Pike

Formed December 19, 1821 (71^st county)

Pike County (58,663), Pikeville (7,755)

The 1888 tan brick Classical Revival facility was remodeled in 1932.  The courthouse is on Main Street and Division.  United States Highway 23 Business is two blocks to the west of the courthouse.  H. P. McDonald Brothers were the architects.  A Hall of Justice was built in 1989 and a Judicial Center was built in 2013.  The courthouse features a tower and working clock.  The city has painted bears throughout.  The county was created on December 19, 1821 from Floyd County as the 71^st county.  Liberty, Peach Orchard Bottom, Piketon, and Pikeville have all serve as the county seat.  The county is named for explorer Zebulon Pike.  The county seat is also named for him. 

Pike County government consists of a County Judge Executive, a sheriff, a clerk, an attorney, a treasurer, a coroner, and an appraiser (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Two Circuit Court Judges, Three District Court Judges, One Family Court Judge and a court clerk serve Pike County (judicial.) The county is on the eastern border of Kentucky bordering both West Virginia and Virginia.  The county center is 15.3 miles East of Pikeville nearer Kimper.  The county surrounded clockwise by Martin County and West Virginia and Virginia and Letcher, Knott, and Floyd counties. 

The area of the county is 788 square miles.  It is 1 out of 120 in the state.  It ranks 16 out of 120 in population in the state.  It has a density of 74.4 persons per square mile making it 47 out of 120 in the state.  Pike County has 17.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 23 goes northwest to south in the county from Floyd County to Letcher County.  United States Highway 119 enters from West Virginia, northeast, and joins United States Highway 23 into Letcher County.  United States Highway 460 comes joined with United States Highway 23 from Floyd County, splits and heads east into Virginia.  The county is shaped like a sled speeding to the southwest.  Pikeville is in the western quarter of the county.  Pikeville is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 13.2% of the county population.