88-585: Lexington is a consolidated city coterminous with and the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky , United States. As of the 2020 census the city's population was 322,570, making it the second-most populous city in Kentucky (after Louisville ), the 14th-most populous city in the Southeast , and the 59th-most populous city in the United States . By land area, it is the country's 30th-largest city . Lexington
176-567: A city-parish or a consolidated government in Louisiana, depending on the locality, or a unified municipality , unified home rule borough , or city and borough in Alaska) is formed when one or more cities and their surrounding county ( parish in Louisiana , borough in Alaska ) merge into one unified jurisdiction. As such it is a type of unitary authority that has the governmental powers of both
264-482: A municipal corporation and a county. A consolidated city-county is different from an independent city , although the latter may result from consolidation of a city and a county and may also have the same powers as a consolidated city-county. An independent city is a city not deemed by its state to be located within the boundary of any county and considered a primary administrative division of its state. A consolidated city-county differs from an independent city in that
352-796: A "bluegrass music camp" for school children. For more than two decades, during the second and third weekends, UK Opera Theatre presents a Broadway medley "It's A Grand Night for Singing!" Later in June, the Gay and Lesbian Services Organization hosts the Lexington Pride Festival, which celebrates pride of the LGBTQIA+ community and welcomes allies . The festival offers live music, crafts, food, and informational booths from diverse service organizations. Lexington Mayor Jim Gray , elected in 2010 and openly gay, proclaimed June 29, 2013, as Pride Day. Lexington has one of
440-496: A busy day ... I would suppose it contains about five hundred dwelling houses [it was closer to three hundred], many of them elegant and three stories high. About thirty brick buildings were then raising, and I have little doubt but that in a few years it will rival, not only in wealth, but in population, the most populous inland town of the United States ;... The country around Lexington for many miles in every direction,
528-411: A commission consisting of eight lawmakers, four from each party, and eight citizens. The amendment passed with all counties and cities supporting the measure except Arlington . The commission failed to reach an agreement on new state and congressional districts by an October 25, 2021, deadline, and relied upon the amendment's provision that lets the state Supreme Court of Virginia draw the districts in
616-494: A free black from Virginia, had a congregation of 1,820 persons. At that time, First African Baptist Church had the largest congregation of any church, black or white, in the state of Kentucky. City school superintendent Massillon Alexander Cassidy (1886–1928) implemented Progressive Era reforms. He focused on upgrading the buildings and setting up teacher-training. He emphasized the need to improve literacy rates and expand access to public schooling. Cassidy's own philosophy stressed
704-606: A manufacturer of large ceiling fans and lighting fixtures for industrial, commercial, agricultural, and residential use; A&W Restaurants , a restaurant chain known for root beer ; and Fazoli's , an Italian-American fast-food chain. The city's largest employer, the University of Kentucky , employed 16,743 as of 2020. Other sizable employers include the Lexington-Fayette County government and other hospital facilities. The Fayette County Public Schools employ 5,374, and
792-529: A sheriff as required by the Georgia Constitution. These consolidated cities are: Five cities in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia were formed by the consolidation of a city with a county: Chesapeake , Hampton , Newport News , Suffolk , and Virginia Beach (from Norfolk, Elizabeth City, Warwick, Nansemond, and Princess Anne counties, respectively). However, in each case an independent city
880-408: A wide variety of trades. Farms raised commodity crops of tobacco and hemp, and thoroughbred horse breeding and racing became established in this part of the state. By 1850, Lexington had the highest concentration of enslaved people in the entire state. The city also had a significant population of free blacks , who were often of mixed race. By 1850, First African Baptist Church, led by London Ferrill ,
968-403: Is Sitka, Alaska . Consolidated city-counties are typically formed to address particular government challenges. Among the benefits of having a unified jurisdiction include potential cost savings, more efficiency, increased legal powers and revenue sources, and a more streamlined planning system. Most consolidated city-counties have a single chief executive who acts as both the city mayor and as
