleSluggerMusem.jpg | caption4 = [[Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory|Louisville Slugger Museum/Factory]] | image5 = Cathedral of the Assumption (Louisville, KY) - exterior.jpg | caption5 = [[Cathedral of the Assumption (Louisville, Kentucky)|Cathedral of the Assumption]] | image6 = Louisville Water Tower (upwards).jpg | caption6 = [[Louisville Water Tower]] | image7 = Kentucky Derby 2014-0214 (14130332164).jpg | caption7 = [[Kentucky Derby]] }} | image_flag = Flag of Louisville, KY.png | image_seal = 200px-Louisville Kentucky seal.png | image_map = File:Jefferson County KY places.svg | map_caption = Territory in yellow represents the "balance" population of Louisville. | pushpin_map = Kentucky#USA#North America | pushpin_label = Louisville | pushpin_map_caption = Location within Kentucky##Location within the United States##Location within North America | pushpin_relief = 1 | subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]] | subdivision_type1 = [[U.S. state|State]] | subdivision_type2 = [[List of counties in Kentucky|County]] | subdivision_name = [[United States]] | subdivision_name1 = [[Kentucky]] | subdivision_name2 = [[Jefferson County, Kentucky|Jefferson]] | established_title = Established | established_date = 1778<ref name=sos/> | established_title2 = Incorporated | established_date2 = 1828<ref name=sos>Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "Louisville, Kentucky". Accessed September 19, 2013.</ref> | founder = [[George Rogers Clark]] | named_for = [[Louis XVI]] | government_type = [[Mayor–council government|Mayor–council]] | leader_title = [[List of mayors of Louisville, Kentucky|Mayor]] | leader_name = [[Craig Greenberg]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]]) | leader_title1 = [[Louisville Metro Council|Metro Council]] | leader_name1 = [[Louisville Metro Council#Current members|26 council members]] | area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_21.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 18, 2022|archive-date=March 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319080929/https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_21.txt|url-status=live}}</ref> | unit_pref = Imperial | area_total_sq_mi = 341.44 | area_land_sq_mi = 324.94 | area_water_sq_mi = 16.50 | area_total_km2 = 884.32 | area_land_km2 = 841.59 | area_water_km2 = 42.73 | population_as_of = [[2020 United States Census|2020]] | population_total = 633045 <!--{{increase}}--> | population_rank = [[List of North American cities by population|75th]] in North America<br />[[List of United States cities by population|27th]] in the United States{{efn|name=PopRanknote|Louisville's "balance" population is considered in determining rank among cities in the U.S.}}<br/>[[List of cities in Kentucky|1st]] in Kentucky | population_metro_footnotes = <ref name="2020Pop">{{cite web |title=2020 Population and Housing State Data |url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/2020-population-and-housing-state-data.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=August 22, 2021 |archive-date=August 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824081449/https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/2020-population-and-housing-state-data.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | population_metro = 1,365,557 ([[List of metropolitan statistical areas|US: 43rd]]) | population_density_sq_mi = auto | population_density_km2 = | population_urban = 1,025,000 ([[List of United States urban areas|US: 46th]]) | population_density_urban_km2 = 938.5 | population_density_urban_sq_mi = 2,430.8 | population_demonym = Louisvillian<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Louisvillian|title=Definition of Louisvillian|dictionary=Merriam-Webster Dictionary|access-date=November 5, 2020|archive-date=January 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123024457/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Louisvillian|url-status=live}}</ref> | population_footnotes = | demographics_type2 = GDP | demographics2_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web|title=Total Gross Domestic Product for Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN (MSA)|url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NGMP31140|website=fred.stlouisfed.org|access-date=January 4, 2024|archive-date=January 4, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240104081042/https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NGMP31140|url-status=live}}</ref> |demographics2_title1 = MSA |demographics2_info1 = $90.836 billion (2022) | timezone = [[Eastern Time Zone (North America)|EST]] | utc_offset = -5 | timezone_DST = [[Eastern Time Zone (North America)|EDT]] | utc_offset_DST = -4 | postal_code_type = [[ZIP code]] prefixes | postal_code = 40201-40225, 40228-40229, 40231-40233, 40241-40243, 40245, 40250-40253, 40255-40259, 40261, 40266, 40268-40270, 40272, 40280-40283, 40285, 40287, 40289-40299 | area_code_type = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]] | area_code = [[Area code 502|502]] | elevation_ft = 466 | coordinates = {{coord|38|15|22|N|85|45|05|W|region:US-KY|display=inline,title}} | blank1_name_sec1 = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]] | blank1_info_sec1 = 21-48006 | blank2_name_sec1 = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID | blank2_info_sec1 = 2404963<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2404963}}</ref> | website = {{URL|louisvilleky.gov/}} | footnotes = | blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]] | blank_info = 21-48000 | pop_est_as_of = 2022 | pop_est_footnotes = <ref name="United States Census Bureau">{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2022/cities/totals/SUB-IP-EST2022-POP-21.xlsx|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Kentucky: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 26, 2023|archive-date=May 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230520211714/https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2022/cities/totals/SUB-IP-EST2022-POP-21.xlsx|url-status=live}}</ref> | population_est = 624,444 }} '''Louisville''' ([[Pronunciation of Louisville|varying pronunciations]]: {{IPAc-en|audio=Looeevil.ogg|ˈ|l|uː|i|v|ɪ|l}} {{respell|LOO|ee|vil}}, {{IPAc-en|audio=Loouhvull.ogg|US|ˈ|l|uː|ə|v|əl}} {{respell|LOO|ə|vəl}}, {{IPAc-en|audio=Luhvull.ogg|local|ˈ|l|ʊ|v|əl}} {{respell|LUUV|əl}}) is the [[List of cities in Kentucky|most populous city]] in the [[Kentucky|Commonwealth of Kentucky]], sixth-most populous city in the [[Southeastern United States|Southeast]], and the [[list of United States cities by population|27th-most-populous city]] in the [[United States]].{{efn|name=PopRanknote}}<ref name=PopEstCities>{{cite web |url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2016/PEPANNRSIP.US12A |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places of 50,000 or More, Ranked by July 1, 2016 Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2016—United States—Places of 50,000+ Population |work=2016 Population Estimates |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division |date=May 2017 |access-date=July 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190912031647/https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk |archive-date=September 12, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> By land area, it is the country's [[List of United States cities by area|24th-largest city]], although by population density, it is the 265th most dense city.{{Efn|The city population density as of April 1, 2020 census data (residents per unit of land area)|name=PopDensNote|group=}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gazetteer Files |url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190824085937/https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html |access-date=December 27, 2023 |website=Census.gov |archive-date=August 24, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> Louisville is the historical [[county seat]] and, since 2003, the nominal seat of [[Jefferson County, Kentucky|Jefferson County]], on the [[Indiana]] border. Named after [[King Louis XVI]] of France, Louisville was founded in 1778 by [[George Rogers Clark]], making it one of the oldest cities west of the [[Appalachian Mountains|Appalachians]].<ref>{{cite book |editor=Kleber, John E. |others=Associate editors: [[Thomas D. Clark]], [[Lowell H. Harrison]], and [[James C. Klotter]] |title=''The Kentucky Encyclopedia'' |year=1992 |publisher=The University Press of Kentucky |location=[[Lexington, Kentucky]] |isbn=978-0-8131-1772-0}}</ref> With the nearby [[Falls of the Ohio]] as the only major obstruction to river traffic between the upper [[Ohio River]] and the [[Gulf of Mexico]], the settlement first grew as a [[portage]] site. It was the founding city of the [[Louisville and Nashville Railroad]], which grew into a {{convert|6000|mi|adj=on|sp=us}} system across 13 states. Today, the city is known as the home of boxer [[Muhammad Ali]], the [[Kentucky Derby]], [[Kentucky Fried Chicken]], the [[University of Louisville]] and its [[Louisville Cardinals|Cardinals]], [[Louisville Slugger]] baseball bats, and three of Kentucky's six [[Fortune 500|''Fortune'' 500]] companies: [[Humana]], [[Kindred Healthcare]], and [[Yum! Brands]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://fortune.com/fortune500/visualizations/|title=Visualize The Fortune 500|website=Fortune|access-date=March 22, 2019|archive-date=March 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322190230/http://fortune.com/fortune500/visualizations/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>''CNN Money''. "[https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2012/states/KY.html ''Fortune'' 500 2012: States: Kentucky Companies] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806172743/https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2012/states/KY.html |date=August 6, 2020 }}". May 21, 2012. Accessed September 19, 2013.</ref> [[Louisville International Airport|Muhammad Ali International Airport]], Louisville's main commercial airport, hosts [[United Parcel Service|UPS's]] worldwide hub. Since 2003, Louisville's borders have been the same as those of Jefferson County, after a [[consolidated city-county|city-county merger]].<ref name="Louisville Metro Consolidation">{{cite web|url=http://www.louisvilleky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/177354E3-E933-432E-A880-4CE6FDFCFD42/0/MergerSummary.pdf |title=Louisville-Jefferson County Local Government Consolidation |publisher=louisvilleky.gov |access-date=August 19, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140630163310/https://www.louisvilleky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/177354E3-E933-432E-A880-4CE6FDFCFD42/0/MergerSummary.pdf |archive-date=June 30, 2014 }}</ref> The official name of this consolidated city-county government is the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/Kentucky/loukymetro/louisvillejeffersoncountymetrogovernment?f=templates$fn=default.htm$3.0$vid=amlegal:louisville_ky |title=Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government Code of Ordinances |publisher=American Legal Publishing Corporation |access-date=August 19, 2014 |archive-date=July 1, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701235347/http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/Kentucky/loukymetro/louisvillejeffersoncountymetrogovernment?f=templates$fn=default.htm$3.0$vid=amlegal:louisville_ky |url-status=dead }}</ref> abbreviated to Louisville Metro.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/Kentucky/loukymetro/titleigeneralprovisions/chapter10generalprovisions?f=templates$fn=default.htm$3.0$vid=amlegal:louisville_ky$anc=JD_10.06 |title=Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government Code of Ordinances § 10.06 DEFINITIONS |publisher=American Legal Publishing Corporation |access-date=August 19, 2014 |archive-date=August 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820095313/http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/Kentucky/loukymetro/titleigeneralprovisions/chapter10generalprovisions?f=templates$fn=default.htm$3.0$vid=amlegal:louisville_ky$anc=JD_10.06 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Despite the merger and renaming, the term "Jefferson County" continues to be used in some contexts in reference to Louisville Metro, particularly including the [[Louisville neighborhoods#Incorporated places|incorporated cities]] outside the "[[Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), Kentucky|balance]]" which make up Louisville proper. The city's total consolidated population as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]] was 782,969.<ref name="Consolidated">{{cite web |title=QuickFacts: Jefferson County, Kentucky |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/jeffersoncountykentucky/POP010220 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=August 22, 2021 |archive-date=March 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319080943/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/jeffersoncountykentucky/POP010220 |url-status=live }}</ref> However, the balance total of 633,045<ref name="QuickFactsBalance">{{cite web |title=QuickFacts: Louisville city, Kentucky; Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), Kentucky |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/louisvillecitykentucky,louisvillejeffersoncountymetrogovernmentbalancekentucky/POP010220 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=August 22, 2021 |archive-date=June 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603004431/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/louisvillecitykentucky,louisvillejeffersoncountymetrogovernmentbalancekentucky/POP010220 |url-status=live }}</ref> excludes other incorporated places and semiautonomous towns within the county and is the population listed in most sources and national rankings. The [[Louisville metropolitan area|Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area]] (MSA) includes Louisville-Jefferson County and 12 surrounding [[County (United States)|counties]], seven in Kentucky and five in [[Southern Indiana]]. As of 2023, the MSA had a population of 1,365,557,<ref name="PopEstMSA">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-metro-and-micro-statistical-areas.html#v2023 |title=Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2020-2023 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division |date=March 14, 2024 |access-date=March 26, 2024 |archive-date=March 14, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240314142116/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-metro-and-micro-statistical-areas.html#v2023 |url-status=live }}</ref> the [[Metropolitan statistical area#United States|43rd largest in the nation]].{{efn|name=MSAnote|The United States MSA table excludes the [[San Juan, Puerto Rico metropolitan area|San Juan, Puerto Rico MSA]] which has a higher population than Louisville.}} ==History== {{Main|History of Louisville, Kentucky}} {{For timeline}} {{Broader|History of Kentucky}} {{See also|National Register of Historic Places listings in Jefferson County, Kentucky}} The history of Louisville spans hundreds of years, and has been influenced by the area's [[#Geography|geography]] and proximity to the [[Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area|Falls of the Ohio River]]. ===Early history and founding=== [[File:George Rogers Clark.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.65|alt=Painting of the head and shoulders of an older, gray-haired, balding man in a colonial-era military uniform (blue jacket with white lapels and gold epaullettes)|[[George Rogers Clark]] founded Louisville in the midst of the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]].]] Since the Falls created a barrier to river travel, settlements grew at this [[portage]] point. The first European settlement in the vicinity of modern-day Louisville was on [[Corn Island (Kentucky)|Corn Island]] in 1778 by Col. George Rogers Clark, credited as the founder of Louisville. Several landmarks in the community are named after him.<ref>{{cite web|title=George Rogers Clark: Kentucky Frontiersman, Hero, and Founder of Louisville|publisher=Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives|url=http://www.kdla.ky.gov/resources/kygrclark.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070425213827/http://www.kdla.ky.gov/resources/KYGRClark.htm|archive-date=April 25, 2007|access-date=July 19, 2007}}</ref> Two years later, in 1780, the [[Virginia General Assembly]] approved the town charter of Louisville. The city was named in honor of [[Louis XVI of France|King Louis XVI of France]], whose soldiers were then [[France in the American Revolutionary War|aiding Americans in the Revolutionary War]]. Early residents lived in [[Fort Nelson (Kentucky)|forts]] to protect themselves from raids from the local indigenous population, but they moved out by the late 1780s.<ref>{{cite book |title=Two Hundred Years at the Fall of the Ohio: A History of Louisville and Jefferson County |last=Yater |first=George H. |year=1987 |publisher=[[The Filson Historical Society|Filson Club, Incorporated]] |location=Louisville, Kentucky |edition=2nd |pages=9–10 |isbn = 978-0-9601072-3-0}}</ref> In 1803, explorers [[Meriwether Lewis]] and [[William Clark]] organized their [[Lewis and Clark Expedition|expedition across America]] in the town of [[Clarksville, Indiana]] at the present-day Falls of the Ohio opposite Louisville, Kentucky.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition|url=http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/read/?_xmlsrc=introduction.general.xml&_xslsrc=LCstyles.xsl|access-date=July 30, 2009|archive-date=May 17, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517182106/http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/read/?_xmlsrc=introduction.general.xml&_xslsrc=LCstyles.xsl|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Lewis and Clark—Falls of the Ohio|url=http://www.in.gov/dnr/lewis-clark/falls/|access-date=July 30, 2009|archive-date=February 17, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217165128/http://www.in.gov/dnr/lewis-clark/falls/|url-status=dead}}</ref> {{clear|left}} ===19th century=== {{See also|Louisville, Kentucky in the American Civil War}} [[File:Louisville 1846.jpg|alt=Artist's rendering of Main Street in Louisville as it appeared in 1846|thumb|right|View of 2nd Street and 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 grown to 7,000 and Louisville became an incorporated city.<ref>Yater, pp. 46–48.</ref> Early Louisville was a major shipping port and [[Slavery in the United States|enslaved African Americans]] worked in a variety of associated trades. The city was often a point of escape for [[Fugitive slaves in the United States|fugitive slaves]] to the north, as Indiana was a free state.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}} During this point in the 1850s, the city was growing and vibrant, but that also came with negativity. It was the center of planning, supplies, recruiting, and transportation for numerous campaigns, especially in the [[Western Theater of the American Civil War|Western Theater]]. Ethnic tensions rose, and on August 6, 1855, known as "[[Bloody Monday]]", Protestant mobs attacked German and Irish Catholic neighborhoods on election day, resulting in 22 deaths and widespread property damage.