Lexington, Kentucky | |
---|---|
Consolidated city-county | |
Nickname(s): Athens of the West,[1] Horse Capital of the World | |
Coordinates: 38°02′47″N 84°29′49″W / 38.04639°N 84.49694°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Kentucky |
County | Fayette |
Established | 1782[2] |
Incorporated | 1831[2] |
Named for | Lexington, Massachusetts |
Government | |
• Type | Mayor–council |
• Mayor | Linda Gorton (R) |
Area | |
• Consolidated city-county | 285.5 sq mi (739.5 km2) |
• Land | 283.6 sq mi (734.6 km2) |
• Water | 1.9 sq mi (4.9 km2) |
• Urban | 87.5 sq mi (226.7 km2) |
Elevation | 978 ft (298 m) |
Population | |
• Consolidated city-county | 322,570 |
• Rank | US: 60th Kentucky: 2nd |
• Density | 1,137/sq mi (439/km2) |
• Urban | 315,631 (US: 130th)[4] |
• Urban density | 3,758/sq mi (1,451/km2) |
• Metro | 517,056 (US: 109th) |
• CSA | 745,033 (US: 70th) |
Demonym | Lexingtonian |
Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
ZIP codes | 40502–40517, 40522–40524, 40526, 40533, 40536, 40544, 40546, 40550, 40555, 40574–40583, 40588, 40591, 40598 |
Area code | 859 |
FIPS code | 21-46027 |
Website | www |
Lexington is the second largest city in Kentucky. In 2020, 322,570 people lived there.[5] It is called "the Horse Capital of the World".
Lexington was first named by a party of Virginians who camped here in June, 1775, after they heard the news about the Battle of Lexington, Massachusetts in April of that year starting the American Revolution against the British government. A fort was begun at the same spot in 1779, and by 1782 there was a town here known as Lexington, Virginia. This is because Kentucky was still part of Virginia then, and was not made into a state of its own until 1792.