text:
Washington County, Arkansas

Washington County is a regional economic, educational, and cultural hub in the Northwest Arkansas region. Created as Arkansas's 17th county on November 30, 1848, Washington County has 13 incorporated municipalities, including Fayetteville, the county seat, and Springdale. The county is also the site of small towns, bedroom communities, and unincorporated places. The county is named for George Washington, the first President of the United States.

Located within the Ozark Mountains, the county is roughly divided into two halves: the rolling Springfield Plateau in the more populous north of the county and the steeper, forested Boston Mountains in the much less populated south. It contains three segments of the Ozark National Forest, two state parks, two Wildlife Management Areas, the Garrett Hollow Natural Area, and dozens of city parks. Other historical features such as Civil War battlefields, log cabins, one-room school houses, community centers, and museums describe the history and culture of Washington County. Washington County occupies 951.72 square miles (243,220 ha) and contained a population of 245,871 people in 89,249 households as of the 2020 Census, ranking it 4th in size and 3rd in population among the state's 75 counties. The economy is largely based on the business/management, education, sales, office/administration, and poultry production industries. Poverty rates, median household income, and unemployment rates best state averages, but lag national trends.

Washington County has long had a reputation for education in the state. The University of Arkansas, the largest four-year college in the state, was established in Fayetteville in 1871. A Washington County campus of the Northwest Arkansas Community College was opened in 2019 in Springdale. Today, Washington County contains eight public school districts, including two of the largest districts in the state (Springdale Public Schools and Fayetteville Public Schools) and two private schools.

It is included in the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Washington County began as part of the Cherokee Territory, following an 1817 treaty. The area was next known as Lovely County, and one year later Washington County was created after another Cherokee treaty. The court house was centrally located in the city of Washington, modern-day Fayetteville (renamed to avoid confusion with Washington, Arkansas in South Arkansas). The Lee Creek Valley in southern Washington County contained many of the county's early settlements, including Cane Hill and Evansville.

Arkansas College and Cane Hill College were both founded in Washington County within a day of each other in 1834, with the University of Arkansas being founded in Fayetteville in 1871. The county witnessed major battles during the American Civil War, including the Battle of Fayetteville, the Battle of Prairie Grove, and the Battle of Cane Hill. The county then was sparsely settled and the residents were divided in their allegiance, since it had few enslaved people, plantations almost nonexistent, and political news came by White River travelers, not from the pro-Confederate southern part of the state. A Butterfield Overland Mail route was established through the county in 1858, causing more families to settle there.

In 1856, what appears to be an act of vengeance, prompted by a Black woman killing, in self-defense, a white man who sexually assaulted her, led to the lynching of two Black men and the hanging of another.

The economy of Washington County was based on apples in the late 19th century. A mixture of wet weather, altitude, and loamy soils provided a good environment for apple orchards. First planted in areas around Lincoln, Evansville, and Cane Hill in the 1830s, apple orchards began all across the county. The United States Census reported a crop of 614,924 bushels of apples produced by the county in 1900, the highest in the state. Several varieties of apple were discovered in the area including Shannon Pippin, Wilson June, and most notably the Arkansas Black. The Ben Davis became the apple of choice in the area for sale and shipment across the region. Corn became the dominant crop, outselling apples by almost $500,000 in 1900.

Arkansas Industrial University was founded in the growing community of Fayetteville in 1871 after William McIlroy a donated farmland for the site. The university changed its name in 1899 to the University of Arkansas. Railroads came to Washington County after the St. Louis – San Francisco Railway (Frisco) decided to build a line to Texas through Fort Smith. Two possible routes were proposed, one passing through Prairie Grove, the other through Fayetteville. Many Fayetteville residents and farmers sold or donated land for the right of way to influence the choice. They were successful and in 1881 the first passenger train arrived at Fayetteville. The county continued to grow with more churches and schools after the railroad's completion. Rural parts of the county began losing population in the 1920s during the Great Depression, when high taxes compelled residents to move to Fayetteville or west to Oklahoma. The rural areas later became the Ozark National Forest and Devil's Den State Park.

Geography
The county is located in the Ozark Mountains, a small mountain region between the Appalachians and the Rocky Mountains with distinct settlement patterns, history, and culture from surrounding agrarian regions (the Interior Plains of the Midwest United States and Mississippi Delta to the southeast), and the flat ranchlands of the Great Plains to the west. In the Ozarks, population density is low; recreation, logging, and poultry and livestock farming are the primary land uses. Pastureland or hayland occur on nearly level ridgetops, benches, and valley floors. Water quality in streams is generally exceptional. Most of the county is within the mountainous, forested Boston Mountains, with the north and west portions made up of the nearly level to rolling Springfield Plateau. Karst features such as springs, losing streams, sinkholes and caves are common.

Washington County has a total area of 951.72 sqmi, of which 945.43 sqmi is land and 6.29 sqmi (0.6%) is water. It is the fourth-largest county by area in Arkansas.

The county is located approximately 112 mi east of Tulsa, Oklahoma, 192 mi northwest of Little Rock, 233 mi south of Kansas City, and 335 mi northeast of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Washington County is surrounded by Benton County to the north, rural Madison County to the east, the rural Crawford County to the south, and Adair County, Oklahoma to the west.

Geology
Washington County sits on a basement of Precambrian granite and rhyolite, as most of the continental interior of the United States does. Much of the county's geologic history must be inferred from nearby Oklahoma and Missouri research, due to the steepness of the more recently formed mountains that did not form in the neighboring states. This igneous material was eroded until the Paleozoic, when oceans covered the now-low-lying area. These oceans came and retreated for 300 million years, depositing various different sediments during that time. This created fossiliferous limestone and ripple marked-sandstone, both present throughout the north part of the county as evidence of ancient oceans.

Sediments were deposited from the Devonian, Mississippian, and Pennsylvanian periods. During this deposition period, the county had a climate similar to that of the present-day Bahamas, as the equator was north of Washington County. The Devonian brought mostly shales, the Mississippian brought the limestones and chert visible in the bluffs. This chert is present throughout most of the county. The county is also home to the Boone Formation (red soils), white limestones, the Wedington Sandstone, the Bastesville Sandstone, the Pitkin formation (ocean-fossil limestone), and the Fayetteville Shale.

Settlers were attracted to the area by its numerous streams, used to power gristmills, sandstones and clays for use in construction, lime-sweetened soil, and chert for road construction.

Today, Washington County consists of two main formations, the Boston Mountains and the Springfield Plateau. During the late Pennsylvanian, sediments were deposited on top of the Springfield Plateau. The area was uplifted during the Ouachita orogeny and subsequent erosion formed the rugged Boston Mountains. Erosion of these sediments causes the Boston Mountains to be carved steeply in the south, while in the north of the county, the Boston Mountain sediments are almost entirely eroded, exposing the older rocks of the Springfield Plateau.

Hydrology

Washington County fits within three regional watersheds: the eastern half drains to the White River (or Beaver Lake) and the west drains to the Illinois River, with a small segment in the south draining to the Arkansas River via the Lee Creek watershed. Within the county, Clear Creek, Moore's Creek, Richland Creek, and Spring Creek are important watercourses. The county also contains eleven natural springs listed by the United States Geological Survey Board on Geographic Names, including Elkhorn Springs, Elm Springs, and Greathouse Spring in Johnson.

As a mountainous county, it contains only one natural lake and several reservoirs. Most of these reservoirs, such as Lake Prairie Grove and Lincoln Lake were created for flood control or water supplies in the 20th century. Beaver Lake, located mostly in Benton County with reaches extending into Washington and Madison counties, is the sixth-largest lake in Arkansas, and a source of recreation, tourism, and drinking water for the Northwest Arkansas region. Washington County also contains Lake Wedington, located in the Ozark National Forest west of Fayetteville on Highway 16.

Protected areas
Washington County contains three discontinuous segments of the Ozark National Forest, two state parks, two Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) under Arkansas Game and Fish Commission jurisdiction, the Garrett Hollow Natural Area, and dozens of city parks.

The Wedington WMA is a hardwood forest owned by the United States Forest Service known for archery, deer hunting, fishing, and boating on Lake Wedington. The southeast corner of Washington County contains part of the White Rock WMA, an expansive section of the Ozark National Forest containing some of the steepest segments of the Boston Mountains covered in a mix of shortleaf pine and hardwood forest. White Rock WMA has six camping areas, four lakes, and numerous trails. Public hunting for squirrels, deer, wild turkeys, and black bear is available during certain seasons

Devil's Den State Park in southern Washington County is known for its picturesque views and mountain vistas. Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park was the site of the Battle of Prairie Grove, fought December 7, 1862, in the American Civil War. The park offers tours of the battlefield and period structures and contains the Hindman Museum, which preserves artifacts and interprets the history of the battle. Arkansas's largest Civil War battle reenactment takes place on t he battlefield in December of even numbered years.

2020 Census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 245,871 people, 89,249 households, and 56,596 families residing in the county.

