Hamburg
Updated September 2026
Hamburg at a Glance
- Trash and recycling day
- Varies by block in Hamburg. Look up your address on the trash pickup map.
- Council district
- Varies by location. Find your exact district by address.
- Zip code
- 40509
About Hamburg
Hamburg is one of Lexington's largest and busiest mixed-use areas, sitting in southeastern Lexington along the I-75 corridor. What's now a sprawling commercial and residential district was, for over a century, one of the most famous thoroughbred breeding farms in the country. The name Hamburg comes from a single horse. The history is genuinely remarkable. In 1896, John E. Madden bought a yearling colt named Hamburg for $1,200. The horse won 12 of 16 races in his first year and Madden sold him a year later for $40,001. Madden used that money to buy the 1,300 acres of land that became Hamburg Place farm in 1898. Over the next century, Hamburg Place became one of the country's most successful horse breeding operations. Five Kentucky Derby winners and five Belmont Stakes winners were bred there. Sir Barton, the first Triple Crown winner, came from Hamburg Place in 1919. The Madden family bred a Triple Crown winner, won the Belmont, and bred eight years of leading-stallion championships from this one farm. The Madden family owned the property for over 100 years. When the Interstate was completed and the commercial possibilities of the land became clear, Anita Madden (Preston Madden's wife) personally named the streets of the new commercial development after the famous horses bred on the farm. Sir Barton Way. Plaudit Place. Alysheba Way. Driving through Hamburg today, every major road is named after a thoroughbred legend. The Hamburg Place Horse Cemetery still sits in a small park among the big-box stores. Sir Barton, Plaudit (1898 Kentucky Derby winner), and a handful of other legendary horses are buried there. It's free to visit and a small piece of horse country history hiding in plain sight. Today Hamburg is a bustling shopping destination for visitors and locals. Housing and development have exploded. Off the top of my head I can think of at least 9 prominent subdivisions there. And I am sure there are more. My sister lives in the Prestwick subdivision in Hamburg, I visit often. One thing I notice that Masterson Station doesn't have that hers has is it's a tight knit neighborhood. There is a cohesive bond there between neighbors that I have not seen in a long time. Neighbors will bring their kids over to play with my sister's kids, we can use the neighbor's driveway, and people who always walk down the sidewalk always stop and say "hi" or to talk. It's kind of refreshing for this modern fast paced life. When I am not visiting my sister I like to go to Liquor Barn and look around their humidor for a nice cigar, then head over to the gazebo at Hamburg Pavilion and smoke it while I people watch. That is my desired pattern, but my wife sometimes has other plans for us. Hey, happy wife happy life, right? What we usually do is head over to Barnes and Noble and look at books, then head to Target and look around, then go to Bonefish Grill for a nice dinner.
Areas within Hamburg
Hamburg Pavilion
The biggest of the Hamburg retail areas, at 2308 Sir Barton Way on the corner of I-75 and Man O' War Boulevard. It opened in 1997 and runs to close to a million square feet of open-air retail. The area's movie theater, Regal Hamburg Pavilion, is one of its tenants.
Hamburg East
Hamburg East is the name of two things at the same interchange, which is worth untangling before you go looking for it. In the Hamburg Place retail directory it is the area anchored by Costco and Cabela's. It is also the name of the 44-acre mixed-use project described above, at I-75 and Winchester Road, which broke ground in early 2024.
Sir Barton Place
A retail strip on Sir Barton Way, named for Sir Barton, the 1919 Triple Crown winner bred on this farm. Bonefish Grill and Johnny Carino's are here.
Plaudit Place
A retail area named for Plaudit, the other of the two strong two-year-olds Madden had in 1897. Plaudit went on to win the 1898 Kentucky Derby and became the first of several champion stallions to stand at Hamburg Place. Liquor Barn, Carrabba's and Outback Steakhouse are among the tenants here.
War Admiral Place
The retail area anchored by Lowe's, Walmart and Hobby Lobby, with Smashing Tomato, Raising Cane's and Sportsman's Warehouse alongside them. It is the big-box end of Hamburg rather than the lifestyle-center end.
