Awards and Recognition

2022

The New York Times’ 52 Places to Go in 2023
The 22 Best Places to Travel in the US in 2022 – Forbes
50 US Cities Worth Exploring in 2022 – Travel Pulse
Very Best Vacation Spots in the US – BuzzFeed
The South's Best Cities 2022 – Southern Living
Best Weekend Getaways in the USA – JetSetting Fools
Top 25 Best Places to Live in the Southeast – Livability
A guide to the USA's Best Urban Escapes – Wanderlust
Louisville was touted as a strong seasonal destination, with AFAR, The Points Guy, and Travelzoo all naming it as a Best Place to Travel in May,” Fodor’s, World Atlas, and The Travel all pointing to the city as a top place to travel during the fall, and JetSetting Fools and Travel + Leisure both including Louisville in their roundups of top winter destinations.
2022’s Best Winter Holiday Destinations – WalletHub
7 Destinations that elevate Black culture year-round – The Points Guy
Kentucky’s Most Family-Friendly City – Travel Pulse
Top 10 Best Foodie Cities for Renters - Apartment Advisor
10 Best U.S. Cities to Visit If You Love Old Houses – Best Life
50 Best Cities for Biking in the US – Explore
2022’s Best Cities for Soccer Fans – Wallet Hub
10 Destinations for Horse Lovers in The United States – Everything Horse
10 Most Affordable US Cities to Stretch Your Travel Dollar – World Atlas
50 Best Places to Travel in 2023 – Travel Lemming
Among the Most Diverse Cities in the U.S. – Far & Wide
Other accolades related to Louisville’s support for LGBTQ+ community include 2022’s Most LGBTQ-Friendly Cities – LawnStarter; and 6 Surprising Cities Great for LGBTQ Families - Family Traveller
The Robley Rex VA Medical Center is one of only four VA hospitals in the nation to earn the Level One Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians.

2021

The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2022 – Travel + Leisure
2021’s Best Foodie Cities in America – WalletHub
Northstar Meetings Group named Louisville to its list of the 25 best U.S. destinations for large events for the second year in a row. And the Kentucky International Convention Center was named Best Convention Center in the Midwest division of the hospitality industry’s fifth annual Northstar Stella Awards.
Top 30 Best Foodie Cities in America and among its Top 10 Best Cities to Celebrate New Year’s – WalletHub

2020

Louisville ranked a Top 25 City for Work-Life Balance by SmartAsset
Louisville ranked #34 as a Top 50 City for Sustainability Progress, including a #2 ranking for “Improvement of Median Air Quality,” by Commercial Café
Forbes names Louisville to its list of Cheapest Place to Travel in 2020
SmartAsset ranked Louisville in the Top 50 Cities where Millennials are Buying Homes
Glassdoor ranked Louisville in its list of the 25 Best Cities for Jobs in 2020
TripAdvisor named Louisville to its list of 2020 Travelers’ Choice Awards for New Trending and Emerging Destinations.
The Motley Fool ranked Louisville the No. 18 Most Socially Conscious City in the U.S.
Smart Asset ranks Louisville the 10th best city for New College Grads
LendEDU ranked Louisville as one of the most budget-friendly cities in the country for homeowners with a mortgage

2019

Louisville named a Top Metro in the South Central and East North Central regions by Site Selection magazine
Trip Advisor ranks Louisville on its list of Top Cities to Visit in 2019
Louisville named one of 8 Underappreciated American Cities You Need to Check Out This Year by Thrillist
Thrillist names Louisville the Best Food City in Kentucky
CNBC names Louisville to its list of 10 cities with the happiest workers
Livability ranks Louisville No. 28 on its list of 2019 Top 100 Best Places to Live
Forbes names University of Louisville's basketball team as the most valuable in the United States
OpenTable calls Louisville one of the 25 most romantic cities in the country, citing its extensive culinary scene
Expedia has Louisville listed as one of its “awesome one-week vacation destinations,” thanks to the Parklands of Floyds Fork, as well as its proximity to Cave City and, of course, its bourbon scene.
Trip Advisor lists Louisville on its list of 7 Rising Cities that should be on your 2019 travel bucket list
BusinessStudent.com rates Louisville as one of the Top Most Affordable Cities to Live and Work
Southern Living says Louisville is a Top 10 Best Food City in the South
Louisville’s Brown Hotel and 21c listed to Southern Living’s list of Best Hotels in the South
CBRE ranks Louisville's hotel market as the hottest in the United States
WalletHub named Louisville the 14th Best Summer Travel Destination
ClickItTicket named Louisville among its 20 Best Cities for Live Music in America
TravelAwaits names Louisville to its list of the Most Affordable U.S. Cities to Visit in 2019.
TODAY.com listed Louisville as one of its Best Weekend Getaways for Families in the U.S.
InsiderHook named Louisville as a top destination in its list of 8 Best Countries for Booze Tourism
Board Blazers named the David Armstrong Extreme Park the fourth Best Skatepark in the U.S.
CBRE named Louisville to its list of Up-and-Coming Tech Markets
Move.org ranked Louisville’s low cost of living 5th in the U.S.
Yelp names Louisville as one of five American Boomtowns

