Paintsville is a home rule-class city along Paint Creek in Johnson County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 3,459 during the 2010 U.S. Census.

A Paint Lick Station was referred to in military dispatches as early as 1780. The site was named for Indian art painted on the debarked trees near a local salt lick in the same way as the first white settlers arrived and was originally part of a 19,050-acre (7,710 ha) tract belonging to George Lewis. The trading say was purchased by the Carolinian Rev.Henery Dixon in 1812 and laid out as the town of Paint Lick Station in 1826. The town was formally established below that state in 1834, although the read out office was probably named Paint Creek. It was incorporated as a city below its present name of Paintsville in 1843, the similar year it became the chair of Johnson County.

The Civil War found Johnson County Fiscal Court passing an ordinance barring both Union and Confederate flags from bodily flown in its jurisdiction. This was quickly repealed similar to then-Col. James A. Garfield marched his brigade into the city.

During the to the front twentieth century, Paintsville began to transform into a objector American city. In 1902, the city’s first bank – First National – opened for business. In 1906, the city established telephone further and, two years later, all of its streets were paved. In 1912, Paintsville expected electricity and natural gas services. In 1926, Paintsville residents traditional public water and the city’s flame department was established. Library facilities were originally provided through the Pack Horse Library Project.