Lincoln County, Arkansas Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Lincoln County
U.S. county
Lincoln County Courthouse in Star City
Location within the U.S. state of Arkansas
Arkansas's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
Founded	March 28, 1871
Named for	Abraham Lincoln
Seat	Star City
Largest city	Star City
Area
• Total	572.17 sq mi (1,481.9 km²)
• Land	561.20 sq mi (1,453.5 km²)
• Water	10.97 sq mi (28.4 km²) 1.9%%
Population (2010)
• Total	14,134
• Estimate (2019)	13,024
• Density	24.7024/sq mi (9.5377/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	1st

Lincoln County is located between the Arkansas Timberlands and Arkansas Delta in the U.S. state of Arkansas. It is also within the Pine Bluff metro area, and on the outer edge of the Central Arkansas region. The county is named for President Abraham Lincoln. Created as Arkansas's 65th county on March 28, 1871, Lincoln County has three incorporated cities, including Star City, the county seat and most populous city. The county contains 46 unincorporated communities and ghost towns, Cane Creek State Park at the confluence of Cane Creek and Bayou Bartholomew, and nine listings on the National Register of Historic Places to preserve the history and culture of the county.

Lincoln County occupies 572.17 square miles (148,190 ha) and contained a population of 14,134 people in 4,207 households as of the 2010 Census, ranking it 69th in size and 52nd in population among the state's 75 counties. The economy is largely based on agriculture and the two state prisons in the county. Poverty and unemployment rates are above national averages, but steady. Household incomes are below state and national averages. Politically, Lincoln County has transitioned from reliably Democratic to steadily Republican since the election of Barack Obama.

Lincoln County is served by two school districts, Star City School District and Dumas Public Schools. Higher education and healthcare are available in Pine Bluff to the north or Monticello to the south. Although no Interstate highways serve Lincoln County, the county has access to two United States highways (U.S. Route 65 [US 65], US 425) and eight Arkansas state highways. Lincoln County is also served by one public owned/public use general aviation airport, Star City Municipal Airport, and six community water systems provide potable water to customers in the county.

Geography
- Major highways
- Adjacent counties
Demographics
- 2020 census
Communities
- Cities
- Unincorporated communities
Townships
Economy
Infrastructure
Images for kids
See also

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 572 square miles (1,480 km²), of which 562 square miles (1,460 km²) is land and 11 square miles (28 km²) (1.9%) is water.

Major highways

U.S. Highway 65
U.S. Highway 425
Highway 11

Adjacent counties

Jefferson County (north)
Arkansas County (northeast)
Desha County (east)
Drew County (south)
Cleveland County (west)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	9,255	—
1890	10,255	10.8%
1900	13,389	30.6%
1910	15,118	12.9%
1920	18,774	24.2%
1930	20,250	7.9%
1940	19,709	−2.7%
1950	17,079	−13.3%
1960	14,447	−15.4%
1970	12,913	−10.6%
1980	13,369	3.5%
1990	13,690	2.4%
2000	14,492	5.9%
2010	14,134	−2.5%
2019 (est.)	13,024	−7.9%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2016

Age pyramid Lincoln County

2020 census

Lincoln County racial composition
Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	8,188	63.27%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	3,650	28.2%
Native American	27	0.21%
Asian	23	0.18%
Pacific Islander	9	0.07%
Other/Mixed	425	3.28%
Hispanic or Latino	619	4.78%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 12,941 people, 3,773 households, and 2,711 families residing in the county.

Communities

Cities

Gould
Grady
Star City (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

Cummins Unit
Varner

Townships

Townships in Lincoln County, Arkansas as of 2010

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 Lincoln County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.

Auburn
Bartholomew
Cane Creek (contains Star City)
Choctaw (contains Grady)
Gould (contains Gould)
Kimbrough
Lone Pine
Mill Creek
Owen
Smith
Spring
Wells Bayou

Source:

Economy

The Arkansas Department of Correction, which operates the Cummins Unit and the Varner Unit in Lincoln County, is one of the county's major employers.

Infrastructure

Aviation

Lincoln County contains one public owned/public use general aviation airport, Star City Municipal Airport. For the twelve-month period ending February 28, 2014, the facility saw 5,400 general aviation operations. The nearest commercial service airport is Clinton National Airport in Little Rock.

Major highways

US 65 between Grady and Gould

The most heavily traveled highway in Lincoln County is U.S. Highway 65, with 7,700 vehicles per day estimated in Gould in 2016. The route connects travelers to Pine Bluff (and Little Rock via Interstate 530 [I-530]) to the north, and Mississippi and Louisiana to the south. U.S. Highway 425 crosses the county from south to north, passing through Star City. Highway 530 was opened to traffic in 2013 as two lanes of a future four-lane controlled access facility between Pine Bluff and the future Interstate 69 in Monticello. Currently, the route serves as direct access to Pine Bluff and points north for Star City travelers, in less distance than US 65.

Eleven state highways serve the traveling public in the county, varying from short connector routes to long highways traversing the entire county. Highway 11 is an important highway in the county, running from US 63 just over the Cleveland County line northeast through Star City and Grady to Huff's Island park on the Arkansas River. Highway 54 crosses the county from east to west on a winding, indirect route between Dumas and Pine Bluff. Highway 114 and Highway 212 serves as east–west routes across the county. Highway 83, Highway 199, and Highway 293 are rural routes in the south, north and southeast parts of Lincoln County, respectively. Highway 388 runs from US 65 toward Cummins and Varner units. Highway 980 connects Star City Municipal Airport to Highway 114. Two unsigned state highways Highway 600 and Highway 831, serve as institutional roads for Cane Creek State Park and the state prisons, respectively.

Utilities

Water

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) is responsible for the regulation and oversight of public water systems throughout the state. Six community water systems are based in Lincoln County: Yorktown Water Association, Arkansas Department of Corrections - Cummins Unit, Star City Water, Gould Municipal Water/Sewer, Grady Waterworks, and the Garrett Bridge Water Association. All of these utilities use the Sparta Sand Aquifer for source water. Small, rural parts of the county are served by the Highway 63 Water Association and the Ladd Water Association.

Yorktown Water Association has the largest retail population, with 8,169 total retail population, mostly within Lincoln County. ADC Cummins Unit has a retail population of 3,800, followed by Star City with 2,842, Gould with 1,041, and all others under 1,000 retail population served.

Wastewater

The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) regulates and oversees wastewater treatment and discharge permits in the state. Lincoln County contains three municipal wastewater systems, and one active domestic NPDES permit for Cummins Unit.