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Polk County, Arkansas facts for kids

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Polk County
Polk County Courthouse in Mena
Polk County Courthouse in Mena
Map of Arkansas highlighting Polk County
Location within the U.S. state of Arkansas
Map of the United States highlighting Arkansas
Arkansas's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Arkansas
Founded November 30, 1844
Named for James K. Polk
Seat Mena
Largest city Mena
Area
 • Total 862 sq mi (2,230 km2)
 • Land 858 sq mi (2,220 km2)
 • Water 4.8 sq mi (12 km2)  0.6%%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 20,662
 • Estimate 
(2019)
19,964
 • Density 23.970/sq mi (9.255/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 4th

Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,662. The county seat is Mena. Polk County is Arkansas's 48th county, formed on November 30, 1844; it was named for James Polk, 11th President of the United States. It is an alcohol prohibition or dry county. However, there are several restaurants and a local brewery that have licenses to serve alcohol within city limits.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 862 square miles (2,230 km2), of which 858 square miles (2,220 km2) is land and 4.8 square miles (12 km2) (0.6%) is water.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected area

  • Ouachita National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 1,263
1860 4,262 237.5%
1870 3,376 −20.8%
1880 5,857 73.5%
1890 9,283 58.5%
1900 18,352 97.7%
1910 17,216 −6.2%
1920 16,412 −4.7%
1930 14,857 −9.5%
1940 15,832 6.6%
1950 14,182 −10.4%
1960 11,981 −15.5%
1970 13,297 11.0%
1980 17,007 27.9%
1990 17,347 2.0%
2000 20,229 16.6%
2010 20,662 2.1%
2019 (est.) 19,964 −3.4%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2016
USA Polk County, Arkansas age pyramid
Age pyramid Polk County

2020 census

Polk County racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 16,092 83.72%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 39 0.2%
Native American 335 1.74%
Asian 100 0.52%
Pacific Islander 9 0.05%
Other/Mixed 1,368 7.12%
Hispanic or Latino 1,278 6.65%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 19,221 people, 8,243 households, and 5,672 families residing in the county.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated community

Townships

Polk County Arkansas 2010 Township Map large
Townships in Polk 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 Polk County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.

  • Acorn (small part of Mena)
  • Big Fork
  • Cedar
  • Center (most of Mena)
  • Cove (Hatfield)
  • Eagle
  • Faulkner
  • Freedom
  • Fulton
  • Gap Springs
  • Mill Creek
  • Mountain
  • Ouachita
  • Ozark (Grannis, Wickes)
  • Potter (small part of Mena)
  • Rich Mountain
  • White (Cove, Vandervoort)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Polk (Arkansas) para niños

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