Lexington | Our city

The Lexington Community

Nestled amidst the picturesque horse farms and rolling hills of Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region, Lexington is the second largest city in Kentucky, with 310,797 people living in the Lexington-Fayette County census area. Rooted in history, the city was established near explorer Daniel Boone’s home at Boonesboro, one of the first settlements in the state.

Often called the “horse capital of the world,” Lexington provides many opportunities to learn about horses and watch horse racing, including the legendary Keeneland Race Course, The Thoroughbred Center training facility, Kentucky Horse Park, and The Red Mile Harness Track, the second oldest horse racing track in the nation. Many retired Kentucky Derby champions live at Kentucky Horse Park and on horse farms in the surrounding areas.

The University of Kentucky has a large presence in Lexington, with its sports teams drawing fans from across the state to cheer on the Wildcats on game days. The city also is home to Transylvania University, Lexington Theological Seminary, and Bluegrass Community and Technical College, and is within a short drive of a number of other colleges and universities.

Kentucky is known worldwide for its bourbon whiskey, with five historic distilleries in the Lexington area and others within a short drive of the city. A number of smaller, craft distilleries are scattered across the region, along with craft beer breweries and wineries, most of which offer tastings and tours.