Kentucky is blessed with year round fun for visitors to enjoy. Summers are the peak season for spots like Lake Cumberland, so boating enthusiasts should be prepared to spend a bit more from May to September, and make plans well in advance. Autumn is also a popular season in the Bluegrass State, with Fall Festivals abounding in the Kentucky Highlands and hotel space very limited in cities like Lexington. Spring in Kentucky is wonderful, but visitors may just want to avoid Louisville; the Kentucky Derby fills the city and raises the prices, and it’s nearly impossible for most folks on an average budget to get tickets.
State Abbreviation: KY
State Capital: Frankfort
Largest City: Louisville
Area: 40,411 square miles (the 37th biggest in the USA)
Kentucky Population: 4,145,922 (as of 2004)
Major Industries: agriculture, mining, horse-raising, whiskey manufacturing, automobile and truck manufacturing, chemical manufacturing
Kentucky Rivers: Ohio River, Cumberland River, Mississippi River, Green River
Kentucky Lakes: Lake Cumberland, Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley
Highest Point: Black Mountain - 4,145 feet above sea level
Origin of the Name Kentucky: Supposedly from the Iroquois Indian word "Ken-tah-ten," which means "land of tomorrow."
State Nickname: Bluegrass State
State Motto: "United we stand, divided we fall "
State Song: My Old Kentucky Home, by Stephen Foster.
