Today, expect 140,000 to cram into the track. Directions and parking Louisville is a two-hour trip down Interstate 71. Go north on Southern Parkway. Follow the signs to the track. Expect long traffic delays as you approach the track.
Many streets are closed, while other are converted to one-way.
Louisville police recommend getting off the Interstate at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center, parking at Freedom Hall and taking a shuttle bus to the track. Parking and shuttle service are also available from Papa John's Cardinal Stadium on the University of Louisville campus. Not to be confused with the old Cardinal Stadium, the Papa John's stadium can be reached by taking the Crittenden Drive exit. It's a short walk from Churchill Downs. Public parking is not available on track grounds for the Derby.