Kentucky is known for:
- Horse racing
- Famous bourbon distilleries
- Coal mining industry
- College basketball
- Kentucky Fried Chicken
- Bluegrass
Geography & Demographics
| State Abbreviation |
KY |
| State Capital |
Frankfort |
| State Size |
Total (Land + Water): 40,409 sq miles; Land Only: 39,728 sq miles |
| Number of Counties |
120 |
| Time Zone |
Eastern Time Zone, Central Time Zone |
| Bordering States |
Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia |
| Highest Point | Black Mountain, 4,145 feet |
| National Parks | Mammoth Cave National Park |
| State Population (2020) | 4,505,836 |
| State Population Density | 113.4 people / square mile |
| Area Codes |
270, 364, 502, 606, 859 |
| Top 5 Cities (2020 population) |
Louisville (767,452)
Lexington (324,735)
Bowling Green (70,631)
Owensboro (60,344)
Covington (40,314)
|
Government & Legislature
State Symbols
| State Bird |
Cardinal |
| State Butterfly | Viceroy butterfly |
| State Dance | Clogging |
| State Drink | Milk |
| State Fish | Kentucky spotted bass |
| State Flower |
Goldenrod |
| State Fossil | Brachiopod |
| State Fruit | Blackberry |
| State Gemstone | Freshwater pearl |
| State Horse | Thoroughbred horse |
| State Mineral | Coal |
| State Motto |
United we stand, divided we fall |
| State Music | Bluegrass music |
| State Musical Instrument | Appalachian dulcimer |
| State Nickname |
Bluegrass State |
| State Rock | Kentucky agate |
| State Silverware Pattern | Old Kentucky Blue Grass, The Georgetown Pattern |
| State Soil | Crider soil series |
| State Tree |
Tulip tree |
| State Wild Animal Game Species | Gray squirrel |
Sports Teams
| City |
Table Tennis Club |
| Lexington | Lexington Table Tennis Club |
Popular Tourist Attractions
- Beech Bend Park: Amusement park in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
- Buffalo Trace Distillery: Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.
- Churchill Downs: Horse racing course and home of the Kentucky Derby, located in Louisville, Kentucky.
- Creation Museum: Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky.
- Keeneland: Race course and sales complex in Lexington, Kentucky.
- Kentucky Horse Park: Horse farm and educational theme park in Lexington, Kentucky.
- Kentucky Kingdom: Amusement park in Louisville, Kentucky.
- Lake Cumberland: Reservoir in southern Kentucky.
- Land Between the Lakes: 170,000 acre of national recreation area in western Kentucky along the Kentucky-Tennessee border.
- Lost River Cave: Seven-mile cave system in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
- Louisville Slugger Museum: Museum and factory tour in Louisville, Kentucky.
- Louisville Zoo: Zoo in Louisville, Kentucky.
- Maker's Mark: Winery offering tours in Loretto, Kentucky.
- Mammoth Cave National Park: National park in central Kentucky.
- Muhammad Ali Center: Museum dedicated to the life of Muhammad Ali, located in Louisville, Kentucky.
- National Corvette Museum: Museum showcasing Chevrolet Corvettes, located in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
- Newport Aquarium: Aquarium in Newport, Kentucky.
- Red River Gorge: Canyon system on the Red River in east-central Kentucky.
- Waverly Hills Sanatorium: Haunted house in Louisville, Kentucky.
Popular Iconic Kentucky Foods
Kentucky is famous for the following foods:
- Burgoo
- Hot Brown
- Derby Pie
- Bourbon Balls
- Barbecue
- Benedictine
- Henry Bain Sauce
- Spoonbread
- Ale-8-One Soda
- Beer Cheese
Famous People Born In Kentucky
Nobel Prize Winners
United States Presidents
- Abraham Lincoln (16th President)
Pro Football Hall Of Fame Members
- George McAfee (Halfback. Inducted in 1966)
- Paul Hornung (Halfback, Kicker. Inducted in 1986)
- Dermontti Dawson (Center. Inducted in 2012)
- Champ Bailey (Cornerback. Inducted in 2019)
Baseball Hall Of Fame Players
- Earle Combs (Center Fielder. Inducted in 1970)
- Pee Wee Reese (Shortstop. Inducted in 1984)
- Jim Bunning (Pitcher. Inducted in 1996)
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame Players
- Joe Fulks (Forward. Inducted in 1978)
- Cliff Hagan (Guard-Forward. Inducted in 1978)
- Frank Ramsey (Guard-Forward. Inducted in 1982)
- Wes Unseld (Center-Forward. Inducted in 1988)
- Dave Cowens (Center-Forward. Inducted in 1991)
- Arnie Risen (Center. Inducted in 1998)
Famous Actors And Actresses
- George Clooney
- Johnny Depp
- Jennifer Lawrence
- Patricia Neal
Famous Singers
- Naomi Judd
- Loretta Lynn
- Joan Osborne
Kentucky Fun Facts
- The name "Kentucky" has an Indian origin. There are several sources:
- The Wyandots called it "Kah-ten-tah-teh," meaning "Fair Land of Tomorrow."
- The Shawnee name is "Kain-tuck-ee," meaning "At the Head Of The River."
- The Mohawks called it "Kentucke," meaning "Among the Meadows."
- The Delawares also called it "Kentucke," which means "Place of the Meadows."
- The Catawbas called it "Kentucke" as well, meaning, "The Prairie, or Barrens."
- Held every year since 1875, the Kentucky Derby is the oldest continuously held horse race in the country.
- In 1774, Ford Harrod (now Harrodsburg) was established as the first permanent settlement in the Kentucky region. It was named after James Harrod, who led the construction efforts.
- Cumberland Falls in Kentucky is only place in Western Hemisphere to spot a moonbow on a regular basis (a moonbow is a rainbow made from light reflected off of the moon at night).
- Kentucky's officeholders and judges must swear an oath before taking office that they have neither fought a duel with deadly weapons nor aided or assisted any person fighting one.
- Kentucky is the only U.S. state to have a continuous border of rivers running along three of its sides-the Mississippi River to the west, the Ohio River to the north, and the Big Sandy River and Tug Fork to the east.
- On January 30, 1900, Kentucky Governor William Goebel was assassinated in downtown Frankfort. Goebel is the only governor of a U.S. state to have been assassinated while in office.
- The song "Happy Birthday to You" was the creation of two Louisville sisters, Patty Hill and Mildred J. Hill, in 1893.
- Middlesboro is the only city in the United States built within a meteor crater.
- In Kentucky, throwing eggs at a public speaker may result in one year in prison.
This page was last updated on January 30, 2023.
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