Sebastian County, Arkansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sebastian County
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The Sebastian County Courthouse in Ft. Smith
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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 | January 6, 1851 |
| Named for | William K. Sebastian |
| Seat | Fort Smith (northern district); Greenwood (southern district) |
| Largest city | Fort Smith |
| Area | |
| • Total | 546 sq mi (1,410 km2) |
| • Land | 532 sq mi (1,380 km2) |
| • Water | 14 sq mi (40 km2) 2.6%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 127,799 |
| • Density | 234.06/sq mi (90.37/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional districts | 3rd, 4th |
Sebastian County is a place in the U.S. state of Arkansas. It's like a special area within the state. In 2020, about 127,799 people lived here. This makes it the fourth-biggest county in Arkansas by population. Sebastian County is special because it has two main towns where the county government is located. These are Greenwood and Fort Smith. The county is also part of a larger area called the Fort Smith Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes parts of Oklahoma.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
Sebastian County became the 56th county in Arkansas on January 6, 1851. It was named after William K. Sebastian. He was an important person who served as a United States Senator for Arkansas.
Where is Sebastian County?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Sebastian County covers about 546 square miles. Most of this area, 532 square miles, is land. The remaining 14 square miles, or 2.6%, is water. It is the second-smallest county in Arkansas by land area.
Main Roads and Highways
Here are some of the major roads that go through Sebastian County:
Interstate 49
Interstate 540
U.S. Highway 64
U.S. Highway 71
U.S. Highway 271
State Route 10
State Route 22
State Route 45
State Route 59
State Route 96
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Neighboring Counties
Sebastian County shares its borders with several other counties:
- Crawford County (to the north)
- Franklin County (to the east)
- Logan County (to the southeast)
- Scott County (to the south)
- Le Flore County, Oklahoma (to the southwest)
- Sequoyah County, Oklahoma (to the northwest)
Special Protected Areas
Parts of these important national areas are found in Sebastian County:
- Fort Smith National Historic Site (a place that protects important history)
- Ouachita National Forest (a large forest managed by the government)
Who Lives Here?
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 9,238 | — | |
| 1870 | 12,940 | 40.1% | |
| 1880 | 19,560 | 51.2% | |
| 1890 | 33,200 | 69.7% | |
| 1900 | 36,935 | 11.3% | |
| 1910 | 52,278 | 41.5% | |
| 1920 | 56,739 | 8.5% | |
| 1930 | 54,426 | −4.1% | |
| 1940 | 62,809 | 15.4% | |
| 1950 | 64,202 | 2.2% | |
| 1960 | 66,685 | 3.9% | |
| 1970 | 79,237 | 18.8% | |
| 1980 | 95,172 | 20.1% | |
| 1990 | 99,590 | 4.6% | |
| 2000 | 115,071 | 15.5% | |
| 2010 | 125,744 | 9.3% | |
| 2020 | 127,799 | 1.6% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 129,098 | 2.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 |
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The population of Sebastian County has grown a lot over the years. In 1860, there were just over 9,000 people. By 2020, the population had grown to 127,799 people.
People in 2020
The 2020 United States census counted 127,799 people living in Sebastian County. These people lived in 51,384 households, and 32,517 of these were families.
Here's a look at the different groups of people living in Sebastian County in 2020:
| Race | Number | Percentage |
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| White (not Hispanic) | 82,785 | 64.78% |
| Black or African American (not Hispanic) | 7,891 | 6.17% |
| Native American | 2,379 | 1.86% |
| Asian | 5,700 | 4.46% |
| Pacific Islander | 91 | 0.07% |
| Other/Mixed | 9,625 | 7.53% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 19,328 | 15.12% |
Learning and Schools
Public schools in Sebastian County are managed by several different school districts. Here are some of them, listed from the largest to the smallest:
- Fort Smith School District
- Greenwood School District
- Lavaca School District
- Hackett School District
- Hartford School District
Towns and Cities
Sebastian County has several cities and towns where people live and work.
Cities
- Barling
- Bonanza
- Fort Smith (one of the county seats)
- Greenwood (one of the county seats)
- Hackett
- Hartford
- Huntington
- Lavaca
- Mansfield
Towns
Townships
Counties in the U.S. are often divided into smaller areas called townships. Here are the townships in Sebastian County: 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 Sebastian County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.
- Bass Little (includes part of Greenwood)
- Big Creek (includes Lavaca)
- Beverly
- Bloomer
- Center (includes most of Greenwood)
- Cole (includes Hackett)
- Dayton
- Diamond (includes Huntington)
- Fort Chafee UT (includes parts of Barling and Fort Smith)
- Hartford (includes Hartford)
- Island
- Jim Fork (includes Midland)
- Lon Norris (includes part of Fort Smith)
- Marion (includes Bonanza and a small part of Fort Smith)
- Mississippi
- Mont Sandels (includes Central City and most of Barling)
- Prairie
- Rogers
- Sugarloaf (includes part of Mansfield)
- Upper (includes most of Fort Smith)
- Washburn
- White Oak
Famous People from Sebastian County
- John Sebastian Little: He was a member of the United States House of Representatives. He also served as the 21st Governor of Arkansas.
- Mathew Pitsch: He is a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for Sebastian County.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Sebastian para niños
