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Searcy County, Arkansas facts for kids

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Searcy County
Searcy County Courthouse
Searcy County Courthouse
Flag of Searcy County
Flag
Map of Arkansas highlighting Searcy 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 December 13, 1838
Named for Richard Searcy
Seat Marshall
Largest city Marshall
Area
 • Total 669 sq mi (1,730 km2)
 • Land 666 sq mi (1,720 km2)
 • Water 2.4 sq mi (6 km2)  0.4%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 7,828
 • Density 11.701/sq mi (4.518/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 1st
Website https://searcyco.org/

Searcy County is a county in the state of Arkansas. In 2020, about 7,828 people lived here. The main town and county seat is Marshall.

The county was created on December 13, 1838. It was formed from a part of Marion County. It was named after Richard Searcy, who was an important judge in the early Arkansas Territory. Interestingly, the city of Searcy, Arkansas is about 70 miles away and has never been part of Searcy County. In Searcy County, selling alcohol is not allowed.

History of Searcy County

During the American Civil War, many people in Searcy County supported the Union (the northern states). They even formed a group called the "Arkansas Peace Society" to show their support.

The Chocolate Roll Capital

Searcy County is famous for a special dessert called the Chocolate Roll. It's not very well known outside of this area.

A Chocolate Roll is made from pie dough. This dough is spread with a mix of cocoa powder, shortening, and sugar. Then, it's rolled up and baked.

In 2012, the Greater Searcy County Chamber of Commerce declared Searcy County the "Chocolate Roll Capital of the World™". They even registered this as a trademark.

Since 2012, Marshall High School has hosted an annual Chocolate Roll Festival. This festival includes a "World Champion Chocolate Roll Contest."

Geography of Searcy County

Searcy County covers a total area of about 669 square miles. Most of this area, about 666 square miles, is land. Only a small part, about 2.4 square miles, is water.

Main Roads in Searcy County

These are the most important highways that go through Searcy County:

  • US 65.svg U.S. Highway 65
  • Arkansas 14.svg Arkansas Highway 14
  • Arkansas 16.svg Arkansas Highway 16
  • Arkansas 27.svg Arkansas Highway 27
  • Arkansas 66.svg Arkansas Highway 66
  • Arkansas 74.svg Arkansas Highway 74
  • Arkansas 235.svg Arkansas Highway 235
  • Arkansas 333.svg Arkansas Highway 333
  • Arkansas 374.svg Arkansas Highway 374
  • Arkansas 377.svg Arkansas Highway 377

Neighboring Counties

Searcy County shares borders with these other counties:

Protected Natural Areas

Parts of these national protected areas are found in Searcy County:

Population Data

Historical population
Census Pop.
1840 936
1850 1,979 111.4%
1860 5,271 166.3%
1870 5,614 6.5%
1880 7,278 29.6%
1890 9,664 32.8%
1900 11,988 24.0%
1910 14,825 23.7%
1920 14,590 −1.6%
1930 11,056 −24.2%
1940 11,942 8.0%
1950 10,424 −12.7%
1960 8,124 −22.1%
1970 7,731 −4.8%
1980 8,847 14.4%
1990 7,841 −11.4%
2000 8,261 5.4%
2010 8,195 −0.8%
2020 7,828 −4.5%
2023 (est.) 7,806 −4.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010
USA Searcy County, Arkansas age pyramid
Age pyramid of Searcy County's population

2020 Census Information

In 2020, the census showed that 7,828 people lived in Searcy County. There were 3,327 households and 2,333 families.

Here's a look at the different groups of people living in Searcy County:

Searcy County racial composition
Group Number Percentage
White (not Hispanic) 7,092 90.6%
Black or African American (not Hispanic) 5 0.06%
Native American 65 0.83%
Asian 20 0.26%
Pacific Islander 5 0.06%
Other/Mixed 501 6.4%
Hispanic or Latino 140 1.79%

Schools in Searcy County

Children in Searcy County get their education from several school districts:

  • Searcy County School District: This district includes Marshall High School.
  • Ozark Mountain School District: This district includes St. Joe High School and St. Joe Elementary School, which are located in Searcy County.

Towns and Communities

Searcy County has several towns and communities:

Cities

  • Leslie
  • Marshall (This is the county seat, meaning it's the main administrative town.)

Towns

Census-Designated Places

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller communities that are not officially organized as cities or towns:

Townships

Searcy County Arkansas 2010 Township Map large
Townships in Searcy County, Arkansas as of 2010

Searcy County is divided into smaller areas called townships. These help with local administration. 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 Searcy County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.

Township Population
(2010)
Land area
(mi2)
Geographic coordinates
Bear Creek No. 4 989 46.655 120.8 35°58′16″N 92°37′26″W / 35.971174°N 92.623964°W / 35.971174; -92.623964
Bear Creek No. 5 728 1.479 3.831 35°54′35″N 92°38′47″W / 35.909629°N 92.646337°W / 35.909629; -92.646337
Bear Creek No. 6 913 24.917 64.53 35°54′16″N 92°36′32″W / 35.904425°N 92.608797°W / 35.904425; -92.608797
Calf Creek 326 81.202 210.3 35°54′12″N 92°50′49″W / 35.903196°N 92.846919°W / 35.903196; -92.846919
Long Creek 474 44.219 114.5 35°55′23″N 92°29′16″W / 35.923104°N 92.487694°W / 35.923104; -92.487694
Mount Pleasant 465 108.750 281.7 35°47′22″N 92°50′34″W / 35.789412°N 92.842860°W / 35.789412; -92.842860
Oxley 364 32.018 82.93 35°52′02″N 92°27′47″W / 35.867295°N 92.463161°W / 35.867295; -92.463161
Prairie 550 39.793 103.1 36°03′55″N 92°53′29″W / 36.065325°N 92.891250°W / 36.065325; -92.891250
Red River 321 33.144 85.84 35°48′55″N 92°41′14″W / 35.815267°N 92.687262°W / 35.815267; -92.687262
Rock Creek 547 52.915 137.0 36°01′19″N 92°29′48″W / 36.021866°N 92.496667°W / 36.021866; -92.496667
St. Joe 390 29.838 77.28 35°59′13″N 92°51′15″W / 35.986869°N 92.854089°W / 35.986869; -92.854089
Shady Grove 189 42.834 110.9 35°44′37″N 92°39′19″W / 35.743664°N 92.655141°W / 35.743664; -92.655141
Spring 588 46.715 121.0 35°54′17″N 92°42′38″W / 35.904585°N 92.710556°W / 35.904585; -92.710556
Tomahawk 574 53.762 139.2 36°02′13″N 92°42′57″W / 36.036902°N 92.715763°W / 36.036902; -92.715763
Wileys Cove 777 45.225 117.1 35°51′20″N 92°31′11″W / 35.855434°N 92.519860°W / 35.855434; -92.519860
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Searcy para niños

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