2010 Census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 203,065 people, 76,389 households, and 48,059 families residing in the county. The population density was 213 PD/sqmi. There were 87,808 housing units at an average density of 92 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 79.9% White, 3.0% Black or African American, 1.2% Native American, 2.2% Asian, 2.0% Pacific Islander, 8.9% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. 15.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 76,389 households, out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 14.9% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,303, and the median income for a family was $52,300. Males had a median income of $37,430 versus $28,990 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,421. About 12.1% of families and 17.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.5% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.

2000 Census

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 157,715 people, 60,151 households, and 39,459 families residing in the county. The population density was 166 PD/sqmi. There were 64,330 housing units at an average density of 68 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 88.00% White, 2.24% Black or African American, 1.25% Native American, 1.54% Asian, 0.53% Pacific Islander, 4.26% from other races, and 2.17% from two or more races. 8.20% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 60,151 households, out of which 32.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.30% were married couples living together, 9.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.40% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.00% under the age of 18, 15.30% from 18 to 24, 30.20% from 25 to 44, 19.50% from 45 to 64, and 9.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,691, and the median income for a family was $42,795. Males had a median income of $29,428 versus $21,769 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,347. About 9.40% of families and 14.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.50% of those under age 18 and 10.20% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Washington County has historically been known as a center for education in Arkansas. Cane Hill College in Canehill was the first college in Arkansas, prior to the University of Arkansas's founding in 1871.

A 2012 study found 84.2% of Washington County residents over age 25 held a high school degree or higher and 31.9% held a bachelor's degree or higher. The Washington County high school rates are similar to state and national averages of 84.8% and 86.7%, respectively. The bachelor's degree rate is the second-highest of any county in Arkansas (statewide average of 21.1%, only behind Pulaski County's 33.7%), but only slightly above the national averages of 29.8%.

Primary and secondary education
School districts include:

 * Elkins School District
 * Farmington School District
 * Fayetteville School District
 * Greenland Public Schools
 * Lincoln School District
 * Prairie Grove School District
 * Siloam Springs Schools
 * Springdale School District
 * West Fork School District

Private schools:
 * Haas Hall Academy
 * Ozark Montessori Academy Springdale

Higher education

The University of Arkansas at Fayetteville was founded in 1871 on the site of a hilltop farm that overlooked the Ozark Mountains, giving it the nickname "The Hill". It is the largest institution of higher learning in the state, with a fall 2019 undergraduate enrollment of 23,025 making UA three times larger than the next-largest institutions. Of the six undergraduate academic units, the largest is J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, followed by the Sam M. Walton College of Business and the College of Education and Health Professions. Enrollment increased 50% following the Campaign for the 21st Century, with much of the growth coming from out-of-state students. As a result, out-of-state students have a significant influence on the Washington County demographics and economy.

The Northwest Arkansas Community College opened a campus in Springdale in 2019.

Library system
Washington County is home to the Fayetteville Public Library and the Washington County Library System (WCLS). The WCLS consists of eight branch libraries, including the Springdale Public Library and seven branches in smaller cities across the county. The libraries offers books, e-books, media, reference, youth, business and genealogy services.

Public health

 * Arkansas Children's Northwest Hospital
 * Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital
 * Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas
 * Northwest Medical Center
 * Behavior Health Unit
 * Emergency Department
 * Willow Creek Women's Hospital
 * Physicians' Specialty Hospital
 * Parkhill The Clinic for Women
 * Regency Hospital
 * Springwoods Behavioral Health Hospital
 * Vantage Point Behavioral Health Hospital
 * Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks
 * Washington Regional Medical Center

Public safety
The Washington County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency in the county. The agency is led by the Washington County Sheriff, an official elected by countywide vote every four years. Ten municipalities have police departments providing law enforcement in their respective jurisdictions; Goshen, Tontitown, and Winslow contract with the Washington County Sheriff's Office for law enforcement services. All municipalities contract with the Washington County Sheriff's Office for incarceration at the Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville. The University of Arkansas Police Department provides law enforcement on the campus of the University of Arkansas in close cooperation with the Fayetteville PD.

The county is under the jurisdiction of the Washington County District Court, a state district court. State district courts in Arkansas are courts of original jurisdiction for misdemeanors offenses and civil, small claims, and traffic matters. Local district courts are presided over by full-time judges in countywide elections.

Superseding district court jurisdiction is the 4th Judicial Circuit Court, which covers Washington and Madison counties. The 4th Circuit contains seven circuit judges, elected to six-year terms circuitwide.

Culture and contemporary life

Washington County has several facilities, monuments, and museums dedicated to preserving the history and culture of the area. The Washington County Historical Museum, owned and operated by the Washington County Historical Society, preserves and interprets the history and culture of Washington County for visitors and residents. Regional history is maintained and taught through the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale since 1968. The Clinton House Museum in Fayetteville is a historic house museum dedicated to the lives of Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham while they both taught at the University of Arkansas School of Law and was where they married in 1975.

Over 100 properties are listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington County, ranging from historic districts (UA Campus, Washington-Willow, Dickson Street, Mock Street, Springdale Poultry Industrry and others) to Civil War battlefields (Cane Hill Battlefield and Prairie Grove Battlefield Park), historic homes of area leaders (Gregg House, Stone House), community gathering places (Mineral Springs Community Building), and places of worship (Shiloh Church, United Presbyterian Church of Canehill).

Annual cultural events
Many cultural events take place in Washington County annually. Some of the largest include:
 * Arkansas Razorbacks football games in fall, estimated to bring 156,765 visitors from outside Northwest Arkansas in 2018
 * Walmart Shareholder's Meeting at Bud Walton Arena brings over 5,000 employees to Fayetteville from around the world.
 * Bikes, Blues, & BBQ motorcycle rally on Dickson Street in Fayetteville with over 400,000 people attending over four days
 * Roots Fest, annual five-day music and food festival in Fayetteville
 * Battle of Prairie Grove Reenactment, hundreds of Civil War reenactors camp and fight at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park in December of even-numbered years
 * NWA Pride, the largest LGBTQ+ Pride event in the state held in Fayetteville every June.

Government
The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of Arkansas and the Arkansas Code. The quorum court is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are called justices of the peace and are elected from county districts every even-numbered year. The number of districts in a county vary from nine to fifteen, and district boundaries are drawn by the county election commission. The Washington County Quorum Court has fifteen members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is the county judge, who serves as the chief operating officer of the county. The county judge is elected at-large and does not vote in quorum court business, although capable of vetoing quorum court decisions.

Current Government
The current County Judge is Republican Patrick Deakins, who was elected to replace Judge Joseph Wood, who retired to run for Arkansas Lieutenant Governor. He defeated Democrat Josh Moody in the November 2022 election by 4.46%.

The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2022 midterm elections is 11 Republicans and 4 Democrats. The Democrats hold only seats that represent Fayetteville, while the Republicans hold every other seat. Incumbents are:
 * District 1: Coleman Taylor (R); Appointed by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, following the resignation of the former officeholder.
 * District 2: David Wilson (R); Elected in 2022.
 * District 3: Sean Simons (R); Elected in 2020.
 * District 4: Vacant since March 22, 2023
 * District 5: Kyle Lyons (R); Elected in 2022.
 * District 6: Lisa Ecke (R); Elected in 2014
 * District 7: Charles Dean (R); Elected in 2022.
 * District 8: Shawndra Washington (D); Elected in 2018.
 * District 9: Beth Coger (D); Elected in 2022.
 * District 10: Robert Dennis (R); Elected in 2020.
 * District 11: Suki Highers (D); Elected in
 * District 12: Evelyn Ríos Stafford; Elected in 2020.
 * District 13: Willie Leming; Elected in 2018
 * District 14: Gary Ricker; Elected in 2022.
 * District 15: Butch Pond; Elected in 2002.

Taxation
Property tax is assessed by the Washington County Assessor annually based upon the fair market value of the property and determining which tax rate, commonly called a millage in Arkansas, will apply. The rate depends upon the property's location with respect to city limits, school district, and special tax increment financing (TIF) districts. This tax is collected by the Washington County Collector between the first business day of March of each year through October 15 without penalty. The Washington County Treasurer disburses tax revenues to various government agencies, such as cities, county road departments, fire departments, libraries, and police departments in accordance with the budget set by the quorum court.

Sales and use taxes in Arkansas are voter approved and collected by the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Arkansas's statewide sales and use tax has been 6.5% since July 1, 2013. Washington County has an additional sales and use tax of 1.25% since December 1, 2004. Within Washington County, Greenland and West Fork have 3.0% additional sales and use tax, Elkins, Prairie Grove, Tontitown have a rate of 2.75%, Farmington, Fayetteville, Johnson, Lincoln, and Springdale are at 2%, and Elm Springs and Goshen have tax rates of 1%. The Arkansas State Treasurer disburses tax revenue to counties/cities in accordance with tax rules.

US Congress
In Congress, Arkansas has been represented by two Republican senators (John Boozman and Tom Cotton) since January 3, 2015, ending a long history of Democratic hegemony.

In the House of Representatives, Washington County is within the 3rd Congressional district, a district that includes Northwest Arkansas and extends south to Fort Smith and part of Sebastian County. The Arkansas 3rd has been represented by Republican Steve Womack since 2010.

