Floyd County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the U.S. state of

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,942. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is Prestonsburg. The county, founded in 1800, is named for

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

John Floyd (1750–1783).

History

On December 13, 1799, the

Kentucky General Assembly The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It comprises the Kentucky Senate and the Kentucky House of Representatives. The General Assembly meets annually in ...

passed legislation to form Floyd County as the 40th county of Kentucky.Kleber, John E. ''The Kentucky Encyclodpedia'' (University Press of Kentucky), p. 330 The county was made from parts of Fleming, Montgomery, and Mason County, Kentucky. The legislation became effective on June 1, 1800. The county was named for James John Floyd, a pioneer surveyor who helped lay out the city of Louisville. The county seat was Preston's Station, later renamed Prestonsburg. The first court house burned down on April 8, 1808, destroying all the early records, so the earliest records of government activity do not date prior to 1808. Prestonsburg was used as a Confederate stronghold during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

and two battles took place nearby, the

Battle of Ivy Mountain The Big Sandy Expedition was an early campaign of the American Civil War in Kentucky that began in mid-September 1861 when Union Brig. Gen. William "Bull" Nelson received orders to organize a new brigade at Maysville, Kentucky and conduct an ...

on November 8, 1861, and the Battle of Middle Creek on January 10, 1862. Both were Union victories. On February 28, 1958, the county was the site of one of the deadliest bus accidents in U.S. history, leaving 27 people dead. On June 30, 2022, a mass shooting targeting police officers occurred in

Allen Allen, Allen's or Allens may refer to: Buildings * Allen Arena, an indoor arena at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee * Allen Center, a skyscraper complex in downtown Houston, Texas * Allen Fieldhouse, an indoor sports arena on the Univer ...

, a city in Floyd County. Three police officers and a police dog were killed, and four other people were injured. The alleged shooter, 49-year-old Lance Storz, was arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder of a police officer.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.6%) is water.

Adjacent counties

* Johnson County (north) * Martin County (northeast) * Pike County (east) * Knott County (southwest) *

Magoffin County Magoffin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,333. Its county seat is Salyersville. The county was formed in 1860 from adjacent portions of Floyd, Johnson, and Morgan Countie ...

(northwest)

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 39,451 people living in the county. 98.2% were

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.7% Black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Native American, 0.2% of some other race and 0.6% of two or more races. 0.6% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). As of the

of 2000, there were 42,441 people, 16,881 households, and 12,272 families living in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 18,551 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.73%

, 1.29%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.12% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.08%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.12% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. 0.61% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. The Kentucky Melungeons live primarily in Floyd and Magoffin counties. These families once lived in certain pockets or clusters within Floyd County, some continue to do this. However, most of these Melungeon families have now spread out or moved away, and so they cannot be defined by one valley, ridge, hollow, watershed, area, etc. However, some of their known historic residences were: The upper waters of both the Right and Left Forks of Beaver Creek, as well as its smaller streams, branches, and forks; extending into Knott County as well. There were 16,881 households, out of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.50% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 12.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.30% were non-families. 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.93. In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.60% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 30.30% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $21,168, and the median income for a family was $25,717. Males had a median income of $30,242 versus $20,569 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $12,442. About 26.90% of families and 30.30% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 39.80% of those under age 18 and 20.50% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The county's public schools are operated by the Floyd County School District.

Economy

Coal companies in Floyd County

* Blackhawk Mining * James River Coal Company * Frasure Creek Mining

Politics

Floyd County is traditionally a Democratic county. The county gave

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...

over 65% in both 1992 and 1996 while George W. Bush never received more than 38% of the county's vote. Like the rest of the state outside of Jefferson County ( Louisville) and Fayette County (

Lexington Lexington may refer to: Places England * Laxton, Nottinghamshire, formerly Lexington Canada * Lexington, a district in Waterloo, Ontario United States * Lexington, Kentucky, the largest city with this name * Lexington, Massachusetts, the oldes ...

