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Stuttgart, Arkansas
City of Stuttgart
Downtown Stuttgart
Downtown Stuttgart
Nickname(s): 
"Rice and Duck Capital of the World"
Motto(s): 
"A Natural Place To Call Home"
Location of Stuttgart in Arkansas County, Arkansas.
Location of Stuttgart in Arkansas County, Arkansas.
Stuttgart, Arkansas is located in the United States
Stuttgart, Arkansas
Stuttgart, Arkansas
Location in the United States
Country  United States
State  Arkansas
County Arkansas
Townships Gum Pond, Morris
Founded April 30, 1880 (1880-04-30)
Incorporated April 19, 1889 (1889-04-19)
Founded by Rev. Adam Bürkle
Named for Stuttgart, Germany
Government
 • Type Mayor–Council
Area
 • Total 7.41 sq mi (19.20 km2)
 • Land 7.41 sq mi (19.20 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
217 ft (66 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 8,264
 • Density 1,114.80/sq mi (430.43/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
72160
Area code(s) 870
FIPS code 05-67490
GNIS feature ID 2405537

Stuttgart is a city in and the county seat of the northern district of Arkansas County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 9,326.

Known as the "Rice and Duck Capital of the World", Stuttgart is an international destination for waterfowl hunting along the Mississippi Flyway. Founded in 1880, it was named for Stuttgart, Germany. Stuttgart situated on the Arkansas Grand Prairie, a region known for rice cultivation. The economy is largely based on agricultural production, waterfowl tourism, and supporting industries.

It is located on U.S. Route 165, approximately 45 miles (72 km) southeast of Little Rock; and on U.S. Route 79 approximately 110 miles southwest of Memphis, Tennessee. Stuttgart is also on the Union Pacific Railroad between Memphis, Tennessee, and Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

History

Stuttgart was founded by The Reverend Adam Bürkle of Plattenhardt, Württemberg (present-day Germany). He moved to the United States in 1852 and founded a settlement at Gum Pond after living for a time in Ohio. On April 30, 1880, Bürkle opened a post office and thus had to name the village. In honor of his homeland, he named it Stuttgart. In 1882, the Texas and St. Louis railroad was opened. Stuttgart was incorporated on April 19, 1889, and in 1904, rice farming was first introduced in the Stuttgart region. It became a dual county seat in Arkansas County with DeWitt in the 1920s.

Geography

Stuttgart and Arkansas County are located in the Arkansas Delta (in Arkansas, usually referred to as "the Delta") a subregion of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, which is a flat area consisting of rich, fertile sediment deposits from the Mississippi River between Louisiana and Illinois.

Within the Delta, Arkansas County is almost entirely within the Grand Prairie subregion, historically a flat grassland plain underlain by an impermeable clay layer (the Stuttgart soil series). Prior to the 19th century, flatter areas with slowly to very slowly permeable soils (often containing fragipans) supported Arkansas's largest prairie, covered in prairie grasses and forbs, with oaks covering the low hills and ridges, and pockets of floodplains with bottomland hardwood forests. This region was a sharp contrast to the bottomland forests that once dominated other parts of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. Cropland has now largely replaced the native vegetation. Distinctively, rice is the main crop; soybeans, cotton, corn, and wheat are also grown. The rice fields provide habitat and forage for large numbers and many species of waterfowl; duck and goose hunting occurs at this important spot along the Mississippi Flyway. Stuttgart is the most important city within the Grand Prairie region.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.2 square miles (18.7 km2), all land.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Stuttgart has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Climate data for Stuttgart, AR
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 51
(11)
56
(13)
64
(18)
74
(23)
82
(28)
89
(32)
91
(33)
91
(33)
85
(29)
75
(24)
62
(17)
53
(12)
73
(23)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 35
(2)
38
(3)
45
(7)
54
(12)
63
(17)
71
(22)
73
(23)
71
(22)
64
(18)
54
(12)
44
(7)
38
(3)
54
(12)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.5
(89)
3.9
(99)
5.3
(130)
5.1
(130)
4.8
(120)
3.4
(86)
3.1
(79)
2.7
(69)
2.1
(53)
3.9
(99)
4.5
(110)
5.1
(130)
47.4
(1,194)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 1.8
(4.6)
1.7
(4.3)
0.5
(1.3)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0.2
(0.51)
0.3
(0.76)
4.5
(11.47)
Average precipitation days 6 6 7 6 7 6 5 4 5 5 6 6 6
Average snowy days 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Source: NOAA

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 2,740
1920 4,522 65.0%
1930 4,927 9.0%
1940 5,628 14.2%
1950 7,276 29.3%
1960 9,661 32.8%
1970 10,477 8.4%
1980 10,941 4.4%
1990 10,420 −4.8%
2000 9,745 −6.5%
2010 9,326 −4.3%
2020 8,264 −11.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Stuttgart racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 4,280 51.79%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 3,145 38.06%
Native American 17 0.21%
Asian 70 0.85%
Pacific Islander 7 0.08%
Other/Mixed 338 4.09%
Hispanic or Latino 407 4.92%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,264 people, 3,607 households, and 2,197 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 9,326 people living in the city. 58.7% were White, 36.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 2.4% from other races and 1.4% from two or more races. 3.5% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Economy

Stuttgart, Arkansas 001
Riceland grain storage in Stuttgart
Macks Prairie Wings, AR
Mack's Prairie Wings

Stuttgart is home to Mack's Prairie Wings, known around the world as the premier waterfowl sports outfitter, through their store and online presence. During the third week in November (Thanksgiving Week), Stuttgart holds the World Championship Duck Calling Contest that brings in people of all ages from around the world to show off their talent using a duck call.

