Back Lexington, Kentucky AF Lexington (Kentucky) AN Leaxingatūn (Centuccīg) ANG ليكسينغتون (كنتاكي) Arabic ليكسينجتون (كنتاكى) ARZ Lexington (Kentucky) AST Leksinqton AZ لکزینقتون AZB Лексінгтан (Кентукі) BE Лексынгтан (Кентукі) BE-X-OLD
Lexington | |
|---|---|
 From top, left to right: Lexington skyline, Rupp Arena/Central Bank Center, Keeneland Race Course, Donamire Farm, Kroger Field, University of Kentucky Arboretum, Old Fayette County Courthouse, NTRA headquarters | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname(s): Athens of the West,[1] Horse Capital of the World | |
 Location in the Commonwealth of Kentucky | |
  Lexington Location within Kentucky  Lexington Location within the United States | |
| Coordinates: 38°02′47″N 84°29′49″W / 38.04639°N 84.49694°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kentucky |
| Counties | Fayette |
| Established | 1782[2] |
| Incorporated | 1831[2] |
| Named for | Lexington, Massachusetts |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| • Mayor | Linda Gorton (R) |
| • Urban County Council | 15-member legislative council |
| Area | |
| • Consolidated city-county | 285.54 sq mi (739.54 km2) |
| • Land | 283.64 sq mi (734.62 km2) |
| • Water | 1.90 sq mi (4.92 km2) |
| • Urban | 87.5 sq mi (226.7 km2) |
| Elevation | 978 ft (298 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Consolidated city-county | 322,570 |
| • Estimate (2022)[5] | 320,347  |
| • Rank | US: 60th Kentucky: 2nd |
| • Density | 1,100/sq mi (440/km2) |
| • Urban | 315,631 (US: 130th)[4] |
| • 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-most-populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky (after Louisville), and the 60th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Fayette County. By land area, it is the country's 30th-largest city.
Lexington is known as the "Horse Capital of the World". It is within the state's Bluegrass region. Notable locations within the city include the Kentucky Horse Park, The Red Mile and Keeneland race courses, Rupp Arena, Central Bank Center, Transylvania University, the University of Kentucky, Bluegrass Community and Technical College, and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Headquarters.
As of the 2020 census the city's population was 322,570, anchoring a metropolitan area of 516,811 people and a combined statistical area of 747,919 people. Lexington is consolidated entirely within Fayette County, and vice versa. It has a nonpartisan mayor-council form of government, with 12 council districts and three members elected at large, with the highest vote-getter designated vice mayor.
- ^ "Athens of the West". National Register of Historic Places (Essay). National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. May 2, 2019. Archived from the original on August 3, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ a b Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "Lexington, Kentucky". Accessed September 18, 2013.
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ United States Census Bureau (December 29, 2022). "2020 Census Qualifying Urban Areas and Final Criteria Clarifications". Federal Register. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Kentucky: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.