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#17330859736151056-632: Is described as "the oldest continuous law-making body in the New World." Its existence dates to its establishment at Jamestown on July 30, 1619, by instructions from the Virginia Company of London to the new Governor Sir George Yeardley . It was initially a unicameral body composed of the Company-appointed Governor and Council of State , plus 22 burgesses elected by the settlements and Jamestown. The Assembly became bicameral in 1642 upon
1144-528: Is equal in beauty and fertility to anything the imagination can paint and is already in a high state of cultivation. In the early 19th century, Lexington planter John Wesley Hunt became the first millionaire west of the Alleghenies. Henry Clay , a lawyer who married into one of the wealthiest families of Kentucky and served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives in 1812, helped to lead
1232-819: Is held at the Kentucky Horse Park . It includes a 3 mi (4.8 km) drive through the park, showcasing numerous displays, many in character with the horse industry and history of Lexington. The "Mini-Train Express", an indoor petting zoo featuring exotic animals, the International Museum of the Horse, an exhibit showcasing the Bluegrass Railway Club's model train, and Santa Claus are other major highlights. Other events and fares include: Additional historic sites include: The University of Kentucky Art Museum
1320-404: Is home to several large corporations. Sizable employment is generated by four Fortune 500 companies: Xerox (which acquired Affiliated Computer Services ), Lexmark International , Lockheed-Martin , and IBM , employing 3,000, 2,800, 1,705, and 552, respectively. United Parcel Service , Trane , and Amazon.com, Inc. have large operations in the city, and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky
1408-685: Is in the northern periphery of the humid subtropical climate zone ( Köppen : Cfa ), with hot, humid summers and moderately cold winters with occasional mild periods; it falls in USDA hardiness zone 6b. The city and the surrounding Bluegrass region have four distinct seasons that include cool plateau breezes; moderate nights in the summer; and no prolonged periods of heat, cold, rain, wind, or snow. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 33.9 °F (1.1 °C) in January to 76.7 °F (24.8 °C) in July, while
1496-505: Is known as the "Horse Capital of the World" due to the hundreds of horse farms in the region, as well as the Kentucky Horse Park , The Red Mile and Keeneland race courses. It is within the state's Bluegrass region . Notable locations within the city include venues Rupp Arena and Central Bank Center , colleges and universities such as the University of Kentucky , Transylvania University , and Bluegrass Community and Technical College , and
1584-588: Is practicable, representation in proportion to the population of the district." The Redistricting Coalition of Virginia proposes either an independent commission or a bipartisan commission that is not polarized. Member organizations include the League of Women Voters of Virginia, AARP of Virginia, OneVirginia2021 , the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and Virginia Organizing . Governor Bob McDonnell 's Independent Bipartisan Advisory Commission on Redistricting for
1672-455: Is recognized as a high allergy area by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America . The Lexington-Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes Bourbon , Clark , Fayette, Jessamine , Scott , and Woodford Counties. The MSA population is 516,811 as of the 2020 census. The Lexington–Fayette–Richmond–Frankfort combined statistical area had a population of 747,919 in 2020. This includes
1760-521: Is the case in the Atlanta metropolitan area , where the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) studies and makes recommendations on the impact of all major construction and development projects on the region, but generally cannot stop them. The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) is a true government agency of the state of Georgia , and does control some state transportation funding to
1848-624: Is the only crop specifically mentioned in the Articles.) It is known that several of these original settlers (perhaps many of them) served under General George Rogers Clark in the Illinois campaign (also called the Northwestern campaign) against the British in 1778–79. While the ostensible founder of Lexington, William McConnell, is not one of the signees, an Alexander McConnell is. Within two years of signing
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#17330859736151936-524: Is the premier art museum for Lexington and the only accredited museum in the region. Its collection of over 4,000 objects ranges from Old Masters to Contemporary. It regularly hosts special exhibitions. The local Woolworth's building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its significance as a site of protests during the Civil Rights Movement against segregation during
