Johnson County is a
county located in the
U.S. state of
Kentucky. As of the
2010 census, the population was 23,356. Its
county seat is
Paintsville. The county was formed in 1843 and named for
Richard Mentor Johnson,
War of 1812 general,
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.