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bloody Monday Memorial |url=https://www.louisvilleirish.com/bloody-monday-memorial/ |access-date=September 9, 2022 |website=Ancient Order of Hibernians |language=en-US |archive-date=September 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220909105328/https://www.louisvilleirish.com/bloody-monday-memorial/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Then by 1861, the civil war had broken out. [[Louisville, Kentucky, in the American Civil War|During the Civil War]], Louisville was a major stronghold of [[Union Army|Union forces]], which kept Kentucky firmly in the Union. By the end of the war, the city of Louisville itself had not been attacked, although skirmishes and battles, including the battles of [[Battle of Perryville|Perryville]] and [[Battle of Corydon|Corydon]], took place nearby. After Reconstruction, returning [[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] veterans largely took political control of the city, leading to the jibe that Louisville joined the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]] after the war was over.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}} [[File:Churchill Downs 1901.jpg|thumb|right|[[Churchill Downs]] in 1901]] The first [[Kentucky Derby]] was held on May 17, 1875, at the Louisville Jockey Club track (later renamed [[Churchill Downs]]).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.churchilldowns.com/visit/about/churchill-downs/history/|title=History of Churchill Downs {{!}} {{!}} Churchill Downs Racetrack {{!}} Home of the Kentucky Derby|website=churchilldowns.com|language=en|access-date=March 23, 2019|archive-date=March 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190324005237/https://www.churchilldowns.com/visit/about/churchill-downs/history/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Derby was originally shepherded by [[Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr.]], 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 [[Bluegrass region|Inner Bluegrass Region]] had been a center of breeding high-quality livestock throughout the 19th century. Ten thousand spectators watched the first Derby, which [[Aristides (horse)|Aristides]] won.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kentucky Derby Timeline: 1874–1899 |url=http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2009/history/timeline/1874-1899 |access-date=July 30, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410204842/http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2009/history/timeline/1874-1899 |archive-date=April 10, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> On March 27, 1890, the city was devastated and its downtown nearly destroyed when what scientists now estimate was an [[Fujita scale|F4]] [[tornado]] tore through as part of the [[March 1890 middle Mississippi Valley tornado outbreak|middle Mississippi Valley tornado outbreak]]. It is estimated that between 74 and 120 people were killed and 200 were injured. The damage cost the city $2.5 million<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.weather.gov/lmk/tornado_climatology_march271890|title=Tornadoes of March 27, 1890|last=US Department of Commerce|first=NOAA|website=weather.gov|language=EN-US|access-date=March 24, 2019|archive-date=March 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190324005235/https://www.weather.gov/lmk/tornado_climatology_march271890|url-status=live}}</ref> (equivalent to $69 million in 2019).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1890?amount=2500000|title=$2,500,000 in 1890 → 2019 {{!}} Inflation Calculator|website=in2013dollars.com|language=en|access-date=March 24, 2019|archive-date=March 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190324005237/http://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1890%3Famount%3D2500000|url-status=live}}</ref> Established in 1896, [[Neighborhood House (Louisville, Kentucky)|Neighborhood House Louisville]] was the first [[settlement movement]] house in the state.<ref name="NHKY">{{cite web |title=Welcome to Neighborhood House |url=https://www.nhky.org/ |website=www.nhky.org |access-date=April 27, 2022 |archive-date=May 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525225007/https://www.nhky.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ===20th and 21st centuries=== Following the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation, freed slaves settled in a neighborhood of Louisville called Little Africa, nicknamed "the gateway to the South", near the present neighborhood of [[Park DuValle, Louisville|Park DuValle]].<ref name="WHAS">{{Cite web|date=February 14, 2021|title=What happened to Little Africa? Louisville's lost Black community|url=https://www.whas11.com/article/news/local/black-history/louisvilles-lost-black-community-little-africa/417-c72f3e6a-698c-4a63-80a1-cabfd6336b93|access-date=October 15, 2021|website=whas11.com|language=en-US|archive-date=October 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016144403/https://www.whas11.com/article/news/local/black-history/louisvilles-lost-black-community-little-africa/417-c72f3e6a-698c-4a63-80a1-cabfd6336b93|url-status=live}}</ref> The neighborhood was described as a "thriving community" by the 1920s, and declined between the 1940s and 1950s.<ref name="WHAS"/> In 1914, the City of Louisville passed a racially-based residential zoning code, following Baltimore, Atlanta, and a handful of cities in the Carolinas.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Residential Segregation by Law, 1910–1917|first=Roger L.|last= Rice|journal=The Journal of Southern History|volume=34|issue=2|date=May 1968|pages=181–183|doi=10.2307/2204656|jstor=2204656}}</ref> The [[NAACP]] challenged the ordinance in two cases. Two weeks after the ordinance enacted, an African-American named Arthur Harris moved into a house on a block designated for whites. He was prosecuted and found guilty. The second case was planned to create a test case. [[William Warley]], the president of the local chapter of the NAACP, tendered a purchase offer on a white block from Charles Buchanan, a white real estate agent. Warley also wrote a letter declaring his intention to build a house on that lot and reside there. With the understanding that the Louisville ordinance made it illegal for him to live there, Warley withheld payment, setting in motion a breach of contract suit by Buchanan.<ref>Rice (1968), pp. 185–186.</ref> By 1917 the US Supreme Court agreed to hear the case of ''[[Buchanan v. Warley]]''. The court struck down the Louisville residential segregation ordinance, ruling that it violated the [[Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Fourteenth Amendment]]'s [[due process]] clause.<ref>Rice (1968), p. 194.</ref> In 1917, shortly after the United States' entry into [[World War I]], Louisville was selected as the site of Camp Zachary Taylor. Camp Taylor was one of the country's largest World War I training camps. It was home of the 84th Infantry Division and trained over 150,000 men by the end of war, including [[F. Scott Fitzgerald]]. The camp was closed in 1921. Many of the buildings and infrastructure in the Camp Taylor neighborhood of Louisville are there as a result of the training camp. In 1929, Louisville completed the [[McAlpine Locks and Dam|lock and dam]] in the [[Ohio Falls|Falls of the Ohio]] and the city began referring to itself as "where Northern enterprise and [[Southern hospitality]] meet". Between the industrial boom of that year and through the [[Great Depression]], Louisville gained 15,000 new residents, about three percent of them black(450), most fleeing poverty in rural areas.<ref name="Adams-2001">{{Cite journal|last=Adams|first=Luther J.|date=Autumn 2001|title=African American Migration to Louisville in the Mid-Twentieth Century|journal=The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society|volume=99|issue=4|pages=363–384|jstor=23384797}}</ref> Throughout January 1937, {{convert|19.17|in|cm}} of rain fell in Louisville, and by January 27, the Ohio River crested at a record {{convert|57.15|ft|m}}, almost {{convert|30|ft|m}} above flood stage. These events triggered the [[Ohio River flood of 1937|"Great Flood of 1937"]], which lasted into early February. The [[flood]] submerged 60–70 percent of the city, caused complete loss of power for four days, and forced the evacuation of 175,000 or 230,000 residents, depending on sources. Ninety people died as a result of the flood.<ref>{{cite book |last=Purcell |first=Aaron D. |editor-first=John E. |editor-last=Kleber |year=2001 |title=The Encyclopedia of Louisville |chapter=Flood of 1937 |pages=296–297 |publisher=[[University Press of Kentucky]] |location=[[Lexington, Kentucky]] |isbn=978-0-8131-2100-0 |oclc=247857447 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pXbYITw4ZesC&pg=PA296 |access-date=March 7, 2019 |archive-date=November 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106012909/https://books.google.com/books?id=pXbYITw4ZesC&pg=PA296#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://kyclim.wku.edu/factSheets/ohioRiver.htm |title=Fact Sheet: Ohio River Floods |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080604134934/http://kyclim.wku.edu/factSheets/ohioRiver.htm |publisher=[[Western Kentucky University]] |archive-date=June 4, 2008 |access-date=August 10, 2015 }}</ref> It led to dramatic changes in where residents lived. Today, the city is protected by numerous [[flood wall]]s. After the flood, the areas of high elevation in the eastern part of the city had 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]], which began large-scale production of tractors and agricultural equipment. In 1950, the Census Bureau reported Louisville's population as 84.3% white and 15.6% black.<ref>{{cite web|title=Race and Hispanic Origin for Selected Cities and Other Places: Earliest Census to 1990 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120812191959/http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.html |archive-date=August 12, 2012 }}</ref> Throughout the 1940s, there were more black [[police officer]]s than any other Southern city, though they were allowed to patrol only black districts. This, in part, made Louisville seem like a more racially progressive city than other Southern cities, although only when black citizens accepted a lower status than white citizens. Many historians have referred to this "veil" of segregation as a [[Covert racism|"polite" racism]]. Historian George Wright stated that polite racism "often deluded both blacks and well-meaning whites into believing that real progress was being made in their city". For example, in the city [[Jim Crow laws|Jim Crow]] practices were not maintained by law so much as by custom.<ref name="Adams-2001" /> 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. [[File:Louisville Fourthstreetlive.jpg|thumb|Entrance of [[Fourth Street Live!]]]] In 1974, a major (F4) tornado hit Louisville as part of the [[1974 Super Outbreak]] of tornadoes that struck 13 states. It covered {{convert|21|mi|km}} and destroyed several hundred homes in the Louisville area, causing two deaths.<ref>{{cite book|title=Tornado: A Look Back at Louisville's Dark Day, April 3, 1974|url=http://www.butlerbooks.com/tolobaatloda.html|year=2004|editor=Butler, William S.|publisher=Butler Books|access-date=April 21, 2009|isbn=978-1-884532-58-0|archive-date=May 6, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090506025415/http://www.butlerbooks.com/tolobaatloda.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Since the 1980s, many of the city's urban neighborhoods have been [[gentrification|revitalized]] into areas popular with young professionals and college students. The greatest change has occurred along the [[The Highlands, Louisville|Bardstown Road/Baxter Avenue]] and [[Clifton, Louisville|Frankfort Avenue]] corridors as well as the [[Old Louisville]] neighborhood. In recent years, such change has also occurred in the [[East Market District]] (NuLu).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.courier-journal.com/story/money/louisville-city-living/2019/07/10/louisville-neighborhoods-nulu-packed-dining-shopping/1621854001/|title=A Day in the Neighborhood: Headed to NuLu? I hope you're hungry (and thirsty)|last=Menderski|first=Maggie|website=The Courier-Journal|language=en|access-date=October 24, 2019|archive-date=November 6, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106012909/https://www.courier-journal.com/story/money/louisville-city-living/2019/07/10/louisville-neighborhoods-nulu-packed-dining-shopping/1621854001/|url-status=live}}</ref> Since the late 1990s, [[Downtown Louisville|Downtown]] has experienced significant residential, tourist and retail growth, including the addition of major sports complexes [[KFC Yum! Center]], [[Lynn Family Stadium]] and [[Louisville Slugger Field]], conversion of waterfront industrial sites into [[Louisville Waterfront Park|Waterfront Park]], openings of varied museums (see [[#Museums, galleries and interpretive centers|Museums, galleries and interpretive centers]] below), and the refurbishing of the former Galleria into the bustling entertainment complex [[Fourth Street Live!]], which opened in 2004. On March 13, 2020, four [[Undercover operation|plainclothed officers]] from [[Louisville Metro Police Department]] executed a [[No-knock warrant|"no-knock" search warrant]] which led to the killing of [[Killing of Breonna Taylor|Breonna Taylor]], a 26-year-old [[African-Americans|African-American]] woman.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Oppel|first=Richard A. Jr. |date=May 30, 2020|title=Here's What You Need to Know About Breonna Taylor's Death|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/article/breonna-taylor-police.html|url-status=live|access-date=June 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200601003544/https://www.nytimes.com/article/breonna-taylor-police.html|archive-date=June 1, 2020|issn=0362-4331}} (From the [https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://www.nytimes.com/article/breonna-taylor-police.html Internet Archive index] for the page, compare captures for August 30, 2020, and September 2, 2020, to see the change in coverage concerning the warrant.)</ref> For months afterward, Taylor's family, members of the local community, and people around the world [[Breonna Taylor protests|protested]] to demand that officers involved in the shooting be fired and criminally charged.<ref>{{Cite news |first1=Ray |last1=Sanchez |first2=Elizabeth |last2=Joseph |date=June 19, 2020 |title=Louisville, Kentucky, seeks to fire police officer in shooting of Breonna Taylor |work=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/19/us/breonna-taylor-shooting-officer-firing/index.html |access-date=June 19, 2020 |archive-date=December 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229011459/https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/19/us/breonna-taylor-shooting-officer-firing/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> These protests and demonstrations coincided and intertwined with the international [[George Floyd protests]], as well as the [[Black Lives Matter]] movement and a [[2020-2022 United States racial unrest|broader movement of racial unrest]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Waldrop |first2=Evan |last2=McMorris-Santoro |first3=Kevin |last3=Brunelli |first1=Theresa |date=June 1, 2020 |title=Louisville fires its police chief over handling of fatal shooting during protest |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/01/us/louisville-protests-man-shot-dead/index.html |access-date=September 28, 2022 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=June 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200602000507/https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/01/us/louisville-protests-man-shot-dead/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> As a result of the incident, the police chief was fired and four officers received federal charges, but no significant systemic changes were made.<ref name="USAToday20200619">{{Cite news|last1=Costello|first1=Darcy|title=Louisville police is firing officer Brett Hankison involved in Breonna Taylor shooting|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|publisher=[[Gannett]]|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/06/19/breonna-taylor-shooting-louisville-police-fire-officer-brett-hankison/3222169001/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620052807/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/06/19/breonna-taylor-shooting-louisville-police-fire-officer-brett-hankison/3222169001/ |date=June 19, 2020 |archive-date=June 20, 2020|issn=0734-7456}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first1=Eliott C. |last1=McLaughlin |first2=Sonia |last2=Moghe |first3=Hannah |last3=Rabinowitz |date=August 4, 2022 |title=Four current, former Louisville police officers federally charged in Breonna Taylor's death |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/04/us/breonna-taylor-federal-charges/index.html |access-date=September 28, 2022 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804153621/https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/04/us/breonna-taylor-federal-charges/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On April 10, 2023, a [[2023 Louisville shooting|mass shooting]] occurred at the [[Old National Bank]], killing five people, and injuring nine others. The suspect, who was a bank employee and who officials said was livestreaming the rampage, was killed by the police after exchanging fire with them.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Louisville shooting live updates: 4 victims killed inside bank, 9 injured |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/live-updates/active-shooter-louisville/?id=98470141 |access-date=April 10, 2023 |website=ABC News |language=en |archive-date=April 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410142648/https://abcnews.go.com/US/live-updates/active-shooter-louisville/?id=98470141 |url-status=live }}</ref> ==Geography==<!-- linked --> {{Main|Geography of Louisville, Kentucky}} [[File:SouLouIq2.jpg|thumb|right|Hilly terrain blankets the southwest part of the city.]] Louisville and Jefferson County have a combined area of {{convert|397.68|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|380.46|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|17.23|sqmi|km2}} (4.33%) is covered by water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2015_Gazetteer/2015_gaz_counties_21.txt|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=August 26, 2016|year=2015|title=U.S. Gazetteer file for Kentucky counties (Jefferson County)|archive-date=February 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208073535/http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2015_Gazetteer/2015_gaz_counties_21.txt|url-status=live}}</ref> Louisville is southeasterly situated along the border between Kentucky and [[Indiana]], the [[Ohio River]], in north-central Kentucky at the [[Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area|Falls of the Ohio]]. Louisville is an [[Upper South]] city located in a [[Southern United States|Southern state]] that is influenced by both [[Culture of the Southern United States|Southern]] and [[Midwestern United States|Midwestern culture]]. It is sometimes referred to as either one of the northernmost Southern cities or as one of the southernmost Northern cities in the United States.