Okolona, Louisville, Kentucky facts for kids
Okolona is a lively neighborhood located in southern Louisville, Kentucky. It's part of Jefferson County, Kentucky, in the United States. Okolona is mainly found where Preston Highway and the Outer Loop roads meet. In 2000, about 17,807 people lived there.
When the government of Jefferson County joined with the city of Louisville in 2003, Okolona became an official neighborhood within Louisville Metro.
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History of Okolona
This area was first settled by farmers. They came from Pennsylvania and Virginia in the late 1700s. In the late 1800s, the place was called Lone Oak.
However, there was already a town near Paducah, Kentucky named Lone Oak. That town had claimed the name for its post office. So, the people in Okolona simply rearranged the words. That's how they got the name Okolona.
Back then, farming was very important. People also worked in logging and making charcoal.
In 1905, an interurban train line reached the area. But many more homes weren't built until 1953. That's when General Electric opened its big Appliance Park nearby. This brought many jobs and people to Okolona.
Geography and Location
Okolona is located at 38°06′21″N 85°41′06″W / 38.10583°N 85.68500°W.
The area covers about 17.9 km2 (6.9 sq mi) of land. It's interesting because Okolona is at the same height above sea level as Downtown Louisville. This is true even though it's about 10 miles (16 km) away from the Ohio River. This makes Okolona one of the areas in Louisville that can flood easily. To build homes and businesses, several square miles of wetlands had to be drained.
The main zip code for Okolona is 40219. Some parts of the neighborhood are also in the 40229 zip code.
Schools in Okolona
Okolona has both public and private schools for students.
High Schools
- Southern High School Magnet Career Academy
Middle Schools
- T. T. Knight Middle School
Elementary Schools
- Okolona Elementary
- Blue Lick Elementary
- Blake Elementary
Private Schools
- St. Rita Catholic School
People of Okolona
In 2000, there were 17,807 people living in Okolona. The area had about 993.5 people per square kilometer.
Most of the people in Okolona were White (88.26%). About 7.25% were African American. There were also people who were Native American (0.26%), Asian (1.33%), and Pacific Islander (0.04%). About 1.15% were from other backgrounds, and 1.71% were from two or more backgrounds.
People of Hispanic or Latino background made up 3.18% of the population in 2000. By 2020, this number grew to 22% of Okolona's population.
The average age of people in Okolona in 2000 was 37 years old. About 23.3% of the people were under 18 years old.