Arkansas Senate
Washington County is divided between 5 State Senate districts. They are:
 * District 29: Represented by Jim Petty (R) since 2023. Contains West Fork and Elkins within Washington County and Mountainburg, Alma, and Van Buren within Crawford County.
 * District 30: Represented by Greg Leding (D) since 2019. Contains the majority of Fayetteville. One of only 2 seats entirely within Washington County.
 * District 31: Represented by Clint Penzo (R) since 2023. Contains Springdale, Tontitown, Elm Springs, and Johnson. One of only two seats entirely within Washington County.
 * District 32: Represented by Joshua Bryant (R) since 2023. Contains rural northeastern Washington County and part of Lowell, part of Rogers, and Pea Ridge in Benton County.
 * District 35: Represented by Tyler Dees since 2023. Contains most of rural western Washington County, including Farmington, Prairie Grove, and Lincoln, in addition to Siloam Springs, Gravette, Decatur, and Gentry in Benton County.

Arkansas House Of Representatives
Washington County is divided between 10 State House districts. They are:
 * District 9: Represented by DeAnna Hodges (R) since 2023. The first majority-latino district in Arkansas history. Contains parts of eastern Springdale.
 * District 11: Represented by Rebecca Burkes (R) since 2023. Contains downtown and northern Springdale and stretches up into Lowell in Benton County.
 * District 18: Represented by Robin Lundstrum (R) since 2015. Contains Tontitown, Elm Springs, and parts of eastern Springdale
 * District 19: Represented by Steve Unger (R) since 2023. Contains Springdale and parts of northern Fayetteville.
 * District 20: Represented by Denise Garner since 2019. Contains parts of north and eastern Fayetteville.
 * District 21: Represented by Nicole Clowney since 2019. Contains central and downtown Fayetteville.
 * District 22: Represented by David Whitaker since 2013. Contains Farmington and parts of western Fayetteville.
 * District 23: Represented by Kendra Moore since 2023. Contains Lincoln, Greenland, West Fork, and rural western Washington County.
 * District 24: Represented by Charlene Fite since 2013. Contains rural southwestern Washington County, with the bulk of the district overlapping Alma, Cedarville, and Kibler in Crawford County.
 * District 25: Represented by Chad Puryear since 2023. This district stretches across 3 counties and contains the towns of Elkins, Mountainburg, and Mulberry in Washington County, Crawford County, and Franklin County, respectively.

Cities

 * Elkins
 * Elm Springs (partly in Benton County)
 * Farmington
 * Fayetteville (county seat)
 * Goshen
 * Greenland
 * Johnson
 * Lincoln
 * Prairie Grove
 * Springdale (partly in Benton County)
 * Tontitown
 * West Fork
 * Winslow

Census-designated places

 * Canehill
 * Cincinnati
 * Evansville
 * Morrow
 * Summers

Other unincorporated communities

 * Appleby
 * Arnett
 * Baldwin
 * Banyard
 * Black Oak
 * Blackburn
 * Blue Springs Village
 * Brentwood
 * Clyde
 * Durham
 * Dutch Mills
 * Fayette Junction
 * Floss
 * Gulley
 * Habberton
 * Harmon
 * Harris
 * Hazel Valley
 * Hicks
 * Hogeye
 * Hubbard
 * Mayfield
 * McNair
 * Mount Olive
 * Oak Grove
 * Odell
 * Onda
 * Pilgrim's Rest
 * Pitkin Corner
 * Rhea
 * Rochelle Riviera
 * Savoy
 * Shady Grove
 * Skylight
 * Sonora
 * Spring Valley
 * Starks
 * Steele
 * Strain
 * Strickler
 * Sulphur City
 * Sunset
 * Suttle
 * Tolu
 * Tuttle
 * Viney Grove
 * Walnut Grove
 * War Eagle Cove
 * Weddington
 * Wedington Woods
 * Wheeler
 * White Rock
 * Woolsey
 * Wyman
 * Wyola

Townships

Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas and some may have incorporated towns or cities within part of their space. Townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, they are of value for historical purposes in terms of genealogical research. Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps. The townships of Washington County are listed below. In Washington County, each incorporated town/city is at least partially located within its namesake township.

 * Boston
 * Brush Creek
 * Cane Hill
 * Center
 * Cove Creek
 * Crawford
 * Durham
 * Dutch Mills
 * Elkins (Elkins)
 * Elm Springs (Elm Springs)
 * Farmington (Farmington)
 * Fayetteville (Fayetteville)
 * Goshen (Goshen)
 * Greenland (Greenland)
 * Harmon
 * Illinois
 * Johnson (Johnson)
 * Lee's Creek
 * Lincoln (Lincoln)
 * Litteral
 * Marrs Hill
 * Morrow
 * Prairie
 * Prairie Grove (Prairie Grove)
 * Reed
 * Rhea's Mill
 * Richland
 * Springdale (most of Springdale)
 * Starr Hill
 * Tontitown (Tontitown)
 * Valley
 * Vineyard
 * Wedington
 * West Fork (West Fork)
 * White River
 * Winslow (Winslow)
 * Wyman

Major highways

Washington County has contained the Ozark Trail, Trail of Tears, and the Butterfield Overland Mail route. Today, Interstate 49 serves as the county's main thoroughfare, and connects the University of Arkansas with Fort Smith and Interstate 40 to the south and other NWA cities to the north. Future plans call for Interstate 49 to be extended to ultimately connect New Orleans, Louisiana with Kansas City, Missouri through Washington County.

 * I-49 (AR 1957).svg Interstate 49
 * US 62 (1961).svg U.S. Route 62
 * US 71 (1961).svg U.S. Route 71
 * US 412 (AR).svg U.S. Route 412
 * US 71B.svg U.S. Route 71B
 * Arkansas 16.svg Highway 16
 * Arkansas 45.svg Highway 45
 * Arkansas 59.svg Highway 59
 * Arkansas 74.svg Highway 74
 * Arkansas 112.svg Highway 112
 * Arkansas 156.svg Highway 156
 * Arkansas 170.svg Highway 170
 * Arkansas 180.svg Highway 180
 * Arkansas 220.svg Highway 220
 * Arkansas 244.svg Highway 244
 * Arkansas 265.svg Highway 265
 * Arkansas 303.svg Highway 303

Transit

 * Jefferson Lines
 * Ozark Regional Transit
 * Razorback Transit

Utilities
The Arkansas Department of Health is responsible for the regulation and oversight of public water systems throughout the state. Washington County contains twelve community water systems, including two of the largest distribution systems in the state: the City of Fayetteville (retail population served of 94,000) and Springdale Water Utilities (SWU, 87,618) Both water systems purchase all potable water from Beaver Water District. Many of the smaller cities in Washington County purchase water from Fayetteville, SWU, Benton-Washington Regional Public Water Authority (PWA, colloquially "Two-Ton") or Washington Water Authority (WWA), including Elkins, Lincoln, Tontitown, West Fork, and Winslow.

title: Washington County, Arkansas


text:
Van Buren County, Arkansas

Van Buren County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,796. The county seat is Clinton. The county was formed on November 11, 1833, and named for Martin Van Buren, President of the United States, who was Vice President at the time of the county's formation. Van Buren County was a dry county until November 3, 2020, as the county residents voted to make it a wet county.

Van Buren County should not be confused with the city of Van Buren, which is located approximately 100 miles to the west in Crawford County just north of Fort Smith.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 724 sqmi, of which 708 sqmi is land and 16 sqmi (2.2%) is water.

Major highways

 * US 65.svg U.S. Highway 65
 * Arkansas 9.svg Arkansas Highway 9
 * Arkansas 16.svg Arkansas Highway 16
 * Arkansas 27.svg Arkansas Highway 27
 * Arkansas 92.svg Arkansas Highway 92
 * Arkansas 95.svg Arkansas Highway 95
 * Arkansas 110.svg Arkansas Highway 110
 * Arkansas 124.svg Arkansas Highway 124
 * Arkansas 254.svg Arkansas Highway 254
 * Arkansas 285.svg Arkansas Highway 285
 * Arkansas 330.svg Arkansas Highway 330
 * Arkansas 336.svg Arkansas Highway 336
 * Arkansas 337.svg Arkansas Highway 337
 * Arkansas 356.svg Arkansas Highway 356

Transit

 * Jefferson Lines

Adjacent counties

 * Searcy County (north)
 * Stone County (northeast)
 * Cleburne County (east)
 * Faulkner County (southeast)
 * Conway County (southwest)
 * Pope County (west)

National protected area

 * Ozark National Forest (part)

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 15,796 people, 6,813 households, and 4,631 families residing in the county.

2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 16,192 people, 6,825 households, and 4,804 families residing in the county. The population density was 23 /mi2. There were 9,164 housing units at an average density of 13 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 96.79% White, 0.31% Black or African American, 0.75% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 1.48% from two or more races. 1.33% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race, but the percentage could increased 3 or 4 times by seasonal migrant laborers in the county's shiitake mushroom harvest and hospitality jobs provided by the Fairfield Bay resort hotel.