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Meyer |first=David R. |date=December 1989 |title=Midwestern Industrialization and the American Manufacturing Belt in the Nineteenth Century |journal=The Journal of Economic History |volume=49 |issue=4 |pages=921–937 |jstor=2122744 |doi=10.1017/S0022050700009505 |s2cid=154436086 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.emporis.com/city/louisville-ky-usa |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120604051110/http://www.emporis.com/city/louisville-ky-usa |url-status = dead |archive-date = June 4, 2012 |title=Emporis:Louisville, KY |access-date=February 6, 2007}}</ref> Louisville is located in Kentucky's outer [[Bluegrass region]].<ref>{{cite web |title=University of Kentucky Atlas entry |url=http://www.kyatlas.com/phys-bluegrass.html |access-date=August 22, 2009 |archive-date=October 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023002014/http://www.kyatlas.com/phys-bluegrass.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 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 [[floodplain]] 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. Areas generally east of [[Interstate 65 in Kentucky|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 metropolitan area|Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area]] (MSA), the [[List of Metropolitan Statistical Areas|43rd largest]] in the United States,{{efn|name=MSAnote}}<ref name="PopEstMSA"/> includes the Kentucky county of Jefferson ([[wikt:coterminous|coterminous]] with Louisville Metro), plus twelve outlying counties—seven in Kentucky and five in [[Southern Indiana]]. Louisville's MSA is included in the [[Louisville metropolitan area|Louisville–Elizabethtown–Madison, KY–IN Combined Statistical Area]] (CSA), which also includes the [[Elizabethtown, Kentucky|Elizabethtown, KY]] MSA, as well as the [[Madison, Indiana|Madison, IN]] [[Micropolitan Statistical Area]]. The Louisville area is near several other urban areas, especially [[Frankfort, Kentucky]] (the state's capital); [[Cincinnati, Ohio]] (the two cities' metropolitan statistical areas almost border each other); [[Lexington, Kentucky]]; [[Bowling Green, Kentucky]]; [[Nashville, Tennessee]]; and the [[Indianapolis, Indiana]] area (especially [[Columbus, Indiana]], to the north of Southern Indiana). ===Cityscape=== {{Main|Cityscape of Louisville, Kentucky}} {{See also|Downtown Louisville|Neighborhoods in Louisville, Kentucky|List of parks in the Louisville metropolitan area|List of tallest buildings in Louisville}} [[File:Highlands.jpg|thumb|right|[[The Highlands, Louisville|Highlands district]], specifically the [[Bonnycastle, Louisville|Bonnycastle]] neighborhood]] The [[Downtown Louisville|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. The [[Louisville International Airport|airport]] is about {{convert|6.75|mi|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 area]]s of the city are to the southwest, south, and east of downtown. In 2010, the 22,000-seat [[KFC Yum! Center]] was completed.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courier_journal/access/1728957251.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=May+22%2C+2007&author=&pub=Courier+-+Journal&edition=&startpage=A.1&desc=Hotel+removed+from+arena+plan |title=Hotel removed from arena plan |author=Green, Marcus |date=May 22, 2007 |newspaper=[[The Courier-Journal]] |access-date=July 6, 2017 |archive-date=November 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107203113/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courier_journal/access/1728957251.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=May+22,+2007&author=&pub=Courier+-+Journal&edition=&startpage=A.1&desc=Hotel+removed+from+arena+plan |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courier_journal/access/1730873931.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Apr+24%2C+2007&author=&pub=Courier+-+Journal&edition=&startpage=A.1&desc=First+look+inside+the+arena | title=First look inside the arena | author=Green, Marcus | date=April 27, 2007 | newspaper=[[The Courier-Journal]] | access-date=July 6, 2017 | archive-date=November 7, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107203124/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courier_journal/access/1730873931.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Apr+24,+2007&author=&pub=Courier+-+Journal&edition=&startpage=A.1&desc=First+look+inside+the+arena | url-status=dead }}</ref> Twelve of the 15 buildings in Kentucky over {{convert|300|ft|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.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Courier-Journal]] |title=Office space goes begging |date=February 26, 2006 |last=Berzof |first=Ken}}</ref> 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 architecture|Victorian]] homes and buildings in the United States;<ref>{{cite web |title=Louisville Facts & Firsts |publisher=LouisvilleKy.gov |url=http://www.louisvilleky.gov/Visitors/Louisville+Facts+and+Firsts.htm |access-date=December 14, 2009 |archive-date=October 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006110825/http://www.louisvilleky.gov/Visitors/Louisville%2BFacts%2Band%2BFirsts.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oldlouisville.com/old_louisville.htm |access-date=December 14, 2009 |title=What is Old Louisville? |publisher=Old Louisville Guide |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091127214207/http://www.oldlouisville.com/old_louisville.htm |archive-date=November 27, 2009 }}</ref> it is also the third-largest district containing such architectural distinctions in the United States. Many modern skyscrapers are located downtown, as well as older preserved structures, such as the [[Old Bank of Louisville|Southern National Bank]] building. 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]] neighborhood.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.louisvilleky.gov/DowntownDevelopment/News/2006/DowntownActivity.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929103233/http://www.louisvilleky.gov/DowntownDevelopment/News/2006/DowntownActivity.htm|archive-date=September 29, 2007 |title=Louisville's Downtown Alive with Development |publisher=LouisvilleKy.gov |date=February 24, 2006 |access-date=July 28, 2009}}</ref> [[File:Werne's Row 4th and Hill, Old Louisville.jpg|thumb|left|[[Werne's Row]] in [[Old Louisville]]]] [[File:Broadway3rdLou.jpg|thumb|right|Broadway and 3rd Street [[downtown Louisville|downtown]]]] Since the mid-20th century, Louisville has in some ways been divided 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.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Courier-Journal]] |title=Will old names work in 'new' city? |last=Pike |first=Bill |page=1N |date=January 23, 2003}}</ref> The South End has long had a reputation as a white, [[working class|working-class]] part of town, while the East End has been seen as middle and [[upper class]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Read all about it: Valley has city united |author=Forde, Pat |date=August 26, 2002 |newspaper=[[The Courier-Journal]]}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courier_journal/access/1727307131.html?FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:FT&type=current&date=Jun+29,+2007&author=&pub=Courier+-+Journal&edition=&startpage=A.2&desc=Clarification |title=''The Courier-Journal'' 2006–07 Kentuckiana Guide |publisher=Pqasb.pqarchiver.com |date=June 29, 2007 |access-date=August 15, 2011 |archive-date=June 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629001249/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courier_journal/access/1727307131.html?FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:FT&type=current&date=Jun+29,+2007&author=&pub=Courier+-+Journal&edition=&startpage=A.2&desc=Clarification |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Immigrants]] from [[Southeast Asia]] tend to settle in the South End, while immigrants from [[Eastern Europe]] settle in the East End.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[Jefferson Community and Technical College|Jefferson Community College]] |title=Continuity and Change in Louisville's Ethnic Communities |last=Cummins |first=Peggy}}</ref> {{wide image|Louisville Panorama.jpg|1000px|alt=Louisville panorama from Jeffersonville, Indiana, with Second Street Bridge in foreground|Panorama from [[Jeffersonville, Indiana]], with [[George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge]] in foreground}} ===Climate=== Louisville has a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Cfa''), typical of the [[Upper South]], and is located in [[Hardiness zone#United States hardiness zones (USDA scale)|USDA plant hardiness zones]] 6b and 7a.<ref name="hardiness zones">{{cite web |url=http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/InteractiveMap.aspx |title=USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Interactive Map |publisher=Planthardiness.ars.usda.gov |access-date=March 31, 2014 |archive-date=February 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209122445/http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/phzmweb/interactivemap.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> Springlike 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 4.5 days with low temperatures dipping to {{convert|10|°F|0}};<ref name = "NOAA TXT"/> the first and last freezes of the season on average fall on November{{nbsp}}2 and April{{nbsp}}5, respectively.<ref name = NOAA/> Summer is typically hazy, hot, and humid with long periods of {{convert|90|–|100|°F|°C|0}} temperatures and drought conditions at times. Louisville averages 38 days a year with high temperatures at or above {{convert|90|°F|0}}. The mean annual temperature is {{convert|58.2|°F|1}}, with an average annual snowfall of {{convert|12.7|in|cm|0}} and an average annual rainfall of {{convert|44.9|in|sigfig=3}}. 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 {{convert|34.9|°F|1}}. July is the average hottest month with a mean of {{convert|79.3|°F|1}}.<ref>Climate information from [http://ols.nndc.noaa.gov/plolstore/plsql/olstore.prodspecific?prodnum=C00095-PUB-A0001#TABLES NOAA] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130904023736/http://ols.nndc.noaa.gov/plolstore/plsql/olstore.prodspecific?prodnum=C00095-PUB-A0001 |date=September 4, 2013 }}</ref> The highest recorded temperature was {{convert|107|°F|0}}, which last occurred on July 14, 1936, and the [[1994 North American cold wave|lowest recorded temperature]] was {{convert|−22|°F|0}} on January 19, 1994.<ref>Maximum and minimum temperatures from [https://web.archive.org/web/20110709042619/http://weather.yahoo.com/climo/USKY1096_c.html Yahoo! Weather]</ref> In 2012, Louisville had the fourth-hottest summer on record, with the temperature rising up to {{convert|106|°F|0}} in July and the June all-time monthly record high temperature being broken on two consecutive days.<ref name = NOAA/> As the city exemplifies the [[urban heat island]] effect, temperatures in commercial areas and in the industrialized areas along interstates are often higher than in the suburbs, often as much as {{convert|5|F-change|1}}. {{Louisville, Kentucky weatherbox}} ==Demographics== {{US Census population | 1790 = 200 | 1800 = 359 | 1810 = 1357 | 1820 = 4012 | 1830 = 10341 | 1840 = 21210 | 1850 = 43194 | 1860 = 68033 | 1870 = 100753 | 1880 = 123758 | 1890 = 161129 | 1900 = 204731 | 1910 = 223928 | 1920 = 234891 | 1930 = 307745 | 1940 = 319077 | 1950 = 369129 | 1960 = 390639 | 1970 = 361706 | 1980 = 298694 | 1990 = 269063 | 2000 = 256231 | 2010 = 597337 | 2020 = 633045 | estyear = 2022 | estimate = 624444 | estref =<ref name="United States Census Bureau"/> | footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=September 16, 2017|archive-date=October 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141003185009/https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br/>In 2003, Louisville merged with<br />Jefferson County and population<br />counts were combined thereafter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.abell.org/sites/default/files/publications/cd-louisvillemerger1013.pdf|title=A 10-Year Perspective of the Merger of Louisville and Jefferson County, KY: Louisville Metro Vaults From 65th to 18th Largest City in the Nation|access-date=July 20, 2020|archive-date=February 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210205052411/https://abell.org/sites/default/files/publications/cd-louisvillemerger1013.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><br>2010–2020<ref name="QuickFactsBalance" /> }} {{further|History of the French in Louisville|History of Germans in Louisville|History of the Irish in Louisville}} Between 1970 and 2000, Louisville lost population each decade. As of the [[2000 United States Census|2000 census]], Louisville had a population of 256,231, down from the 1990 census population of 269,063.<ref name=PopEstCities /> Due to the city-county merger that occurred in 2003, which expanded the city limits, the city's population increased to 597,337 at the 2010 census count. ===2020 Census=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+'''Louisville city, Kentucky – Racial and Ethnic Composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small> !Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small> !Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), Kentucky|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US2148006&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=October 28, 2023|archive-date=November 6, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106012909/https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2010.P2?q=p2&g=160XX00US2148006|url-status=live}}</ref> !{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2city>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Louisville city, Kentucky|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US2148006&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=October 28, 2023|archive-date=October 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231028222436/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US2148006&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=2020CensusP2balance>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), Kentuck|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US2148006&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=October 28, 2023|archive-date=October 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231028222436/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US2148006&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Note: the Census disaggregated Louisville city from Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) in the 2020 Census</ref> !% 2010 !{{partial|% 2020}} |- |[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH) |408,157 |style='background: #ffffe6; |382,096 |68.33% |style='background: #ffffe6; |60.36% |- |[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH) |135,138 |style='background: #ffffe6; |147,069 |22.62% |style='background: #ffffe6; |23.23% |- |[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH) |1,289 |style='background: #ffffe6; |1,206 |0.22% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.19% |- |[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH) |12,764 |style='background: #ffffe6; |21,034 |2.14% |style='background: #ffffe6; |3.32% |- |[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH) |347 |style='background: #ffffe6; |493 |0.06% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.08% |- |[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Some Other Race]] alone (NH) |1,018 |style='background: #ffffe6; |3,064 |0.17% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.48% |- |[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed Race/Multi-Racial]] (NH) |11,834 |style='background: #ffffe6; |27,900 |1.98% |style='background: #ffffe6; |4.41% |- |[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race) |26,790 |style='background: #ffffe6; |50,183 |4.48% |style='background: #ffffe6; |7.93% |- |'''Total''' |'''597,337''' |style='background: #ffffe6; |'''633,045''' |'''100.00%''' |style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%''' |} Louisville is the largest city in Kentucky, with 17.1% of the state's total population as of 2010; the balance's percentage was 13.8%.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/state/totals/2013/tables/NST-EST2013-01.csv |title=Table 1. Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013 |format=[[comma-separated values|CSV]] |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division |date=December 30, 2013 |access-date=June 25, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140824084354/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/state/totals/2013/tables/NST-EST2013-01.csv |archive-date=August 24, 2014 }}</ref> In 2010, over one-third of the population growth in Kentucky was in Louisville's CSA counties.{{citation needed|date=August 2014}} [[File:Race and ethnicity 2010- Louisville (5560442676).png|thumb|left|Map of racial distribution in Louisville, 2010 U.S. Census. Each dot is 25 people: {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#ff0000|White}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#0000ff|African American}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#00ffaa|Asian}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#ffa600|Hispanic}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#ffff07|Other}}]] The 2007 demographic breakdown for the entire [[Louisville metropolitan area|Louisville Metro area]] was 74.8% White (71.7% non-Hispanic), 22.2% African American, 0.6% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 0.1% Hawaiian or Pacific islander, 1.4% other, and 1.6% multiracial. About 2.9% of the total population was identified as Hispanic of any race. During the same year, the area of premerger Louisville consisted 60.1% White, 35.2% African American, 1.9% Asian, 0.2% Native American, and 3.0% other, with 2.4% identified as Hispanic of any race. Of the 287,012 households, 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were [[marriage|married couples]] living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were not families. About 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% 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 24.3% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% 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 household income|median income]] for a household in 2017 was $51,960. For non-family households the median income was $32,446, and for family households was $67,965. In 2017, males had a median income of $36,326 while females had a median income of $30,464.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_17_1YR_S1903&prodType=table|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200214011120/https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_17_1YR_S1903&prodType=table|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 14, 2020|title=American FactFinder—Results|website=factfinder.census.gov|language=en|access-date=March 24, 2019}}</ref> The latest available data for [[per capita income]] comes from 2006, and was $23,304 for the county.