Union County, Arkansas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Union County
U.S. county
Union County Courthouse in El Dorado
Location within the U.S. state of Arkansas
Arkansas's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
Founded	November 2, 1829
Seat	El Dorado
Largest city	El Dorado
Area
• Total	1,055 sq mi (2,730 km2)
• Land	1,039 sq mi (2,690 km2)
• Water	16 sq mi (40 km2)  1.5%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	39,054
• Density	40/sq mi (20/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	4th

Confederate monument at Union County Courthouse

Union County is a county located on the central southern border of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,054. The county seat is El Dorado. The county was formed on November 2, 1829, and named in recognition of the citizens' petition for a new county, which said that they were petitioning "in the spirit of Union and Unity." The county is directly adjacent to the south to Union Parish in the state of Louisiana.

The El Dorado, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Union County.

Called by boosters the "Queen City of South Arkansas", El Dorado was at the heart of the 1920s oil boom in South Arkansas. More recently, the city has been called "Arkansas's Original Boomtown," as it emphasizes its historic assets for heritage tourism. The chemical and timber industries became important during and after World War II, and still have a place in the economy.

History

Union County was formed on November 2, 1829, from portions of Clark and Hempstead counties. Areas along the waterways were originally developed for cotton plantations in the antebellum years, and planters depended on large groups of enslaved African-American workers to generate their profits.

On January 10, 1921, Dr. Samuel T. Busey hit oil with a well about a mile south of El Dorado, leading to an oil boom that attracted thousands of workers and speculators. His first well produced for fewer than two months, but by 1923, "El Dorado boasted fifty-nine oil contracting companies, thirteen oil distributors and refiners, and twenty-two oil production companies. The city was flooded with so many people that no bed space was available for them, leading to whole neighborhoods of tents and hastily constructed shacks to be erected throughout the city. The city's population reached a high of nearly 30,000 in 1925 during the boom before dropping to 16,241 by 1930 and rising to 25,000 by 1960." Oil production fell markedly in the early 1930s, in part due to companies' financial difficulties during the Great Depression. It recovered later in the decade.

During World War II, chemical plants were established in the county, but their production declined after the war. Exploitation of Arkansas forests led to growth in the timber industry in the county. Oil, chemical and timber industries are still important to the economy, although in lesser proportion.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,055 square miles (2,730 km²), of which 1,039 square miles (2,690 km²) is land and 16 square miles (41 km²) (1.5%) is water. It is the largest county by area in Arkansas. Union County, along with Columbia County, has the largest bromine reserve in the United States. The lowest point in the state of Arkansas, also the lowest point in all landlocked U.S. states, is located on the Ouachita River in Union County and Ashley County, where it flows out of Arkansas and into Louisiana.

Adjacent counties

• Ouachita County (northwest)
• Calhoun County (north)
• Bradley County (northeast)
• Ashley County (east)
• Morehouse Parish, Louisiana (southeast)
• Union Parish, Louisiana (south)
• Claiborne Parish, Louisiana (southwest)
• Columbia County (west)

National protected area

• Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

Age pyramid Union County

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 39,054 people, 15,726 households, and 10,562 families residing in the county.

Transportation

Major highways

• Future Interstate 69
• U.S. Highway 63
• U.S. Highway 82
• U.S. Highway 167
• Highway 7
• Highway 15
• Highway 129

Airport

• South Arkansas Regional Airport at Goodwin Field

Communities

Cities

• Calion
• El Dorado (county seat)
• Strong
• Huttig
• Junction City
• Norphlet
• Smackover

Town

• Felsenthal

Census-designated places

• Lawson
• Mount Holly
• Urbana

Other unincorporated communities

• Lapile
• Moro Bay
• Old Union
• New London
• Parkers Chapel

Townships

Townships in Union County 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 Union County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Union (Arkansas) para niños