Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville, Kentucky

Geography and climate

Louisville is located at {{coor dms|38|13|44|N|85|44|58|W|region:GR}} (38.228870, -85.749534){{GR|1}}.

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(Note: The Census 2000 figures apply to the former City of Louisville as it existed prior to the creation of Louisville Metro on 2003-01-06.) According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 172.6 km² (66.7 mi²). 160.9 km² (62.1 mi²) of it was land and 11.7 km² (4.5 mi²) of it was water. The total area was 6.80% water.

Related Topics:
2003-01-06 - United States Census Bureau - Km² - Mi²

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The city is located at the northwestern edge of the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, which also includes the cities of Lexington, Richmond, and the urban areas of Kentucky south of the Ohio River from Cincinnati, Ohio. The region is characterized by a rolling plateau that becomes more rugged near the edges. The underlying limestone is often visible at the surface in road cuts and where eroded by streams, most dramatically in the Kentucky River palisades. The region is named for Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), which has been extensively used in pastures here.

Related Topics:
Bluegrass region - Kentucky - Lexington - Richmond - Ohio River - Cincinnati, Ohio - Limestone - Kentucky River - Kentucky bluegrass - Poa pratensis

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The Louisville Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), the 44th largest in the United States, includes the Kentucky counties of Jefferson (contiguous with Louisville Metro), Bullitt, Henry, Meade, Nelson, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer and Trimble. The southern Indiana counties Clark, Floyd,

Related Topics:
Metropolitan Statistical Area - 44th largest - Jefferson - Bullitt - Henry - Meade - Nelson - Oldham - Shelby - Spencer - Trimble - Indiana - Clark - Floyd

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Harrison and Washington are also included in the Louisville MSA.

Related Topics:
Harrison - Washington - MSA

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Cityscape

The downtown business district of Louisville is located immediately south of the Ohio River, and southeast of the Falls of the Ohio. Major roads extend outwards from the downtown area to all directions, like the spokes of a wheel. The airport is located approximately 6.5 miles (10 km) south of the downtown area, and easily connected to most parts of the city by two Interstate Highways, maximizing its accessibility. The industrial sections of town are located to the south and west of the airport, while most of the residential areas of the city are located to the southwest, south and east of downtown. The most affluent residential areas are to the east of downtown Louisville. The nine richest locations by per capita income in Kentucky, and 19 of the top 20 such locations, are found in this East End. The oldest and nearest to downtown, and still the richest, is Mockingbird Valley, which had a large influence in the chain of rich suburbs located to its east.

Related Topics:
South - Ohio River - Southeast - Falls of the Ohio - Airport - Interstate Highway - Industrial - West - Residential - Southwest - East - Locations by per capita income - Mockingbird Valley

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Another major business district is located in the more suburban area east of the city on Hurstbourne Parkway. Louisville also boasts a large number of parks, with 122 parks covering more than 14,000 acres (57 km²).

Related Topics:
Park - Acre - Km²

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At present, there are only three road bridges across the Ohio River to Indiana (I-64, I-65 and the Second Street Bridge). Two more bridges are to be built by 2015. Roads in southern Indiana branch out from the city originating from these bridges.

Related Topics:
Bridge - Indiana - I-64 - I-65

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The city's architecture contains a blend of old and new. The Old Louisville neighborhood is well known for its large collection of Victorian homes and buildings in the United States. The Louisville City Hall largely follows earlier architectural styles, mainly French Empire. The nearby Jefferson County Courthouse is an example of Greek Revival architecture. Likewise, many of the buildings downtown follow either the Greek Revival, Italian Renaissance or French Renaissance. These mix well with several of the city's post modern skyscrapers.

Related Topics:
Architecture - Old Louisville - Victorian - United States - Greek Revival - Italian Renaissance - French Renaissance - Skyscraper

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Climate

Louisville's weather is temperate and seasonal. Summers are hot and humid with cool evenings. The mean annual temperature is 56 °F (13 °C), with an average annual snowfall of 16.4 inches (41 cm) and an average annual rainfall of 44.53 inches (1131 mm). The wettest seasons are the spring and summer, although rainfall is fairly constant all year round. During the winter, particularly in January and February, several days of snow can be expected, allowing for winter sports. Winter temperatures range from 27 to 43 °F (−3 to 6 °C) and summer temperatures range from 66 and 86 °F (19 and 30 °C).{{mn|NOAA|1}} The highest recorded temperature was 105 °F (41 °C) on 1954-07-14, and the lowest recorded temperature was −22 °F (−30 °C) on 1994-01-19.{{mn|MaxMinTemps|2}}

Related Topics:
Summers - °F - °C - Inch - Cm - Spring - Winter - January - February - Snow - Winter sports - 1954-07-14 - 1994-01-19

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Much like Los Angeles, Louisville's valley location traps air pollution. Because of this, the city is ranked as one of Environmental Defense's fifty worst cities for air.

Related Topics:
Los Angeles - Air pollution - Environmental Defense

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