As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 256,231. However, in 2003, the city and Jefferson County merged into a single government named Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government (official long form) and Louisville Metro (official short form). The resulting city now has approximately 720,080 residents. The Louisville metropolitan area (not to be confused with Louisville Metro) is the largest in Kentucky, and the metropolitan population of 1.5 million includes the southern Indiana counties of Clark, Floyd, Washington and Harrison. Louisville sits on the Kentucky-Indiana border at the only natural obstacle in the Ohio River, the Falls of the Ohio. Louisville is most famous as the home of the Kentucky Derby, the most widely watched event in American horse racing. Louisville has an airport called Louisville International Airport which is often called by its older name Standford Field.
Louisville is home to several major corporations, including UPS International, Yum (owners of Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and A & W Restaurants; formerly Tricon Global Restaurants), Brown and Williamson Tobacco, Papa John's Pizza, and Hillerich & Bradsby (known for "Louisville Slugger" baseball bats).
Louisville is also home to the University of Louisville and the elite duPont Manual Magnet High School. College basketball is extremely popular in greater Louisville; Louisville and the nearby University of Kentucky in Lexington have won a combined nine national titles (two at U of L and seven at UK), and four of the 25 winningest NCAA Division I teams are located in or near the city.
Famous Louisvillians include Muhammad Ali, Diane Sawyer, Paul Hornung, Johnny Unitas, Hunter S. Thompson, Keno Don Rosa, and 60 Minutes tobacco informant Jeffrey Wigand.
The local newspaper is The Courier-Journal. Local attractions include Churchill Downs thoroughbred race track, Freedom Hall, Minor League Baseball's "Louisville Bats", the Louisville Slugger Museum, the Muhammad Ali Museum, the Kentucky Center For The Arts, the Seelbach Hotel and Camberley-Brown Hotel, and the Bardstown Road "Highlands" area, which features small, distinctive shops and restaurants. Nearby, in Southern Indiana, is the Falls of the Ohio museum featuring the oldest exposed Devonian fossil beds in the United States.
Because of its proximity to Indiana, the area around Louisville is sometimes referred to as Kentuckiana.
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Geography
Louisville is located at 38°13'44" North, 85°44'58" West (38.228870, -85.749534)1.
Note: All geographic data applies to the former City of Louisville as it existed prior to the creation of Louisville Metro on January 6, 2003.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 172.6 km² (66.7 mi²). 160.9 km² (62.1 mi²) of it is land and 11.7 km² (4.5 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 6.80% water.
Note: All demographics apply to the former City of Louisville as it existed prior to the creation of Louisville Metro on January 6, 2003.
As of the census of 2000, there are 256,231 people, 111,414 households, and 61,389 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,592.6/km² (4,124.9/mi²). There are 121,275 housing units at an average density of 753.8/km² (1,952.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 62.94% White, 33.01% African American, 0.23% Native American, 1.45% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. 1.86% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 111,414 households out of which 25.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.6% are married couples living together, 19.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 44.9% are non-families. 37.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.22 and the average family size is 2.97.
The age distribution is: 23.7% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $28,843, and the median income for a family is $36,696. Males have a median income of $30,608 versus $24,439 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,193. 21.6% of the population and 17.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 33.5% are under the age of 18 and 13.2% are 65 or older.
See also: Talk radioDemographics