), the county eventually shifted to the Republican Party, but became one of the last counties in Kentucky to make that transition. In 2008 its votes went to the Republican Party's presidential candidate for the first time in the county's history. The county has trended strongly Republican in the past two Presidential elections, giving

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

72.5% of its vote in 2016, only slightly less than traditional totals in long-standing rock-ribbed Republican Kentucky counties like Jackson County and

Clay County Clay County is the name of 18 counties in the United States. Most are named for Henry Clay, U.S. Senator and statesman: * Clay County, Alabama * Clay County, Arkansas (named for John Clayton, and originally named Clayton County) * Clay County, Flo ...

. Floyd County is part of

Kentucky's 5th congressional district Kentucky's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Located in the heart of Appalachia in Southeastern Kentucky, the rural district is the second most impoverished district in the nation and, as of ...

, which has been represented by Republican Hal Rogers since 1981.

Communities

Cities

Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austr ...

* Prestonsburg (county seat) * Wayland * Wheelwright

Census-designated places

* Auxier * Betsy Layne * Dwale * Maytown * McDowell

Other unincorporated places

* Alphoretta *

Banner A banner can be a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Als ...

Beaver Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers a ...

Blue Moon A blue moon is an additional full moon that appears in a subdivision of a year: the third of four full moons in a season. The phrase in modern usage has nothing to do with the actual color of the Moon, although a visually blue Moon (the Moon ...

* Blue River *

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...

* Burton * Bypro *

Cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...

* Dana *

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

* Dema (part) *

Drift Drift or Drifts may refer to: Geography * Drift or ford (crossing) of a river * Drift, Kentucky, unincorporated community in the United States * In Cornwall, England: ** Drift, Cornwall, village ** Drift Reservoir, associated with the village ...

* Eastern * Emma * Estill * Garrett * Glo * Grethel * Halo *

Harold Harold may refer to: People * Harold (given name), including a list of persons and fictional characters with the name * Harold (surname), surname in the English language * András Arató, known in meme culture as "Hide the Pain Harold" Arts ...

* Hi Hat * Hippo * Hueysville * Ivel * Jacks Creek * Jump Station *

Lackey Lackey may refer to: __NOTOC__ Places * Lackey, Kentucky, United States, an unincorporated community * Lackey, Mississippi, United States, an unincorporated community * Lackey, Virginia, United States, an unincorporated community * Lackey Ridge, ...

* Langley * Ligon * Melvin * Midas * Minnie *

Orkney Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...

* Printer *

Pyramid A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilate ...

* Risner * Stanville * Teaberry *

Tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport ...

* Warco * Watergap * Weeksbury * Wonder * Woods

Notable natives

Kelly Coleman Kelly "King" Coleman (September 21, 1938 – June 16, 2019) was an American professional basketball player. Coleman was a record scorer at Kentucky Wesleyan College and Wayland High School (Kentucky). Coleman was the #11 overall pick of the New Y ...

Wayland, Kentucky. High school, collegiate and professional basketball player. *

Bette Henritze Bette Joan Henritze (May 23, 1924 – February 22, 2018) was an American actress of stage, film, and television. She played supporting roles in films like ''The World According to Garp'', ''The Hospital'', '' Far From Heaven'', and ''Judy Berlin ...

, stage, film and TV actress, was born on May 23, 1924, at Betsy Layne.Floyd County record of the birth of Bette J. Henritze
/ref> * Kenny Rice, Sportscaster. Born in McDowell, raised in Eastern. * Boyd Holbrook, actor and model, raised in Prestonsburg.

References

External links

Floyd County Times

Floyd County Chamber of Commerce website

The Kentucky Highlands Project

Sandy Valley Transportation Services, Inc.
{{authority control Kentucky counties Counties of Appalachia 1800 establishments in Kentucky Populated places established in 1800