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_06_EST_B19301&prodType=table|title=American FactFinder—Results|website=factfinder.census.gov|language=en|access-date=March 24, 2019|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200214060816/https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_06_EST_B19301&prodType=table|archive-date=February 14, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref> About 9.5% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the [[poverty threshold|poverty line]] in 2017, including 23.5% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those ages 65 or over.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_17_1YR_S1701&prodType=table|title=American FactFinder—Results|website=factfinder.census.gov|language=en|access-date=March 24, 2019|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200214060745/https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_17_1YR_S1701&prodType=table|archive-date=February 14, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref> African Americans are concentrated in the [[Smoketown, Louisville|Smoketown]] neighborhood.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://louisville.cc/louisvilles-historic-black-neighborhoods/|title=Louisville's Historic Black Neighborhoods – Louisville History and Souvenirs|website=louisville.cc|access-date=September 7, 2023|archive-date=September 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907014809/https://louisville.cc/louisvilles-historic-black-neighborhoods/|url-status=live}}</ref> ===Religion=== {{Main|Religion in Louisville, Kentucky}} {{See also|Religion in Kentucky}} [[File:Cathedral Assumption Louisville.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Cathedral of the Assumption (Louisville, Kentucky)|Cathedral of the Assumption]]]] Louisville hosts religious institutions of various faiths, including [[Christianity]], [[Judaism]], [[Islam]], [[Hinduism]], [[Buddhism]], [[Sikhism]] and the [[Baháʼí Faith]]. The 135,421 [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] Louisvillians are part of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville|Archdiocese of Louisville]], covering 24 counties in central Kentucky, and consisting of 121 parishes and missions spread over {{convert|8124|sqmi|km2}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.archlou.org/history/statistics/ |title=Data on Catholic residents from the Archdiocese of Louisville |publisher=Archlou.org |access-date=July 28, 2009 |archive-date=October 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111020183412/http://www.archlou.org/history/statistics/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Cathedral of the Assumption (Louisville, Kentucky)|Cathedral of the Assumption]] in downtown Louisville is the seat of the Archdiocese of Louisville. [[Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani|Our Lady of Gethsemani Abbey]], the monastic home of Catholic writer [[Thomas Merton]], is in nearby [[Bardstown, Kentucky]], and also in the archdiocese. Most of Louisville's Roman Catholic population is of German descent, the result of large-scale 19th-century immigration. [[Bellarmine University]] and [[Spalding University]] in Louisville are affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. One in three Louisvillians is [[Southern Baptist]], belonging to one of 147 local congregations.<ref>Data on Baptist Population from LRA website [http://www.lrba.org/templates/System/details.asp?id=20083&PID=430832 Long Run Baptist Association] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150201181541/http://www.lrba.org/templates/System/details.asp?id=20083&PID=430832 |date=February 1, 2015 }}</ref> This denomination increased in number when large numbers of people moved into Louisville in the early 20th century from rural Kentucky and [[Tennessee]] to work in the city's factories; some of these migrants also formed [[Holiness movement|Holiness]] and [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal churches]] and [[Churches of Christ]]. [[History of the Germans in Louisville|German immigrants]] in the 19th century brought not only a large Catholic population, but also the [[Lutheran]] and [[Evangelical Synod of North America|Evangelical]] faiths, which are represented today in Louisville by the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]], the [[Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod]], and the [[United Church of Christ]], respectively. The largest [[Methodism|Methodist]] Church in [[Kentucky]], Christ Church United Methodist, is located in Louisville, and the city has boasted a large Methodist population since the cities founding.<ref>{{Cite web|title=About|url=https://ccum.net/about/|access-date=March 30, 2021|website=Christ Church United Methodist|language=en|archive-date=May 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501145016/https://ccum.net/about/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The city is home to two [[megachurch]]es. [[Southeast Christian Church (Louisville, Kentucky)|Southeast Christian Church]], with its main campus in [[Middletown, Kentucky|Middletown]] and three others in the surrounding region, is, {{as of|2013|lc=y}}, the seventh-largest church in the United States.<ref name="Outreach">{{cite journal |title=2013 Outreach 100 Largest Churches in America |url=http://omag-eszuskq0bptlfh8awbb.stackpathdns.com/2013-outreach-100-largest-churches-america.html |journal=[[Outreach (magazine)|Outreach]] |date=September 16, 2014 |access-date=March 15, 2017 |archive-date=March 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170316025338/http://omag-eszuskq0bptlfh8awbb.stackpathdns.com/2013-outreach-100-largest-churches-america.html |url-status=live }}</ref> St. Stephen Church<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ssclive.org/ |title=St. Stephen Church |access-date=October 21, 2013 |archive-date=October 22, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022012344/http://ssclive.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> is the 38th largest in the US,<ref name="Outreach" /> and has the largest African American congregation in Kentucky.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Katayama|first1=Devin|title=Former Pastor Files Discrimination Suit Against St. Stephen Baptist Church|url=http://archives.wfpl.org/2012/01/03/former-pastor-files-discrimination-suit-against-st-stephen-baptist-church/|access-date=March 15, 2017|publisher=[[WFPL]]|date=January 3, 2012|archive-date=March 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170316113213/http://archives.wfpl.org/2012/01/03/former-pastor-files-discrimination-suit-against-st-stephen-baptist-church/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The city is home to several religious institutions: the [[Southern Baptist Theological Seminary]], [[Louisville Bible College]], [[Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary]], and the denominational headquarters of the [[Presbyterian Church (USA)]]. [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] maintains a [[Temple (LDS Church)|temple]] in suburban [[Crestwood, Kentucky|Crestwood]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/temples/details/louisville-kentucky-temple|title=Louisville Kentucky Temple|website=ChurchofJesusChrist.org|access-date=October 3, 2018|archive-date=November 6, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106012919/https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/temples/details/louisville-kentucky-temple?lang=eng|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Jew]]ish population of around 14,200 in the metro area<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scholarworks.brandeis.edu/esploro/outputs/report/9924154070301921/filesAndLinks?index=0|title=2021–22 Study of Jewish Louisville|access-date=April 12, 2023|archive-date=April 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412055649/https://scholarworks.brandeis.edu/esploro/outputs/report/9924154070301921/filesAndLinks?index=0|url-status=live}}</ref> is served by five [[synagogue]]s. Most Jewish families emigrated from [[Eastern Europe]] at the start of the 20th century; around 800 [[History of the Jews in the Soviet Union|Soviet Jews]] have moved to Louisville since 1991.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Courier-Journal]] |title=Some synagogues eye broader styles of worship |date=September 28, 2003 |author=Smith, Peter}}</ref> Jewish immigrants founded Jewish Hospital in what was once the center of the city's Jewish district. From 2005 to 2012, Jewish Hospital merged with two Kentucky-based Catholic [[health system|healthcare system]]s to form [[KentuckyOne Health]], which later in 2012 announced a partnership with the [[University of Louisville]] Hospital. A significant focal point for Louisville's Jewish community is located near [[Bowman Field (Kentucky)|Bowman Field]], where there are two Orthodox synagogues (including [[Anshei Sfard (Louisville, Kentucky)|Anshei Sfard]], founded in 1893), the Jewish Community Center, Jewish Family and Career Services, and an affordable housing complex. Since 1996, every May, the Festival of Faiths,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.festivaloffaiths.org/|title=Festival of Faiths|access-date=August 26, 2016|archive-date=September 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160912001845/http://festivaloffaiths.org/|url-status=live}}</ref> a five-day national [[Interfaith dialogue|interfaith]] gathering, is held featuring music, poetry, film, art and dialogue with internationally renowned spiritual leaders, thinkers and practitioners. The festival is organized by the Center for Interfaith Relations<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.centerforinterfaithrelations.org/|title=Center for Interfaith Relations|access-date=August 26, 2016|archive-date=October 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161001182757/http://centerforinterfaithrelations.org/|url-status=live}}</ref> and is held at [[Actors Theatre of Louisville]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Blumberg|first1=Antonia|title=Interfaith Leaders Gather To Promote Peace in the Heart of the Christian South|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/festival-of-faiths-louisville_us_572ce9b2e4b096e9f09151d4|access-date=August 26, 2016|work=[[The Huffington Post]]|date=May 6, 2016|archive-date=September 18, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918122057/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/festival-of-faiths-louisville_us_572ce9b2e4b096e9f09151d4|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Smith|first1=Ethan|title=Festival of Faiths: A Q&A with the director of Louisville's 'Sundance of Sacred'|url=http://www.leoweekly.com/2015/05/festival-of-faiths-a-qa-with-the-director-of-louisvilles-sundance-of-sacred/|access-date=August 26, 2016|work=[[LEO Weekly]]|date=May 9, 2015|archive-date=May 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510074852/http://www.leoweekly.com/2015/05/festival-of-faiths-a-qa-with-the-director-of-louisvilles-sundance-of-sacred/|url-status=live}}</ref> Louisville first welcomed the [[Baháʼí Faith]] in 1920. The [[Spiritual Assembly]] of the Baháʼí of Louisville was formed in 1944 when their community reached the required amount of nine adult Baháʼís. The first Baháʼí center opened in Louisville in 1967 in [[Crescent Hill, Louisville|Crescent Hill]]. When the community outgrew the space in 1985, it was sold and another center opened in [[Buechel, Louisville|Buechel]] in 1998.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The encyclopedia of Louisville|date=2001|publisher=University Press of Kentucky |editor-last1=Kleber |editor-first1=John E. |editor-last2=Kinsman |editor-first2=Mary Jean |editor-last3=Clark |editor-first3=Thomas D. |editor-last4=Yater |editor-first4=George E.|isbn=9780813149745|location=Lexington|oclc=900344482}}</ref> ===Crime=== {{See also|Louisville Metro Police Department|Louisville Metro EMS|Louisville Division of Fire|Jefferson County Fire Service}} In a 2005 survey, [[Morgan Quitno Press]] ranked Louisville as the seventh safest large city in the United States.<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20110714114626/http://www.morganquitno.com/cit06pop.htm America's Safest (and Most Dangerous) Cities]." ''[[Morgan Quitno Press]].'' November 21, 2005. Retrieved July 8, 2006.</ref> The 2006 edition of the survey ranked Louisville eighth.<ref>{{cite news |title=Louisville among nation's safest cities |date=October 31, 2006 |newspaper=[[The Courier-Journal]]}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wave3.com/story/5021890/fbi-report-louisville-crime-rate-outpacing-national-average|title=FBI Report: Louisville Crime Rate Outpacing National Average|website=wave3.com|date=June 13, 2006|access-date=October 22, 2010|archive-date=December 26, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101226164956/http://www.wave3.com/story/5021890/fbi-report-louisville-crime-rate-outpacing-national-average|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2006, Louisville-Jefferson County recorded 50 murders, which was significantly lower than previous years. In 2008, Louisville recorded 79 murders.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theurbanlouisvillian.blogspot.com/2007/06/fbi-crime-statistics-from-2006-released.html|title=The Urban Louisvillian: FBI Crime Statistics from 2006 Released|date=June 13, 2007|access-date=July 5, 2007|archive-date=March 31, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331082422/http://theurbanlouisvillian.blogspot.com/2007/06/fbi-crime-statistics-from-2006-released.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The Louisville Metro Area's overall [[violent crime]] rate was 412.6 per 100,000 residents in 2005.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.morganquitno.com/met05a.pdf|title=Morgan Quitno—Violent Crime Rate in 2005 (ordered by metro area)|access-date=July 5, 2007|archive-date=March 31, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331082426/http://www.morganquitno.com/met05a.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> The Elizabethtown, Kentucky Metro Area, which is part of Louisville's Combined Statistical Area, was the 17th safest Metro in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.morganquitno.com/cit07pop.htm#METRO |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615000102/http://www.morganquitno.com/cit07pop.htm |archive-date=June 15, 2011 |title=Morgan Quitno—Safest 25 Metropolitan Areas |url-status=dead }}</ref> Kentucky has the 5th lowest violent crime rate out of the 50 states.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.infoplease.com/us/crime/crime-rate-state-2006|title=Crime Rate by State, 2006|website=InfoPlease|access-date=February 5, 2019|archive-date=January 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113084421/https://www.infoplease.com/us/crime/crime-rate-state-2006|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2020, Louisville recorded 173 murders;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2020/12/30/record-number-of-homicides|title=Louisville End 2020 With Record-breaking Homicide Trend|website=spectrumnews1.com|access-date=June 15, 2022|archive-date=May 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516223743/https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2020/12/30/record-number-of-homicides|url-status=live}}</ref> and, in 2021, Louisville recorded 188 murders amidst an ongoing violent crime wave in the city.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.wave3.com/2022/01/01/louisville-ends-2021-with-record-year-homicides/?outputType=amp | title=Louisville ends 2021 with record year of homicides | date=January 2022 | access-date=June 8, 2022 | archive-date=September 29, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929045251/https://www.wave3.com/2022/01/01/louisville-ends-2021-with-record-year-homicides/?outputType=amp | url-status=live }}</ref> The city has also been one of the hardest hit by the opioid epidemic. In 2021, Louisville broke the record for overdoses in the city. Heroin, fentanyl and other opioids have also attributed to an overall increase in violent crime, property crime and homelessness in the past decade.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2022/06/14/kentucky-new-record-fatal-overdoses-fentanyl-opioid-addiction|title=Kentucky shatters its fatal overdose record; fentanyl blamed|website=spectrumnews1.com|access-date=June 15, 2022|archive-date=June 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220614160204/https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2022/06/14/kentucky-new-record-fatal-overdoses-fentanyl-opioid-addiction|url-status=live}}</ref> Violent crime is most concentrated west of downtown, especially in the [[Russell, Louisville|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.<ref>{{cite web |title=courier-journal.com—Jefferson County homicide victims, 2007 |url=http://datacenter.courier-journal.com/police/homicides/victims.php?year=2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120604194844/http://datacenter.courier-journal.com/police/homicides/victims.php?year=2007 |archive-date=June 4, 2012 |access-date=March 25, 2008 }}</ref> ==Economy== {{Main|Economy of Louisville, Kentucky}} {{See also|Greater Louisville Inc.|Keep Louisville Weird|List of major employers in Louisville, Kentucky}} [[File:LNBldBroadwayLOu.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Louisville and Nashville Railroad|L&N]] Building on West Broadway]] [[File:LouisvilleViewFromBelvedere.jpg|thumb|Left to right, [[BB&T]] Building, [[400 West Market]], [[National City Tower]], and the [[Humana Building]] in downtown Louisville]] [[File:TSOK bottle hall.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Bottle Hall at [[Frazier History Museum|Frazier]], showcasing every bourbon being produced in Kentucky]] Louisville today is home to [[List of companies and organizations based in Louisville|dozens of companies and organizations]] across several [[industrial classification]]s. However, the underpinning of the city's economy since its earliest days has been the shipping and cargo industries. Its strategic location at the Falls of the Ohio, as well as its unique position in the central United States (within one day's road travel to 60 percent of the cities in the continental U.S.) make it a practical location for the transfer of cargo along its route to other destinations.<ref>{{cite book |title=Louisville Survey: Central Report |year=1978 |last=Kramer |first=Carl |page=32}}</ref> The [[Louisville and Portland Canal]] and the [[Louisville and Nashville Railroad]] were important links in water and rail transportation. Louisville's importance to the [[freight transport|shipping industry]] continues today with the presence of the [[Worldport (UPS air hub)|Worldport]] global air-freight hub for [[United Parcel Service|UPS]] at [[Louisville International Airport]]. Louisville's location at the crossroads of three major [[Interstate Highway System|interstate highways]] ([[Interstate 64 in Kentucky|I{{nbhyph}}64]], [[Interstate 65 in Kentucky|I{{nbhyph}}65]], and [[Interstate 71#Kentucky|I{{nbhyph}}71]]) also contributes to its modern-day strategic importance to the shipping and cargo industry. In addition, the Port of Louisville<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.portoflouisville.com/ |title=Port of Louisville |access-date=April 22, 2017 |archive-date=April 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170413153125/https://www.portoflouisville.