2024-481: Is within the Lexington CSA, located in adjoining Georgetown . A Jif peanut butter plant located in the city produces more peanut butter than any other factory in the world. Notable corporate headquarters include Lexmark International , a manufacturer of printers and enterprise software; Link-Belt Construction Equipment , a designer and manufacturer of telescopic and lattice boom crawler cranes ; Big Ass Fans ,
2112-746: The 2023 election , when the Democratic Party secured majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly. The General Assembly meets in Virginia's capital of Richmond . When sitting in Richmond, the General Assembly holds sessions in the Virginia State Capitol , designed by Thomas Jefferson in 1788 and expanded in 1904. During the American Civil War , the building was used as the capitol of
2200-593: The Australian Capital Territory government in Australia performs all municipal functions of the city of Canberra , and thus functions as an integrated city-territory. Similarly, the City of Tokyo merged with the prefecture to form Tokyo metropolis in 1943. In Russia, there are urban districts - territories consisting of a city and nearby settlements united by one mayor's office. As a rule, urban districts are
2288-745: The Commonwealth of Virginia , the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere , and the first elected legislative assembly in the New World . It was established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house , the Virginia House of Delegates , with 100 members, and an upper house , the Senate of Virginia , with 40 members. Senators serve terms of four years, and delegates serve two-year terms. Combined,
2376-751: The Confederate States , housing the Confederate Congress . The building was renovated between 2005 and 2006. Senators and delegates have their offices in the General Assembly Building across the street directly north of the Capitol, which have been rebuilt and are expected to open in 2023. The Governor of Virginia lives across the street directly east of the Capitol in the Virginia Executive Mansion . The Virginia General Assembly
2464-513: The Constitution of Virginia , senators and delegates must be twenty-one years of age at the time of the election, residents of the district they represent, and qualified to vote for members of the General Assembly. Under the Constitution, "a senator or delegate who moves his residence from the district for which he is elected shall thereby vacate his office." The state constitution specifies that
2552-797: The Interstate 64 / Interstate 75 interchanges. In 1996, the USA was expanded when 5,300 acres (21 km) of the RSA were acquired through the expansion area master plan (EAMP). This was controversial: this first major update to the comprehensive plan in over a decade was accompanied by arguments among residents about the future of Lexington and the Thoroughbred farms. The EAMP included new concepts of impact fees, assessment districts, neighborhood design concepts, design overlays, mandatory greenways , major roadway improvements, storm water management, and open-space mitigation for
2640-810: The Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra perform at this event. On the Fourth, events include a reading of the Declaration of Independence on the steps of the Old Courthouse, a 10K run , a parade, street vendors for wares and food, and fireworks. The Woodland Arts Fair, an outdoor art fair hosted by the Lexington Art League in the summer, is almost five decades old and attracts over 70,000 attendees. "Southern Lights: Spectacular Sights on Holiday Nights", which takes place from November 18 to December 31,
2728-504: The Midwest and Upper South have the highest concentration of large consolidated city-county governments in the United States, including Indianapolis, Indiana ; Nashville, Tennessee ; Louisville, Kentucky ; Kansas City, Kansas ; and Lexington, Kentucky . The largest consolidated city-county in the United States by population is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , while the largest by land area
Lexington, Kentucky - Misplaced Pages Continue
2816-634: The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Headquarters. The city anchors the Lexington–Fayette metropolitan area of 516,811 people and the greater Lexington–Fayette–Richmond–Frankfort combined statistical area of 747,919 people. It has been consolidated entirely within Fayette County since 1974 and has a nonpartisan mayor-council form of government, with 12 council districts and three members elected at large, with
2904-474: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 285.5 sq mi (739 km), of which 284.5 sq mi (737 km) is land and 1.0 sq mi (2.6 km), or 0.35%, is covered by water. Lexington features a diverse cityscape. Lexington has had to manage a rapidly growing population while working to maintain the character of the surrounding horse farms that give
