Prestonsburg, Kentucky

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Coordinates: 37°40′4″N 82°45′32″W / 37.66778, -82.75889
Prestonsburg, Kentucky
Prestonsburg, Kentucky Location within the state of Kentucky
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
County	Floyd
Area
- Total	11.1 sq mi (28.7 km²)
- Land	10.9 sq mi (28.2 km²)
- Water	0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
Elevation	633 ft (193 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	3,612
- Density	332.2/sq mi (128.3/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	41653
Area code(s)	606
FIPS code	21-62940
GNIS feature ID	0501307

Prestonsburg is a city in and the county seat of Floyd County, Kentucky, United States.^[1] It lies in the eastern part of the state, along the banks of the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River. It was founded in 1797 by Col. John Preston—for whom it was named—along with Solomon Stratton, Matthias Harman and Andrew Hood. The population was 3,612 at the 2000 census.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Education
4 Culture
5 Recreation
6 Films
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Geography

Prestonsburg is located at 37°40'4" North, 82°45'32" West (37.667872, -82.758765)^[2]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.1 square miles (28.7 km²), of which, 10.9 square miles (28.2 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it is water. The total area is 1.81% water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^[3] of 2000, there were 3,612 people, 1,563 households, and 956 families residing in the city. The population density was 332.2 people per square mile (128.3/km²). There were 1,683 housing units at an average density of 154.8/sq mi (59.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.51% White, 0.33% African American, 0.50% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.44% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.02% of the population.

There were 1,563 households out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.72.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.2% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 83.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $20,810, and the median income for a family was $27,852. Males had a median income of $30,809 versus $22,439 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,013. About 26.3% of families and 27.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 44.2% of those under the age of 18 and 10.3% of those 65 and older.

[edit] Education

Prestonsburg's public schools are part of the Floyd County school system. The city is also home to Big Sandy Community and Technical College.

[edit] Culture

The Country Music Highway runs through Prestonsburg and celebrates the region's rich heritage of music. Country music stars including Loretta Lynn, Wynonna Judd, Naomi Judd, Billy Ray Cyrus, Tom T. Hall, Ricky Skaggs, Keith Whitley, Dwight Yoakam, and Patty Loveless are all from the Big Sandy Valley. Prestonsburg is mentioned in Yoakam's "Readin', Rightin', Rt. 23" (from his album Hillbilly Deluxe), a song about the yearning of local coal miners to escape their plight by traveling up U.S. Route 23 in Kentucky to find employment in the factories in the North, not knowing that they were only trading one miserable life for another.

Prestonsburg is the location of the Mountain Arts Center, which hosts music concerts and is home to the Kentucky Opry.

Middle Creek National Battlefield is the site of the largest and most significant Civil War battles (January 10, 1862) in Eastern Kentucky.

Prestonsburg is home to the Samuel May House Living History Museum. It is the oldest known brick home remaining in the Big Sandy Valley. Built by Samuel May in 1817, the house was utilized by the Confederate forces as a recruiting station during the American Civil War. The 5th Kentucky Infantry CSA and 10th Kentucky Cavalry was organized at this location. The house was being used as a residence until 1981 and was donated to the City of Prestonsburg in 1992. The Samuel May House has since been restored and maintained as a living history museum.

The Jenny Wiley Theatre is also located in Prestonsburg. It offers theatrical productions all year long at both the outdoor Jenny Wiley Amphitheater, located within the Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, and the nearby Mountain Arts Center. The Theatre's presentations of classic Broadway musicals, comedies, historical dramas and holiday productions have kept theatre-goers entertained for the past 40 years.