There were 6,825 households, out of which 25.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.10% were married couples living together, 7.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.60% were non-families. 26.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.79.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.50% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 23.00% from 25 to 44, 25.50% from 45 to 64, and 23.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 96.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,004, and the median income for a family was $32,284. Males had a median income of $25,821 versus $18,862 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,603. About 11.60% of families and 15.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.90% of those under age 18 and 10.60% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of Arkansas and the Arkansas Code. The quorum court is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are called justices of the peace and are elected from county districts every even-numbered year. The number of districts in a county vary from nine to fifteen, and district boundaries are drawn by the county election commission. The Van Buren County Quorum Court has nine members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is the county judge, who serves as the chief operating officer of the county. The county judge is elected at-large and does not vote in quorum court business, although capable of vetoing quorum court decisions.

Politics
Over the past few election cycles Van Buren County, like all of the traditionally secessionist and Democratic Upland South, has trended heavily towards the GOP. The last Democrat to carry this county was Bill Clinton in 1996.

Cities

 * Clinton (county seat)
 * Fairfield Bay (partly in Cleburne County)

Towns

 * Damascus (partly in Faulkner County)
 * Shirley

Census-designated place

 * Bee Branch
 * Dennard

Other unincorporated communities

 * Alread
 * Archey Valley
 * Austin
 * Botkinburg
 * Chimes
 * Choctaw
 * Choctaw Pines
 * Claude
 * Copeland
 * Crabtree
 * Culpepper
 * Dabney
 * Eglantine
 * Elba
 * Fairbanks
 * Formosa
 * Gravesville
 * Gravel Hill
 * Green Tree
 * Half Moon
 * Morganton
 * Old Botkinburg
 * Palisades
 * Pee Dee
 * Plant
 * Pleasant Grove
 * Rabbit Ridge
 * Rex
 * Rocky Hill
 * Rumley
 * Rupert
 * Scotland
 * Southside
 * Stumptoe
 * Sulphur Springs
 * Walnut Grove
 * Whipple
 * Woodlum
 * Zion Hill

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Van Buren County, Arkansas


text:
740 BC

Events

 * Tiglath-Pileser III conquers the city of Arpad in Syria after two years of siege.
 * Start of Ahaz's reign of Judah

title: 740 BC


text:
Union County, Arkansas

Union County is a county located on the central southern border of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,054. The county seat is El Dorado. The county was formed on November 2, 1829, and named in recognition of the citizens' petition for a new county, which said that they were petitioning "in the spirit of Union and Unity." The county is directly adjacent to the south to Union Parish in the state of Louisiana.

The El Dorado, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Union County.

Called by boosters the "Queen City of South Arkansas", El Dorado was at the heart of the 1920s oil boom in South Arkansas. More recently, the city has been called "Arkansas's Original Boomtown," as it emphasizes its historic assets for heritage tourism. The chemical and timber industries became important during and after World War II, and still have a place in the economy.

History
Union County was formed on November 2, 1829, from portions of Clark and Hempstead counties. Areas along the waterways were originally developed for cotton plantations in the antebellum years, and planters depended on large groups of enslaved African-American workers to generate their profits.

On January 10, 1921, Dr. Samuel T. Busey hit oil with a well about a mile south of El Dorado, leading to an oil boom that attracted thousands of workers and speculators. His first well produced for fewer than two months, but by 1923, "El Dorado boasted fifty-nine oil contracting companies, thirteen oil distributors and refiners, and twenty-two oil production companies. The city was flooded with so many people that no bed space was available for them, leading to whole neighborhoods of tents and hastily constructed shacks to be erected throughout the city. The city's population reached a high of nearly 30,000 in 1925 during the boom before dropping to 16,241 by 1930 and rising to 25,000 by 1960." Oil production fell markedly in the early 1930s, in part due to companies' financial difficulties during the Great Depression. It recovered later in the decade.

During World War II, chemical plants were established in the county, but their production declined after the war. Exploitation of Arkansas forests led to growth in the timber industry in the county. Oil, chemical and timber industries are still important to the economy, although in lesser proportion.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1055 sqmi, of which 1039 sqmi is land and 16 sqmi (1.5%) is water. It is the largest county by area in Arkansas. Union County, along with Columbia County, has the largest bromine reserve in the United States. The lowest point in the state of Arkansas, also the lowest point in all landlocked U.S. states, is located on the Ouachita River in Union County and Ashley County, where it flows out of Arkansas and into Louisiana.

Adjacent counties

 * Ouachita County (northwest)
 * Calhoun County (north)
 * Bradley County (northeast)
 * Ashley County (east)
 * Morehouse Parish, Louisiana (southeast)
 * Union Parish, Louisiana (south)
 * Claiborne Parish, Louisiana (southwest)
 * Columbia County (west)

National protected area

 * Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge (part)

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 39,054 people, 15,726 households, and 10,562 families residing in the county.

2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 45,629 people, 17,989 households, and 12,646 families residing in the county. The population density was 44 /sqmi. There were 20,676 housing units at an average density of 20 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 66.15% White, 31.97% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. 1.14% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 17,989 households, out of which 32.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.30% were married couples living together, 15.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.70% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.90% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 27.00% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 16.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,809, and the median income for a family was $36,805. Males had a median income of $31,868 versus $19,740 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,063. About 14.70% of families and 18.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.80% of those under age 18 and 14.30% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Over the past few election cycles, Union County has trended heavily towards the GOP. The last Democrat (as of 2020) to carry this county was Bill Clinton (a native Arkansan) in 1996.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-69 (Future).svg|20px]] Future Interstate 69
 * [[Image:US 63.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 63
 * [[Image:US 82.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 82
 * [[Image:US 167.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 167
 * [[Image:Arkansas 7.svg|20px]] Highway 7
 * [[Image:Arkansas 15.svg|20px]] Highway 15
 * [[Image:Arkansas 129.svg|20px]] Highway 129

Airport

 * South Arkansas Regional Airport at Goodwin Field

Cities

 * Calion
 * El Dorado (county seat)
 * Strong
 * Huttig
 * Junction City
 * Norphlet
 * Smackover

Town

 * Felsenthal

Census-designated places

 * Lawson
 * Mount Holly
 * Urbana

Other unincorporated communities

 * Lapile
 * Moro Bay
 * Old Union
 * New London
 * Parkers Chapel

Townships

 * Boone
 * Cornie
 * El Dorado (El Dorado)
 * Franklin (Calion)
 * Garner
 * Harrison
 * Henderson (Junction City)
 * Jackson
 * Johnson
 * Lapile (Felsenthal, Huttig, Strong)
 * Norphlet (Norphlet)
 * Smackover (Smackover)
 * Tubal
 * Van Buren
 * Wesson
 * Wilmington

title: Union County, Arkansas


text:
Stone County, Arkansas

Stone County is located in the Ozark Mountains in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The county is named for the rugged, rocky area terrain of the Ozarks. Created as Arkansas's 74th county on April 21, 1873, Stone County has two incorporated cities: Mountain View, the county seat and most populous city, and Fifty-Six. The county is also the site of numerous unincorporated communities and ghost towns.

Most of the county is sparsely populated forested Ozark hills; including the northern fifth of the county managed by the United States Forest Service as the Ozark National Forest. The remainder of the county is used for poultry, ranching, and timber production. The White River runs along the eastern boundary of Stone County. The county contains six protected areas in addition to the Ozark National Forest: Blanchard Springs Caverns within the Ozark National Forest, two Natural Areas, two Wildlife Management Areas and the Ozark Folk Center, which preserves and interprets Ozark cultural heritage, especially traditional mountain folk music and crafts. Other features such as log cabins, one-room school houses, community centers, and museums, as well as annual cultural events, preserve the history and culture of Stone County.

Stone County occupies 609.43 sqmi and contained a population of 12,359 as of the 2020 Census.

Geography
Stone County is located in the Ozark Mountains, one of the six ecoregions of Arkansas. The Ozarks are a mountainous subdivision of the U.S. Interior Highlands, and Stone County contains the Springfield Plateau, Salem Plateau, and the relatively steeper Boston Mountains subsets. The county is roughly split along an east–west line near Mountain View, the centrally located county seat, with areas north within the Springfield Plateau, and areas south within the Boston Mountains. Areas along the White River, which forms the county's northeastern boundary, are dissected bluffs of the Salem Plateau rather than riparian floodplains. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 609.43 sqmi, of which 606.59 sqmi is land and 2.84 sqmi (0.5%) is water.

The county is located approximately 105 mi north of Little Rock, 151 mi northwest of Memphis, Tennessee, and 278 mi southwest of St. Louis, Missouri. Stone County is surrounded by three Ozark counties, Searcy County to the west, Baxter County to the northwest, Izard County to the northeast, and three border counties with the Arkansas River Valley, Van Buren County to the southwest, Cleburne County to the south, and Independence County (which also contains a small piece of the Arkansas Delta) to the east.

National protected area

 * Ozark National Forest (part)

2020 Census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 12,359 people, 4,787 households, and 3,109 families residing in the county.