2018

SmartAsset names Louisville a Top City for New College Grads
Louisville recognized as Best in Class for usage of data in government
EPA ranks Louisville a Top Midsize City for most Energy Star certified buildings
SmartAsset ranks Louisville one of the Best Cities for Women in Technology
National Geographic named Louisville to its list of Best Small Cities in the U.S.
VinePair ranks Louisville in its list of the World's Top 10 Beer Destinations for 2018
Lonely Planet says Kentucky is a Top 10 Destination to Visit in 2018
Forbes says Louisville is a Top 15 City for Affordable Living
Southern Living ranks Louisville on its list of 15 Incredible Solo Vacations to Take in the South

2017

Forbes ranks Louisville among the best cities for manufacturing
Mayor Fischer is named one of Politico's 11 most interesting American mayors
Governing Magazine lauds Louisville for good governing
WalletHub ranks Louisville among the best-run cities
Paste ranks Louisville among the best cities for theatre
Louisville makes Tasting Table’s list of underrated American cities for food and drink
National Geographic names Louisville a Top 10 food city
Louisville ranked as a Top Metro for the South Central and East North Central regions by Site Selection
Named a Top 10 Best City for Job Seekers by ZipRecruiter and among Glassdoor's 10 best U.S. cities for jobs
Louisville won the Amazon Web Services 2017 City on a Cloud Innovation Challenge
Recognized by Digital Government as a leader in digital and innovation efforts
WalletHub names Louisville 2017’s 11th Best City for People with Disabilities

2016

Louisville among top 10 cities where pay goes the furthest, Glassdoor says
Bankrate: City ranks in top 10 for homeownership
USA Today places Louisville among top 14 place to visit in 2016
Among 15 best cities in the world for food according to The Culture Trip
Top seven in Site Selection Magazine's ranking of top tier metro areas with populations of a million or more — an all-time high ranking
Named the best destination experience by the World Food Travel Association
EPA ranks Louisville No. 25 in the nation among metropolitan areas with the most ENERGY STAR certified buildings
Glassdoor places Louisville among 25 best cities for a job
Mayor Fischer receives a 2016 National Education Pathways with a Purpose award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors
TIME magazine’s July 7 issue touts Louisville as a place of “free-wheeling innovation” and growth
Summer 2016 survey of U.S. mayors by Politico named Mayor Fischer as the most innovative mayor in America
For the sixth year in a row, Louisville Metro Government awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA)
The Center for Digital Government again names Louisvilleky.gov as one of the top city government websites in America

2015

No. 1 on the list of Best U.S. Cities to Visit in 2015 (AARP Travel)
One of the Best Places to Travel in 2015 (Travel & Leisure Magazine)
One of America's Best Music Scenes (Time Magazine)
Top 10 Metro for Economic Development in 2014 (Site Selection Magazine)
One of Five Surprising People, Places and Things to Watch in 2015 (Forbes)
No. 2 on list of nation's best local food scenes (USA Today)
A Top 10 City for Jobs (Glassdoor company ratings)
One of first cities selected for Bloomberg Philanthropies’ “What Works Cities” initiative
Fifth city in the U.S. to partner with Waze, the world's largest community-based traffic and navigation app
Charter for Compassion International’s Model Compassionate City, for fourth year.
National recognition for Code Louisville training program
First city in Kentucky to offer more than 3,200 learning courses online to citizens through the Library and Lynda.com
U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Climate Protection Award and Honorable Mention for Green Living and Sheppard Square sustainability projects
Four-STAR rating for National Sustainability Excellence by STAR Communities
Silver Bicycle Friendly Status by League of American Bicyclists
U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Outstanding Achievement City Livability Award

2014

Included among America's Breakout Cities for 2014 (CNNMoney)
Named a Top 20 City With Economic Momentum (NewGeography.com)
Named one of the Best Entrepreneurial Cities (Entrepreneur.com)
Placed eighth on the list of Best Towns in America (Outside Magazine)
Named the eighth Most Affordable City in the U.S. (Forbes)
Listed in the Top 10 Bike-Friendly Cities (USA Today)
Included among the Top 10 Cities for Being a Homeowner (NerdWallet)
Cited as a top Creative City for 20-Somethings (PolicyMic.com)
Named a top food and dining destination in Saveur magazine’s 2014 Culinary Travel Awards
Iroquois Park’s Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular was named the top place to get the Halloween spirit by Country Living magazine

2013

Mayor Fischer named one of Governing magazine’s Public Officials of the Year
Named America's Best Tasting Drinking Water (again!) by American Water Works Association
Top Travel Destination for 2013 by Lonely Planet.
Number three on the Top 30 City for Young Entrepreneurs list by the readers of Under30CEO.
Ranked number two American Boomtown for Manufacturing by Forbes.
One of the Top 10 Cities for Cycling by the Travel Channel

2012

Most Livable City in America (large-city category) by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
One of the Best Places to Retire by U.S. News & World Report.
One of the Best Foodie Getaways Around the World by Zagat restaurant digest
Best city government website in America by the Center for Digital Government
Jack Olive International Compassionate City Award by the Compassionate Action Network International Institution in Seattle
One of the Top 10 Cities for Affordable Vacations by Livability.com
Louisville Ford plants expansion named Top Economic Deal of the Year by Business Facilities magazine

2011

One of the Top 10 Best Cities for Families by Parenting Magazine.
One of the Best Places to Live by Men's Journal.
Louisville's "City of Parks" project named a Top 25 program in the Innovations in American Government Awards
Louisville awarded a $4.8 million grant by Bloomberg Philanthropies to improve city services and encourage innovation
One of the Top 10 Tastiest Towns in the South by Southern Living magazine