Neighborhoods in Louisville, Kentucky facts for kids

The fountain at St. James Court in Old Louisville

Louisville, Kentucky, is a big city with many different areas called neighborhoods. Think of them like smaller towns or communities within the larger city. Many of these neighborhoods have been around for over a hundred years, each with its own unique story and feel.

The very first neighborhoods in Louisville grew up along the Ohio River. Places like Downtown and Portland were important because the river was the main way people traveled and traded goods a long time ago. As Louisville grew bigger, new neighborhoods like Butchertown, Phoenix Hill, and Smoketown were built. These areas helped house and employ the many people moving to the city.

Later, when streetcars became popular, people could live further away from the city center. This led to the creation of "streetcar suburbs" like Beechmont, Old Louisville, and the Highlands. In the early 1900s, special train lines called "interurbans" allowed wealthy families to build large homes even further out, in places like Anchorage and Glenview. Some rich families also moved to fancy houses in what is now the Cherokee-Seneca neighborhood.

Old and New Neighborhoods in Louisville

Louisville has many neighborhoods, and they can be grouped by how they became part of the city. Some were always part of the main city, while others joined later.

Neighborhoods Before the Merger

This map shows how old the houses are in different parts of Louisville. The dark green areas, like Old Louisville and the Highlands, have many older homes built before 1940.

Before 2003, Louisville and Jefferson County were separate governments. Many neighborhoods were already part of the city of Louisville before this "merger" happened. These are often the older, more historic parts of the city.

Here are some of these neighborhoods:

Unincorporated Areas Becoming Neighborhoods

After the big merger of Louisville and Jefferson County, many areas that were not officially part of any city became part of the new "Louisville Metro" government. Even though they weren't cities before, people now think of them as neighborhoods of Louisville. These areas were often called "census-designated places" (CDPs) because the government used them for counting people.

Here are some of these areas:

Many other smaller unincorporated places also became part of Louisville:

Incorporated Cities as Neighborhoods

Some small cities in Jefferson County kept their own local governments even after the merger with Louisville. These cities are now also seen as neighborhoods of Louisville. Their boundaries might not exactly match what people think of as the neighborhood. For example, St. Matthews includes several smaller cities it had taken over before the merger.

Here are some of these incorporated cities:

Special Designated Neighborhoods

Some important places in Louisville are also officially called neighborhoods, even if they aren't traditional residential areas. These include:

• Bowman Field: A historic airport.
• Fairgrounds: Where many large events and fairs happen.
• University of Louisville: The main campus of the university.

Neighborhoods from the Past

Some neighborhoods that once existed in Louisville have changed or disappeared over time.

• Standiford: This neighborhood used to be next to Interstate 65 and the Louisville International Airport. It was removed to make space for the airport to grow and for the Louisville Air National Guard Base.