2010 Census
As of the 2010 census, there were 12,394 people, 5,325 households, and 3,590 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 /mi2. There were 6,712 housing units at an average density of 11 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 96.8% White, 0.1% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.4% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. 1.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,325 households, out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.4% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 36.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.6% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 19.4% from 25 to 44, 31.0% from 45 to 64, and 22.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.2 years. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,380, and the median income for a family was $36,765. Males had a median income of $28,258 versus $25,341 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,090. About 16.6% of families and 23.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.7% of those under age 18 and 20.6% of those age 65 or over.

2000 Census

As of the 2000 census, there were 11,499 people, 4,768 households, and 3,461 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 /mi2. There were 5,715 housing units at an average density of 9 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 97.27% White, 0.08% Black or African American, 0.77% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 1.64% from two or more races. 1.08% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,768 households, out of which 26.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.30% were married couples living together, 7.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.40% were non-families. 24.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.20% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 23.60% from 25 to 44, 28.50% from 45 to 64, and 18.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 96.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $22,209, and the median income for a family was $28,009. Males had a median income of $20,904 versus $16,118 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,134. About 14.10% of families and 18.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.20% of those under age 18 and 12.10% of those age 65 or over.

Media
The county newspaper is the Stone County Leader, a weekly published in Mountain View since 1952. Former newspapers include the Stone County Democrat and Mountain View Herald (1932-1953). Mountain View has also produced several short-lived publications, including the Mountain View News (1905-1906), The Mountain View (1973-1974), and The Ozark Times (1906-1913).

The Stone County Historical Society has published the Heritage of Stone since 1972. Issued twice annually to members and available to the public for individual purchase, the publication covers topics relating to the history and culture of Stone County.

Government

The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of Arkansas and the Arkansas Code. The quorum court is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are called justices of the peace and are elected from county districts every even-numbered year. The number of districts in a county vary from nine to fifteen, and district boundaries are drawn by the county election commission. The Stone County Quorum Court has nine members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is the county judge, who serves as the chief operating officer of the county. The county judge is elected at-large and does not vote in quorum court business, although capable of vetoing quorum court decisions.

Taxation
Property tax is assessed by the Stone County Assessor annually based upon the fair market value of the property and determining which tax rate, commonly called a millage in Arkansas, will apply. The rate depends upon the property's location with respect to city limits, school district, and special tax increment financing (TIF) districts. This tax is collected by the Stone County Collector between the first business day of March of each year through October 15 without penalty. The Stone County Treasurer disburses tax revenues to various government agencies, such as cities, county road departments, fire departments, libraries, and police departments in accordance with the budget set by the quorum court.

Sales and use taxes in Arkansas are voter approved and collected by the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Arkansas's statewide sales and use tax has been 6.5% since July 1, 2013. Stone County has an additional sales and use tax of 1%, which has been in effect since May 1, 1987. Within Stone County, the City of Mountain View has had an additional 2% sales and use tax since September 1, 2005. The Arkansas State Treasurer disburses state tax revenue to counties/cities in accordance with tax rules.

Politics
In Congress, Arkansas has been represented by two Republican senators (John Boozman and Tom Cotton) since January 3, 2015, ending a long history of Democratic hegemony. In the House of Representatives, Stone County is within the Arkansas 1st district, which contains the Arkansas Delta. The Arkansas 1st has been represented by Rick Crawford since 2010.

In the Arkansas Senate, Stone County is within the 18th District, which also contains all of Cleburne and Searcy counties and parts of Faulkner, Fulton, Baxter, Marion, Van Buren, and White counties. The 18th District has been represented by Missy Irvin (R) of Mountain View since 2011.

Communities
Two incorporated cities are located within the county. The largest city and county seat, Mountain View, is relatively centrally located in the oddly-shaped county. Mountain View's population in 2010 was 2,748, marking the first decennial decline since the 1960 Census. Fifty-Six has maintained a stable population under 200 since incorporation.

Stone County has dozens of unincorporated communities and ghost towns within its borders. This is due to early settlers in Arkansas tending to settle in small clusters rather than incorporated towns. For example, communities like Newnata had a post office and dozens of buildings at some point in their history. Other communities are simply a few dwellings at a crossroads that have adopted a common place name over time. Some are officially listed as populated places by the United States Geological Survey, and others are listed as historic settlements.

Cities

 * Fifty-Six
 * Mountain View (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

 * Alco
 * Allison
 * Arlberg
 * Ben
 * Big Springs
 * Chalybeate Springs
 * East Richwoods
 * Flag
 * Fox
 * Gayler
 * Hanover
 * Harness
 * Herpel
 * Luber
 * Lydalisk
 * Marcella
 * Meadow Creek
 * Melrose
 * Mozart
 * Newnata
 * Old Lexington
 * Onia
 * Optimus
 * Parma
 * Pleasant Grove
 * Pleasant Hill
 * Rushing
 * St. James
 * Timbo
 * Turkey Creek
 * West Richwoods

Historical communities

 * Bluetip
 * Bothersome
 * Boyle
 * Buckhorn
 * Hedges
 * Kahoka
 * May
 * Oga
 * Pekin
 * Red Stripe

Townships

 * Arbana (small part of Mountain View)
 * Blue Mountain (most of Mountain View)
 * Bryan
 * Farris
 * Flag
 * Franklin
 * Harris (small part of Mountain View)
 * Jones
 * Liberty
 * Locust Grove
 * Marcella
 * Northwest (Fifty-Six)
 * Optimus
 * Red River
 * Red Stripe
 * Richwoods
 * Roasting Ear
 * Smart
 * Sylamore
 * Timbo
 * Turkey Creek
 * Union
 * Washington
 * Wilson

Aviation
Mountain View Airport is the only public owned/public use airport in Stone County. Also known as Harry E. Wilcox Memorial Field, the facility is a small, rural general aviation airport with 5,650 annual operations. Stone County also contains one private airfield. The nearest commercial service airport is Clinton National Airport in Little Rock.

Major highways
Stone County is not served by any Interstate highways nor United States highways; the nearest access to the Interstate system is Interstate 40 (I-40) in Conway. Ten state highways serve the traveling public in the county, varying from short connector routes to long highways traversing the entire county. Highway 5 and Highway 9 are major north–south highways across the Ozarks; each crosses through the county through Mountain View. The two routes briefly form a concurrency, or overlap, between Mountain View and Allison.

Highway 14 is a major east–west highway across northern Arkansas, it crosses the county and connects Mountain View and Fifty-Six via an overlap with Highway 5 and Highway 9. Highway 87 connects the communities more directly along a winding alignment. Highway 66 has its eastern terminus in Mountain View, and runs west to Leslie in Searcy County, connecting Mountain View to US Highway 65 (US 65). Highway 263 connects several unincorporated communities in southwestern Stone County. Highway 382 serves as an access for Ozark Folk Center State Park. Highway 58, Highway 74, and Highway 110 pass through the county for a few miles on their way to other destinations.

The county also contains the Sylamore Scenic Byway, an Arkansas Scenic Byway and National Forest Scenic Byway.

Utilities
Entergy Arkansas is the sole provider of electricity in almost all of Stone County, with exceptions in the northern tip (served by North Arkansas Electric Cooperative), south of Mountain View (First Electric Cooperative) and the southwest corner (Petit Jean Electric Cooperative).

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) is responsible for the regulation and oversight of public water systems throughout the state. Stone County contains six community water systems: the City of Fifty-Six Water Department, the City of Mountain View Water Department, Pleasant Grove Water Association, Richwoods Water Association, Sylamore Valley Water Association, and the West Stone County Water Association. Mountain View has the largest direct retail population served (7,295, all in Stone County), followed by West Stone County (4,634, including customers served in adjacent counties), Pleasant Grove Water Association (2,315), and Richwoods Water Association (1,436), with the remaining systems under 600 retail population served. Of the water systems serving Stone County, only Fifty-Six uses groundwater, the Gunter Sandstone Aquifer, though also purchasing water from Big Flat, which pumps from the same aquifer. The City of Mountain View uses the White River, and the remaining systems purchasing treated water from Mountain View.

title: Stone County, Arkansas


text:
St. Francis County, Arkansas

St. Francis County is a county in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,090. The county seat is Forrest City.

St. Francis County comprises the Forrest City, Arkansas Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Memphis-Forrest City, TN-MS-AR Combined Statistical Area.

History
St. Francis County was formed by the Arkansas territorial legislature on October 13, 1827. Madison served as the county seat until Forrest City, formed in 1869 and named after Nathan Bedford Forrest, replaced it in 1874.

The percentage of tenant farmers in the county rose from 43.2% in 1880 to 70.7% in 1900.

It is on the eastern border of the state in the Arkansas Delta, formed by the lowlands of the Mississippi River. It was an area of large cotton plantations in the antebellum era, when the workers were enslaved African Americans. It continued as an agricultural area into the late 19th century, when many freedmen became sharecroppers.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 643 sqmi, of which 635 sqmi is land and 7.7 sqmi (1.2%) is water.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-40 (AR).svg|20px]] Interstate 40
 * [[Image:US 70.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 70
 * [[Image:Arkansas 1.svg|20px]] Highway 1
 * [[Image:Arkansas 38.svg|20px]] Highway 38
 * [[Image:Arkansas 50.svg|20px]] Highway 50
 * [[Image:Arkansas 75.svg|20px]] Highway 75

Adjacent counties

 * Cross County (north)
 * Crittenden County (east)
 * Lee County (south)
 * Monroe County (southwest)
 * Woodruff County (northwest)

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 23,090 people, 9,388 households, and 5,867 families residing in the county.

