Okolona is a former census-designated place (CDP) in southern Louisville/Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States.[1] It is centered on the intersection of Preston Highway and the Outer Loop. The population was 17,807 at the 2000 census. When the government of Jefferson County merged with the city of Louisville, Kentucky in 2003, residents of Okolona also became citizens of Louisville Metro. As a result, Okolona is said to be a neighborhood within the city limits of Louisville.
It was first settled by farmers from Pennsylvania and Virginia in the late 18th century. It was called Lone Oak in the late 19th century. However, a town near Paducah, Kentucky already claimed that name for its post office, so the town rearranged the words into Okolona. Farming, as well as logging and charcoal production were important industries around this time.[citation needed]
An interurban line was extended to the area in 1905, but residential development did not pick up until General Electric Appliance Park was opened nearby in 1953.[citation needed]
Okolona sits at exactly the same elevation as Downtown Louisville despite being 10 miles (16 km) from the Ohio River, making it one of the city's most flood prone areas. Several square miles of wetlands had to be drained in the area to make development possible.[citation needed]