Of All the Places in the World, There is only one Lexington Kentucky
But Did You Know…
Lexington’s Jif peanut butter plant produces more peanut butter than any other factory on earth.1
Lexington’s University of Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team was the first team in college basketball history to claim 2,000 wins. And their home court, Rupp Arena is one of the largest basketball arenas in the United States.1
The high calcium content in the inner soils of the Bluegrass Region, where Lexington is located, leads to stronger bones and greater durability in horses. Therefore, Lexington is known as a prime place to breed Thoroughbred horses.1
Lexington was the first city to launch a reenactment of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video, and a reenactment occurs downtown every year in conjunction with Halloween festivities.1
In the 1800s, Lexington had become so large, cultured and wealthy that the city earned the nickname “Athens of the West”1
Livability named Lexington as one of the top college towns in the US1
The Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill in Lexington is the largest restored Shaker community in the US1
The Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of Kentucky in Lexington features over 50 different native grasses and more than 1500 species of roses.1
Lexington’s First African Baptist church is the oldest African-American Baptist church in Kentucky and the 3rd oldest in the US1
Lexington was founded in 1775 and chartered in 1782, even though Kentucky did not become a state until 1792.2
Mary Todd, who later became Abraham Lincoln’s wife, was born and raised in Lexington.2
Lexington’s Transylvania University was the first college west of the Alleghenies, established in 1780.3
The first performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 ever heard in the US occurred in a Lexington tavern in 1817.3
There are more than 5 million bourbon barrels aging in Kentucky—that’s more bourbon than people!3
The Lexington Public Library hosts the world’s largest ceiling clock, a 5-story Foucault Pendulum and frieze.3
Lexington’s population is younger, on average, than either Kentucky or the United States. The median age of Lexington-Fayette County is 33.9 years old. Kentucky’s median age is 38.2 years old, while the US median age is 37.3 years old.4
More than 40% of Lexington residents hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This figure ranks Lexington 12th among cities with a population over 250,000 or more.4
1 www.movoto.com/guide/lexington-ky/lexington-facts “35 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Lexington”
2 www.10-facts-about.com/Lexington/id/211 “Ten fun facts about Lexington”
3 www.sharethelex.com/Lexington-ky-facts “25 Weird & Wonderful Facts About Lexington”
4 www.commercelexington.com/Community