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Lexington, Kentucky is the Bluegrass region's main city, a horse-country hub of roughly 320,000 people that feels bigger than its compact downtown lets on. The University of Kentucky anchors student life, and with tens of thousands of Wildcats on campus the energy spills well past the quads into the surrounding streets. You're never far from the action, whether that's the historic Northside near Gratz Park or the leafy blocks around Chevy Chase. Green space is everywhere too, from the trails at Raven Run Nature Sanctuary to the pastures of the Kentucky Horse Park just outside town. Fall means football at Kroger Field and a city that takes its horses and its hoops seriously.
Near Gratz Park and the historic district, mixing converted Victorian homes with walkable streets and an easy shot downtown.
Just east of campus, popular for its tree-lined blocks, local shops, and quick commute, though demand runs high.
Drawing students who want to be close to campus in older single-family homes split into units.
Here's what you need to know about getting around Lexington.
Lexington runs on Lextran, the city bus system, and UK students ride free with a valid student ID, so it's worth learning early. Routes thread through the major student neighborhoods, downtown, and the campus core around Rose Street and Euclid Avenue. If you live near campus you can mostly skip a car. For most students, a bus pass plus a bike covers daily life.
Lexington is flat and compact enough that walking and biking cover a lot of ground, and the city keeps adding bike lanes and the Legacy Trail, a paved path running from downtown toward the Horse Park. Students near campus can reach class and the shops on foot. The flat terrain makes cycling easy. For most students, a bike paired with a bus pass covers daily life.
Parking near campus is tight and permits go fast, so plan ahead. The further out you live, the more a car helps, especially for big grocery runs or suburban internships. The outer neighborhoods offer easier parking than the campus core. For most students, a bus pass plus a bike covers daily life, with a borrowed car when needed.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
It depends on how close to campus you want to be and how many roommates you split with. Studios in Lexington tend to run around $900 to $1,100 a month, one-bedrooms land near $1,000 to $1,300, and two-bedrooms often fall between $1,300 and $1,500. Splitting a larger house with roommates in a student-heavy neighborhood usually brings your share down well below those numbers.
Browse student housing near each Lexington-area university.