Kentucky is located in the United States in the Southeast Central region. Known commonly as The Bluegrass State, Kentucky is an interior state that is bordered by 7 other states. Kentucky shares a border with Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, and Tennessee.
In this article, you will learn more about Kentucky including how to find it on a map, what it’s known for, things to do if you are planning on visiting, and much more.
Where is Kentucky?
Kentucky is on the East Coast of the United States in what is considered the Southeast Central Region.
Kentucky is bordered by Missouri to the west, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio make up its northern border, West Virginia and Virginia border it to the east, and Tennessee makes up the entire southern border.
What is the capital of Kentucky?
The capital of Kentucky is the city of Frankfort. Frankfort is located in central Kentucky.
What are the major cities in Kentucky?
The five largest cities in Kentucky according to 2021 population statistics are Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green, Owensboro, and Covington.
What is the climate in Kentucky?
Kentucky has a humid subtropical climate, which translates to fairly moderate temperatures overall and four distinct seasons of weather.
Summers are typically very hot in Kentucky, with temperatures climbing into the upper 80s on a regular basis. Winters can be cold and temperatures often dip down below freezing, although overall winters in Kentucky are mild when compared with other parts of the east coast.
Weather in Kentucky is best in spring and fall, when sunshine, beautiful foliage, and mild temperatures are most common.
How big is Kentucky?
Kentucky is a medium to small size state at 40,406 square miles.
What is the population of Kentucky?
As of the 2019 census, Kentucky was home to 4.46 million people.
What time zone is Kentucky in?
Kentucky is in the Eastern Standard time zone.
Does Kentucky have any lakes?
Despite not being bordered by any major oceans, it is not without any locations by the water. In fact, Kentucky is full of lakes for residents and visitors alike to enjoy.
Lakes in Kentucky:
- Kentucky Lake
- Lake Cumberland
- Lake Barkley
- Lake Beshear
- Barren River Lake
- Nolin River Lake
- Cave Run Lake
- Rough River Lake
- Dale Hollow Lake
What are the biggest colleges in Kentucky?
Kentucky is well known for the University of Kentucky located in Lexington, KY and the University of Louisville located in Louisville, KY.
Both of these universities are nationally known for their Division 1 sports teams, specifically basketball, and draw students from all over the country.
Are there professional sports teams in Kentucky?
Kentucky is not the home of any major league sports teams at this time.
Louisville briefly had two NFL teams for a short period of time in the 1920’s. Kentucky cheered for the Louisville Breckenridges from 1921-1924 and the Louisville Colonels in 1926.
How do I get to Kentucky?
Depending on where you are coming from, you can drive to Kentucky or you can fly into any one of their 5 airports.
Most travel in and out of Kentucky flows through the main airports, Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport, Louisville International Airport, and Lexington Blue Grass Airport.
Some smaller airlines also service domestic flights through Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport and Barkley Regional Airport.
When is the best time of year to go to Kentucky?
The best time of year to visit Kentucky is in the spring months. Ideal weather makes April, May, and June the best months of the year to see what Kentucky has to offer.
If you would like to visit Kentucky during a nice month, but do not want to deal with crowds, August, September, and October are also beautiful months with mild weather.
What is the most popular thing to do in Kentucky?
The Kentucky Derby is one of the largest attractions in the state of Kentucky. The Kentucky Derby is a horse race that is typically held the first Saturday of May each year at the famed Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY.
How long has the Kentucky Derby been going on?
The Kentucky Derby started in 1875 and it has run annually ever since. The 2022 Derby will be the 148th year.
What is Kentucky known for?
Kentucky is known for being the home of Louisville Slugger baseball bats, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Bluegrass music, bourbon and moonshine production, and of course, the Kentucky Derby.
When is National Kentucky Day?
National Kentucky Day is celebrated annually on October 19. This day is specifically to honor Kentucky’s official recognition as a state.
What are unique attractions in Kentucky?
- Mammoth Cave National Park – Mammoth Cave is a favorite tourist destination in Kentucky. It has been open for over 100 years and is the largest cave system in the United States with over 53,000 acres to explore.
- Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory – You can tour the factory where Louisville Slugger baseball bats are made, walk through the museum, and learn about the history of the household name bat and all about baseball in the United States.
- Churchill Downs – Tour the home of the Kentucky Derby also known as “the most exciting two minutes in sports”. Stop here while in Louisville to explore the site of the famous horse race, shop the gift shop, and more.
- National Corvette Museum – Learn all about one of the most iconic American sports cars at this museum in Bowling Green, KY.
What are some fun facts about Kentucky?
The song “Happy Birthday” was created by sisters Patty and Mildred Hill from Louisville, KY in 1893.
Post-it notes were invented in Kentucky and most of them are still made in the 3M factory in Cynthiana, KY to this day.
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was from Kentucky.
Kentucky is the horse capital of the world.
95% of all bourbon is produced in Kentucky.
Kentucky was the 15th state to join the union.
Kentucky’s Fort Knox is home to the largest amount of gold in a single place in the world.
