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Greene County, Arkansas facts for kids

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Greene County
U.S. county
Courthouse in Paragould
Courthouse in Paragould
Map of Arkansas highlighting Greene County
Location within the U.S. state of Arkansas
Map of the United States highlighting Arkansas
Arkansas's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Arkansas
Founded November 5, 1833
Named for Nathanael Greene
Seat Paragould
Largest city Paragould
Area
 • Total 580 sq mi (1,500 km2)
 • Land 578 sq mi (1,500 km2)
 • Water 1.9 sq mi (5 km2)  0.3%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 45,736
 • Estimate 
(2023)
 46,743 Increase
 • Density 78.9/sq mi (30.45/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 1st

Greene County is a county located in the state of Arkansas. In 2020, about 45,736 people lived here. The main town and county seat (where the county government is) is Paragould. This town is built on a special landform called Crowley's Ridge. Greene County is part of the larger Jonesboro–Paragould Combined Statistical Area.

History of Greene County

The first person to settle in this area was Benjamin Crowley. He came from Kentucky in 1821. He built his home about 12 miles west of Paragould.

Greene County was officially created on November 5, 1833. It was made from parts of Lawrence County. At first, it also included parts of what are now Clay and Craighead counties. The county was named after Nathanael Greene. He was a hero from the American Revolutionary War.

The first county seat was Benjamin Crowley's home. By 1836, when Arkansas became a state, the county seat moved to a place called "Paris." This is not the same as the current Paris, Arkansas.

In 1848, a major highway was built through the area. The county seat then moved to Gainesville. Gainesville was known for being a bit wild back then. The county seat stayed there until 1883. Then, it moved to the new town of Paragould. People in Gainesville were not happy about this move. Some reports say shots were fired because people were so upset. The courthouse in Paragould was built in 1888. It is still standing in downtown Paragould today.

In the early 1900s, Clay, Greene, and Craighead counties had special rules. These rules made it very difficult for African Americans to live in these areas.

Geography of Greene County

Greene County covers about 580 square miles. Most of this area, about 578 square miles, is land. Only a small part, about 1.9 square miles (0.3%), is water.

Main Roads

  • US 49.svg U.S. Highway 49
  • US 49B.svg U.S. Highway 49 Business
  • US 49Y.svg U.S. Highway 49Y
  • US 63.svg U.S. Highway 63
  • US 412.svg U.S. Highway 412
  • US 412B.svg U.S. Highway 412 Business
  • Arkansas 1.svg Highway 1
  • Arkansas 34.svg Highway 34
  • Arkansas 69.svg Highway 69
  • Arkansas 90.svg Highway 90
  • Arkansas 135.svg Highway 135
  • Arkansas 139.svg Highway 139
  • Arkansas 141.svg Highway 141
  • Arkansas 168.svg Highway 168
  • Arkansas 228.svg Highway 228
  • Arkansas 351.svg Highway 351
  • Arkansas 358.svg Highway 358

Neighboring Counties

People in Greene County

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1840 1,586 —
1850 2,593 63.5%
1860 5,843 125.3%
1870 7,573 29.6%
1880 7,480 −1.2%
1890 12,908 72.6%
1900 16,979 31.5%
1910 23,852 40.5%
1920 26,105 9.4%
1930 26,127 0.1%
1940 30,204 15.6%
1950 29,149 −3.5%
1960 25,198 −13.6%
1970 24,765 −1.7%
1980 30,744 24.1%
1990 31,804 3.4%
2000 37,331 17.4%
2010 42,090 12.7%
2020 45,736 8.7%
2023 (est.) 46,743 11.1%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010
USA Greene County, Arkansas age pyramid
Age pyramid Greene County

2020 Census Information

This table shows the different groups of people living in Greene County in 2020:

Greene County racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 40,509 88.57%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 926 2.02%
Native American 138 0.3%
Asian 181 0.4%
Pacific Islander 287 0.63%
Other/Mixed 2,099 4.59%
Hispanic or Latino 1,596 3.49%

In 2020, there were 45,736 people living in Greene County. There were 17,254 households and 12,280 families.

2010 Census Information

In 2010, there were 42,090 people in the county. Most people (95.4%) were White. About 0.6% were Black, 0.5% were Native American, and 0.3% were Asian. A very small number were Pacific Islander (less than 0.1%). About 1.1% of people were from two or more races. About 2.1% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.

Towns and Cities

Cities

Towns

Smaller Communities (Unincorporated)

These places are not officially cities or towns.

Townships

Greene County Arkansas 2010 Township Map large
Townships in Greene County, Arkansas as of 2010

Counties in Arkansas are divided into smaller areas called townships. Here are the townships in Greene 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 Greene County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.

  • Blue Cane
  • Breckenridge (Lafe)
  • Bryan
  • Cache
  • Clark (most of Paragould)
  • Collier
  • Crowley
  • Evening Shade
  • Friendship
  • Hays
  • Hopewell
  • Hurricane (Marmaduke)
  • Jones (Delaplaine)
  • Lake
  • Main Shore
  • Poland
  • Reynolds
  • St. Francis (small part of Paragould)
  • Salem
  • Shady Grove
  • Spring Grove (part of Paragould)
  • Sugar Creek
  • Union (Oak Grove Heights)
  • Walnut Corner

Education

Here are the main school districts in Greene County:

  • Greene County Technical School District
  • Marmaduke School District
  • Paragould School District
    • This district includes the original Paragould School District. It also includes the Oak Grove School district, which joined in 1985. The Stanford School District also joined. The new district was first called the Northeast Arkansas School District. By 1997, its name became the Paragould School District.
  • Rector School District
    • The Greenway School District and the old Rector District joined together in 1984. They formed the Clay County Central School District. Later, this merged district became the Rector School District.

Former School Districts

  • Delaplaine School District - This district joined with Greene County Technical in 2004.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Greene (Arkansas) para niños

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