Clark County, Arkansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clark County
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Clark County Courthouse in Arkadelphia
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Location within the U.S. state of Arkansas
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 Arkansas's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Arkansas |
| Founded | December 15, 1818 |
| Named for | William Clark |
| Seat | Arkadelphia |
| Largest city | Arkadelphia |
| Area | |
| • Total | 883 sq mi (2,290 km2) |
| • Land | 866 sq mi (2,240 km2) |
| • Water | 17 sq mi (40 km2) 1.9%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 21,446 |
| • Density | 24.288/sq mi (9.378/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
Clark County is a county located in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,446. The county seat is Arkadelphia. The Arkadelphia, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Clark County.
Contents
History
Clark County was Arkansas' third county, formed on December 15, 1818, alongside Hempstead and Pulaski counties. The county is named after William Clark who at the time was Governor of the Missouri Territory, which included present-day Arkansas. On November 1, 1833, Pike County was created, out of western Clark County and part of northern Hempstead County by the Arkansas territorial legislature and named after Zebulon Pike. Arkadelphia was named as the county seat in 1842.
20th century to present
From 1920 to 1960, the county population declined, as may be seen on the table below. The cotton culture had been affected by the invasion of the boll weevil, which attacked the plants; and mechanization of agriculture, reducing the need for workers. In this period, many African-American families, who still constituted most of the farm workers, also left Arkansas and other parts of the rural South to escape Jim Crow oppression and seek better employment in Northern and Midwestern cities in the Great Migration. In the latter part of this period, some migrated to the West Coast, where the defense industry developed during and after World War II offered higher paying jobs.
At the same time, the lumber industry declined, also causing a loss of jobs. Several companies had operated sawmills and related businesses in Clark County in the early part of the century. The founders of the lumber town Graysonia, Arkansas moved to Springfield, Oregon, renaming their company as Roseboro Lumber. While manufacturing industries had entered the county, several had a downturn in the 1980s.
In the 1970s, the DeGray Dam and Lake were completed along the Caddo River, providing new areas in the county for tourism and recreation, which have become major components of the economy.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 883 square miles (2,290 km2), of which 866 square miles (2,240 km2) is land and 17 square miles (44 km2) (1.9%) is water.
Major highways
Interstate 30
U.S. Highway 67
Highway 7
Highway 8
Highway 26
Highway 51
Highway 53
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Adjacent counties
- Hot Spring County (northeast)
- Dallas County (east)
- Ouachita County (southeast)
- Nevada County (southwest)
- Pike County (west)
- Montgomery County (northwest)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1830 | 1,369 | — | |
| 1840 | 2,309 | 68.7% | |
| 1850 | 4,070 | 76.3% | |
| 1860 | 9,735 | 139.2% | |
| 1870 | 11,953 | 22.8% | |
| 1880 | 15,771 | 31.9% | |
| 1890 | 20,997 | 33.1% | |
| 1900 | 21,289 | 1.4% | |
| 1910 | 23,686 | 11.3% | |
| 1920 | 25,632 | 8.2% | |
| 1930 | 24,932 | −2.7% | |
| 1940 | 24,402 | −2.1% | |
| 1950 | 22,998 | −5.8% | |
| 1960 | 20,950 | −8.9% | |
| 1970 | 21,537 | 2.8% | |
| 1980 | 23,326 | 8.3% | |
| 1990 | 21,437 | −8.1% | |
| 2000 | 23,546 | 9.8% | |
| 2010 | 22,995 | −2.3% | |
| 2020 | 21,446 | −6.7% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 21,274 | −7.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 |
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2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
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| White (non-Hispanic) | 14,093 | 65.71% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 5,068 | 23.63% |
| Native American | 76 | 0.35% |
| Asian | 150 | 0.7% |
| Pacific Islander | 16 | 0.07% |
| Other/Mixed | 951 | 4.43% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,092 | 5.09% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 21,446 people, 8,446 households, and 5,253 families residing in the county.
Culture
An alcohol prohibition (dry) county since 1943, Clark County voted in 2011 to make the county wet, allowing countywide retail alcohol sales.
Communities
Cities
- Amity
- Arkadelphia (county seat)
- Gurdon
Towns
Unincorporated communities
Townships
Note: Unlike most Arkansas counties, Clark County only has one single township. That township encompasses the entire county.
Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries. Arkansas townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, the United States Census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "minor civil divisions"). Townships are also 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 and publications. The townships of Clark County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.
- Caddo
Notable residents
- Daniel Davis, actor, best known for playing "Niles the butler" in the television series The Nanny, was born in Gurdon.
- Jody Evans, singer of country music, started his music career in Clark County, and works for the Arkadelphia Police Department.
- Cliff Harris, football player, Dallas Cowboys NFL, played college football for the Ouachita Baptist University football team.
- Bob C. Riley, politician, was born and raised in Arkadelphia. The Democrat served as Lieutenant Governor from 1971 to 1975.
- Jerry Thomasson, politician and state representative, was born and raised in Arkadelphia. He switched to the Republican Party in 1966 and ran unsuccessfully for state attorney general in 1966 and 1968.
- Billy Bob Thornton, film actor, grew up in Alpine.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Clark (Arkansas) para niños