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> continues Louisville's river shipping presence at [[Jefferson Riverport International]]. As of 2003, Louisville ranks as the seventh-largest [[inland port]] in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ndc.iwr.usace.army.mil//wcsc/pdf/inlandport03f.pdf |title=Top 20 Inland U.S. Ports for 2003 |publisher=[[United States Army Corps of Engineers|U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120015600/http://www.ndc.iwr.usace.army.mil//wcsc/pdf/inlandport03f.pdf |archive-date=January 20, 2013 }}</ref> Louisville is a significant center of manufacturing, with two major [[Ford Motor Company]] plants, and the headquarters and major [[home appliance]] factory of [[GE Appliances]] (a subsidiary of [[Haier]]). The city is also a major center of the [[American whiskey]] industry, with about one-third of all [[bourbon whiskey]] coming from Louisville.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kiniry|first1=Laura|title=Beyond bourbon in Louisville|url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20130827-beyond-bourbon-in-louisville|access-date=September 29, 2015|publisher=[[BBC]]|date=September 2, 2015|archive-date=November 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119233143/http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20130827-beyond-bourbon-in-louisville|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Lufkin|first1=Bryan|title=In Louisville, Try the Bourbon and Zip Line (Not at Once)|magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|date=April 29, 2015|url=https://www.wired.com/2015/04/what-to-do-in-louisville/|access-date=September 29, 2015|archive-date=October 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001110539/http://www.wired.com/2015/04/what-to-do-in-louisville/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Travel Channel">{{cite web|title=Things to Do in Louisville|url=http://www.travelchannel.com/destinations/us/ky/articles/things-to-do-in-louisville|publisher=[[Travel Channel]]|access-date=September 29, 2015|archive-date=October 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002042351/http://www.travelchannel.com/destinations/us/ky/articles/things-to-do-in-louisville|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Hall|first1=Gregory A.|title=Much of bourbon boom carries Louisville address|url=http://www.courier-journal.com/story/money/2014/10/21/much-bourbon-boom-carries-louisville-address/17654567/|access-date=September 29, 2015|work=[[The Courier-Journal]]|date=October 21, 2014|archive-date=November 6, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106012909/https://www.courier-journal.com/story/money/2014/10/21/much-bourbon-boom-carries-louisville-address/17654567/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Brown-Forman]], one of the major makers of American whiskey, is headquartered in Louisville and operates a distillery in the Louisville suburb of [[Shively, Kentucky|Shively]]. The current primary distillery site operated by [[Heaven Hill]], called the [[Isaac Wolfe Bernheim|Bernheim]] distillery, is also located in Louisville near Brown-Forman's distillery. Other distilleries and related businesses can also be found in neighboring cities in Kentucky, such as [[Bardstown, Kentucky|Bardstown]], [[Clermont, Kentucky|Clermont]], [[Lawrenceburg, Kentucky|Lawrenceburg]], and [[Loretto, Kentucky|Loretto]]. Similar to the [[Kentucky Bourbon Trail]] that links these central Kentucky locations, Louisville offers tourists its own "Urban Bourbon Trail",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bourboncountry.com/things-to-do/urban-bourbon-trail/index.aspx |title=Louisville, KY's Urban Bourbon Trail (UBT) |website=BourbonCounty.com |access-date=February 20, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219050143/http://www.bourboncountry.com/things-to-do/urban-bourbon-trail/index.aspx |archive-date=February 19, 2015 }}</ref> where people can stop at nearly 20 "area bars and restaurants, all offering at least 50 labels of America's only native spirit".<ref name="Travel Channel" /> Not typically known for [[high tech]] outside of the previously identified industries, [[Code Louisville]], the city's [[public–private partnership]] for teaching people entry level software development skills, received recognition in 2015 from then-President [[Barack Obama]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wfpl.org/president-obama-wants-programs-like-code-louisville/|title=President Obama Wants More Programs Like Code Louisville|work=89.3 WFPL|date=April 3, 2015|access-date=April 26, 2017|archive-date=February 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202083916/http://wfpl.org/president-obama-wants-programs-like-code-louisville/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://wfpl.org/code-louisville-aims-expand-regions-available-tech-talent/|title=Code Louisville Aims to Expand the Region's Available Tech Talent—89.3 WFPL|work=89.3 WFPL|date=March 19, 2014|access-date=April 26, 2017|archive-date=February 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208033037/http://wfpl.org/code-louisville-aims-expand-regions-available-tech-talent/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://wfpl.org/why-louisvilles-tech-initiatives-are-on-a-national-stage-today/|title=Why Louisville's Tech Initiatives Are on a National Stage Today|work=89.3 WFPL|date=April 2, 2015|access-date=April 26, 2017|archive-date=February 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208132822/http://wfpl.org/why-louisvilles-tech-initiatives-are-on-a-national-stage-today/|url-status=live}}</ref> Louisville also prides itself in its large assortment of small, independent businesses and restaurants, some of which have become known for their ingenuity and creativity. A remarkable company in Louisville is Omega National Products, which manufactured at times 90% of all [[disco ball|mirror ball]]s used in the USA.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}} Several major motion pictures have been filmed in or near Louisville, including ''[[The Insider (film)|The Insider]]'', ''[[Goldfinger (film)|Goldfinger]]'', ''[[Stripes (film)|Stripes]]'', ''[[Lawn Dogs]]'', ''[[Elizabethtown (film)|Elizabethtown]]'', and ''[[Secretariat (film)|Secretariat]]''. ==Arts and culture== {{more citations needed section|date=June 2014}} ===Annual festivals and other events=== {{See also|List of attractions and events in the Louisville metropolitan area}} [[File:Kentucky Derby Festival, Great Balloon Race.jpg|thumb|The Great Balloon Race, part of the [[Kentucky Derby Festival]]]] Louisville is home to many annual cultural events. Perhaps most well known is the [[Kentucky Derby]], held annually during the first Saturday of May. The Derby is preceded by a two-week-long [[Kentucky Derby Festival]], which starts with the annual [[Thunder Over Louisville]], the largest annual [[fireworks|fireworks display]] in North America.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lammers|first1=Braden|title=Distinguished service awards presented to the men behind Thunder Over Louisville|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2014/04/11/distinguished-service-awards-presented-to-the-men.html?page=all|access-date=October 16, 2014|work=Louisville Business First|publisher=[[American City Business Journals]]|date=April 11, 2014|archive-date=October 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025061258/http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2014/04/11/distinguished-service-awards-presented-to-the-men.html?page=all|url-status=live}}</ref> The Kentucky Derby Festival also features notable events such as the [[Pegasus Parade]], [[Great Steamboat Race|The Great Steamboat Race]], Great [[Hot air ballooning#Competition|Balloon Race]], a combined [[marathon]]/[[mini marathon]] and about seventy events in total. [[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire magazine]] has called the Kentucky Derby "the biggest party in the south". The summer season in Louisville also features a series of cultural events such as the [[Kentucky Shakespeare Festival]] (commonly called "[[Shakespeare in the Park festivals|Shakespeare in Central Park]]"), held every summer from May to August and presents free [[Shakespeare]] plays in [[Central Park, Louisville|Central Park]] in [[Old Louisville]]. [[File:Arcade Fire, Forecastle 2018.jpg|thumb|left|[[Arcade Fire]] appearing at the [[Forecastle Festival]] in 2018]] In July, the [[Forecastle Festival]] draws 75,000 visitors ({{as of|2022|lc=y}}) to [[Louisville Waterfront Park]] in celebration of the best in music, art and environmental activism. Past performers include [[The Black Keys]], [[The Flaming Lips]], [[Widespread Panic]], [[The Smashing Pumpkins]], [[The Avett Brothers]], [[The Black Crowes]] and hundreds more. The [[Kentucky State Fair]] is held every August at the [[Kentucky Exposition Center]] in Louisville as well, featuring an array of culture from all areas of Kentucky. In places, the African American community celebrates [[Juneteenth]] commemorating June 19, 1865, when enslaved African Americans in the western territories learned of their freedom.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.juneteenthlegacytheatre.com/Jamboree.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509184359/http://www.juneteenthlegacytheatre.com/Jamboree.html|archive-date=May 9, 2013|title=The 11th Annual Juneteenth Jamboree of New Plays|access-date=July 16, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hellolouisville.com/event/juneteenth_jamboree_runs_june_319/200835/ |title=Juneteenth Jamboree runs June 3–19—Louisville, Kentucky |access-date=July 16, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320175241/http://www.hellolouisville.com/event/juneteenth_jamboree_runs_june_319/200835/ |archive-date=March 20, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.juneteenth.com/0kentucky_us.htm|title=Juneteenth—Kentucky|access-date=July 16, 2010|archive-date=June 24, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100624133054/http://juneteenth.com/0kentucky_us.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Jeffersontown, Kentucky|Jeffersontown neighborhood]] is also the home of the annual [[Jeffersontown Gaslight Festival|Gaslight Festival]], a series of events spread over a week. Attendance is estimated at 200,000–300,000 for the week.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.louisville.com/content/what-do-louisville-gaslight-festival-week|title=What to Do in Louisville: Gaslight Festival Week|date=September 10, 2015|website=Louisville.com|language=en|access-date=March 22, 2019|archive-date=March 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322213143/https://www.louisville.com/content/what-do-louisville-gaslight-festival-week|url-status=dead}}</ref> The month of October features the [[St. James Court Art Show]] in [[Old Louisville]]. Thousands of artists gather on the streets and in the courtyard to exhibit and sell their wares, and the event is attended by many art collectors and enthusiasts. The show typically brings in a crowd of over 150,000 people and $3 million in sales.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.topslouisville.com/Read/9411/62nd+Annual+St.+James+Court+Art+Show+Returns+October+5-7|title=Louisville, KY|website=topslouisville.com|language=en|access-date=March 22, 2019|archive-date=March 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322213136/https://www.topslouisville.com/Read/9411/62nd%2BAnnual%2BSt.%2BJames%2BCourt%2BArt%2BShow%2BReturns%2BOctober%2B5-7|url-status=live}}</ref> Another art-related event that occurs every month is the [[First Friday (public event)|First Friday Hop]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.firstfridayhop.com/|title=Republic Bank First Friday Hop|website=firstfridayhop.com|access-date=June 3, 2016|archive-date=June 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160609024243/http://www.firstfridayhop.com/|url-status=live}}</ref> A free [[Transit Authority of River City|TARC]] bus takes art lovers to many downtown area (especially [[East Market District, Louisville|East Market District]]/NuLu) independent art galleries on the first Friday of every month. ===Indie scene=== Louisville has blossomed as a booming center for independent art, music and business. A Louisville locale that highlights this scene is [[Bardstown Road]], an area located in the heart of the [[The Highlands, Louisville|Highlands]]. Bardstown Road is known for its cultural diversity and local trade. The majority of the businesses along Bardstown Road, such as coffee shops, clothing stores and art galleries, are locally owned and operated businesses. Though it is only about a mile (1.6 km) long, this strip of Bardstown Road constitutes much of the city's culture and diverse lifestyle, contributing to the unofficial "[[Keep Louisville Weird]]" slogan. In downtown Louisville, [[21c Museum Hotel]], a hotel that showcases contemporary art installations and exhibitions throughout its public spaces, and features a red penguin on its roof, is, according to ''The New York Times'', "an innovative concept with strong execution and prompt and enthusiastic service". Louisville is home to a thriving [[indie music scene]] with bands such as [[Love Jones (band)|Love Jones]], [[Tantric (band)|Tantric]], [[Squirrel Bait]], [[Cabin (band)|CABIN]], [[Slint]], [[My Morning Jacket]], [[Houndmouth]], [[Young Widows]] and [[Wax Fang]]. Acclaimed singer-songwriters [[Will Oldham]], who performs under the moniker "Bonnie 'Prince' Billy", is a resident, as was country/rock singer-songwriter [[Tim Krekel]]. Cellist [[Ben Sollee]] splits his time between Louisville and Lexington. Long running rock/jazz fusion band [[NRBQ]] also formed in Louisville in the late 1960s as well as 1980s [[psychobilly]] band [[Bodeco]]. [[Post-grunge]] band [[Days of the New]], at one time including future breakout pop star [[Nicole Scherzinger]], formed in Louisville in the mid-1990s. Popular local singer [[Bryson Tiller]] paid homage to Louisville is his chart-topping ''[[T R A P S O U L]]'' with the song "502 Come Up", referencing the city's area code, and rapper [[Jack Harlow]] also calls the city home. The Louisville music scene reaches a crescendo every July during the [[Forecastle Festival]], a three-day music, art and environmental activism festival taking place at [[Louisville Waterfront Park]]. Especially catering to Louisville's music scene is 91.9 [[WFPK]] Radio Louisville, a local [[public broadcasting|public radio]] station funded, in part, from local listeners. The station features not only national and international musicians common to public radio, but also local and regional talent. The station also hosts summer concerts on the waterfront from April until July, where up-and-coming alternative artists are brought to stage. ===Museums, galleries and interpretive centers=== [[File:FIHM.jpg|thumb|upright|Facade of the [[Frazier History Museum]]]] {{See also|List of museums in the Louisville metropolitan area|List of attractions and events in the Louisville metropolitan area}} The [[West Main District (Louisville)|West Main District]] in [[downtown Louisville]] features what is locally known as "Museum Row". In this area is the [[Frazier History Museum]], which opened its doors in 2004 as an armaments museum, featuring the only collection of [[Royal Armouries]] artifacts outside of the United Kingdom. Since then the Frazier has expanded its focus to broader history. The Frazier Museum has three floors of exhibits, an education center and a tournament ring, which presents daily performances, as well as event spaces available for rent, including a rooftop garden featuring native plants and 4th floor loft-style space that accommodates up to 360 people seated. Also nearby is the [[Kentucky Science Center]], which is Kentucky's largest hands-on science center and features interactive exhibits, [[IMAX]] films, educational programs and technology networks. [[Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft|The Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft]], opened in 1981, is a nonprofit organization. The [[Muhammad Ali Center]] opened November 2005 in "Museum Row" and features Louisville native [[Muhammad Ali]]'s [[boxing]] memorabilia. [[File:AliCenter.jpg|thumb|left|[[Muhammad Ali Center]], alongside [[Interstate 64|I{{nbhyph}}64]] on Louisville's riverfront]] The [[National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution]] (SAR) is a patriotic, historical, and educational non-profit organization and a leading male lineage society that perpetuates the ideals of the American war for independence and the founding of the United States. The SAR opened its [[National Genealogical Research Library]] in 2010 along Louisville's Museum Row next door to its national headquarters, with an on-site American Revolutionary War Education Center expected to be completed soon. The [[Speed Art Museum]] opened in 1927 and is the oldest and largest [[art gallery|art museum]] in the state of Kentucky. The museum was closed for three years, re-opening in 2016 with 220,000 sq. ft. of renovations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://louisvilleky.com/the-countdown-to-the-speed-art-museums-reopening-has-begun/|title=The Countdown to the Speed Art Museum's Reopening has Begun in Louisville KY|last=RickRedding|date=March 18, 2015|website=Louisville KY|language=en-CA|access-date=March 22, 2019|archive-date=March 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322214819/http://louisvilleky.com/the-countdown-to-the-speed-art-museums-reopening-has-begun/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Located adjacent to the [[University of Louisville]], the museum features over 12,000 pieces of art in its permanent collection and hosts traveling exhibitions. Multiple art galleries are located in the city, but they are especially concentrated in the [[East Market District]] (NuLu), immediately to the east of downtown. This row of galleries, plus others in the West Main District, are prominently featured in the monthly First Friday Hop. Several [[local history]] museums can be found in the Louisville area. The most prominent among them is [[The Filson Historical Society]], founded in 1884, which has holdings exceeding 1.5 million manuscript items and over 50,000 volumes in the library. The Filson's extensive collections focus on Kentucky, the [[Upper South]] and the [[Ohio River Valley]], and contain a large collection of portraiture and over 10,000 museum artifacts. Other local history museums include the [[Portland Museum (Louisville)|Portland Museum]], [[Historic Locust Grove]], [[Conrad-Caldwell House|Conrad-Caldwell House Museum]], the [[Falls of the Ohio State Park]] [[interpretive center]] ([[Clarksville, Indiana]]), [[Howard Steamboat Museum]] (Jeffersonville, Indiana) and the [[Carnegie Center for Art and History]] ([[New Albany, Indiana]]). The Falls interpretive center, part