Jeffersontown, Kentucky facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jeffersontown, Kentucky
City
Jeffersontown's Gaslight Square
Seal
Nickname(s):  J-town
Motto(s):  Where Community And Commerce Meet
Location of Jeffersontown in Jefferson County, Kentucky.
Jeffersontown, Kentucky Location in Kentucky Show map of Kentucky Jeffersontown, Kentucky Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
County	Jefferson
Incorporated	1797
Named for	then-Vice Pres. Thomas Jefferson
Government
• Type	Mayor–council
Area
• Total	10.61 sq mi (27.48 km2)
• Land	10.57 sq mi (27.39 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2)
Elevation	637 ft (194 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	28,474
• Density	2,692.83/sq mi (1,039.75/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	40220, 40223, 40269, 40291, 40299
Area code(s)	502
FIPS code	21-40222
GNIS feature ID	2404797

Jeffersontown is a city in Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States. It's often called J-town by the people who live there. In 2020, about 28,474 people lived in Jeffersontown.

This city is a big suburb of Louisville. When the Louisville Metro government was created in 2003, Jeffersontown chose to stay an independent city. It is now the largest city in the Louisville area, besides Louisville itself.

Discovering Jeffersontown's Past

Before Europeans arrived, different groups of Native Americans lived here. They hunted animals like bison, which were common in the area. The bison created paths through the forests. Later, Native Americans and then European settlers used these same paths.

Early Settlers and Trading

Jeffersontown is in the southeastern part of Jefferson County. In the late 1700s, it started as a place for early European-American pioneers to stop and trade. These pioneers were traveling to the Falls of the Ohio at Louisville. Farmers began to grow crops on the rich land. Thomas Bullitt surveyed the land in 1773, and John Floyd did the same in 1774.

Families like the Hites, Tylers, and Oldhams settled here. They received land grants for their military service after the American Revolutionary War. This was because the new government didn't have much money to pay them.

How Jeffersontown Got Its Name

In 1794, a man named Abraham Bruner bought 122 acres of land. In May 1797, he asked the Jefferson County Fiscal Court to make 40 acres of his land into a city. He named it Jefferson. It was likely named after the county or after Thomas Jefferson, who was the Vice President of the United States at the time.

For a long time, people who lived there called the city Bruner's Town or Brunerstown. But eventually, the name Jefferson Town became the official name we use today.

Preserving History and Nature

A large area of 600 acres from the pioneer days has been saved. It's called the Tyler Settlement Rural Historic District. This area is mostly used for farming. It's east of Jeffersontown and still has some of the original log cabins and barns built by the Tyler family.

A big part of the Tyler settlement is known as the Blackacre Nature Preserve. This 170-acre area is used by Jefferson County public schools. It helps students learn about the environment.

Jeffersontown's Location and Size

According to the United States Census Bureau, Jeffersontown covers about 10.0 square miles (25.9 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 9.9 square miles (25.6 square kilometers), is land. A very small part, about 0.10%, is water.

Who Lives in Jeffersontown?

Blankenbaker Access Drive (westbound) in Jeffersontown

In 2010, there were 26,595 people living in Jeffersontown. There were 10,653 households, which are groups of people living together in one home. About 7,275 of these were families. The population density was about 2,676 people per square mile.

Most people in the city were White (82.2%). About 11.1% were African American, and 1.8% were Asian. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up about 5.04% of the population.

About 32.9% of households had children under 18 living with them. Many households (54.3%) were married couples living together. The average household had 2.46 people, and the average family had 2.99 people.

The median age in the city was 36 years old. This means half the people were younger than 36, and half were older. About 24.8% of the population was under 18.

The median income for a household was $51,999. This means half the households earned more than this amount, and half earned less. For families, the median income was $60,951.

Jeffersontown's Economy and Businesses

Jeffersontown is a very important place for businesses in Kentucky.

Bluegrass Commerce Park

The Bluegrass Commerce Park opened in 1966. It was the first park of its kind in the United States. It started with 600 acres, but now it's grown to over 1,800 acres. About 850 businesses are located there.

This park is the largest in Kentucky. Around 38,000 people work there. This makes Jeffersontown the third-largest city for jobs in the state.

The park has several different sections:

• Bluegrass Commerce Park
• Commonwealth Park
• Watterson Trail Industrial Park
• Plainview Office Park
• Jeffersontown Industrial Park
• Holloway Industrial Park
• Blankenbaker Crossings

Other Businesses

Papa John's Pizza used to have its main office in Jeffersontown. However, in November 2020, the company announced it would move its global headquarters to The Battery Atlanta.

Learning and Education

Jeffersontown has a lending library. It is a branch of the Louisville Free Public Library. This is a great place for kids and adults to find books and learn new things.

Famous People from Jeffersontown

• Jon Ackerson: A politician who served in the Kentucky State Legislature. He was also a member of the Jeffersontown city council.

See also

In Spanish: Jeffersontown (Kentucky) para niños