2992-651: The War Hawks , pushing for war with Britain to bolster the markets of American products. Six companies of volunteers came from Lexington, with a rope-walk on James Erwin's farm on the Richmond Road used as a recruiting office and barracks until the war ended. Several Lexingtonians served with prominence as officers in the war. For example, Captain Nathaniel G.S. Hart commanded the Lexington Light Infantry (also known as
3080-512: The federal prison system ; it is known as the Federal Medical Center, Lexington and serves a variety of health needs for prisoners. Lexington also served as the headquarters for a pack horse library in the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Lexington-Fayette metro area includes five additional counties: Clark , Jessamine , Bourbon , Woodford , and Scott . This is the second-largest metro area in Kentucky after Louisville. According to
3168-628: The secretary of the Senate , the title used by the U.S. Senate ). Following the 2019 election , the Democratic Party held a majority of seats in both the House and the Senate for the first time since 1996. They were sworn into office on January 8, 2020, at the start of the 161st session . In the 2021 election , the Republican Party recaptured a majority in the House of Delegates, then lost it after
3256-606: The "Silk Stocking Boys") and was killed while a captive after the Battle of the River Raisin. Henry Clay also served as a negotiator at the Treaty of Ghent in 1814. The growing town was devastated by a cholera epidemic in 1833 , which had spread throughout the waterways of the Mississippi and Ohio valleys: 500 of 7,000 Lexington residents died within two months, including nearly one-third of
3344-470: The 1960s. Activists conducted sit-ins to gain integrated lunch service, full access to facilities, and more employment. However, in 2004, the building was demolished by its owner, and the area was paved for use as a parking lot until further development. Pablo Eskobear , the American black bear that overdosed on cocaine that was dropped from smuggler Andrew C. Thornton II 's airplane—an incident which inspired
3432-657: The 2023 movie Cocaine Bear —has been stuffed and can be visited at the Kentucky for Kentucky Fun Mall. The Kentucky Wildcats , the athletic program of the University of Kentucky, is Lexington's most popular sports entity. The school fields 22 varsity sports teams, most of which compete in the Southeastern Conference as a founding member. The men's basketball team is one of the winningest programs in NCAA history, having won eight national championships. The basketball program
3520-622: The Agreement, both John and Jacob Wymore were killed by Indians in separate incidents outside the walls of "Fort Lexington". In December 1781, a huge caravan of around 600 pioneers from Spotsylvania County, Virginia—dubbed "The Travelling Church"—arrived in the Lexington area. Led by the preacher Lewis Craig and Captain William Ellis, the Travelling Church established numerous churches, including
3608-812: The Commonwealth of Virginia made its report on April 1, 2011. It made two recommendations for each state legislative house that showed maps of districts more compact and contiguous than those adopted by the General Assembly. However, no action was taken after the report was released. In 2011 the Virginia College and University Redistricting Competition was organized by Professors Michael McDonald of George Mason University and Quentin Kidd of Christopher Newport University . About 150 students on sixteen teams from thirteen schools submitted plans for legislative and U.S. Congressional Districts. They created districts more compact than
Lexington, Kentucky - Misplaced Pages Continue
3696-424: The General Assembly consists of 140 elected representatives from an equal number of constituent districts across the commonwealth. The House of Delegates is presided over by the speaker of the House , while the Senate is presided over by the lieutenant governor of Virginia . The House and Senate each elect a clerk and sergeant-at-arms . The Senate of Virginia's clerk is known as the clerk of the Senate (instead of as
3784-570: The General Assembly in 1776 with the ratification of the Virginia Constitution . The government was moved to Richmond in 1780 during the administration of Governor Thomas Jefferson . The annual salary for senators is $ 18,000. The annual salary for delegates is $ 17,640, with the exception that the Speaker's salary is $ 36,321. Members and one staff member also receive a per diem allowance for each day spent attending to official duties such as attending session in Richmond or attending committee meetings. Transportation expenses are reimbursed. Under
3872-402: The General Assembly shall meet annually, and its regular session is a maximum of 60 days long in even-numbered years and 30 days long in odd-numbered years, unless extended by a two-thirds vote of both houses. The Governor of Virginia may convene a special session of the General Assembly "when, in his opinion, the interest of the Commonwealth may require" and must convene a special session "upon
