Louisville, city in northern Kentucky and seat of Jefferson County. The city is a major port of entry on the southern bank of the Ohio River. Louisville is the economic focus of a large metropolitan area that extends across the Ohio River into Indiana and includes a great variety of industries. Manufactures range from household appliances, farm machinery, trucks, motor-vehicle equipment, processed food, tobacco products, paint, and rubber to such Louisville specialties as bourbon whiskey, “Louisville Slugger” baseball bats, and books printed in Braille. United Parcel Service (UPS) has a regional headquarters in the city. Louisville, which has extensive convention facilities, is served by Standiford Field Airport as well as by modern port installations.
Louisville is famous as the site of the Kentucky Derby, a Thoroughbred horse race held each May since 1875 at Churchill Downs racetrack. The Kentucky Derby Festival, a two-week event featuring a fireworks display and balloon race, precedes the Derby. Louisville is also home to the Kentucky State Fair, held each August. The city has many attractions, among them the Louisville Falls Fountain, a floating water-and-light sculpture; the Belle of Louisville, a 1914 stern-wheeler still in operation; the Kentucky Art and Craft Center, located in one of the city's five historic districts; and the Cave Hill Cemetery, which contains a botanical garden.