Riceland Foods, a farmer-owned agricultural marketing cooperative and world's largest miller and marketer of rice, is headquartered in Stuttgart.

Producers Rice Mill, another farmer-owned agricultural marketing cooperative that is also among the largest millers and marketers of rice is also headquartered in Stuttgart.

Lennox Industries - Stuttgart has a Lennox Air Conditioner factory.

Stratton Seed - Stuttgart is home to Stratton Seed, a large marketer of soybeans and soybean seed.

Layne Arkansas - Stuttgart is home to Layne Arkansas, a business that installs water pumping wells to irrigate farms, and also installs city water systems.

Baptist Hospital - Stuttgart also has a branch of the Baptist Hospital Group which serves a large part of Arkansas. The Stuttgart Baptist Hospital is a central hospital for much of the surrounding region - - Arkansas County, Prairie County, Monroe County, Western Phillips, Northern Jefferson County, and Eastern Lonoke County. It is one of the largest employers in Stuttgart.

The University of Arkansas' Dale Bumpers Rice Research Center, about seven miles east of Stuttgart, employs a team of scientific researchers who breed new varieties of rice, and is one of the biggest employers in the area.

Delta Plastics of the South is a manufacturer of plastic irrigation tubes used for watering crops. These tubes are a replacement for more rigid plastic or aluminum pipe systems that used to be used to irrigate. One of Delta Plastics' manufacturing plants is located in Stuttgart, and is a big employer in the area.

Education

Public education for elementary and secondary school students is primarily provided by Stuttgart Public Schools, which leads to graduation from Stuttgart High School.

Stuttgart also has Saint John's Lutheran Elementary School, and Holy Rosary Catholic Elementary School (of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Little Rock), and Grand Prairie Christian School.

Stuttgart also has a branch of Phillips County Community College, a two-year junior college (that also has campuses in Helena and DeWitt), which is part of the University of Arkansas System.

Arts and culture

Stuttgart is home to the Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie which has displays celebrating the history of Stuttgart, and the surrounding Grand Prairie area.

The Grand Prairie Center on the campus of Phillips County Community College in Stuttgart brings in performances by live bands, and stage plays a handful of times each year.

Annual cultural events

There is an annual Wings Over The Prairie Festival every November, from Wednesday through Saturday, during Thanksgiving week. The festival features the World's Championship Duck Calling Contest, carnival rides, craft tents, and a Queen Mallard Pageant, all celebrating duck hunting which is Stuttgart's biggest tourist attraction.

There is an annual German Heritage Festival.

There is also an annual Arts Festival held in the Grand Prairie Center on the campus of Phillips County Community College in Stuttgart.

Infrastructure

Healthcare

Stuttgart and the surrounding area are served by Baptist Health Medical Center-Stuttgart, a 49-bed acute care facility. The facility originally opened in 1957 under the name Stuttgart Memorial Hospital, then became Stuttgart Regional Medical Center. It took its current name in 2007 when it became part of the Baptist Health System based in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Transportation

Stuttgart is located at the intersection of three north-south United States highways: US Highway 63 (US 63), US 79, and US 165. The city is also served by US 79 Business (US 79B), Highway 130 (AR 130), AR 146 Spur (AR 146S), and AR 276.

The Stuttgart Municipal Airport is a general aviation airport located 8 miles (13 km) north of the city in Prairie County.

In popular culture

Stuttgart AR distance
Rural Stuttgart, looking toward town

The 1989 movie Rosalie Goes Shopping, directed by Percy Adlon and starring Marianne Sägebrecht, was set in Stuttgart.

The city drew media attention during the sixth cycle of America's Next Top Model in the spring of 2006 when Stuttgart resident Furonda Brasfield was featured among the contestants.

A tornado that struck Stuttgart on the evening of Mother's Day, May 10, 2008; was featured on the November 9, 2008, episode of Storm Chasers on the Discovery Channel.

Some scenery in Stuttgart appears in the 2007 movie Shotgun Stories, starring Michael Shannon, directed by Jeff Nichols, which was also filmed in England, Arkansas and North Little Rock.

Some scenery in Stuttgart also appears in the 2012 movie Mud starring Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon, and directed by Jeff Nichols. Mud was also filmed around DeWitt, Dumas, and Casscoe.

Notable people

See also

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