3960-472: The General Assembly's efforts. The "Division 1" maps conformed with the Governor's executive order , and did not address electoral competition or representational fairness. In addition to the criteria of contiguity, equipopulation, the federal Voting Rights Act and communities of interest in the existing city and county boundaries, "Division 2" maps in the competition did incorporate considerations of electoral competition and representational fairness. Judges for
4048-450: The House of Delegates. In 2015, in Vesilind v. Virginia State Board of Elections in a Virginia state court, plaintiffs sought to overturn the General Assembly's redistricting in five House of Delegates and six state Senate districts as violations of both the Virginia and U.S. Constitutions because they failed to represent populations in "continuous and compact territory". In 2020, a constitutional amendment moved redistricting power to
4136-402: The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government employs 2,699. Central Baptist Hospital, Saint Joseph Hospital , Saint Joseph East, and the Veterans Administration Hospital employ 7,000 persons in total. June has two popular music festivals: Bluegrass and Broadway. The Festival of the Bluegrass , Kentucky's oldest bluegrass music festival, is in early June; it includes three stages for music and
4224-437: The South Elkhorn Christian Church in Lexington. On May 6, 1782, the town of Lexington was chartered by an act of the Virginia General Assembly . Around 1790, the First African Baptist Church was founded in Lexington by Peter Durrett , a Baptist preacher and slave held by Joseph Craig. Durrett had helped guide " The Travelling Church " on its trek to Kentucky. This church is the oldest black Baptist congregation in Kentucky and
4312-514: The annual mean temperature is 56.3 °F (13.5 °C). On average, 25 days at or above 90 °F (32 °C) occur annually and 23 days per winter where the high is at or below freezing. Annual precipitation is 49.84 in (1,270 mm), with the late spring and summer being slightly wetter; snowfall averages 14.5 in (37 cm) per season. Extreme temperatures range from −21 °F (−29 °C) on January 24, 1963, to 108 °F (42 °C) on July 10 and 15, 1936. Lexington
4400-412: The application of two-thirds of the members elected to each house." Article II, section 6 on apportionment states, "Members of the . . . Senate and of the House of Delegates of the General Assembly shall be elected from electoral districts established by the General Assembly. Every electoral district shall be composed of contiguous and compact territory and shall be so constituted as to give, as nearly as
4488-431: The basis of population, in conformance with federal and state laws and court cases, including those addressing racial fairness. The territory is to be contiguous and compact, without oddly shaped boundaries. The commission is prohibited from using political data or election results to favor either political party or incumbent. It passed with a two-thirds majority of 27 to 12 in the Senate, and was then referred to committee in
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#17330859736154576-403: The capitals of the constituent entities of the Russia and other major cities in the region. In 2020, there were 635 urban districts. In nine consolidated city-county governments in the United States, the formerly independent incorporated places maintain some governmental powers. In these cities, which the United States Census Bureau calls "consolidated cities", statistics are recorded both for
4664-685: The cash award prizes were Thomas Mann of the Brookings Institution and Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute . In January 2015 Republican state senator Jill Holtzman Vogel of Winchester and Democratic state senator Louise Lucas of Portsmouth sponsored a Senate Joint Resolution to establish additional criteria for the Virginia Redistricting Commission of four identified members of political parties, and three other independent public officials. The criteria began with respecting existing political boundaries, such as cities and towns, counties and magisterial districts, election districts and voting precincts. Districts are to be established on
4752-419: The cities and counties, but otherwise has very little authority beyond this small power of the purse . The case of New York City is unique, in that the city consists of five boroughs , each of which is co-extensive with a county. Each has its own district attorney; however, county-level government is essentially non-existent as all executive and legislative power is exercised by the city government throughout
4840-513: The cities of Bremen and Bremerhaven ). Nearly every larger city in Germany is an independent city, like Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich or Dresden; Austria , where the capital of Vienna is both a city and state; France , where the capital city of Paris has been coterminous with the département of Paris since 1968 ; and South Korea , where Seoul is a special city , while six other cities ( Busan , Daegu , Daejeon , Gwangju , Incheon , and Ulsan ) are metropolitan cities . Additionally,