of the [[Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area]], also functions as a [[natural history]] museum, covering findings in the nearby exposed [[Devonian]] [[fossil]] bed. [[File:Belle of Louisville 2.jpg|thumb|left|The ''[[Belle of Louisville]]'']] There are also several historical properties and items of interest in the area, including the ''[[Belle of Louisville]]'', the oldest [[Mississippi]]-style [[steamboat]] in operation in the United States. The [[United States Marine Hospital of Louisville]] is considered by the [[National Park Service]] to be the best remaining [[antebellum architecture|antebellum]] hospital in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=-2130183395&ResourceType=Building |title=National Historic Landmarks Program (NHL)—United States Marine Hospital |access-date=July 15, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107043203/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=-2130183395&ResourceType=Building |archive-date=November 7, 2012 }}</ref> It was designed by [[Robert Mills (architect)|Robert Mills]], who is best known as the designer of the [[Washington Monument]]. [[Fort Knox]], spread out among [[Bullitt County, Kentucky|Bullitt]], [[Hardin County, Kentucky|Hardin]] and [[Meade County, Kentucky|Meade]] Counties (two of which are in the [[Louisville metropolitan area]]), is home to the [[United States Bullion Depository|U.S. Bullion Depository]] and the [[General George Patton Museum of Leadership|General George Patton Museum]]. The previously mentioned Locust Grove, former home of Louisville Founder [[George Rogers Clark]], portrays life in the early days of the city. Other notable properties include the [[Farmington Historic Plantation]] (home of the Speed family), [[Riverside, The Farnsley-Moremen Landing]] and the restored [[Union Station (Louisville)|Union Station]], which opened in 1891. The Louisville area is also home to the [[Waverly Hills Sanatorium]], a [[Fin de siècle|turn-of-the-century]] (20th) [[hospital]] that was originally built to accommodate [[tuberculosis]] patients, and subsequently has been reported and sensationalized to be haunted. The [[Little Loomhouse]] maintains historical records of local spinning and weaving patterns and techniques, and also offers tours, hands-on activities, and professional-level classes and materials. ===Performing arts=== {{Primary sources|section|date=February 2024}} [[File:The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts.jpg|thumb|[[The Kentucky Center]] in [[Downtown Louisville]]]] {{Main|Performing arts in Louisville, Kentucky}} {{See also|Theater in Kentucky|List of attractions and events in the Louisville metropolitan area}} [[The Kentucky Center]], dedicated in 1983, located in the downtown hotel and entertainment district, features a variety of plays and concerts. This is also the home of the [[Louisville Ballet]], [[Louisville Orchestra]], [[Bourbon Baroque]], [[Actors Theatre of Louisville]], StageOne Family Theatre, Derby Dinner Playhouse, [[Kentucky Shakespeare Festival]], which operates the oldest professional outdoor Shakespeare festival, and the [[Kentucky Opera]], which is the twelfth oldest [[opera]] in the United States. [[Actors Theatre of Louisville]], regarded as a beacon of innovative and inclusive professional storytelling in the Louisville area, presents approximately six hundred performances of about thirty productions during its year-round season, composed of a diverse array of contemporary and classical fare. From 1976 to 2021, it hosted the [[Humana Festival of New American Plays]], a month-long festival of plays in the spring; the last festival took place virtually due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. The event was discontinued after the festival's chief sponsor, the Humana Foundation, refocused its philanthropic endeavors to support health-based initiatives.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wdrb.com/news/humana-festival-comes-to-an-end-as-actors-theatre-of-louisville-makes-plan-to-support/article_51d3a054-a165-11ec-a9ce-3fbdcf02873a.html|title=Humana Festival comes to an end as Actors Theatre of Louisville makes plan to support new works|date=March 11, 2022|work=[[WDRB]]|access-date=February 27, 2024|archive-date=April 1, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220401032219/https://www.wdrb.com/news/humana-festival-comes-to-an-end-as-actors-theatre-of-louisville-makes-plan-to-support/article_51d3a054-a165-11ec-a9ce-3fbdcf02873a.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The Louisville area is home to a fast-growing independent and progressive theatre scene as well. Redline Performing Arts "produces a thriving culture for underserved, often marginalized communities."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.redlineperformingarts.com/about|title=Our Mission|website=RedlineArts|access-date=February 27, 2024|archive-date=November 29, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129011015/https://www.redlineperformingarts.com/about|url-status=live}}</ref> Three Witches Shakespeare brings the Bard's plays to life through a queer/LGBTQIA+ perspective. Others include Chicken Coop Theatre, Pandora Productions, Mind's Eye Theatre, Looking for Lilith, Louisville Improvisers, [[Squallis Puppeteers]], and many others that curate full seasons of contemporary, classical and experimental work. The Louisville Orchestra was founded in 1937 by conductor [[Robert Whitney (conductor)|Robert Whitney]] and [[Charles Farnsley]], then Mayor of Louisville, and was a world leader in commissioning and recording contemporary works for orchestra from the 1950s to 1980s. The Louisville Orchestra today performs more than 125 concerts per year with a core of salaried musicians and is recognized as a cornerstone of the Louisville arts community. The orchestra won the [[66th Annual Grammy Awards|2024 Grammy Award]] for "Best Classical Instrumental Solo".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://louisvilleorchestra.org/yuja-wang-teddy-abrams-louisville-orchestra-win-grammy-award/|title=Yuja Wang, Teddy Abrams, and The Louisville Orchestra Win First GRAMMY for The American Project|first=David|last=Sharpe|date=February 5, 2024|website=The Louisville Orchestra|access-date=February 27, 2024|archive-date=February 12, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240212174219/https://louisvilleorchestra.org/yuja-wang-teddy-abrams-louisville-orchestra-win-grammy-award/|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Palace Theatre (Louisville, Kentucky)|Palace Theatre]] is an ornate theatre in [[downtown Louisville]]'s theatre district which shows [[film]]s and hosts concerts. [[Iroquois Park]] is the home of the renovated Iroquois Amphitheater, which hosts a variety of musical concerts in a partially covered outdoor setting. ==Sports== [[File:Louisville slugger field evening 2002.jpg|thumb|right|[[Louisville Slugger Field]], where the [[Louisville Bats]] play]] [[File:Derby.jpg|thumb|[[Kentucky Derby]] at [[Churchill Downs]]]] [[File:Louisville Skatepark-night-2002.jpg|thumb|upright|[[David Armstrong Extreme Park]]]] {{Main|Sports in Louisville, Kentucky}} [[College sports]] are popular in the Louisville area. The [[Louisville Cardinals]] have competed as members of the [[Atlantic Coast Conference]] (ACC), since joining that league in July 2014. [[College basketball]] is particularly popular. The [[Louisville Cardinals men's basketball|Louisville Cardinals]]'s [[Freedom Hall]] averaged sellouts for 10 straight years and the Downtown [[KFC Yum! Center]] following suit with regular sellouts. The Cardinals ranked third nationally in attendance in [[2012–13 Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team|2012–13]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://static.psbin.com/a/j/rnpftk9inpzjrf/2013_release_men-s_basketball_attendance.pdf|title=2013 NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL ATTENDANCE|publisher=[[NCAA]]|access-date=September 3, 2013|archive-date=June 30, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140630234915/http://static.psbin.com/a/j/rnpftk9inpzjrf/2013_release_men-s_basketball_attendance.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> the most recent of the program's three* national championship seasons (1980, 1986, 2013*). The Cardinals also hold the Big East conference women's basketball paid attendance record with nearly 17,000 attending the game against the [[Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball|Kentucky Wildcats]] in 2008. The Louisville market has ranked first in ratings for the NCAA men's basketball tournament every year since 1999.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ratings again say we're March mad |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-courier-journal-louisville-at-top-of/138557365/ |work=[[The Courier-Journal]] |page=C3 |via=[[newspapers.com]] |date=April 9, 2008 |access-date=January 11, 2024 |archive-date=January 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112035329/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-courier-journal-louisville-at-top-of/138557365/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball|Kentucky Wildcats]] used to play an annual game in Freedom Hall. The [[Louisville Cardinals football]] team has produced successful NFL players such as [[Lamar Jackson]], [[Johnny Unitas]], [[Deion Branch]], [[Sam Madison]], [[David Akers]], [[Joe Jacoby]], [[DeVante Parker]] and [[Ray Buchanan]]. The Cardinals won the [[1991 Fiesta Bowl]], the [[2007 Orange Bowl]], and the [[2013 Sugar Bowl]]. In 2016, sophomore quarterback [[Lamar Jackson]] took the football team to new heights. Lamar was the school's first [[Heisman Trophy]] winner, which is awarded to the most outstanding college football player nationwide during that season. He was also one of the youngest players to ever receive the award. The team also matched their highest ranking in school history at No. 3. The University of Louisville [[baseball]] team advanced to the [[College World Series]] in Omaha in [[2007 College World Series|2007]], [[2013 College World Series|2013]], [[2014 College World Series|2014]], [[2017 College World Series|2017]] and [[2019 College World Series|2019]] as one of the final eight teams to compete for the national championship. Horse racing is also a major attraction. [[Churchill Downs]] is home to the [[Kentucky Derby]], the largest [[sport|sporting event]] in the state, as well as the [[Kentucky Oaks]] which together cap the two-week-long [[Kentucky Derby Festival]]. Churchill Downs has also hosted the renowned [[Breeders' Cup]] on eight occasions, most recently in 2011. Louisville is also the home of [[Valhalla Golf Club]] which hosted the [[1996 PGA Championship|1996]], [[2000 PGA Championship|2000]] and [[2014 PGA Championship|2014]] [[PGA Championship]]s, the 2004 [[Senior PGA Championship]] and the [[2008 Ryder Cup]]. It is also home to [[David Armstrong Extreme Park]] (formerly Louisville Extreme Park), which skateboarder [[Tony Hawk]] has called one of his top five skate parks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.skateboardermag.com/features/louisville-extreme-park/ |title=Louisville Extreme Park |publisher=Skateboarder Magazine |work=Skateboardermag.com |access-date=July 28, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110211181038/http://www.skateboardermag.com/features/louisville-extreme-park/ |archive-date=February 11, 2011 }}</ref> Louisville has seven professional and [[semi-professional]] sports teams, The [[Louisville Bats]] are a [[baseball]] team playing in the [[International League]] as the [[Triple-A (baseball)|Triple-A]] affiliate of the nearby [[Cincinnati Reds]]. The team plays at [[Louisville Slugger Field]] at the edge of the city's downtown.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}} [[Louisville City FC]], a professional soccer team in the second-division [[USL Championship]], began play in 2015 at Slugger Field and has since moved into their own [[Soccer-specific stadium]] , [[Lynn Family Stadium]], in 2020.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rimpson |first=Robert |date=August 5, 2019 |title=Louisville City FC announces the name of its new soccer stadium in Butchertown |url=https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/soccer/louisville-city-fc/2019/08/05/louisville-city-fc-has-named-its-home-field-lynn-family-stadium/1920374001/ |work=The Courier-Journal |access-date=November 17, 2019 |archive-date=November 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106013407/https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/soccer/louisville-city-fc/2019/08/05/louisville-city-fc-has-named-its-home-field-lynn-family-stadium/1920374001/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The team was originally the reserve side for [[Orlando City SC]] of [[Major League Soccer]], but the two organizations were separated in 2016. [[Racing Louisville FC]], an expansion team in the [[National Women's Soccer League]] began play in 2021 at Lynn Family Stadium.<ref>{{cite press release |date=October 22, 2019 |title=National Women's Soccer League announces expansion to Louisville in 2021 |url=http://www.nwslsoccer.com/news/article/national-womens-soccer-league-announces-expansion-to-louisville-in-2021 |publisher=[[National Women's Soccer League]] |access-date=November 17, 2019 |archive-date=October 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027113957/https://www.nwslsoccer.com/news/article/national-womens-soccer-league-announces-expansion-to-louisville-in-2021 |url-status=live }}</ref> Louisville had two professional American football teams in the [[National Football League]]: the [[Louisville Breckenridges]] (or Brecks for short) from 1921 to 1924 and the [[Louisville Colonels (NFL)|Louisville Colonels]] in 1926.<ref>{{cite book |last=Biesel |first=David B. |title=Can You Name that Team?: A Guide to Professional Baseball, Football, Soccer, Hockey, and Basketball Teams and Leagues |publisher=[[Scarecrow Press]] |year=1993 |page=38}}</ref> Between 1967 and 1976, Louisville was home to the [[Kentucky Colonels]] of the [[American Basketball Association]]. The Colonels was one of the ABA's most successful teams during its existence, winning four division titles and the 1975 ABA Championship, but was not invited to join the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] when the two leagues [[NBA-ABA merger|merged]] in 1976, and subsequently folded. Louisville has the added distinction of being the only city in the world that is the birthplace of four heavyweight boxing champions: [[Marvin Hart]], [[Muhammad Ali]], [[Jimmy Ellis (boxer)|Jimmy Ellis]] and [[Greg Page (boxer)|Greg Page]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Loverro|first=Thom|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/9/muhammad-ali-louisville-boxing-jimmy-ellis/|title=Muhammad Ali always stood out among Louisville's four kings of boxing|work=[[The Washington Times]]|date=June 9, 2016|access-date=March 15, 2017|archive-date=February 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215123737/http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/9/muhammad-ali-louisville-boxing-jimmy-ellis/|url-status=live}}</ref> ===Professional teams=== {{See also|Sports in Louisville, Kentucky#Historical teams|l1=Historical professional sports teams in Louisville}} {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Club !! Sport !! Began Play !! League !! Venue |- | [[Louisville Bats]] | [[Baseball]] | align=center | 2002 | [[International League]] | [[Louisville Slugger Field]] |- | [[Derby City Dynamite]] | [[Women's American football|Women's football]] | align=center | 2013 | [[Women's Football Alliance]] | [[John Hardin High School]] ([[Radcliff, Kentucky|Radcliff]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.derbycitydynamite.com/|title=Derby City Dynamite|work=derbycitydynamite.com|access-date=April 14, 2015|archive-date=April 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402100158/http://www.derbycitydynamite.com/|url-status=live}}</ref> |- | [[Louisville City FC]] | [[Association football|Men's soccer]] | align=center | 2015 | [[United Soccer League]] | [[Lynn Family Stadium]] |- | [[Racing Louisville FC]] | [[Women's soccer]] | align=center | 2021 | [[National Women's Soccer League]] | [[Lynn Family Stadium]] |} ==Parks and recreation== {{See also|List of parks in the Louisville metropolitan area|List of attractions and events in the Louisville metropolitan area}} [[File:WaterfrontPkDwnt.jpg|thumb|[[Louisville Waterfront Park]] exhibits rolling hills, spacious lawns and walking paths in the [[Downtown Louisville|downtown]] area.]] [[File:MetroLoopLBT.jpg|thumb|[[Louisville Loop]] bike and pedestrian trail]] Louisville Metro has 122 city [[park]]s covering more than {{convert|13000|acre|km2}}. Several of these parks were designed by [[Frederick Law Olmsted]], who also designed New York City's [[Central Park]] as well as parks, parkways, college campuses and public facilities in many U.S. locations. The [[Louisville Waterfront Park]] is prominently located on the banks of the [[Ohio River]] near downtown and features large open areas, which often hold free [[concert]]s and other [[festival]]s. The [[Big Four Bridge]], a former railroad bridge spanning {{convert|547|ft|m}} but is now a pedestrian bridge connecting Waterfront Park with Jeffersonville, Indiana's waterfront park, fully opened in May 2014 with the completion of Jeffersonville's ramp.<ref>{{cite news|title=Big Four Bridge walkway about to be a step closer|newspaper=[[The Courier-Journal]]|date=May 16, 2007|author=Shafer, Sheldon}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Lord, Joseph |title=Indiana Side of Big Four Bridge Is Opening This Afternoon |url=http://wfpl.org/post/indiana-side-big-four-bridge-opening-afternoon |publisher=[[WFPL]] |date=May 20, 2014 |access-date=June 22, 2014 |archive-date=July 17, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140717202926/http://wfpl.org/post/indiana-side-big-four-bridge-opening-afternoon |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Cherokee Park]], one of the most visited parks in the nation,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tpl.org/content_documents/citypark_facts/ccpe_Most_Visited_Parks_08.pdf |title=America's Most Visited City Parks |date=October 1, 2008 |access-date=March 31, 2009 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5fgh5pn16?url=http://www.tpl.org/content_documents/citypark_facts/ccpe_Most_Visited_Parks_08.pdf |archive-date=March 31, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> features a {{convert|2.6|mi|km|1|adj=on}} mixed-use loop and many well-known landscaping and architectural features including the [[Hogan's Fountain Pavilion]]. Other notable parks in the system include [[Iroquois Park]], [[Shawnee Park]], [[Seneca Park (Louisville, Kentucky)|Seneca Park]] and [[Central Park, Louisville|Central Park]]. Further from the downtown area is the [[Jefferson Memorial Forest]], which at {{convert|6218|acre|km2}} is the largest municipal [[urban forest]] in the United States.,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://louisvilleky.gov/News/WideNewsItem.htm|title=City News|website=LouisvilleKy.gov|access-date=February 5, 2019|archive-date=November 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119132942/https://louisvilleky.gov/News/WideNewsItem.