diff --git a/sqlite_utils/cli.py b/sqlite_utils/cli.py
index 14aa338..a6ad7ca 100644
--- a/sqlite_utils/cli.py
+++ b/sqlite_utils/cli.py
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import csv as csv_std
 import tabulate
 from .utils import sqlite3
 
+VALID_COLUMN_TYPES = ("INTEGER", "TEXT", "FLOAT", "BLOB")
+
 
 def output_options(fn):
     for decorator in reversed(
@@ -528,6 +530,35 @@ def upsert(
     )
 
 
+@cli.command(name="create-table")
+@click.argument(
+    "path",
+    type=click.Path(file_okay=True, dir_okay=False, allow_dash=False),
+    required=True,
+)
+@click.argument("table")
+@click.argument("columns", nargs=-1, required=True)
+@click.option("--pk", help="Column to use as primary key")
+def create_table(path, table, columns, pk):
+    "Add an index to the specified table covering the specified columns"
+    db = sqlite_utils.Database(path)
+    if len(columns) % 2 == 1:
+        raise click.ClickException(
+            "columns must be an even number of 'name' 'type' pairs"
+        )
+    coltypes = {}
+    columns = list(columns)
+    while columns:
+        name = columns.pop(0)
+        ctype = columns.pop(0)
+        if ctype.upper() not in VALID_COLUMN_TYPES:
+            raise click.ClickException(
+                "column types must be one of {}".format(VALID_COLUMN_TYPES)
+            )
+        coltypes[name] = ctype.upper()
+    db[table].create(coltypes, pk=pk)
+
+
 @cli.command()
 @click.argument(
     "path",
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index fe6bbb2..d002ac2 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -861,3 +861,39 @@ def test_upsert_alter(db_path, tmpdir):
     assert [{"id": 1, "name": "Cleo", "age": 5},] == db.execute_returning_dicts(
         "select * from dogs order by id"
     )
+
+
+def test_create_table():
+    runner = CliRunner()
+    with runner.isolated_filesystem():
+        result = runner.invoke(
+            cli.cli,
+            [
+                "create-table",
+                "test.db",
+                "t",
+                "id",
+                "integer",
+                "name",
+                "text",
+                "age",
+                "integer",
+                "weight",
+                "float",
+                "thumbnail",
+                "blob",
+                "--pk",
+                "id",
+            ],
+        )
+        assert 0 == result.exit_code
+        db = Database("test.db")
+        assert (
+            "CREATE TABLE [t] (\n"
+            "   [id] INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,\n"
+            "   [name] TEXT,\n"
+            "   [age] INTEGER,\n"
+            "   [weight] FLOAT,\n"
+            "   [thumbnail] BLOB\n"
+            ")"
+        ) == db["t"].schema