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Jacksonville, Arkansas
City
City Hall
City Hall
Official seal of Jacksonville, Arkansas
Seal
Motto(s): 
"Soaring higher"
Location of Jacksonville in Pulaski County, Arkansas.
Location of Jacksonville in Pulaski County, Arkansas.
Jacksonville, Arkansas is located in the United States
Jacksonville, Arkansas
Jacksonville, Arkansas
Location in the United States
Country United States
State Arkansas
County Pulaski
Founded 1870
Incorporated 1941
Area
 • City 28.86 sq mi (74.74 km2)
 • Land 28.65 sq mi (74.19 km2)
 • Water 0.21 sq mi (0.54 km2)
Elevation
302 ft (92 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City 29,477
 • Density 1,029.01/sq mi (397.30/km2)
 • Metro
729,135 ('14) (Little Rock/North Little Rock)
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
72076
Area code(s) 501
FIPS code 05-34750
GNIS feature ID 2404781
Website www.cityofjacksonville.net

Jacksonville is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States, and a suburb of Little Rock. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 28,364. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area with 729,135 people as of 2014.

History

The city is named for Nicholas Jackson, a landowner who deeded the land for the railroad right-of-way to the Cairo & Fulton Railroad in 1870. The community evolved from the settlement surrounding the railroad depot, eventually incorporating in 1941. In 1941, construction began on the Arkansas Ordnance Plant (AOP), which served as the primary facility for the development of fuses and detonators for World War II. Following the war, AOP ceased operations and the land was sold for commercial interests, including the development of the Little Rock Air Force Base in 1955. Today, portions of AOP still remain, including the Arkansas Ordnance Plant Guard House, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and the Jacksonville Museum of Military History. Despite Pulaski County being an Arkansas county that is not a "dry" county, as it allows the sales of beer and liquor, the municipal limits of Jacksonville are "moist", as it does not allow the sales of alcohol in stores, but allows the sale of alcohol in some restaurants with special permits.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.2 square miles (73.1 km2), of which 28.1 square miles (72.8 km2) is land and 0.12 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.42%, is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Jacksonville has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1950 2,474 —
1960 14,488 485.6%
1970 19,832 36.9%
1980 27,589 39.1%
1990 29,101 5.5%
2000 29,916 2.8%
2010 28,364 −5.2%
2020 29,477 3.9%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Jacksonville racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 12,743 43.23%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 11,757 39.89%
Native American 110 0.37%
Asian 542 1.84%
Pacific Islander 59 0.2%
Other/Mixed 2,086 7.08%
Hispanic or Latino 2,180 7.4%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 29,477 people, 10,333 households, and 7,025 families residing in the city.

Arts and culture

Jacksonville, AR 005
Nixon Library in Jacksonville

The Central Arkansas Library System includes the Esther Dewitt Nixon Library in Jacksonville.

Attractions that Jacksonville include:

  • Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Shooting Sports Complex
  • Bayou Meto Urban Canoe Trail
  • Jacksonville Guitar Center and Museum
  • Jacksonville Museum of Military History
  • Jacksonville Farmers Market
  • Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Heritage Park
  • Splash Zone

Parks and recreation

In this list are the 8 parks currently located within Jacksonville.

  • Dupree Park
  • Fireman Park
  • Excell Park
  • Galloway Park
  • Johnson Park
  • Paradise Park
  • Northlake Park
  • Stagecoach Park

Education

Since 1927, Jacksonville had been part of the Pulaski County Special School District, one of the largest school districts in Arkansas. In the years leading up to September 2008, parts of the Jacksonville community expressed a desire to split from the PCSSD. This measure was approved by the board of the PCSSD during that month, clearing the way, legally, for the formation of what would become Jacksonville North Pulaski School District.

In a response to a petition signed by more than 2,000 voters, the Arkansas Board of Education ordered an election to carve a new school district out of the existing Pulaski County Special School District. Jacksonville voters approved of the separation on September 16, 2014, with a vote of 3,672 for and 202 against (95% to 5%).

According to JNPSD officials, the district would be administered by the Pulaski County Special School District until its final detachment, which became effective July 1, 2016.

The district consists of six elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. The schools include Jacksonville High School, Jacksonville Middle School, Bayou Meto Elementary, Bobby G Lester Elementary, Jacksonville Elementary School, and Murrell Taylor Elementary.

Arkansas State University-Beebe maintains a degree center at Little Rock Air Force Base for post-secondary education.

Notable people

See also

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