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The forest is designated as a [[National Audubon Society]] [[wildlife refuge]] and offers over {{convert|30|mi|km}} of various hiking trails. [[Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area]], owned and operated by the [[Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources]], is another large park in nearby [[Brandenburg, Kentucky]]. The park's namesake, Otter Creek, winds along the eastern side of the park. A scenic bend in the [[Ohio River]], which divides Kentucky from [[Indiana]], can be seen from northern overlooks within the park. The park is a [[mountain biking]] destination, with trails maintained by a local [[mountain bike]] organization.{{citation needed|date=March 2019}} Other outdoor points of interest in the Louisville area include [[Cave Hill Cemetery]] (the burial location of [[Colonel Sanders|Col. Harland Sanders]]), [[Zachary Taylor National Cemetery]] (the burial location of [[President of the United States|President]] [[Zachary Taylor]]), the [[Louisville Zoo]] and the [[Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area]]. In development is the [[City of Parks]], a project to create a {{convert|110|mi|adj=on}} continuous paved pedestrian and biking trail called the [[Louisville Loop]] around Louisville Metro while also adding a large amount of park land. Current plans call for making approximately {{convert|4000|acre|km2}} of the [[Floyds Fork]] flood plain in eastern [[Jefferson County, Kentucky|Jefferson County]] into a new park system called [[The Parklands of Floyds Fork]], expanding area in the Jefferson Memorial Forest, and adding riverfront land and wharfs along the Riverwalk and the Levee Trail, both completed segments of the Louisville Loop. ==Government== [[File:Louisville City Hall, HABS KY-143-9.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Louisville City Hall]] in [[Downtown Louisville|downtown]], built 1870–1873, is a blend of [[Italianate]] styles characteristic of [[Neo-Renaissance]].]] {{Main|Government of Louisville, Kentucky}} {{See also|List of mayors of Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville Metro Council|Government of Kentucky}} Until 2015, Louisville was one of two cities in Kentucky designated by the state as [[List of cities in Kentucky#Classes|first-class]] (along with [[Lexington, Kentucky|Lexington]], the state's second-largest).{{efn|Under Kentucky's current classification scheme, which went into effect on January 1, 2015, cities with a mayor–alderman form of government are first-class, with the "home rule class" covering all other forms. This replaced a system in which cities were divided into six classes, nominally by population.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thetimestribune.com/news/local_news/corbin-other-tri-county-cities-now-in-home-rule-class/article_9b272838-81d5-59ee-9b4e-14cc01449d94.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141111180956/http://www.thetimestribune.com/news/local_news/corbin-other-tri-county-cities-now-in-home-rule-class/article_9b272838-81d5-59ee-9b4e-14cc01449d94.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 11, 2014 |title=Corbin, other Tri-County cities now in Home Rule Class |first=Jeff |last=Noble |newspaper=[[The Times-Tribune (Corbin)|The Times-Tribune]] |location=[[Corbin, Kentucky|Corbin, KY]] |date=April 30, 2014 |access-date=November 11, 2014 }}</ref>}} Since January 6, 2003, Louisville has [[consolidated city-county|merged its government]] with that of Jefferson County, forming [[wikt:coterminous|coterminous]] borders.<ref name="Louisville Metro Consolidation"/> Louisville was the second and only other city in the state to merge with its county. ([[Lexington, Kentucky|Lexington]] had merged with [[Fayette County, Kentucky|Fayette County]] in 1974.) Louisville Metro is governed by an executive called the [[List of mayors of Louisville, Kentucky|Metro Mayor]] and a [[city council|city legislature]] called the [[Louisville Metro Council|Metro Council]]. The third and current Metro Mayor is [[Craig Greenberg]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]]), who entered office on January 3, 2023.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/elections/kentucky/2022/11/08/craig-greenberg-bill-dieruf-louisville-mayor-kentucky-election-2022/69509589007/ |title=Louisville mayor 2022 election: Craig Greenberg beats Bill Dieruf |publisher=Courier-journal.com |date= |accessdate=November 11, 2022 |archive-date=November 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106013408/https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/elections/kentucky/2022/11/08/craig-greenberg-bill-dieruf-louisville-mayor-kentucky-election-2022/69509589007/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 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 [[Louisville Metro Council President|Council President]], currently David Yates (D), who is elected by the council members annually. Democrats currently have a 17-to-9 majority. Before merger, under the [[Kentucky Constitution]] and statutory law Louisville was designated as a [[List of cities in Kentucky#Classes|first-class]] city in regard to local laws affecting public safety, alcohol beverage control, revenue options, and various other matters; as of 2014, it is the only such designated city in the state.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.klc.org/UserFiles/TheBasics2011_Sept(2).pdf |title=KLC Research Report: The Basics of Kentucky Cities |access-date=August 4, 2012 |date=September 2011 |publisher=Kentucky League of Cities |archive-date=August 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809075108/http://www.klc.org/UserFiles/TheBasics2011_Sept(2).pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The Official Seal of the City of Louisville, no longer used following the merger, reflected its history and heritage in the [[fleur-de-lis]] representing French aid given during the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] and the thirteen stars signifying the original colonies. The new [[Seal of Louisville, Kentucky|Seal of Louisville Metro]] retains the fleur-de-lis, but has only two stars, one representing the city and the other the county. [[Kentucky's 3rd congressional district]] encompasses most of Louisville Metro, and is represented by [[United States House of Representatives|Rep.]] [[Morgan McGarvey]] (D). Far eastern portions of the county are part of the [[Kentucky's 4th congressional district|4th congressional district]], which is represented by [[Thomas Massie]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/KY/3 |title=Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District—Representatives & District Map |access-date=August 19, 2014 |publisher=GovTrack.us |archive-date=August 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820185512/https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/KY/3 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/KY/4 |title=Kentucky's 4th Congressional District—Representatives & District Map |access-date=August 19, 2014 |publisher=GovTrack.us |archive-date=August 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820115918/https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/KY/4 |url-status=live }}</ref> ==Education== {{See also|List of schools in Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville Free Public Library}} [[File:Grawhallul.jpg|thumb|[[Grawemeyer Hall]], modeled after the [[Pantheon, Rome|Roman Pantheon]], is the [[University of Louisville]]'s main administrative building.]] [[File:Picture 154ULMedPlaza.jpg|thumb|Medical Office Plaza on the University of Louisville's downtown Health Sciences Campus]] Louisville is home to several institutions of higher learning. There are six four-year universities, the [[University of Louisville]], [[Bellarmine University]], [[Boyce College]], [[Spalding University]], [[Sullivan University]] and [[Simmons College of Kentucky]]; [[Louisville Bible College]]; a two-year community college, [[Jefferson Community and Technical College]]; and several other business or technical schools such as [[Spencerian College]], [[Strayer University]] and [[Sullivan College of Technology and Design]]. [[Indiana University Southeast]] is located across the [[Ohio River]] in [[New Albany, Indiana]]. The University of Louisville has had notable achievements including several hand transplants<ref name="hand transplant">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/26/us/doctors-in-louisville-perform-nation-s-first-hand-transplant.html |title=Doctors in Louisville Perform Nation's First Hand Transplant |last=Altman |first=Lawrence K. |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 26, 1999 |access-date=August 8, 2015 |archive-date=June 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613235309/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/26/us/doctors-in-louisville-perform-nation-s-first-hand-transplant.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and the world's first self-contained [[artificial heart]] transplant.<ref name="heart transplant">{{cite news |last=Altman |first=Lawrence K. |title=Self-Contained Mechanical Heart Throbs for First Time in a Human |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/04/us/self-contained-mechanical-heart-throbs-for-first-time-in-a-human.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 4, 2001 |access-date=August 8, 2015 |archive-date=October 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018192113/http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/04/us/self-contained-mechanical-heart-throbs-for-first-time-in-a-human.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Two major graduate-professional schools of religion are also located in Louisville. The [[Southern Baptist Theological Seminary]], with more than 5,300 students, is the flagship institution of the [[Southern Baptist Convention]]. It was founded in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1859 and moved to Louisville in 1877, occupying its present campus on Lexington Road in 1926. [[Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary]], product of a 1901 merger of two predecessor schools founded at [[Danville, Kentucky]] in 1853 and in Louisville in 1893, occupied its present campus on Alta Vista Road in 1963. According to the [[United States Census|U.S. Census]], of Louisville's population over 25, 21.3% (the national average is 24%) hold a [[bachelor's degree]] or higher and 76.1% (80% nationally) have a [[high school diploma]] or equivalent. The public school system, [[Jefferson County Public Schools (Kentucky)|Jefferson County Public Schools]], consists of more than 100,000 students in 173 schools.<ref>{{cite web |title=About JCPS, JCPS at a Glance |url=http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/About/About.html |publisher=[[Jefferson County Public Schools (Kentucky)|Jefferson County Public Schools]] |access-date=October 5, 2015 |archive-date=October 6, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006050008/http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/About/About.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Dupont Manual High School ranks 30th in the nation overall for best high schools, and 13th in best magnet high schools.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/kentucky/districts/jefferson-county/dupont-manual-high-8332|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420022338/http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/kentucky/districts/jefferson-county/dupont-manual-high-8332|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 20, 2016|title=U.S. News & World Report}}</ref> Due to Louisville's large [[Catholic Church in the United States|Catholic]] population, there are 27 [[Catholic schools in the United States|Catholic schools]] in the city. The [[Kentucky School for the Blind]], for all of Kentucky's blind and [[visual impairment|visually impaired]] students, is located on Frankfort Avenue in the [[Clifton, Louisville|Clifton]] neighborhood. ==Media== {{Main|Media in Louisville, Kentucky}} Louisville's [[newspaper]] of record is ''[[The Courier-Journal]]''. The alternative paper is the progressive [[alternative weekly|alt-weekly]] ''[[Louisville Eccentric Observer]]'' (commonly called 'LEO'), which was founded by [[Kentucky's 3rd congressional district|3rd district]] [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]] [[John Yarmuth]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]]). [[WAVE (TV)|WAVE 3]], an [[NBC]] [[network affiliate|affiliate]], was Kentucky's first TV station. Another prominent TV station is [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] affiliate [[WHAS-TV|WHAS 11]], formerly owned by the [[:Category:Bingham family|Bingham family]] (who also owned ''[[Courier Journal|The Courier-Journal]]''), which hosts the regionally notable annual fundraiser, the [[WHAS Crusade for Children]]. [[CBS]] affiliate [[WLKY|WLKY 32]] and [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliate [[WDRB|WDRB 41]] (along with its dual [[The CW]]/[[MyNetworkTV]] affiliated sister station [[WBKI (TV)|WBKI 58]]) round out the major television stations in the city. The most popular [[radio station]]s are [[WGZB-FM]] and [[WHAS (AM)|84 WHAS]] 840 AM.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://tlr.nielsen.com/tlr/public/market.do?method=loadAllMarket | publisher = Nielsen | work = Nielsen Topline Ratings For Subscribing Radio Stations | title = Louisville, KY, AHQ Share For Persons 12+, Mon-Sun 6am-mid | date = January 8, 2019 | access-date = March 12, 2019 | archive-date = December 6, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181206220238/https://tlr.nielsen.com/tlr/public/market.do?method=loadAllMarket | url-status = live }}</ref> The latter was designated by the FCC as a [[clear-channel station]], and was formerly owned by the Binghams (now [[iHeartMedia]]), and is a [[talk radio]] station that also broadcasts regional sports.{{citation needed|date=March 2019}} ==Infrastructure== ===Transportation=== {{Main|Transportation in Louisville, Kentucky}} {{See also|Roads in Louisville, Kentucky}} [[File:2020 4BandImagery Indiana J874808.jpg|thumb|[[Kennedy Interchange]] ("Spaghetti Junction"), after completion of the [[Ohio River Bridges Project]]]] [[File:Ksdf.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport]]]] [[File:Louisville 4thStreet trolley.jpg|thumb|right|Toonerville II Trolleys provided transportation in [[downtown Louisville]] until late 2014, before being replaced by LouLift.]] As with most American cities, transportation in Louisville is based primarily on automobiles. However, the city traces its foundation to the era where the river was the primary [[Mode of transport|means of transportation]], and railroads have been an important part of local industry for over a century. In more recent times, Louisville has become an international hub for [[Cargo airline|air cargo]]. Louisville has inner and outer [[Interstate Highway System|interstate]] beltways, [[Interstate 264 (Kentucky)|I{{nbhyph}}264]] and [[Interstate 265|I{{nbhyph}}265]] respectively. Interstates [[Interstate 64 in Kentucky|I{{nbhyph}}64]] and [[Interstate 65 in Kentucky|I{{nbhyph}}65]] pass through Louisville, and [[Interstate 71#Kentucky|I-71]] has its southern terminus in Louisville. Since all three of these highways intersect at virtually the same location on the east side of [[downtown Louisville|downtown]], this spot has become known as "[[Kennedy Interchange|Spaghetti Junction]]". Three bridges carry I{{nbhyph}}64 and I{{nbhyph}}65 over the Ohio River, and a [[George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge|fourth automobile bridge]] carries non-interstate traffic, including bicyclists and pedestrians. Immediately east of downtown is the [[Big Four Bridge]], a former railroad bridge that has been renovated into as a pedestrian bridge. The [[Ohio River Bridges Project]], a plan under consideration for decades to construct two new interstate bridges over the Ohio River to connect Louisville to Indiana, including a reconfiguration of Spaghetti Junction, began construction in 2012.<ref>{{cite news |author=Collier, Rachel |title=Construction to begin soon on The Ohio River Bridges Project |url=http://www.wdrb.com/story/19370142/construction-to-begin-soon-on-the-ohio-river-bridges-project |publisher=[[WDRB]] |date=August 24, 2012 |access-date=June 22, 2014 |archive-date=October 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006081807/http://www.wdrb.com/story/19370142/construction-to-begin-soon-on-the-ohio-river-bridges-project |url-status=live }}</ref> One bridge, the [[Abraham Lincoln Bridge]], is located downtown beside the existing [[John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge|Kennedy Bridge]] for relief of I{{nbhyph}}65 traffic. The other, named the [[Lewis and Clark Bridge (Ohio River)|Lewis and Clark Bridge]], connects I{{nbhyph}}265 between the portions located in southeast [[Clark County, Indiana]] and northeast [[Jefferson County, Kentucky]] (Louisville Metro).<ref>{{cite news |author=Green, Marcus |title=Bridge project tunnels' cost rises; Exploratory shaft will plot path for two others |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courier_journal/access/1725940601.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jul+16%2C+2007&author=&pub=Courier+-+Journal&edition=&startpage=A.1&desc=Bridge+project+tunnels%27+cost+rises |newspaper=[[The Courier-Journal]] |date=July 16, 2007 |access-date=July 16, 2007 |archive-date=June 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110624085719/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courier_journal/access/1725940601.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jul+16%2C+2007&author=&pub=Courier+-+Journal&edition=&startpage=A.1&desc=Bridge+project+tunnels%27+cost+rises |url-status=dead }}</ref> Both bridges and corresponding construction were finished in 2016.