2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 28,258 people living in the county. 51.9% were Black or African American, 44.2% White, 0.5% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 1.4% of some other race and 1.5% of two or more races. 4.1% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 29,329 people, 10,043 households, and 7,230 families living in the county. The population density was 18 /km2. There were 11,242 housing units at an average density of 7 /km2. The racial makeup of the county was 48.36% White, 49.01% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. 4.88% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 10,043 households, out of which 35.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.90% were married couples living together, 20.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.90% under the age of 18, 9.90% from 18 to 24, 29.10% from 25 to 44, 21.20% from 45 to 64, and 11.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 105.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,146, and the median income for a family was $30,324. Males had a median income of $28,389 versus $20,578 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,483. About 23.10% of families and 27.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.70% of those under age 18 and 23.10% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics
The Republican Party and Union Labor Party merged for the 1888 election and nominated a multiracial slate of candidates against the all-white Democratic slate. On September 4, Paul M. Cobbs, a white Democrat, shot at men guarding the precinct ballot box and wounded seven. The Republican-Union Labor ticket won the county elections. The Union Labor Party's gubernatorial and Arkansas's 1st congressional district candidates also won St. Francis County.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons Federal Correctional Complex, Forrest City is in Forrest City.

A portion of St. Francis County is represented in the Arkansas State Senate by Republican Ronald R. Caldwell.

In presidential elections, St. Francis County generally votes Democratic. Following Reconstruction and disenfranchisement of black voters at the turn of the century, the county voted Democratic in every election since 1896, other than 1900 (William McKinley), 1908 (William Howard Taft), and 1968 (George Wallace).

By the late 1960s, white conservatives began to shift into the Republican Party, and St. Francis County was carried by Richard Nixon in 1972 amidst a national landslide. In 1984, Ronald Reagan carried the county in his landslide reelection. The county has voted Democratic in every subsequent presidential election, albeit be narrowing margins in recent years.

Cities

 * Forrest City (county seat)
 * Madison

Towns

 * Caldwell
 * Colt
 * Heth
 * Hughes
 * Palestine
 * Proctor
 * Round Pond
 * Wheatley
 * Widener

Townships

 * Black Fish
 * Franks (small part of Forrest City)
 * Garland (Hughes)
 * Goodwin
 * Griggs (Widener)
 * Heth
 * Johnson
 * L'Anguille
 * Madison (most of Forrest City, Madison
 * Prairie (Palestine)
 * Telico (Caldwell, Colt, small part of Forrest City)
 * Wheatley (most of Wheatley)

Education
School districts include:
 * Forrest City School District
 * Palestine-Wheatley School District
 * West Memphis School District

Former school districts:
 * Hughes School District

Notable people

 * Al Green, soul singer
 * Charlie Rich, country singer
 * Sonny Liston, world heavyweight boxing champion
 * Mark R. Martin, Secretary of State of Arkansas

title: St. Francis County, Arkansas


text:
Sharp County, Arkansas

Sharp County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,271. The county seat is Ash Flat. The county was formed on July 18, 1868, and named for Ephraim Sharp, a state legislator from the area.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 606 sqmi, of which 604 sqmi is land and 2.0 sqmi (0.3%) is water.

Major highways

 * US 62.svg U.S. Highway 62
 * US 63.svg U.S. Highway 63
 * US 167.svg U.S. Highway 167
 * US 412.svg U.S. Highway 412
 * Arkansas 56.svg Highway 56
 * Arkansas 58.svg Highway 58
 * Arkansas 175.svg Highway 175

Adjacent counties

 * Oregon County, Missouri (north)
 * Randolph County (northeast)
 * Lawrence County (southeast)
 * Independence County (south)
 * Izard County (southwest)
 * Fulton County (northwest)

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 17,271 people, 7,447 households, and 4,420 families residing in the county.

2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 17,119 people, 7,211 households, and 5,141 families residing in the county. The population density was 28 /mi2. There were 9,342 housing units at an average density of 16 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 97.14% White, 0.49% Black or African American, 0.68% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.16% from other races, and 1.39% from two or more races. 0.98% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 7,211 households, out of which 25.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.90% were married couples living together, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 25.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.79.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.90% under the age of 18, 6.30% from 18 to 24, 22.80% from 25 to 44, 25.50% from 45 to 64, and 23.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 92.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $25,152, and the median income for a family was $29,691. Males had a median income of $23,329 versus $16,884 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,143. About 13.20% of families and 18.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.40% of those under age 18 and 13.20% of those age 65 or over.

Government
In recent years, Sharp County has trended heavily towards the Republican Party. The last Democrat to carry the county was Arkansas-native Bill Clinton in 1996. Since then, Democratic vote shares have plummeted, with Joe Biden in 2020 losing the county by a 4-to-1 margin to Republican Donald Trump, despite winning the national election.

Cities

 * Ash Flat (county seat)
 * Cave City
 * Cherokee Village
 * Hardy
 * Highland
 * Horseshoe Bend

Towns

 * Evening Shade
 * Sidney
 * Williford

Unincorporated communities

 * Ben-Gay
 * Ozark Acres
 * Poughkeepsie

Townships

 * Big Creek
 * Cave (Cave City)
 * Cherokee (most of Cherokee Village, small part of Highland)
 * Davidson
 * East Sullivan
 * Hardy (most of Hardy)
 * Highland (most of Highland)
 * Jackson (Williford)
 * Lave Creek
 * Lower North
 * Morgan
 * North Big Rock
 * North Lebanon
 * Ozark
 * Piney Fork (Evening Shade)
 * Richwoods (part of Ash Flat, small part of Horseshoe Bend)
 * Scott
 * South Big Rock
 * South Union
 * Strawberry
 * Upper North
 * Washington
 * West Sullivan (most of Sideny)

Sharp County was featured on the PBS program Independent Lens for its 1906 "banishment" of all of its Black residents."

title: Sharp County, Arkansas


text:
Sevier County, Arkansas

Sevier County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,839. The county seat is De Queen. Sevier County is Arkansas's 16th county, formed on October 17, 1828, and named for Ambrose Sevier, U.S. Senator from Arkansas. On November 3, 2020, voters in Sevier County, AR approved alcohol sales by a vote of 3,499 (67.31 percent) to 1,699 (32.69 percent).

History
Sevier County was organized on October 17, 1828, under legislative authority. It was formed from Hempstead and Miller Counties. Five days later on October 22, 1828, the legislature expanded the county's border, incorporating more land south of the Red River. Hempstead, Miller and Crawford Counties as well as the Choctaw Nation in Indian Territory bound Sevier County. The establishment of Sevier County became effective on November 1, 1828. The county seat has undergone several changes since Sevier County was organized. The first county seat was Paraclifta. After an area of Sevier County was carved away to become part of newly created Little River County in 1867, Paraclifta was no longer centrally located. Three members of a local prominent family—James, William, and Matthew Locke—offered 120 acre of land, and Royal Appleton offered 60 acre for the site of a new county seat to be named Lockesburg. A petition to establish Lockesburg as the county seat was approved by the county court on January 18, 1869. After a number of local citizens were unwilling to sell land for a route for the Kansas City, Pittsburg, and Gulf Railroad in the late 1890s, the route was laid down through what would become the town of De Queen instead of Lockesburg. In 1905, the county seat was moved to De Queen.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 581 sqmi, of which 565 sqmi is land and 16 sqmi (2.8%) is water.

Known as "The Land of Lakes", "The Land of Fruits and Flowers" and "The Home of Friendly People," the county has five lakes within a 35 mi radius, five rivers and mountain streams and forests.

Notable people
Current or former residents of Sevier County include:
 * Collin Raye, country music singer.
 * Wes Watkins, U.S.Congressman (Republican- Oklahoma) lived for a time in De Queen as a child.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-49 (Future).svg|20px]] Future Interstate 49
 * [[Image:US 59.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 59
 * [[Image:US 70.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 70
 * [[Image:US 71.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 71
 * [[Image:US 371.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 371
 * [[Image:Arkansas 24.svg|20px]] Highway 24
 * [[Image:Arkansas 27.svg|20px]] Highway 27
 * [[Image:Arkansas 41.svg|20px]] Highway 41

Transit

 * Jefferson Lines

Adjacent counties

 * Polk County (north)
 * Howard County (east)
 * Hempstead County (southeast)
 * Little River County (south)
 * McCurtain County, Oklahoma (west)

National protected area

 * Pond Creek National Wildlife Refuge

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 15,839 people, 5,885 households, and 4,279 families residing in the county.

