Oark, Arkansas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oark, Arkansas
Census-designated place
Oark General Store
Oark, Arkansas Location in Arkansas Show map of Arkansas Oark, Arkansas Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
County	Johnson
Elevation	1,030 ft (310 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	43
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	72852
Area code(s)	479
GNIS feature ID	2805670

Oark is a small community in Johnson County, Arkansas, United States. It's a "census-designated place" (CDP), which means it's a special area the government counts for population. In 2020, only 43 people lived there.

Oark is found on Arkansas Highway 215, about 16 miles (26 km) northwest of Clarksville. It has its own post office with the ZIP Code 72852. The community is surrounded by the beautiful Ozark National Forest. The lovely Mulberry River flows nearby. No one is quite sure where the name "Oark" came from. Some people think French trappers, who visited the area in the 1700s, might have named it.

A Look at Oark's Past

The valley where the Mulberry River flows has been home to people for thousands of years. Archeologists, who study old things, believe that people who lived in "bluff dwellings" (shelters built into cliffs) were here as early as 500 B.C. Later, the Osage Indians used the valleys around the Mulberry River as their hunting grounds. French trappers also visited this area often in the mid-1600s.

Learning in Oark

Students in Oark attend public schools run by the Jasper School District. This district includes schools for all ages:

• Oark Elementary School, for students in kindergarten through 6th grade.
• Oark High School, for students in 7th through 12th grade.

The school campus is also home to a very old tree called the "Tri-Centennial Tree." This southern red oak tree is thought to be over 300 years old! There's a special sign on Highway 215 in front of the school. It tells about the tree's dedication in 2012.

Before 2004, Oark had its own school district. But on July 1, 2004, the Oark School District joined with the Kingston School District to become part of the Jasper district.

Who Lives in Oark?

In 2020, the U.S. Census counted 43 people living in Oark. Here's a quick look at the different groups of people who live there:

Note: The U.S. Census counts people who are Hispanic or Latino as an ethnic group. This table shows them separately from the racial groups. People who are Hispanic or Latino can be of any race.