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USEFUL LINKSKentucky Horse Park Equine Canada
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2010 World Equestrian Games - Lexington, Kentucky, USA
History
When European settlers arrived on the scene, the Bluegrass region was in use as a hunting ground for numerous Native American tribes. Daniel Boone was one of the first Anglo-Saxons to explore the area. He helped establish Kentucky's first forts in Harrodsburg and Boonesborough.
Lexington was founded in 1775, seventeen years before Kentucky became a state. William McConnell and a group of frontier explorers were camped at a natural spring when word came from nearby Fort Boonesboro that the first battle of the American Revolution had been fought in Lexington, Massachusetts. In honor of the battle, the group named their site “Lexington”. By 1820, Lexington, Kentucky, was one of the largest and wealthiest towns west of the Allegheny Mountains. So cultured was its lifestyle, our city soon gained the nickname "Athens of the West."
Location
Located in the south central United States along the west side of the Appalachian Mountains, Kentucky ranks 37th in land size, with 39,732 square miles (102,907 square kilometers). Fayette County consists of 283 square miles of gently rolling plateau in the center of the inner Bluegrass Region. The area is noted for its beauty, fertile soil, excellent pastureland and horse and stock farms. Poa Pratensis (bluegrass) thrives on the limestone beneath the soil's surface, playing a major role in the area's scenic beauty and in the development of champion horses. Numerous small creeks rise and flow into the Kentucky River.
Climate
The mean average temperature in Lexington is 54.9 degrees Fahrenheit. Annual precipitation is 45.68 inches. Lexington and the 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.
Average minimum and maximum temperatures:
Spring: 1-23 degrees C
Summer: 16-30 degrees C
Fall: 2-26 degrees C
Winter: (-)5-12 degrees C
Population
The county of Lexington-Fayette has a population of about 260,512.The estimated population of the metropolitan statistical area (MSA), which is comprised of Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Jessamine, Madison, Scott, and Woodford counties, is 424,778.
Media
The Lexington Herald-Leader is the daily morning newspaper.
Commercial television stations:
WLEX-TV (Channel 18-NBC affiliate) (859)259-1818
WKYT-TV (Channel 27-CBS affiliate) (859)299-0411
WTVQ-TV (Channel 36-ABC affiliate) (859)294-3636
WDKY-TV (Channel 56-FOX affiliate) (859)269-5656
Public television (PBS affiliate):
KET (Channel 46-Kentucky Educational Television) (859)258-7000
Local Cable Provider:
Insight Communications (859)514-1400
Time Zone
October to April: Eastern Standard Time
April to October: Eastern Daylight Savings Time
Safety
Lexington's crime consistently ranks below the national average. In addition to foot and car patrols, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Police Department operates two highly visible units that have proven to be effective crime deterrents. The Lexington Mounted Police Unit and Mountain Bike Unit patrol the downtown area on horseback and bicycles to help assure community safety. Crimes reported in 2004 were the lowest in 30 years. A survey released in 2005 by Mercer Human Resource Consulting ranked Lexington as one of the five safest cities in the United States.
Getting Around
The city is set up like a wheel with spokes, with main arterial roads running from downtown out into horse country. Major car rental companies have desks at the airport and brances around town. Public bus service is provided by LexTran. Visitors also have access to a number of cab companies. A great way to see horse country is with a van tour company.
Sales & Hotel Tax
Kentucky state sales tax is 6 percent. Groceries are exempt. There is a hotel tax of 6 percent and a state fee of 1%, bringing the total tax on hotel rooms to 13.4%.
Emergency services
If you have an emergency, you can contact emergency personnel any time day or night by simply dialing "9-1-1" from a residential, business, public pay phone or mobile phone within Fayette County. Communication officers or "call takers" will answer your 9-1-1 call as quickly as it is received. They will first determine the nature of the problem and inquire if you need the police, fire or medical personnel to respond.
source: http://www.visitlex.com
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