The city of Louisville fought to annex the area and did so, after a three-year lawsuit, in 1898.

The world-famous Churchill Downs horse racing track and Kentucky Derby Museum are located in South Louisville.

The population grew greatly in the 1890s as many factories, including the Kentucky Wagon Company, were constructed along several rail lines in the area.

South Louisville is increasingly becoming an immigrant-centered neighborhood, with large Hispanic and Arab populations.

Since 2006, a Mosque and several Middle Eastern food stores have opened in the area.