4928-402: The city and county both nominally exist, although they have a consolidated government, whereas in an independent city, the county does not even nominally exist. Furthermore, a consolidated city-county may still contain independent municipalities maintaining some governmental powers that did not merge with the rest of the county. Not considering Hawaii , which has no independent municipalities,
5016-432: The city was $ 57,291 in 2019, slightly below the national average of $ 62,843, and for a family it was $ 53,264. Males living alone had a median income of $ 36,268 versus $ 30,811 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 34,442. About 8.7% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line , including 17.6% of those under the age of 18 and 9.4% of those ages 65 and older. The table below illustrates
5104-436: The colonists' victory in the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, they named the site Lexington. It was the first of many American places to be named after the Massachusetts town . On January 25, 1780, 45 original settlers signed the Lexington Compact, known also as the "Articles of Agreement, made by the inhabitants of the town of Lexington, in the County of Kentucky ." The settlement at Lexington at this time
5192-437: The congregation of Christ Church Episcopal . London Ferrill , second preacher of First African Baptist, was one of three clergy who stayed in the city to serve the suffering victims. Farmers in the areas around Lexington held slaves for use as field hands, laborers, artisans, and domestic servants . In the city, slaves worked primarily as domestic servants and artisans, although they also worked with merchants, shippers, and in
5280-541: The entire consolidated government and for the component municipalities. A part of the consolidated government is called the "balance", which the Census Bureau defines as "the consolidated city minus the semi-independent incorporated places located within the consolidated city". In Georgia, consolidations often required multiple attempts, changes in procedures, and different local laws in the state legislature. They often did not include some smaller jurisdictions. They also retained characteristics of both types of government, e.g,
5368-431: The event that the commission could not do so. The Supreme Court did so and approved newly drawn districts on December 28, 2021. While newly drawn districts will currently first be used in 2023, a federal lawsuit is pending that calls for an election to be held using newly drawn districts as immediately as November 2022. If the lawsuit was successful, it would have required all House districts, which just held elections under
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#17330859736155456-436: The expansion was initiated, the RSA land management plan was adopted, which increased the minimum lot size in the agricultural rural zones to 40 acres (160,000 m). In 2000, a purchase of development rights plan was adopted, granting the city the power to purchase the development rights of existing farms; in 2001, $ 40 million was allocated to the plan from a $ 25 million local, $ 15 million state grant. Lexington
5544-409: The first time. It also included a draft of the rural land management plan, which included large-lot zoning and traffic-impact controls. A pre-zoning of the entire expansion area was refuted in the plan. A 50-acre (200,000 m) minimum proposal was defeated. Discussion of this proposal appeared to stimulate the development of numerous 10-acre (40,000 m) subdivisions in the RSAs. Three years after
5632-871: The five boroughs. The city, as currently constituted, was created in 1898 when the city of New York (then comprising what would become the boroughs of Manhattan and The Bronx ) annexed Kings County, Queens County, and Richmond County as the boroughs of Brooklyn , Queens , and Staten Island , respectively. Similar unitary authority arrangements also exist in other countries. England has six " metropolitan counties " created in 1974: Greater Manchester , Merseyside , South Yorkshire , Tyne and Wear , West Midlands , and West Yorkshire . From 1986, these metropolitan counties do not have county councils but rather joint boards for certain functions. Modern unitary authorities are similar, and are known as county boroughs in Wales . In Scotland, Aberdeen , Dundee , Edinburgh and Glasgow are functionally "independent cities", though
5720-424: The formation of the House of Burgesses . The Assembly had a judicial function of hearing cases both original and appellate . At various times it may have been referred to as the Grand Assembly of Virginia. The General Assembly met in Jamestown from 1619 until 1699, when it first moved to the College of William & Mary near Williamsburg, Virginia , and from 1705 met in the colonial Capitol building. It became