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Ohio River Bridges Project Downtown Crossing—The Project Overview |url=http://kyinbridges.com/downtown-crossing/overview/ |access-date=June 22, 2014 |archive-date=February 13, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150213042535/http://kyinbridges.com/downtown-crossing/overview/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=East End Crossing—The Project |url=http://eastendcrossing.com/project-overview/ |access-date=June 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710021612/http://eastendcrossing.com/project-overview/ |archive-date=July 10, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> As with any major project, there have been detractors and possible alternatives; one grassroots organization, [[8664.org]], has proposed options for downtown revitalization improvements, and a simpler and less expensive roadway design. Louisville's main airport is the centrally located [[Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport]], whose [[IATA Airport code]] (SDF) reflects its former name of Standiford Field. The airport is also home to [[United Parcel Service|UPS]]'s [[Worldport (UPS air hub)|Worldport]] global air hub. UPS operates its largest package-handling hub at Louisville International Airport and bases its [[UPS Airlines]] division there. Over 4.2 million passengers and over 4.7 billion pounds (2,350,000 t) of cargo pass through the airport each year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?pn=1&Airport=SDF&Airport_Name=Louisville,%20KY:%20Louisville%20International-Standiford%20Field&carrier=FACTS |title=Louisville, KY: Louisville International-Standiford Field (SDF) |date=March 2014 |access-date=July 6, 2014 |archive-date=September 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180924165712/https://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?pn=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> It is also the second busiest airport in the United States in terms of cargo traffic, and fourth busiest for such in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aci.aero/News/Releases/Most-Recent/2014/03/31/Preliminary-World-Airport-Traffic-and-Rankings-2013--High-Growth-Dubai-Moves-Up-to-7th-Busiest-Airport- |title=Preliminary World Airport Traffic and Rankings 2013—High Growth Dubai Moves Up to 7th Busiest Airport |date=March 31, 2014 |access-date=July 6, 2014 |publisher=Airports Council International |archive-date=April 1, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140401052319/http://www.aci.aero/News/Releases/Most-Recent/2014/03/31/Preliminary-World-Airport-Traffic-and-Rankings-2013--High-Growth-Dubai-Moves-Up-to-7th-Busiest-Airport- |url-status=live }}</ref> Only about 35 minutes from [[Fort Knox]], the airport is also a major hub for armed services personnel. The historic but smaller [[Bowman Field (Kentucky)|Bowman Field]] is used mainly for [[general aviation]] while nearby [[Clark Regional Airport]] is used mostly by private jets. The [[McAlpine Locks and Dam]] is located on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River, near the downtown area. The locks were constructed to allow shipping past the [[Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area|Falls of the Ohio]]. In 2001 over 55 million tons of commodities passed through the locks. [[Public transportation]] consists mainly of buses run by the [[Transit Authority of River City]] (TARC). The city buses serve all parts of downtown Louisville and [[Jefferson County, Kentucky|Jefferson County]], as well as Kentucky suburbs in [[Oldham County, Kentucky|Oldham County]], [[Bullitt County, Kentucky|Bullitt County]], and the [[Indiana]] suburbs of Jeffersonville, [[Clarksville, Indiana|Clarksville]] and [[New Albany, Indiana|New Albany]]. In addition to regular city buses, transit throughout the downtown hotel and shopping districts is served by a fleet of [[Zero-emissions vehicle|zero-emissions buses]] called LouLift. In late 2014, these vehicles replaced the series of motorized trolleys known as the ''Toonerville II Trolley''.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gee|first1=Dawne|title=TARC replaces trolleys with ZeroBus|url=http://www.wave3.com/story/27690555/tarc-replaces-trolleys-with-zerobus|access-date=September 29, 2015|publisher=[[WAVE (TV)|WAVE]]|date=December 22, 2014|archive-date=October 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001092733/http://www.wave3.com/story/27690555/tarc-replaces-trolleys-with-zerobus|url-status=live}}</ref> A [[light rail]] system has been studied and proposed for the city, but no plan was in development as of 2007.<ref>{{cite news |first=Marcus |last=Green |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courier_journal/access/1749372341.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Nov+29%2C+2006&author=&pub=Courier+-+Journal&edition=&startpage=B.1&desc=Mass+transit+plan+still+possible |title=Mass transit plan still possible; Officials will look for financing options |newspaper=[[The Courier-Journal]] |date=November 29, 2006 |access-date=January 23, 2007 |archive-date=June 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110624085522/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courier_journal/access/1749372341.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Nov+29%2C+2006&author=&pub=Courier+-+Journal&edition=&startpage=B.1&desc=Mass+transit+plan+still+possible |url-status=dead }}</ref> Louisville has historically been a major center for [[railway]] traffic. The [[Louisville and Nashville Railroad]] was once headquartered here, before it was purchased by [[CSX Transportation]]. Today the city is served by two major freight railroads, CSX (with a major [[classification yard]] in the southern part of the metro area) and [[Norfolk Southern]]. Five major main lines connect Louisville to the rest of the region. Two regional railroads, the [[Paducah and Louisville Railway]] and the [[Louisville and Indiana Railroad]], also serve the city. With the discontinuance of the stop in Louisville in 2003 for a more northerly route between [[New York City|New York]] and Chicago, the ''[[Kentucky Cardinal (Amtrak)|Kentucky Cardinal]]'' no longer serves the city; it is thus the fifth largest city in the country with no passenger rail service.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.trainweb.org/moksrail/documents/pop/msa.htm |title=Metropolitan Areas Served by Amtrak |date=November 23, 2006 |access-date=April 21, 2009 |archive-date=June 24, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090624205811/http://www.trainweb.org/moksrail/documents/pop/msa.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2016 [[Walk Score]] ranked Louisville 43rd "most walkable" of 141 U.S. cities with a population greater than 200,000.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.walkscore.com/cities-and-neighborhoods/ |title=Most Walkable Cities in the US |year=2016 |publisher=[[Walk Score]] |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170131231927/https://www.walkscore.com/cities-and-neighborhoods/ |archive-date=January 31, 2017 |url-status=live |access-date=May 6, 2017 }}</ref> ===Utilities=== [[File:Louisville water tower.jpg|thumb|upright|Completed in 1860, the [[Louisville Water Tower]] is the oldest water tower in the U.S.]] Electricity is provided to the Louisville Metro area by [[Louisville Gas & Electric]]. Water is provided by the [[Louisville Water Company]], which provides water to more than 800,000 residents in Louisville as well as parts of [[Oldham County, Kentucky|Oldham]] and [[Bullitt County, Kentucky|Bullitt]] counties. Additionally, they provide wholesale water to the outlying counties of [[Shelby County, Kentucky|Shelby]], [[Spencer County, Kentucky|Spencer]] and [[Nelson County, Kentucky|Nelson]].<ref>Data from [http://www.louisvilleky.gov/LWC Louisville Water] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415204341/http://www.louisvilleky.gov/LWC |date=April 15, 2009 }}</ref> The [[Ohio River]] provides for most of the city's source of [[drinking water]]. Water is drawn from the river at two points: the [[raw water]] [[pumping station|pump station]] at Zorn Avenue and River Road, and the B.E. Payne Pump Station northeast of [[Harrods Creek, Louisville|Harrods Creek]]. Water is also obtained from a riverbank infiltration well at the Payne Plant. There are also two [[water purification|water treatment plants]] serving the Louisville Metro area: The Crescent Hill Treatment Plant and the B.E. Payne Treatment Plant. In June 2008, the Louisville Water Company received the "Best of the Best" award from the American Water Works Association, citing it as the best-tasting drinking water in the country.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.awwa.org/publications/MainStreamArticle.cfm?itemnumber=36618 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326024952/http://www.awwa.org/publications/MainStreamArticle.cfm?itemnumber=36618 |archive-date=March 26, 2012 |title=Louisville wins best water taste test |date=June 10, 2008 |publisher=American Water Works Association |access-date=March 8, 2010}}</ref> ===Public safety=== [[File:LouMetPolice.jpg|thumb|[[Louisville Metro Police Department|Metro Police]] cruiser]] [[File:LMEMS 1255 (8).JPG|thumb|[[Louisville Metro EMS]] ambulance]] The primary law enforcement agencies are the [[Louisville Metro Police Department]] (LMPD) and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO). ''911'' [[emergency medical services]] are provided by the government as [[Louisville Metro EMS]] (LMEMS) which responds to over 120,000 calls for service annually. Louisville Metro Department of Corrections operates two facilities housing approximately 2,000 inmates. Louisville has recently been featured on the television show ''[[First 48]]''. The show follows LMPD's homicide unit while they try to solve murders. Fire protection is provided by 16 independent [[fire department]]s working in concert through [[mutual aid (emergency services)|mutual aid]] agreements. The only fire department operated by Metro Government is [[Louisville Division of Fire|Louisville Fire & Rescue]], the successor to the pre-merger Louisville Division of Fire. The city of [[Shively, Kentucky|Shively]] in western [[Jefferson County, Kentucky|Jefferson County]] possesses an independent fire department that uses the same dispatch and radio channels as Louisville Fire and Rescue.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} The other 14 fire departments in Louisville-Jefferson County are run by independent taxing districts, collectively referred to as the [[Jefferson County Fire Service]] (JCFS); the county fire service coordinates dispatch, training, and standardization for its member departments. ==Notable people== {{Main list|List of people from the Louisville metropolitan area}} {{See also|List of University of Louisville people}} <!-- Please add all notable people from Louisville to one or both of the list articles indicated above. Since there are so many, having the list here would make the article unwieldy and non-compliant with guidelines. Also, if we had a pared-down list, it would be very difficult to maintain in terms of deciding and enforcing the criteria for inclusion. --> ==In popular culture== The survival-horror video game ''[[Project Zomboid]]'' is loosely set in the 1990s [[Louisville metropolitan area]], with references to the cities of Louisville, [[West Point, Kentucky|West Point]] and [[Muldraugh, Kentucky|Muldraugh]], as well as some fictional locales. Louisville is also the setting of the 1985 zombie horror film ''[[The Return of the Living Dead]].'' ==Firsts== Important events occurring in the city include the [[Southern Exposition|second largest American exhibition to date]] (1883), which had the largest to-date installation of [[incandescent light bulb|light bulbs]] by their recent inventor and then-former resident [[Thomas Edison]], as well as the [[Louisville Free Public Library, Western Branch|first free public library]] in the US to be staffed by and provide services exclusively for [[African Americans]] (1905).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lfpl.org/separateflame |title=African-American Archives – Western Branch: The First African American Public Library |publisher=[[Louisville Free Public Library]] |access-date=September 26, 2023 |archive-date=September 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927005936/https://www.lfpl.org/separateflame |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uky.edu/Subject/lama.html |title=African Americans in Library Professions: The Kentucky Connection |publisher=Uky.edu |date=December 7, 2004 |access-date=February 20, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130121190156/http://www.uky.edu/Subject/lama.html |archive-date=January 21, 2013 }}</ref> Medical advances include the 1999 first human [[hand transplantation|hand transplant]] in the US<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/26/us/doctors-in-louisville-perform-nation-s-first-hand-transplant.html |title=Doctors in Louisville Perform Nation's First Hand Transplant |last=Altman |first=Lawrence K. |newspaper=New York Times |date=January 26, 1999 |access-date=September 8, 2007 |archive-date=June 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613235309/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/26/us/doctors-in-louisville-perform-nation-s-first-hand-transplant.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and the first self-contained [[artificial heart]] transplant in 2001.<ref name="heart transplant" /> ==Sister cities== [[File:Louisville sistercities.jpg|thumb|upright|Distances to Louisville's sister cities on a downtown light post]] Louisville's [[sister cities]] are:<ref>{{cite web|title=Home|url=https://www.sclou.org/|website=sclou.org|publisher=Sister Cities of Louisville|access-date=October 24, 2020|archive-date=September 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930211642/https://www.sclou.org/|url-status=dead}}</ref> {{div col|colwidth=15em}} *{{flagicon|TUR}} [[Adapazarı]], Turkey *{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Jiujiang]], China <!--Leeds - friendship city--> *{{flagicon|GER}} [[Mainz]], Germany *{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Montpellier]], France *{{flagicon|ARG}} [[La Plata]], Argentina *{{flagicon|ECU}} [[Quito]], Ecuador *{{flagicon|GHA}} [[Tamale, Ghana|Tamale]], Ghana {{div col end}} Louisville was sister cities with [[Perm, Russia|Perm]], Russia. However, this relationship was temporarily suspended by Mayor [[Greg Fischer]] in June 2022 in light of the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 14, 2022 |title=World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana's Statement on our relationship with Perm, Russia |url=https://www.worldkentucky.org/blog/world-affairs-council-of-kentucky-and-southern-indianas-statement-on-our-relationship-with-perm-russia |access-date=August 18, 2023 |website=World Affairs Council |language=en-US |archive-date=August 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230818233441/https://www.worldkentucky.org/blog/world-affairs-council-of-kentucky-and-southern-indianas-statement-on-our-relationship-with-perm-russia |url-status=dead }}</ref> In addition, Louisville has been recognized as a "friendship city". The two cities have engaged in many cultural exchange programs, particularly in the fields of nursing and law, and cooperated in several private business developments, including the [[Frazier History Museum]].<ref>"[http://www.sclou.org/index.php?id=114 Friendship City Status] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060427141003/http://www.sclou.org/index.php?id=114 |date=April 27, 2006 }}." ''[http://www.sclou.org/ Sister Cities of Louisville] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128235415/https://www.sclou.org/ |date=January 28, 2019 }}.'' 2006. Retrieved June 1, 2006.</ref> Although not technically a sister city, Louisville has friendly and cooperative relations with [[Chengdu]], China.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gochengdu.cn/news/our-sister-cities/city-profile-exchange-activities/our-sister-cities-a2101.html|title=Our Sister Cities|date=July 31, 2016|website=Go Chengdu|access-date=March 22, 2019|archive-date=March 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322184820/https://www.gochengdu.cn/news/our-sister-cities/city-profile-exchange-activities/our-sister-cities-a2101.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> ==See also== * [[List of cities and towns along the Ohio River]] * [[USS Louisville|USS ''Louisville'']], 4 ships {{Portal bar|Kentucky|Geography|North America|United States|Cities}} ==Notes== {{Notelist}} ==References== <!-- This article uses [[Wikipedia:Footnotes]]. Please use this format when making edits to references in the article. Any external links directly added to this section will be summarily and swiftly deleted. --> {{Reflist}} ==Further reading== * {{cite book | first = Rick | last = Bell | year = 2007 | title = The Great Flood of 1937: Rising Waters, Soaring Spirits | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=EI-GGgAACAAJ | publisher = Butler Books | location = Louisville, Kentucky | isbn = 978-1-884532-82-5 | access-date = August 9, 2015 }} * {{cite book | first = Dennis | last = Domer |author2=Gregory A. Luhan |author3=David Mohney | year = 2004 | title = The Louisville Guide | isbn = 978-1-56898-451-3 | publisher = [[Princeton Architectural Press]] | location = New York }} * {{cite book | author = Greater Louisville Inc. | year = 2006 | title = Louisville Then and Now | publisher = Butler Books | isbn = 978-1-884532-68-9 }} * {{cite book | editor-first = John E. | editor-last = Kleber | year = 2001 | title = The Encyclopedia of Louisville | publisher = [[University Press of Kentucky]] | location = [[Lexington, Kentucky]] | isbn = 978-0-8131-2100-0 | oclc = 247857447 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=pXbYITw4ZesC | access-date = May 14, 2015 }} * {{cite news | first = Gary | last = Lee | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/18/AR2006081800300.html | title = Louisville Old and New: Either Way, It's a Knockout | newspaper = [[The Washington Post]] | date = August 20, 2006 | access-date = October 1, 2006 }} * {{cite book | first = Chip | last = Nold | author2 = Bob Bahr | year = 1997 | title = Insiders' Guide to Louisville, Kentucky & Southern Indiana | publisher = [[Globe Pequot]] | isbn = 978-1-57380-043-3 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/insidersguidetol0000nold }} * {{cite book |first=David |last=Sanders |author2=Glen Conner |year=2000 |title=Fact Sheet—Ohio River Floods |publisher=Kentucky Climate Center |url=http://www.kyclimate.org/factsheets/ohioriverfloods.html |access-date=June 23, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150319233530/http://www.kyclimate.org/factsheets/ohioriverfloods.html |archive-date=March 19, 2015 }} * {{cite book | first = George H. | last = Yater | year = 1987 | title = Two Hundred Years at the Fall of the Ohio: A History of Louisville and Jefferson County | publisher = [[The Filson Historical Society|Filson Club, Incorporated]] | location = Louisville, Kentucky | edition = 2nd | isbn = 978-0-9601072-3-0 }} ==External links== {{Sister project links|Louisville, Kentucky|voy=Louisville}} * {{Official website|http://www.louisvilleky.gov/}} * [https://www.lojic.org/lojic-online LOJIC Online] – Interactive map of Louisville Metro * [https://digital.library.louisville.edu/?f%5Bcity_sim%5D%5B%5D=Louisville+%28Ky.%29&f%5Bmedia_type_sim%5D%5B%5D=Still+Image&locale=en Images of Louisville from the University of Louisville Digital Collections] {{Clear}} {{Louisville |state = uncollapsed }} {{Jefferson County, Kentucky}} {{Kentucky}} {{Kentucky county seats}} {{KYLargestCities}} {{Southern United States}} {{Great Lakes Megalopolis}} {{All-American City Award Hall of Fame|state=collapsed}} {{USPopulousCities}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:Louisville, Kentucky| ]]<!-- ←This article should be at the top in its own category --> [[Category:Cities in Kentucky]] [[Category:County seats in Kentucky]] [[Category:Cities in Jefferson County, Kentucky]] [[Category:Louisville metropolitan area|*]] [[Category:Populated places established in 1778]] [[Category:Consolidated city-counties]] [[Category:Kentucky populated places on the Ohio River]] [[Category:1778 establishments in Virginia]]<!-- This was in Kentucky County, Virginia at the time --> [[Category:Inland port cities and towns of the United States]] Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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