Lee County, Arkansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lee County
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Main façade of the Lee County Courthouse, 2014
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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 | April 17, 1873 |
| Named for | General Robert E. Lee |
| Seat | Marianna |
| Largest city | Marianna |
| Area | |
| • Total | 620 sq mi (1,600 km2) |
| • Land | 603 sq mi (1,560 km2) |
| • Water | 17 sq mi (40 km2) 2.7%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 8,600 |
| • Density | 13.87/sq mi (5.36/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
Lee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. With its eastern border formed by the Mississippi River, it is considered to be part of the Arkansas Delta. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,600. The county seat is Marianna.
The county was established by the state legislature on April 17, 1873, during the Reconstruction era. It was named for General Robert E. Lee, who served as General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate States during the American Civil War.
Contents
History
The area of the Delta was developed largely for cotton as a commodity crop before the Civil War, based on the labor of enslaved African Americans. It continued as an important crop into the 20th century, when it was worked by African-American sharecroppers and tenant farmers. In the post-Reconstruction era, whites struggled to re-establish white supremacy, by violence and intimidation of black Republican Party voters in this area and throughout the South. At the turn of the century, the state legislature passed measures that effectively disenfranchised most blacks for decades. To escape the violence and oppression, thousands of African Americans left the state in the Great Migration to northern and western cities, especially after 1940. Mechanization of farming and industrial-scale agriculture have decreased the need for workers. The rural county has continued to lose population because of the lack of work opportunities. There has been a decrease in population every decade since 1940.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 620 square miles (1,600 km2), of which 603 square miles (1,560 km2) is land and 17 square miles (44 km2) (2.7%) is water.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 79
Highway 1
Highway 78
Highway 121
Highway 131
Highway 261
Adjacent counties
- St. Francis County (north)
- Crittenden County (northeast)
- Tunica County, Mississippi (east)
- Phillips County (south)
- Monroe County (west)
National protected area
- St. Francis National Forest (part)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 13,288 | — | |
| 1890 | 18,886 | 42.1% | |
| 1900 | 19,409 | 2.8% | |
| 1910 | 24,252 | 25.0% | |
| 1920 | 28,852 | 19.0% | |
| 1930 | 26,637 | −7.7% | |
| 1940 | 26,810 | 0.6% | |
| 1950 | 24,322 | −9.3% | |
| 1960 | 21,001 | −13.7% | |
| 1970 | 18,884 | −10.1% | |
| 1980 | 15,539 | −17.7% | |
| 1990 | 13,053 | −16.0% | |
| 2000 | 12,580 | −3.6% | |
| 2010 | 10,424 | −17.1% | |
| 2020 | 8,600 | −17.5% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 8,201 | −21.3% | |
| 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 | 3,424 | 39.81% |
| Black or African American | 4,657 | 54.15% |
| Native American | 18 | 0.21% |
| Asian | 13 | 0.15% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.01% |
| Other/Mixed | 271 | 3.15% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 216 | 2.51% |
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 8,600 people, 3,206 households, and 1,994 families residing in the county.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 10,424 people living in the county. 55.3% were Black or African American, 42.0% White, 0.5% Native American, 1.6% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race), 0.4% Asian, 0.7% of some other race and 1.2% of two or more races.
Communities
Towns
Unincorporated communities
Townships
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 Lee County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Lee (Arkansas) para niños