5808-511: The head of the county government, and a multi-district elected body that serves as both the city council and as the county legislative body. In many states, consolidated city-counties must be approved by voters. According to information compiled by former Albuquerque mayor David Rusk , 105 referendums were held in the United States between 1902 and 2010 to consider proposals to consolidate cities and counties. Only 27 of these proposals were approved by voters. Wyandotte County, Kansas , uses
5896-409: The highest concentrations of gay and lesbian couples in the United States for a city its size. Area residents gather downtown for the Fourth of July festivities, which extend for several days. On July 3, the Gratz Park Historic District is transformed into an outdoor music hall, when the Patriotic Music Concert is held on the steps of Morrison Hall at Transylvania University. The Lexington Singers and
5984-407: The highest vote-getter designated vice mayor. Lexington was named in June 1775, in what was then considered Fincastle County, Virginia , 17 years before Kentucky became a state . A party of frontiersmen, led by William McConnell, camped on the Middle Fork of Elkhorn Creek (now known as Town Branch and rerouted under Vine Street) at the site of the present-day McConnell Springs . Upon hearing of
6072-462: The metro area and an additional seven counties. As of the 2020 census, there were 322,570 people, 129,784 households, and 74,761 families within the city. The population density was 1,137.3/sq mi (439.1/km). The racial makeup of the city was 70.7% non-Hispanic White , 15.6% Black or African American , 0.3% Native American , 4.1% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 7.4% of
6160-518: The population growth of Fayette County since the first U.S. Census in 1790. Lexington city limits became coterminous with Fayette County in 1974. Sources: Lexington has one of the nation's most stable economies. Lexington describes itself as having "a fortified economy, strong in manufacturing, technology, and entrepreneurial support, benefiting from a diverse, balanced business base". The Lexington Metro Area had an unemployment rate of 3.7% in August 2015, lower than many cities of similar size. The city
6248-643: The population. The most common spoken language in Lexington is English with the Southern American English dialect being the native and most common of the city and region, but there are approximately 196 languages from all parts of the world spoken in Lexington. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish followed by Swahili . Other more common non-English languages in the city are Arabic , Nepali , Japanese , French , Mandarin , Kinyarwanda , Korean and Portuguese . Local estimates drawn from English Language Learner enrollment in Fayette County Public Schools estimates that approximately 23% of
6336-580: The region its identity. In 1958, Lexington enacted the nation's first urban growth boundary , restricting new development to an urban service area (USA). It set a minimum area requirement of 40 acres (160,000 m) to maintain open space for landholdings in the rural service area. In 1980, the comprehensive plan was updated: the USA was modified to include urban activity centers (UACs) and rural activity centers (RACs). The UACs were commercial and light-industrial districts in urbanized areas, while RACs were retail trade and light-industrial centers clustered around
6424-665: The same day to assist National Guard forces and local police in bringing order and peace. Marshall declared martial law in the city and had soldiers positioned throughout the area for two weeks. Lockett was eventually executed on March 11 at the Kentucky State Penitentiary in Eddyville , after being found guilty of murdering Hardman. In 1935, during the Great Depression , the Addiction Research Center (ARC)
6512-526: The same sort of functions as American consolidated city-counties. One example is the City of Toronto , created in 1998 from the amalgamation of the central government and the six constituent municipalities of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto (a type of regional municipality ), itself originally created in 1954. In Germany, Berlin and Hamburg are both cities and states (the state of Bremen consists of
6600-516: The streets to work alongside local law enforcement. As the mob advanced on the courthouse, the National Guard opened fire, killing six and wounding 50 others. Fearing further retaliation from the mob, Morrow urged the United States Army to provide assistance. Led by Brigadier General Francis C. Marshall , approximately 1,200 federal troops from nearby Camp Zachary Taylor moved into the city
6688-419: The streets. All other National Guard troops were barred from the city streets until the fair ended. On February 9, 1920, tensions flared up again, this time over the trial of Will Lockett , a black man who murdered Geneva Hardman, a 10-year-old white girl. When a large mob gathered outside the courthouse where Lockett's trial was underway, Kentucky Governor Edwin P. Morrow massed the National Guard troops into
