Johnson County
Also known as Johnson County, Kentucky, Johnson County, KY
county in Kentucky, United States
Key facts
- Country
- United States
- State
- Kentucky
- Founded
- February 24, 1843
- Named after
- Richard Mentor Johnson
- Seat
- Paintsville
- Largest city
- Paintsville
- Judge executive
- Mark McKenzie (R)
- Total
- 264 sq mi (680 km )
- Land
- 262 sq mi (680 km )
- Water
- 2.2 sq mi (5.7 km ) 0.8%
- Estimate 2025
- 22,051
- Density
- 86.6/sq mi (33.4/km )
- Time zone
Article
Johnson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,680. Its county seat is Paintsville. The county was formed in 1843 and named for Richard Mentor Johnson, a colonel of the War of 1812, United States Representative, Senator, and Vice President of the United States.
Johnson County is classified as a moist county, which is a county in which alcohol sales are not allowed (a dry county), but containing a "wet" city, in this case Paintsville, where alcoholic beverage sales are allowed.