Hope, Arkansas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hope, Arkansas
City
Downtown Hope
Seal
Motto(s):  "A Slice of the Good Life" "I still believe in a place called Hope"
Location of Hope in Hempstead County, Arkansas
Hope, Arkansas Location in Arkansas Show map of Arkansas Hope, Arkansas Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
County	Hempstead
Founded	1875
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
Area
• City	10.76 sq mi (27.87 km2)
• Land	10.68 sq mi (27.67 km2)
• Water	0.08 sq mi (0.20 km2)
Elevation	351 ft (107 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	8,952
• Density	837.97/sq mi (323.55/km2)
• Metro	30,591
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	71801-71802
Area code(s)	870
FIPS code	05-33190
GNIS feature ID	2404726

Hope is a city in Hempstead County, located in southwestern Arkansas, United States. It is the main city of the Hope Micropolitan Statistical Area. This area includes all of Hempstead and Nevada counties.

As of the 2020 census, about 8,952 people lived in Hope. The city is famous for being the birthplace of three Arkansas governors. These include Bill Clinton, who also became President of the United States. Mike Huckabee and his daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the current governor, were also born here.

History of Hope

A street scene in Hope around 1904.

Hope started in 1873 when a railroad was built through the area. The town got its name from Hope Loughborough. She was the daughter of a railroad executive.

Later, around 1902–1903, another railroad line was built. This line is now run by the Kiamichi Railroad.

Geography and Climate

Hope is located in southwestern Arkansas. The city covers about 10.76 square miles (27.87 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Hope's Climate

Hope has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers. The winters are generally mild to cool.

People of Hope

Population in 2020

In 2020, there were 8,952 people living in Hope. There were 3,375 households and 2,447 families.

Population in 2010

In 2010, the city had 10,095 people. About 43.2% were Black, and 34.0% were White. Around 20.8% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.

Hope's Economy

Hope is well-known for growing giant watermelons. The city has set records for the largest watermelons in the world. In 2005, Lloyd Bright grew a watermelon that weighed 268.8 pounds!

The city celebrates the Watermelon Festival every year in August. The watermelon is even part of Hope's city logo and slogan: A Slice of the Good Life.

Education in Hope

The Hope Public Schools building.

Public schools in Hope are part of the Hope School District. This district includes several schools for different age groups:

• William Jefferson Clinton Primary School (Kindergarten to 4th grade)
• Beryl Henry Elementary School (5th and 6th grade)
• Henry C. Yerger Middle School (7th and 8th grade)
• Hope High School (9th to 12th grade)

There is also Hope Academy of Public Service (HAPS). It serves students from 5th to 12th grade.

Hope also has a private school called Garrett Memorial Christian School. For college, students can attend the University of Arkansas at Hope.

Media in Hope

Hope has local news through SWARK.Today and HopePrescott. HopePrescott also prints the city's newspaper. There are also at least three local radio stations. Television stations from nearby cities like Little Rock, Shreveport, and Texarkana serve Hope.

City Infrastructure

Hope Municipal Airport

The Hope Municipal Airport was once part of the Southwestern Proving Ground. This was a large military facility during World War II. From 1942 to 1945, the U.S. Army used this area to test weapons.

The airport once had one of the longest runways in the United States. In 1947, the City of Hope took over the airport.

Paul Klipsch, a veteran who served at the site, started his speaker company, Klipsch, there. He invented the famous Klipschorn speaker. Klipsch speakers are still made in Hope today.

After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, FEMA used land near the airport. They stored temporary homes for hurricane victims there.

Rail Service

In 2009, Amtrak added Hope to its Texas Eagle train service. This train travels daily between Chicago and San Antonio. Train service officially began on April 4, 2013.

Famous People from Hope

Hope is the hometown of many notable people:

• Former U.S. President Bill Clinton grew up here. His childhood home is in the town. In 1992, he famously said, "I still believe in a place called Hope." The city uses this as its unofficial motto. Hope's old railroad depot is now a museum about Clinton's life.
• Former governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee is from Hope. His daughter, current governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, also grew up here.
• Jeremy Wise, a Navy SEAL and CIA Contractor.
• Tilman Bacon Parks, a 20th-century congressman.
• Joseph Barton Elam, a former U.S. Congressman from Louisiana.
• Mack McLarty, former White House chief of staff.
• Vince Foster, an attorney.
• Shirley Weber, California Secretary of State.
• Kelly Bryant, former Arkansas secretary of state.
• David L. Armstrong, former mayor of Louisville, Kentucky.
• Gary Dee, a talk radio host.
• Ken Duke, a PGA golfer.
• Ketty Lester, an actress and vocalist.
• Melinda Dillon, an actress.
• Paul Wilbur Klipsch, who founded Klipsch and Associates in Hope in 1946.
• Mike Ross, a former U.S. representative.

Images for kids

• 

  Downtown Hope

• 

  Seal of Hope, Arkansas

• 

  Location of Hope in Hempstead County, Arkansas

See also

In Spanish: Hope (Arkansas) para niños