6776-452: The surrounding area into the city. Also during this time, some United States National Guard troops were camping on the edge of the city. Three troops passed in front of an African American restaurant and shoved some people on the sidewalk. A fight broke out, reinforcements for the troops and civilians both appeared, and soon a riot began. The Kentucky National Guard was summoned, and once the riot had ended, armed soldiers and police patrolled
6864-542: The term "unified government" to refer to its consolidation with Kansas City, Kansas , and most of the towns within the county boundaries remain separate jurisdictions within the county. Individual sections of a metropolitan or regional municipality may retain some autonomous jurisdiction apart from the citywide government. Often, in place of another level of government, local governments form councils of governments – essentially governmental organizations which are not empowered with any law-making or law enforcement powers. This
6952-516: The term is not used. London is unique however, being a ceremonial county (officially known as Greater London ) containing the 32 London boroughs. Enclaved within Greater London, the ancient City of London forms a distinct county, which today forms only a tiny part of what most consider to be London as a capital city, which takes up 607 square miles. The Canadian province of Ontario contains several single-tier municipalities , which serve
7040-620: The third-oldest in the United States. In the early 1800s, Lexington was a rising city of the vast territory to the west of the Appalachian Mountains; Josiah Espy described it in a published version of his notes as he toured Ohio and Kentucky: Lexington is the largest and most wealthy town in Kentucky, or indeed west of the Allegheny Mountains; the main street of Lexington has all the appearance of Market Street in Philadelphia on
7128-405: The total Lexington population speaks a language other than English at home. Of the 131,929 households reported in the 2019 American Community Survey , 52% were married couples living together, 15% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27% were non-families. 28.4% of households were home to children under the age of 18. The average household size was 2.37, and the average family size
7216-546: The use of science, business, and expertise. He also had a paternalistic attitude toward blacks, who were in segregated public schools. Amidst the tensions between black and white populations over the lack of affordable housing in the city, a race riot broke out on September 1, 1917. At the time, the Colored A. & M. Fair (one of the largest African American fairs in the South) on Georgetown Pike had attracted more African Americans from
7304-411: Was 2.99. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. In 2019, 20.9% of residents were under the age of 18, 14.2% were from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.2 males. The median income for a household in
7392-403: Was also known as Fort Lexington, as it was surrounded by fortifications to protect from potential attacks from British-allied Indians. The Articles allocated land by granting "In" lots of 1/2 acre to each share, along with "Out" lots of 5 acres for each share. Presumably the "In" lots were for the family dwelling inside the fortifications, while the "Out" lots were to be "cleared" for farming. (Corn
7480-604: Was also the first to reach 2000 wins. Lexington is home to the Lexington Legends , a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball , an independent MLB Partner league. The minor league team plays home games at The Ballpark at 207 Legends Lane . In 2020, the team lost MLB affiliation under a new plan by the MLB. The city also hosts Lexington SC of third-division professional soccer league USL League One . The club
7568-461: Was created and as such they are not consolidated city-counties. Instead, the Code of Virginia uses the term "consolidated city." Similarly, Carson City was consolidated with Ormsby County, Nevada in 1969, but the county was simultaneously dissolved. The city is now a municipality independent of any county. Virginia General Assembly The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of
7656-524: Was created as a small research unit at the United States Public Health Service hospital in Lexington. Founded as one of the first drug rehabilitation clinics in the nation, the ARC was affiliated with a federal prison. Expanded as the first alcohol and drug rehabilitation hospital in the United States, it was known as "Narco" of Lexington. The hospital was later converted to operate as part of
7744-445: Was founded in 2021 and currently plays at Toyota Stadium on the campus of Georgetown College . In October 2023, Lexington SC announced it would be building a new stadium on their youth training ground off of Athens-Boonesboro Road. It will be open by 2024, with a capacity for 5,000 fans, with up to 11,000 possible. Consolidated city-county In United States local government , a consolidated city-county (also known as either
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