Pikeville, Kentucky

Pikeville, the seat of Pike county, was founded in 1823 on the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River and was named, like the county, for General Zebulon Pike. The town was always known as Pikeville, although the official name of the town and post office were Pike and Piketon at various times.

Piketon was incorporated in 1848 and reincorporated as Pikeville in 1850.

The Pike post office opened in 1825, was renamed Piketon in 1829, and Pikeville in 1881.

The population in 2020 was 7,503.

Pikeville is home to the University of Pikeville. It was established in 1889 as the Pikeville Collegiate Institute by Presbyterian missionaries and was an elementary and high school. A Training School for Teachers was added in 1901 and college courses were added a few years later. The name was changed to Pikeville College in 1909 and University of Pikeville in 2011. It now includes colleges of osteopathic medicine, business, education, optometry, nursing and health services, and dental medicine.

Pikeville, Kentucky

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