Prospect, Kentucky

Prospect is a home rule-class city in Jefferson and Oldham counties in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The Jefferson County portion is a part of the Louisville Metro government. The population was 4,657 at the time 2000 census. It is one of the wealthiest communities in Kentucky.HistoryThe area was first known as Sand Hill when it was settled by farmers in the late 18th Century. The present community grew up around the "Prospect" railroad station erected by the Louisville, Harrods Creek and Westport Railway. The name referred either to the view from the top of the hill or the expected completion of the line. When the post office was established in 1886, the local postmaster named it Wilhoyte in his own honor, but the community corrected this within the month.Although a few luxury residences existed in the area from the late 19th century and the Louisville Railway Company offered hourly electrified-rail trolleys along the former LHC&W line after 1904, it was largely agricultural until the mid-1960s when large, high-end subdivisions were built in the area, most notably Hunting Creek, which included a golf course. Prospect incorporated as a city in 1974.GeographyProspect is located at along the Ohio River. It is bordered by Oldham Co. to the northeast, the river to the west, and the Harrods Creek area to the southwest. U.S. Route 42 is the primary transportation artery running through the area. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.0 square miles, all land.