Lawrence County, Arkansas Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Lawrence County
U.S. county
Lawrence County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Arkansas
Arkansas's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
Founded	January 15, 1815
Named for	James Lawrence
Seat	Walnut Ridge
Largest city	Walnut Ridge
Area
• Total	592 sq mi (1,530 km²)
• Land	588 sq mi (1,520 km²)
• Water	4.7 sq mi (12 km²) 0.8%%
Population (2020)
• Total	16,216
• Density	27.392/sq mi (10.576/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	1st

Lawrence County is a county found in the state of Arkansas. In 2020, about 16,216 people lived there. The main town and center of the county government is Walnut Ridge.

Lawrence County was created on January 15, 1815. It was the second county ever formed in Arkansas. The county is named after Captain James Lawrence, a brave naval officer who fought in the War of 1812.

History of Lawrence County
Geography of Lawrence County
- Neighboring Counties
Population and People
- Who Lives in Lawrence County?
Education in Lawrence County
Communities in Lawrence County
- Cities
- Towns
Important Roads and Highways
Images for kids
See also

History of Lawrence County

After the Louisiana Purchase, the land that is now Lawrence County was part of the Louisiana Territory from 1805 to 1812. Then, it became part of the Missouri Territory until 1819. That's when the Arkansas Territory was created.

Lawrence County was officially formed on January 15, 1815. It was made from parts of New Madrid County and Arkansas County. At first, it was a very large area. It stretched from Cape Girardeau County all the way to the Arkansas River.

Geography of Lawrence County

Lawrence County covers a total area of about 592 square miles. Most of this area, about 588 square miles, is land. The remaining 4.7 square miles, or 0.8%, is water.

Neighboring Counties

Lawrence County shares its borders with several other counties. Knowing these helps you understand its location better.

Randolph County is to the north.
Greene County is to the east.
Craighead County is to the southeast.
Jackson County is to the south.
Independence County is to the southwest.
Sharp County is to the west.

Population and People

The number of people living in Lawrence County has changed over many years. Here's a look at how the population has grown and shrunk.

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1830	2,806	—
1840	2,835	1.0%
1850	5,274	86.0%
1860	9,372	77.7%
1870	5,981	−36.2%
1880	8,782	46.8%
1890	12,984	47.8%
1900	16,491	27.0%
1910	20,001	21.3%
1920	22,098	10.5%
1930	21,663	−2.0%
1940	22,651	4.6%
1950	21,303	−6.0%
1960	17,267	−18.9%
1970	16,320	−5.5%
1980	18,447	13.0%
1990	17,457	−5.4%
2000	17,774	1.8%
2010	17,415	−2.0%
2020	16,216	−6.9%
2023 (est.)	16,318	−6.3%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010

This chart shows the age groups of people in Lawrence County.

Who Lives in Lawrence County?

The 2020 United States census counted 16,216 people living in Lawrence County. There were 6,463 households and 4,466 families.

Here's a breakdown of the different groups of people in the county:

Lawrence County racial composition
Group	Number	Percentage
White (not Hispanic)	14,925	92.04%
Black or African American (not Hispanic)	138	0.85%
Native American	41	0.25%
Asian	38	0.23%
Pacific Islander	10	0.06%
Other/Mixed	707	4.36%
Hispanic or Latino	357	2.2%