The Louisville metropolitan area is the 43rd largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the United States. It had a population of 1,395,855 in 2020 according to the latest official census, and its principal city is Louisville, Kentucky.
The metropolitan area was originally formed by the United States Census Bureau in 1950 and consisted of the Kentucky county of Jefferson and the Indiana counties of Clark and Floyd. As surrounding counties saw an increase in their population densities and the number of their residents employed within Jefferson County, they met Census criteria to be added to the MSA. Jefferson County, Kentucky, plus eleven outlying countiesseven in Kentucky and four in Southern Indianaare now a part of this MSA. Two other counties, one each in Kentucky and Indiana, were part of the MSA in the 2000 and 2010 U.S. Censuses, but were spun off by the Census Bureau into their own Micropolitan Statistical Areas (üSA) in 2013 and 2018 respectively.
The formal name given to the area by the Census Bureau is the Louisville/Jefferson County, KentuckyâÂÂIndiana, metropolitan statistical area, though it is regularly referred to as Kentuckiana. It is now the primary MSA of the Louisville/Jefferson CountyâÂÂElizabethtown, KY-IN Combined Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Bureau of the Census in 2000 and recently redefined in 2018. The combined statistical area (CSA) adds the counties of Hardin County, Kentucky, and LaRue County, Kentucky. In 2020, the Census Bureau measured the combined statistical area's population at 1,601,309.
Before the 2023 definitions were released, the CSA had two additional micropolitan statistical areas, Bardstown, Kentucky üSA and Scottsburg, Indiana üSA. In 2023, the Bardstown üSA was dissolved with Nelson County being added to the Louisville MSA and Scottsburg, Indiana üSA was dissolved, no longer considered a statistical area by the OMB. In addition, Meade County, which was part of the Elizabethtown MSA, was detached and added to the Louisville MSA. Trimble County, on the northeastern edge of the Louisville MSA, was detached in 2023.
, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget defines the LouisvilleâÂÂJefferson County MSA as including Bullitt, Henry, Jefferson, Meade, Nelson, Oldham, and Shelby Counties in Kentucky and Clark, Floyd, Harrison, and Washington Counties in Indiana. The larger Louisville/Jefferson CountyâÂÂElizabethtown CSA adds the Elizabethtown, Kentucky, MSA, consisting of Hardin and LaRue Counties.
LouisvilleâÂÂJefferson County MSA
ElizabethtownâÂÂFort Knox, Kentucky MSA
Principal city
In 2003, the Jefferson County government merged with that of its largest city and county seat, Louisville, forming a new entity, the LouisvilleâÂÂJefferson County Metro Government (official long form) or Louisville Metro (official short form). All small cities within Jefferson County became part of the new Louisville Metro government while retaining their city governments. For statistical and ranking purposes, the United States Census Bureau uses the statistical entity LouisvilleâÂÂJefferson County metro government (balance), Kentucky, to represent the portion of the consolidated city-county of LouisvilleâÂÂJefferson County that does not include any of the 83 separate incorporated places (municipalities) located within the city and county.
Louisville Metro (771,158) <br /> LouisvilleâÂÂJefferson County (balance) (621,349)
Municipalities with more than 25,000 people
Municipalities with 10,000 to 25,000 people
Municipalities with fewer than 10,000 people
<nowiki>*Part of Louisville Metro</nowiki><br /> â¡Prospect lies in both Jefferson and Oldham Counties. The portion within Jefferson County is part of Louisville Metro.
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