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Louisville metropolitan area facts for kids

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Louisville Metropolitan Area
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Louisville Skyline 2021 (3).jpg
Country United States
States Kentucky
Indiana
Principal city Louisville
Area
 • Urban
477.2 sq mi (1,236 km2)
 • MSA 4,135.4 sq mi (10,711 km2)
Population
 (2020)
 • Urban
974,397 (US: 48th)
 • Urban density 2,147.9/sq mi (829.3/km2)
 • MSA
1,362,180 (US: 43rd)
 • CSA
1,512,133 (US: 38th)
GDP
 • MSA $90.836 billion (2022)
Time zone UTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)

The Louisville metropolitan area is a large region in the United States. It includes the main city of Louisville, Kentucky, and many surrounding counties. In 2020, about 1.4 million people lived here. This makes it the 43rd largest metropolitan area in the U.S.

This area is officially called the Louisville/Jefferson County, Kentucky–Indiana, metropolitan statistical area. People often call it Kentuckiana because it includes parts of both Kentucky and Indiana.

The area started small in 1950 with just Jefferson County, Kentucky, and two counties in Indiana: Clark County, Indiana and Floyd County, Indiana. Over time, more counties joined as their populations grew and more people worked in Louisville. Today, it includes Jefferson County and eleven other counties. Seven of these are in Kentucky, and four are in Southern Indiana.

There's also a bigger area called the Louisville/Jefferson County–Elizabethtown, KY-IN Combined Statistical Area (CSA). This CSA includes the main Louisville area plus Hardin County, Kentucky, and LaRue County, Kentucky. In 2020, the CSA had over 1.6 million people.

What is the Louisville Metropolitan Area?

The U.S. government uses special terms to define large population centers. These are called Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and Combined Statistical Areas (CSAs). They help us understand how cities and their nearby areas are connected.

Counties in the Louisville Area

As of 2023, the Louisville–Jefferson County MSA includes these counties:

The larger Louisville/Jefferson County–Elizabethtown CSA also includes:

Cities and Towns in the Area

The main city in this large area is Louisville, Kentucky.

In 2003, the government of Jefferson County and the city of Louisville joined together. This created the Louisville–Jefferson County Metro Government, often called Louisville Metro. Even though they merged, many smaller cities within Jefferson County still have their own local governments.

Here are some of the larger cities and towns in the Louisville metropolitan area:

How Has the Population Changed Over Time?

The Louisville metropolitan area has grown a lot over the years. Here's a look at how its population has changed since 1950.

Population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area

Geographic area 2020 Census 2010 Census 2000 Census 1990 Census 1980 Census 1970 Census 1960 Census 1950 Census
Louisville–Jefferson County, Kentucky–Indiana, MSA 1,395,855 1,307,647 1,161,975 962,851 906,152 826,553 725,139 576,900
Clark County, Indiana 121,093 110,232 96,472 87,777 88,838 75,876 62,795 48,330
Floyd County, Indiana 80,484 74,478 70,823 64,404 61,169 55,622 51,397 43,955
Harrison County, Indiana 39,654 39,364 34,325 29,890 27,276 20,423 19,207 17,858
Scott County, Indiana 24,384 24,181 22,960 20,991 20,422 17,144 14,463 11,519
Washington County, Indiana 28,182 28,262 27,223 23,717 21,932 19,278 17,819 16,520
Bullitt County, Kentucky 82,217 74,319 61,236 47,567 43,346 26,090 15,726 11,349
Henry County, Kentucky 15,678 15,416 15,060 12,823 12,740 10,910 10,987 11,394
Jefferson County, Kentucky 782,969 741,096 693,604 664,937 685,004 695,055 610,947 484,615
Meade County, Kentucky 30,003 28,602 26,349 24,170 22,854 17,796 18,898 9,422
Nelson County, Kentucky 46,738 43,437 37,477 29,710 27,584 23,477 22,168 19,521
Oldham County, Kentucky 67,607 60,316 46,178 43,455 27,795 14,687 13,388 11,018
Shelby County, Kentucky 49,024 42,074 33,337 24,824 23,328 18,999 18,493 17,912
Spencer County, Kentucky 19,351 17,061 11,766 6,801 5,929 5,488 5,680 6,157
Trimble County, Kentucky 8,471 8,809 8,125 6,090 6,253 5,349 5,102 5,148

Notes

Population of the Combined Statistical Area

Geographic Area 2020 Census 2010 Census 2000 Census 1990 Census
Louisville/Jefferson County–Elizabethtown–Madison, Kentucky–Indiana CSA 1,601,309 1,451,564 1,292,482 1,177,883
Louisville/Jefferson County, Kentucky–Indiana, MSA 1,395,855 1,307,647 1,161,975 952,662
Clark County, Indiana 121,093 110,232 96,472 87,777
Floyd County, Indiana 80,484 74,478 70,823 64,404
Harrison County, Indiana 39,654 39,364 34,325 29,890
Washington County, Indiana 28,182 28,262 27,223 23,717
Bullitt County, Kentucky 82,217 74,319 61,236 47,567
Henry County, Kentucky 15,678 15,416 15,060 12,823
Jefferson County, Kentucky 782,969 741,096 693,604 664,937
Meade County, Kentucky 30,003 28,602 26,349 24,170
Oldham County, Kentucky 67,607 60,316 46,178 33,263
Shelby County, Kentucky 48,065 42,074 33,337 24,824
Spencer County, Kentucky 19,490 17,061 11,766 6,801
Trimble County, Kentucky 8,474 8,809 8,125 6,090
Elizabethtown–Fort Knox, KY MSA 125,569 119,736 107,547 100,919
Hardin County, Kentucky 110,702 105,543 94,174 89,240
LaRue County, Kentucky 14,867 14,193 13,373 11,679
Bardstown, KY μSA 46,738 43,437 37,477 29,710
Nelson County, Kentucky 46,738 43,437 37,477 29,710
Madison, IN μSA 33,147 32,458 32,428 32,000
Jefferson County, Indiana 33,147 32,458 32,428 32,000

Notes

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Área metropolitana de Louisville/Condado de Jefferson para niños

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