Paintsville, Kentucky
Paintsville is a city of 4,203 people in Johnson County, Kentucky, founded in February 24, 1834.
Why visit Paintsville
Townapedia lists 11 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 13 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include The Movies at the Plaza, First National Bank Building, Francis M. Stafford House and Paintsville Golf Course.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 23°F.
Weather in Paintsville
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Paintsville
Paintsville (locally ) is a home rule-class city in Johnson County, Kentucky, United States. Located along Paint Creek, it is the county seat of Johnson County. The population was 4,312 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Paintsville, Kentucky (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks11
First National Bank Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic structure in Paintsville, Kentucky
Francis M. Stafford House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Paintsville, Kentucky
H.B. Rice Insurance Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Office building in Kentucky, United States of America
Mayo Mansion
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in Kentucky, United States
Paintsville City Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Rathaus in Kentucky, United States of America
Paintsville Country Club
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Clubhouse in Kentucky, United States of America
Paintsville Public Library Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Library
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Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes13
Hawaiian Shaved Ice of Paintsville
Ice cream · 1.4 mi
Shaved Ice Shop
1569 Euclid Avenue, Paintsville
1 more on the map.
History
A Paint Lick Station was referred to in United States Army dispatches as early as 1780. The site was named for tribal art painted on the debarked trees near a local salt lick when the first white settlers arrived and was originally part of a 19,050-acre (7,710 ha) tract belonging to George Lewis. The trading post was purchased by Henery Dixon from North Carolina in 1812 and laid out as the town of Paint Lick Station in 1826. The town was formally established under that name in 1834, although the post office was probably named Paint Creek. It was incorporated as a city under its present name of Paintsville in 1843, the same year it became the county seat of Johnson County.
The Civil War found Johnson County Fiscal Court passing an ordinance barring both Union and Confederate flags from being flown in its jurisdiction. This was quickly repealed when then-Col. James A. Garfield marched his brigade into the city.
From the History section of Paintsville, Kentucky on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Ramada by Wyndham Paintsville Hotel & Conference Center
Motel and hotel · 0.5 mi
624 James South Trimble Boulevard, Paintsville
Churches and places of worship18
First United Methodist Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Mayo Memorial United Methodist Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places
Saint Michael Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.7 mi
720 Washington Avenue, Paintsville
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries16
Kentucky Tech - Mayo Regional Tech Ctr
School · 0.4 mi
513 3Rd Street, Paintsville
Healthcare1
Map of Paintsville
70 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°F | 23°F | 3.4 in |
| Feb | 49°F | 26°F | 3.2 in |
| Mar | 58°F | 32°F | 4.4 in |
| Apr | 70°F | 41°F | 3.8 in |
| May | 76°F | 51°F | 4.4 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 60°F | 4.8 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 65°F | 5.2 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 63°F | 3.6 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 56°F | 3.4 in |
| Oct | 70°F | 43°F | 3.2 in |
| Nov | 58°F | 32°F | 3.0 in |
| Dec | 48°F | 28°F | 3.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Paintsville 1E (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Johnson County has had 35 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2025-04-24: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2025-04-03: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2025-02-24: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2025-02-16: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides (Severe Storm)
- 2024-11-26: Remnants Of Hurricane Helene (Tropical Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Pike County Airport (PVL) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 22 miles away.
- Louisa 23 mi northeast, about 36 min by car
- Coal Run Village 24 mi southeast, about 39 min by car
- Grayson 36 mi north, about 58 min by car
- Jackson 36 mi southwest, about 58 min by car
- Olive Hill 39 mi northwest, about 1 h by car
- Cannonsburg 39 mi north, about 1 h by car
- Morehead 43 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Hazard 44 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Huntington 45 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Ashland 45 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Paintsville Christmas, J654567, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Paintsville Public Library, Nyttend, Public domain
- Paintsville old post office, Nyttend, Public domain
- Old Johnson County Courthouse, Paintsville, Nyttend, Public domain
- Paintsville City Hall, Nyttend, Public domain
- Paintsville United Baptist Church, Nyttend, Public domain
- Paintsville First Free Will Baptist Church, Nyttend, Public domain
- Court and Main, Paintsville, Nyttend, Public domain
- Patterson House in Paintsville, Nyttend, Public domain
- Archer House in Paintsville, Nyttend, Public domain
- Euclid and Frank in Paintsville, Nyttend, Public domain
- Creek and cliff at Paintsville, Nyttend, Public domain
- Paintsville Country Club, Nyttend, Public domain
- F.M. Stafford House, J654567, CC BY-SA 3.0
- First United Methodist Church (Paintsville), J654567, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mayo Memorial United Methodist Church, J654567, CC BY-SA 3.0
- First National Bank (Paintsville), J654567, CC BY-SA 3.0
- H.B. Rice Insurance Building, J654567, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mayo Mansion (distant), J654567, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mountain Homeplace, J654567, CC BY-SA 3.0
- First Baptist-Nazarene Church, Nyttend, Public domain
- Judge Jim Turner House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Johnson county kentucky courthouse, Bedford, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Thomas Mayo House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Byrd and Leona Webb House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Allie Webb House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Tobe Wiley House site, Nyttend, Public domain
- ISS047-E-78334 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS047-E-61957 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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