The Shetlands
A single-family subdivision built on the original Hamburg horse farm land, within walking distance of the commercial district. Its homeowners association filed its articles of incorporation with Kentucky in 1998 and now goes by the Hamburg Homeowners Association.
Prestwick
A single-family subdivision in Hamburg with its own homeowners association, registered with LFUCG and listed in the city's neighborhood association layer. It is the subdivision described above.
Hamburg Farms
A rental community of townhomes and flats at 2498 Aristocracy Circle, directly beside Hamburg Pavilion. It is apartments rather than houses for sale, which is worth knowing if the name turns up in a home search.
What's Nearby
Hamburg's whole identity is shopping and dining. The area centers on Hamburg Pavilion, which opened in 1997 and has 75 stores across nearly a million square feet of retail. You'll find Costco, Target, Meijer, Walmart, Lowe's, Sam's Club, HomeGoods, Hobby Lobby, Barnes and Noble, and PetSmart in or near the Pavilion. The dining options run from chain anchors to local favorites. Some are the same chains you'll find near Andover (Carrabba's, Bonefish Grill, Johnny Carino's, all reviewed in detail on the Andover neighborhood page). Hamburg has more on top: Malone's Steakhouse, Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen, Smashing Tomato, Joella's Hot Chicken, Gold Star Chili, Culver's, The Local Taco, and Pasta Garage Italian Café. Bonefish Grill is one of my favorite restaurants in town. If you are in Hamburg, I highly recommend this place for dinner. For healthcare, Hamburg has become a major medical hub. Baptist Health Hamburg opened in spring 2024 on Polo Club Boulevard. A new UK HealthCare outpatient medical campus is being built nearby. These two facilities have made Hamburg a destination for patients and medical staff from across central Kentucky. The biggest development happening in Hamburg right now is Hamburg East, a 44-acre mixed-use project by Cowgill Inc. that broke ground in early 2024. The site sits at the corner of I-75 and US-60 (Winchester Road), adjacent to the new UK HealthCare campus. Plans include apartments, a hotel, restaurants, retail, and offices, all wrapped with bike trails, walking trails, and green spaces. The infrastructure was completed in summer 2025. Apartments are proposed for late 2025 with anticipated opening in 2028. This matters beyond the immediate development. According to the developer, the Hamburg East site is the last corner of the Fayette County interstate system available for development inside the urban services area. After Hamburg East, the easy commercial land on Lexington's east side is essentially built out. Shopping and dining in Hamburg. Hamburg is where a lot of Lexington's national chains land first, and the turnover out here is constant. The ranked list of Lexington restaurants covers the Hamburg spots alongside the rest of the city, and the coming soon directory tracks what has been announced, licensed or just opened, which is the faster way to answer whether something new has arrived. If you are looking for a few hours rather than a meal, the Hamburg Place Horse Cemetery park, the Pavilion itself and Regal Hamburg Pavilion, the area's movie theater, all sit within a few blocks of each other.
Annual Events
Hamburg's recurring events are the weekly and monthly kind, most of them in the Pavilion's parking lots.
Bluegrass Farmers Market
Saturdays 9 to 2 and Tuesdays 2 to 5, April through October (2026: Apr 4 through Oct 31)
Liquor Barn Hamburg lot, 1837 Plaudit Pl
A producer-only farmers market inside Hamburg. Free.
Event detailsJohn's Run/Walk Shop free community 5K
Second Saturday of every month, 7:30 am, year-round
3090 Helmsdale Pl (the shop's lot)
An untimed, free 5K that starts from the store; weekly Saturday group runs too.
Event detailsKentucky Pop-Ups markets at Hamburg Pavilion
About one Saturday a month, spring through November, 11 to 4 (2026 Fall Market: Sep 26)
Regal Cinemas lot, 1949 Star Shoot Pkwy
Fifty to sixty juried makers and craft vendors outdoors. Free to browse.
