Shepherdsville is a home rule-class city on the Salt River in Bullitt County, Kentucky, United States. It is the second largest city and seat of its county, located just south of Louisville. The population was 14,201 at the 2020 census, and was estimated to be 14,837 in 2024.
The vicinity was originally known by European Americans as "Bullitt's Lick" for the salt licks discovered by surveyor Capt. Thomas Bullitt in 1773. The area was home to Kentucky's first commercial salt works. These were shuttered in the 1830s because of competition from Virginian works along the Kanawha River (now in West Virginia).
The first post office opened in 1806.
Throughout most of the 20th century, Shepherdsville's economy was based on agriculture. It was a trading center for the county, and important for law and justice related to the county seat. Construction of the Kentucky Turnpike (now Interstate 65) in the 1950s stimulated residential development in the suburbs, as people who worked in Louisville could commute more easily to work. Many moved to Shepherdsville and other outlying areas to have new houses.
Geography
Shepherdsville is located on the banks of the Salt River. Downtown Louisville is to the north via Interstate 65, and Elizabethtown is to the south.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (1.75%) is water.