2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 15,757 people, 5,708 households, and 4,223 families residing in the county. The population density was 28 /mi2. There were 6,434 housing units at an average density of 11 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 79.61% White, 4.94% Black or African American, 1.82% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 11.84% from other races, and 1.61% from two or more races. 19.72% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 17.32% reported speaking Spanish at home.

There were 5,708 households, out of which 36.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.30% were married couples living together, 10.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.00% were non-families. 22.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.20% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 21.30% from 45 to 64, and 13.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,144, and the median income for a family was $34,560. Males had a median income of $25,709 versus $17,666 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,122. About 14.40% of families and 19.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.90% of those under age 18 and 14.20% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Over the past few election cycles, Sevier County has trended heavily towards the GOP. The last Democrat (as of 2020) to carry this county was Arkansas native Bill Clinton in 1996.

Cities

 * De Queen (county seat)
 * Horatio
 * Lockesburg

Towns

 * Ben Lomond
 * Gillham

Townships

 * Bear Creek (contains most of De Queen)
 * Ben Lomond (contains Ben Lomond)
 * Buckhorn
 * Clear Creek (contains Horatio)
 * Jefferson
 * Mill Creek
 * Mineral (contains Gillham)
 * Monroe (contains small part of De Queen)
 * Paraclifta
 * Red Colony (contains Lockesburg)
 * Saline
 * Washington

Source:

title: Sevier County, Arkansas


text:
Sebastian County, Arkansas

Sebastian County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 127,799, making it the fourth-most populous county in Arkansas. The county has two county seats, Greenwood and Fort Smith.

Sebastian County is part of the Fort Smith, AR-OK Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Sebastian County is Arkansas's 56th county, formed on January 6, 1851, and named for William K. Sebastian, United States Senator from Arkansas.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 546 sqmi, of which 532 sqmi is land and 14 sqmi (2.6%) is water. It is the second-smallest county by area in Arkansas.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-49 (AR 1957).svg|20px]] Interstate 49
 * [[Image:I-540 (AR 1961).svg|25px]] Interstate 540
 * [[Image:US 64 (AR).svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 64
 * [[Image:US 71 (AR).svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 71
 * [[Image:US 271 (AR).svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 271
 * [[Image:Arkansas 10.svg|20px]] State Route 10
 * [[Image:Arkansas 22.svg|20px]] State Route 22
 * [[Image:Arkansas 45.svg|20px]] State Route 45
 * [[Image:Arkansas 59.svg|20px]] State Route 59
 * [[Image:Arkansas 96.svg|20px]] State Route 96

Adjacent counties

 * Crawford County (north)
 * Franklin County (east)
 * Logan County (southeast)
 * Scott County (south)
 * Le Flore County, Oklahoma (southwest)
 * Sequoyah County, Oklahoma (northwest)

National protected areas

 * Fort Smith National Historic Site (part)
 * Ouachita National Forest (part)

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 127,799 people, 51,384 households, and 32,517 families residing in the county.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 115,071 people, 45,300 households, and 30,713 families residing in the county. The population density was 215 PD/sqmi. There were 49,311 housing units at an average density of 92 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 82.34% White, 6.16% Black or African American, 1.57% Native American, 3.51% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.71% from other races, and 2.67% from two or more races. 6.70% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.6% were of American, 12.6% German, 11.0% Irish and 9.0% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 5.49% reported speaking Spanish at home, while 1.47% speak Vietnamese and 0.97% Lao.

In 2000 there were 45,300 households, out of which 32.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.40% were married couples living together, 11.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.20% were non-families. 27.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.00% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 29.50% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 13.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,889, and the median income for a family was $41,303. Males had a median income of $30,056 versus $22,191 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,424. About 10.40% of families and 13.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.60% of those under age 18 and 10.00% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2010 census the population of Sebastian County was 125,744. The racial makeup of the county was 72.83% Non-Hispanic white, 6.24% Non-Hispanic black, 1.88% Native American, 4.06% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.07% Non-Hispanics of some other race, 2.78% Non-Hispanics reporting two or more races and 12.82% Hispanics.

Government
'''Politics

Whereas most of Arkansas was overwhelmingly blue up to the mid-2000s, Sebastian has been a solidly Republican county at the presidential level since Dwight Eisenhower won it in 1952. Since that election, no Democrat has ever again carried this county, though native son Bill Clinton came within less than 1,000 votes of doing so during both of his campaigns. Jimmy Carter is the only other Democrat to come reasonably close to winning the county. However, Democrats continued to split most local offices and state legislative seats with Republicans well into the 1990s. While Fort Smith has elected Democratic mayors and still elects some Democrats to the state legislature, the rest of the county is powerfully Republican.

Education
Public education is provided by several school districts (listed below from largest to smallest):

 * Fort Smith School District
 * Greenwood School District
 * Lavaca School District
 * Hackett School District
 * Hartford School District

Cities

 * Barling
 * Bonanza
 * Fort Smith (county seat)
 * Greenwood (county seat)
 * Hackett
 * Hartford
 * Huntington
 * Lavaca
 * Mansfield

Towns

 * Central City
 * Midland

Townships

 * Bass Little (some of Greenwood)
 * Big Creek (Lavaca)
 * Beverly
 * Bloomer
 * Center (most of Greenwood)
 * Cole (Hackett)
 * Dayton
 * Diamond (Huntington)
 * Fort Chafee UT (part of Barling, part of Fort Smith)
 * Hartford (Hartford)
 * Island
 * Jim Fork (Midland)
 * Lon Norris (part of Fort Smith)
 * Marion (Bonanza, small part of Fort Smith)
 * Mississippi
 * Mont Sandels (Central City, most of Barling)
 * Prairie
 * Rogers
 * Sugarloaf (part of Mansfield)
 * Upper (most of Fort Smith)
 * Washburn
 * White Oak

Notable people

 * John Sebastian Little, member of the United States House of Representatives and the 21st Governor of the U.S. state of Arkansas
 * Mathew Pitsch, Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for Sebastian County

title: Sebastian County, Arkansas


text:
Searcy County, Arkansas

Searcy County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,828. The county seat is Marshall. The county was formed December 13, 1838, from a portion of Marion County and named for Richard Searcy, the first clerk and judge in the Arkansas Territory. The city of Searcy, Arkansas, some 70 miles away, shares the name despite having never been part of Searcy County. The county is an alcohol prohibition or dry county.

History
During the American Civil War, Searcy County, Arkansas had strong, pro-Union leanings, forming an organization known as the "Arkansas Peace Society".

Chocolate Roll Capital of the World
The Chocolate Roll is a dessert endemic to Searcy but little known outside the near region. A typical Chocolate Roll is made from pie dough spread with a mixture of cocoa powder, shortening, and sugar, then rolled up and baked. In 2012 The Greater Searcy County Chamber of Commerce declared Searcy County the "Chocolate Roll Capital of the World™", and asserted trademarks. Since 2012 Marshall High School has hosted an annual Chocolate Roll Festival that includes the World Champion Chocolate Roll Contest. The 6th was held on March 18, 2017.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 669 sqmi, of which 666 sqmi is land and 2.4 sqmi (0.4%) is water.

Major highways

 * [[Image:US 65.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 65
 * [[Image:Arkansas 14.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 14
 * [[Image:Arkansas 16.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 16
 * [[Image:Arkansas 27.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 27
 * [[Image:Arkansas 66.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 66
 * [[Image:Arkansas 74.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 74
 * [[Image:Arkansas 235.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 235
 * [[Image:Arkansas 333.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 333
 * [[Image:Arkansas 374.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 374
 * [[Image:Arkansas 377.svg|20px]] Arkansas Highway 377

Adjacent counties

 * Marion County (north)
 * Baxter County (northeast)
 * Stone County (east)
 * Van Buren County (south)
 * Pope County (southwest)
 * Newton County (west)
 * Boone County (northwest)

National protected areas

 * Buffalo National River (part)
 * Ozark National Forest (part)

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 7,828 people, 3,327 households, and 2,333 families residing in the county.

2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 8,261 people, 3,523 households, and 2,466 families residing in the county. The population density was 12 /mi2. There were 4,292 housing units at an average density of 6 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 97.26% White, 0.04% Black or African American, 0.75% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. 1.04% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,523 households, out of which 27.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.50% were married couples living together, 7.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.00% were non-families. 28.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.70% under the age of 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 24.50% from 25 to 44, 26.70% from 45 to 64, and 19.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 98.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $21,397, and the median income for a family was $27,580. Males had a median income of $21,768 versus $16,276 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,536. About 17.80% of families and 23.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.00% of those under age 18 and 26.60% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics
Along with adjacent Newton County, Searcy is unique among Arkansas counties in being traditionally Republican in political leanings even during the overwhelmingly Democratic "Solid South" era. This Republicanism resulted from their historical paucity of slaves, in turn created by infertile soils unsuitable for intensive cotton farming, and produced support for the Union during the Civil War. These were the only two counties in Arkansas to be won by Alf Landon in 1936, Wendell Willkie in 1940, Charles Evans Hughes in 1916, and even Calvin Coolidge in 1924. In Presidential elections post-1932, Harry S. Truman and Jimmy Carter are the only Democrats to carry the county. In the 1992 election George H. W. Bush won his second-highest margin in the state, despite former Arkansas governor Bill Clinton being the Democratic nominee. In fact, Republican nominee Bob Dole also carried the county 4 years later despite Clinton's success almost everywhere else in the state. Republicans have received over 60 percent of the vote in the county in every election since 2000. In 2016, Donald Trump received more than 79 percent of the vote in the county, while former Arkansas First Lady Hillary Clinton received just 16 percent. In 2020, Trump received more than 83 percent of the vote. Trump's performances in both elections are the best of any candidate in the county's history.

