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Prestonsburg, Kentucky
Prestonsburg is a city of 3,765 people in Floyd County, Kentucky, founded in 1818.
Why visit Prestonsburg
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 7 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Mountain Arts Center, Front Street Historic District, Samuel May House and StoneCrest Golf Course.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 23°F.
Weather in Prestonsburg
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Prestonsburg
Prestonsburg is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Floyd County, Kentucky, United States. It is in the eastern part of the state in the valley of the Big Sandy River. As of the 2020 census, Prestonsburg had a population of 3,681.
From the Wikipedia article Prestonsburg, Kentucky (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Mountain Arts Center
Cinema and theater · 2.1 mi
Theater and performing arts center in Prestonsburg, Kentucky
50 Hal Rogers Drive, Prestonsburg
Museums and landmarks6
Front Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic district in Prestonsburg, Kentucky
Samuel May House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic house in Kentucky, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
StoneCrest Golf Course
Golf course · 1.2 mi
918 Club House Drive, Prestonsburg
Mo-Fr 08:00-19:00, Sa-Su 08:00-20:00
Restaurants and cafes7
The Brickhouse
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.0 mi
358 South Central Avenue
Th-Sa 11:00-23:00; Tu-We 11:00-21:00; Su 12:00-17:00
El Rodeo Grande
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.7 mi
1566 North Lake Drive, Prestonsburg
Arby's
Fast food · Sandwich · 0.6 mi
1308 North Lake Drive, Prestonsburg
Mo-Th 10:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-24:00; Su 10:00-23:00
Dairy Cheer
Fast food · Burger, Ice Cream · 0.6 mi
1384 North Lake Drive, Prestonsburg
History
The area was part of the 100,000-acre (400 km2) grant in the early 1700s to the family of John Preston's wife, born Elizabeth Patton, which he administered on her behalf. The grant was intended to permit British colonization beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains, but subsequent French and Indian resistance and a reversal of British policy limited its impact. The land was not settled until John Spurlock of Montgomery County, Virginia, arrived in 1791. He laid out the town of "Preston's Station" in 1797. It became the seat of Floyd County upon its formation in 1799 and was formally established in 1818. The post office was known as "Floyd Court House" from its establishment in 1816 until the late 1820s, when it was renamed "Prestonsburg".
On January 10, 1862, nearby Middle Creek National Battlefield was the scene of the largest battle of the Civil War to occur in Eastern Kentucky. The town was also the site of one of the worst school bus disasters in American history on February 28, 1958.
The town had a pack horse library in the late 1930s to bring library materials to rural mountain residents.
From the History section of Prestonsburg, Kentucky on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship15
Methodist Episcopal Church, South
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Saint Martha Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 2.2 mi
60 Martha's Vineyard, Prestonsburg
Abbot Creek Freewill Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 2.9 mi
1790 Abbott Creek Road, Prestonsburg
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries10
Floyd County Public Library
Library · 0.9 mi
161 North Arnold Avenue, Prestonsburg
Healthcare2
Map of Prestonsburg
52 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°F | 23°F | 3.6 in |
| Feb | 48°F | 26°F | 4.0 in |
| Mar | 57°F | 31°F | 4.2 in |
| Apr | 70°F | 40°F | 4.2 in |
| May | 76°F | 51°F | 4.6 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 60°F | 5.1 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 64°F | 4.5 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 63°F | 3.6 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 56°F | 3.4 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 44°F | 3.2 in |
| Nov | 57°F | 32°F | 2.9 in |
| Dec | 47°F | 27°F | 4.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Prestonsburg 3Wsw (4 mi away), rain and snow from Martin 1 S, 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
Floyd County has had 34 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)
- 2023-05-09: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Pike County Airport (PVL) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 14 miles away.
- Paintsville 10 mi north, about 16 min by car
- Coal Run Village 15 mi southeast, about 25 min by car
- Pikeville 19 mi southeast, about 31 min by car
- Louisa 31 mi north, about 50 min by car
- Jackson 34 mi west, about 55 min by car
- Jenkins 35 mi south, about 57 min by car
- Hazard 37 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
- Grayson 46 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Huntington 54 mi north, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Ashland 54 mi north, about 1 h 30 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
- Front north of Ford in Prestonsburg, Nyttend, Public domain
- Prestonsburg Kentucky near restaurants, Elspamo4, CC BY-SA 4.0
- West Prestonsburg Bridge from east, Nyttend, Public domain
- Prestonsburg museum-former post office, Nyttend, Public domain
- Old courthouse, Prestonsburg, Nyttend, Public domain
- Floyd County Courthouse (new), Prestonsburg, Nyttend, Public domain
- Court east of Front, Prestonsburg, Nyttend, Public domain
- Prestonsburg Methodist Church, Nyttend, Public domain
- Samuel May House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Joseph D. Harkins House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Fitzpatrick-Harmon House site, Nyttend, Public domain
- B.F. Combs House, Nyttend, Public domain
- May-Latta House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Harkins Law Office, Nyttend, Public domain
- May-Fitzpatrick House, Nyttend, Public domain
- G.D. Callihan House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Front Street bridge over Levisa Fork, Nyttend, Public domain
- ISS034-E-22354 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS018-E-6917 - View of Kentucky, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Middle Creek Battlefield, Nyttend, Public domain
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