Event detailsLex KY Cars and Coffee
First Saturday of every month, 8:30 to 11 am, year-round
Southland Christian Church, 2349 Richmond Rd, about eight minutes away
An open-to-all-makes cars-and-coffee meet. Free.
Event detailsSanta at Hamburg Pavilion
Weekends from late November to just before Christmas (2025: Nov 29 through Dec 21; Sat 10 to 2, Sun 12 to 4)
2308 Sir Barton Way, storefront facing the Regal lot
Free Santa photos, face painting on Saturdays, and carriage rides on select dates.
Event details
Up I-75, the Kentucky Horse Park's Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (late April) and Southern Lights drive-through (late November through December 31, $35 a car) are about 15 minutes away.
Dates are the most recent published as of September 2026; check the organizer before you go.
Highlights
- Historic Hamburg Place thoroughbred horse farm
- Hamburg Pavilion shopping center (1997)
- Major healthcare hub (Baptist Health, UK HealthCare)
- Hamburg East mixed-use development underway
- Easy I-75 and I-64 access
Amenities
Cost of Living
Hamburg home prices reflect its location near major shopping, healthcare, and interstate access. As of 2026, condos and townhouses run roughly $250,000 to $400,000, while larger single-family homes range $400,000 to $700,000 and above. The area has steady demand from medical professionals, commuters, and families drawn to the convenience. For context, Hamburg sits in a similar price range to Andover (the cluster just to the south, where six neighborhood associations collectively bought their former golf course), and substantially higher than Masterson Station on the other side of Lexington.
Schools
Hamburg school zoning splits across several schools and varies by exact street address. The recent opening of Mary E. Britton Middle School in August 2025 triggered district-wide rezoning that affected Hamburg. Elementary: Most Hamburg homes are zoned for either Liberty Elementary School (2585 Liberty Road, in the residential core) or Julius Marks Elementary School (3277 Pepperhill Road, serving adjacent subdivisions southwest of Hamburg). Middle: Mary E. Britton Middle School (2185 Polo Club Boulevard) is the main middle school anchor for the Hamburg core. Edge pockets of the Hamburg area are zoned for either Crawford Middle School (1813 Charleston Drive) or Edythe J. Hayes Middle School depending on the specific subdivision. High: Frederick Douglass High School (2000 Winchester Road) is the designated high school for the vast majority of the Hamburg community. It is known for specialized academies in technology, professional services, and health science education. Boundary lines twist by subdivision and street, so look up your exact schools with the FCPS SchoolSite Locator.
Hamburg FAQ
Is Hamburg part of Lexington?
Yes. Hamburg is a district of southeastern Lexington along the I-75 corridor, at the Man O' War Boulevard interchange, Exit 108. Hamburg Pavilion is about 5.5 miles from the Main Street core by car.
Why is Hamburg in Lexington called Hamburg?
After a horse. John E. Madden bought a yearling colt named Hamburg for $1,200 in 1896, sold him a year later for $40,001, and used that money to buy the 1,300 acres that became Hamburg Place farm in 1898.
What zip code is Hamburg in Lexington, KY?
40509.
What are the shopping areas in Hamburg?
Hamburg Place lists six: Hamburg East, Hamburg Pavilion, Meijer, Plaudit Place, Sir Barton Place and War Admiral Place. VisitLEX lists the same six. Hamburg Pavilion is the largest, at close to a million square feet of open-air retail.
Are new restaurants opening in Hamburg?
Usually several at a time, since this is where most of Lexington's new chain and fast-casual space lands. The site keeps a coming soon directory of announced, licensed and newly opened Lexington businesses, linked from the shopping and dining section above, and the Hamburg entries show up there as they are confirmed.
What is the Hamburg horse cemetery?
The Hamburg Place Horse Cemetery, a small park tucked among the big-box stores where horses bred on the farm are buried. Sir Barton, the first Triple Crown winner, and Plaudit, the 1898 Kentucky Derby winner, are both there. It is free to visit.