The county is in Arkansas's 1st congressional district, which from Reconstruction until 2010 sent only Democrats to the U.S. House. That year, it elected Republican Rick Crawford, who currently holds the seat as of 2023. In the Arkansas House of Representatives Searcy County is represented by first-term Republican Steven Walker from the 27th district. The state senator, Missy Thomas Irvin, is also a Republican, serving her fourth term from the 24th district.

Since 1980, in gubernatorial races, the county has tended to favor Republicans in all but one contest. It voted for Frank White in his successful run against freshman Democratic incumbent Bill Clinton in 1980. It supported White again in 1982 and 1986 in rematches with Clinton. It also voted for Woody Freeman over Clinton in 1984. It was the only county in Arkansas where Republican Sheffield Nelson won in both 1990 and 1994. In 1990, it was Nelson's best county in the entire state, winning 64 percent to then-Governor Bill Clinton's 36 percent in Searcy County. In 1994, Searcy County was among the two counties to vote for Nelson over incumbent Democrat Jim Guy Tucker, Benton County being the other (which actually voted for Clinton over Nelson in 1990).

In 1998, Searcy County voted for Republican Mike Huckabee with just under 70 percent, and again in 2002, albeit with a reduced margin of 57 percent. In 2006, it voted 52 percent for Republican ex-Congressman Asa Hutchinson, who lost to Democrat Mike Beebe. In 2010, however, it did vote for incumbent Democrat Mike Beebe with a margin of 57 percent to 40 percent over former state Senator Jim Keet, the first time it had done so since 1978. Keet was regarded as a weak candidate, as he failed to carry a single county.

Education
Public education is provided for early childhood, elementary and secondary education from multiple school districts including:

 * Searcy County School District, which includes Marshall High School
 * Ozark Mountain School District, which includes Searcy County-based St. Joe High School and St. Joe Elementary School.

Cities

 * Leslie
 * Marshall (county seat)

Towns

 * Big Flat (mostly in Baxter County)
 * Gilbert
 * Pindall
 * St. Joe

Census-designated places

 * Witts Springs

Unincorporated Communities

 * Cozahome
 * Harriet

title: Searcy County, Arkansas


text:
Scott County, Arkansas

Scott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,836. The county seat is Waldron. Scott County is Arkansas' 28th county, formed on November 5, 1833, and named for Andrew Scott, a justice of the Supreme Court of the Arkansas Territory. It is an alcohol-prohibited or dry county.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 898 sqmi, of which 892 sqmi is land and 5.8 sqmi (0.6%) is water.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-49 (Future).svg|20px]] Future Interstate 49
 * US 71.svg U.S. Highway 71
 * US 270.svg U.S. Highway 270
 * Arkansas 23.svg Highway 23
 * Arkansas 28.svg Highway 28
 * Arkansas 80.svg Highway 80
 * Arkansas 250.svg Highway 250

Adjacent counties

 * Sebastian County (northwest)
 * Logan County (northeast)
 * Yell County (east)
 * Montgomery County (southeast)
 * Polk County (south)
 * Le Flore County, Oklahoma (west)

National protected area

 * Ouachita National Forest (part)

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 9,836 people, 3,944 households, and 2,569 families residing in the county.

2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 10,996 people, 4,323 households, and 3,121 families residing in the county. The population density was 12 /mi2. There were 4,924 housing units at an average density of 6 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 93.53% White, 0.23% Black or African American, 1.40% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.56% from other races, and 1.32% from two or more races. 5.71% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,323 households, out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.5% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 101.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,412, and the median income for a family was $30,311. Males had a median income of $23,118 versus $17,127 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,609. About 15.3% of families and 18.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.2% of those under age 18 and 14.1% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2010 Scott County had a population of 11,233. The racial makeup was 85.35% white, 0.47% black, 1.85% Native American, 3.42% Asian, 2.12% Non-Hispanics reporting more than one race and 6.96% Hispanics or Latinos.

Government
Scott County is represented the Arkansas House of Representatives by the Republicans Marcus Richmond, a businessman from Harvey, and Jon Eubanks, a farmer and Certified Public Accountant from Paris. Over the past few election cycles Scott County has trended heavily towards the GOP. The last Democrat (as of 2020) to carry this county was Bill Clinton in 1996. By margin, it was the most Republican county in Arkansas in the 2020 United States Presidential Election.

Cities

 * Mansfield
 * Waldron (county seat)

Census-designated places

 * Boles

Townships

 * Black Fork
 * Blansett
 * Brawley
 * Cauthron
 * Cedar
 * Coal
 * Denton
 * Hickman (Waldron)
 * Hon
 * Hunt
 * James
 * Jones
 * Keener
 * La Faye
 * Lafayette
 * Lamb
 * Lewis (Mansfield)
 * Little Texas
 * Mill Creek
 * Mountain
 * Mount Pleasant
 * Oliver
 * Parks
 * Tate
 * Tomlinson

title: Scott County, Arkansas


text:
745 BC

Events

 * Crown of Assyria seized by Pulu, who took the throne name Tukulti-apil-Esharra.
 * End of the reign of Zechariah of Israel (746-745).
 * Suggested start of the reign of Menahem Ben Gadi of Israel.

Deaths
Suggested date for the death of King Shallum of the ancient Kingdom of Israel

title: 745 BC


text:
Saline County, Arkansas

Saline County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 123,416. Its county seat and largest city is Benton. Saline County was formed on November 2, 1835, and named for the salt water (brine) springs in the area, despite a differing pronunciation from saline. Until November 2014, it was an alcohol prohibition or dry county.

Saline County is included in the Central Arkansas region.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 730 sqmi, of which 724 sqmi is land and 6.9 sqmi (0.9%) is water.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-30 (AR).svg|20px]] Interstate 30
 * [[Image:Business Loop 30.svg|20px]] Interstate 30 Business Loop
 * [[Image:I-530 (AR).svg|25px]] Interstate 530
 * [[Image:US 65.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 65
 * [[Image:US 67.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 67
 * [[Image:US 70.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 70
 * [[Image:US 167.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 167
 * [[Image:Arkansas 5.svg|20px]] Highway 5
 * [[Image:Arkansas 9.svg|20px]] Highway 9
 * [[Image:Arkansas 35.svg|20px]] Highway 35

Adjacent counties

 * Perry County (northwest)
 * Pulaski County (northeast)
 * Grant County (southeast)
 * Hot Spring County (southwest)
 * Garland County (west)

National protected area

 * Ouachita National Forest (part)

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 123,416 people, 45,455 households, and 31,395 families residing in the county.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 83,529 people, 31,778 households, and 24,500 families residing in the county. The population density was 116 PD/sqmi. There were 33,825 housing units at an average density of 47 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 95.27% White, 2.20% Black or African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. 1.30% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 31,778 households, out of which 35.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.80% were married couples living together, 9.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.90% were non-families. 19.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.50% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 30.20% from 25 to 44, 24.20% from 45 to 64, and 12.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,569, and the median income for a family was $48,717. Males had a median income of $32,052 versus $23,294 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,214. About 5.00% of families and 7.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.80% of those under age 18 and 7.30% of those age 65 or over.

Media
The area is served online and in print by The Saline Courier.

Government
Over the past few election cycles Saline County has trended heavily towards the GOP. The last Democrat (as of the 2020 election) to carry this county was Bill Clinton in 1996.

Cities

 * Alexander
 * Benton (county seat)
 * Bryant
 * Haskell
 * Shannon Hills
 * Traskwood

Town

 * Bauxite

Census-designated places

 * Avilla
 * East End
 * Hot Springs Village
 * Salem
 * Sardis

Unincorporated communities

 * Brooks
 * Lakeside
 * Owensville
 * Paron

Townships

 * Banner (contains most of East End)
 * Bauxite (contains Bauxite, most of Benton)
 * Beaver (contains Avilla, part of Bryant)
 * Bryant (contains most of Alexander and Bryant, small parts of Benton and Shannon Hills)
 * Dyer (contains part of Hot Springs Village)
 * Fairplay
 * Haskell (contains Haskell)
 * Holland
 * Hurricane (contains small part of East End)
 * Jefferson
 * Kentucky
 * Liberty
 * Marble (contains part of Hot Springs Village)
 * Newcomb
 * Otter (contains most of Shannon Hills, small parts of Alexander and East End)
 * Owen (contains some of Bryant, small part of Alexander)
 * Salem (contains Salem, small part of Bryant)
 * Shaw
 * Smith
 * Traskwood (contains Traskwood)
 * Union

Source:

title: Saline County, Arkansas