Why I Love Kentucky - State by State Travel (2024)

FAQs

Why do people like to visit Kentucky? ›

Few states are as essential to the fabric of American culture as Kentucky. From music festivals and distillery tastings to horse farm tours and the world's longest cave system, the Bluegrass State offers travellers a captivating can-do spirit and an endless array of options.

Kentucky is known for its scenic beauty, horse racing, bourbon, bluegrass music, and southern hospitality. Many cities in Kentucky offer a unique experience that combines the charm of small-town living with the amenities of big cities like living in Louisville.

Cultural aspects of Kentucky include horse racing, bourbon, moonshine, coal, My Old Kentucky Home State Park, automobile manufacturing, tobacco, southern cuisine, barbecue, bluegrass music, college basketball, Louisville Slugger baseball bats, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and the Kentucky Colonel.

Kentucky has more miles of running water than any other state except Alaska. The numerous rivers and water impoundments provide 1,100 commercially navigable miles (1,770 kilometers). Kentucky has 12.7 million acres of commercial forest land - 50% of the state's land area.

Kentucky is a top producer of corn, soybeans, hay and wheat, and creates much of the world's supply of bourbon.

PLAN YOUR TRIP Kentucky

Famous for Bourbon Country and horse farms, civil war battlefields and beautiful natural parks, Kentucky offers a delightful mix of experiences. You might begin in Lexington, where the 1200-acre Kentucky Horse Park is a popular attraction.

Natural Beauty and Outdoor Recreation. Kentucky boasts a diverse and picturesque natural landscape that never fails to impress. From the rolling hills of the Bluegrass Region to the awe-inspiring beauty of the Appalachian Mountains, outdoor enthusiasts are spoiled for choice.

Q: Why would people move to Kentucky? Overall, Kentucky's cost of living is lower than the national average. Furthermore, Kentucky's largest cities offer exceptional job markets, unmatched entertainment, and local athletic and cultural pride.

The analysis gave Kentucky substandard marks for quality of life and health care. It also ranks near the bottom for life expectancy, according to a previous Herald-Leader report. On the bright side, the state fared much better for adjusted cost of living, coming in fourth place ahead of Arkansas, but behind Oklahoma.

Kentucky (KY)

A resident of Kentucky is a Kentuckian. This state got its name from the native word for "prairie," which makes sense, given the landscape!

What are people from Kentucky known for? ›

The culture of Kentucky is firmly Southern, it is also influenced by Southern Appalachia, blending with the native upper Southern culture in certain areas of the state. The state is known for bourbon and whiskey distilling, tobacco, horse racing, college basketball, and quilts.

The state motto of Kentucky, "United we stand, divided we fall," was from a popular 1768 tune entitled the "Liberty Song," by John Dickinson.

Kentucky was a vital strategic base of operations for the Union as it was a crucial border state separating the Confederate States from the Union.

The lifestyles of many Kentuckians are slower-paced, more rural, and more Southern in their orientation than are those of their counterparts north of the Ohio River. The eastern Mountain region in particular evokes images of “hillbillies” (rural mountain dwellers), moonshiners, and log cabins of a bygone era.

There are four states in the United States that call themselves commonwealths: Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The distinction is in name alone. The commonwealths are just like any other state in their politics and laws, and there is no difference in their relationship to the nation as a whole.

This total economic impact sustained 91,668 jobs and generated $937 million in state and local tax revenues in 2022. Kentucky hosts millions of visitors each year. In 2022, 75.9 million visitors came to Kentucky and spent $8.9 billion. Compared to 2019, those numbers are those numbers are up 8% and 16%, respectively.

A competitive, authentic and global city, Louisville is known as the home of Muhammad Ali, the Kentucky Derby and the Louisville Slugger. With bourbon as its native spirit, the local culinary scene is nationally renowned, while our local food and beverage businesses can take easily products from concept to consumer.

It's no wonder the city, called the "Gateway to the South," was named one of the best places to travel in 2024. Whether you're into history or nature, there's lots to do in Louisville year-round. Here's how to plan a memorable trip.