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Baxter County, Arkansas facts for kids

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Baxter County
Clockwise from top: Buffalo River at Buffalo City, the 1825 Jacob Wolf House at Norfork, Cotter Bridge over the White River at sunset, Baxter County courthouse in Mountain Home
Clockwise from top: Buffalo River at Buffalo City, the 1825 Jacob Wolf House at Norfork, Cotter Bridge over the White River at sunset, Baxter County courthouse in Mountain Home
Official seal of Baxter County
Seal
Map of Arkansas highlighting Baxter 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 March 24, 1873
Named for Elisha Baxter
Seat Mountain Home
Largest city Mountain Home
Area
 • Total 586.74 sq mi (1,519.6 km2)
 • Land 554.36 sq mi (1,435.8 km2)
 • Water 32.38 sq mi (83.9 km2)  5.5%%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 41,513
 • Estimate 
(2019)
41,932
 • Density 70.7520/sq mi (27.3175/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 1st
Website Baxter County government's website

Baxter County is a county in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the county's population was 41,513. The county seat is Mountain Home. It is Arkansas's 66th county, formed on March 24, 1873, and named for Elisha Baxter, the tenth governor of Arkansas.

The Mountain Home, AR, Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Baxter County. It is in the northern part of the state, bordering Missouri. It is commonly referred to as the Twin Lakes Area because it is bordered by two of Arkansas' largest lakes, Bull Shoals Lake and Norfork Lake. On its southern border is the White River, Norfork Tailwater and the Buffalo National River.

Mountain Home, a small town whose origins date back to the early nineteenth century, is located in north-central Arkansas on a plateau in the Ozark Mountains. The natural environment of nearby Norfork and Bull Shoals lakes and the surrounding countryside has attracted tourists from around the country for many years. Educational institutions have also played a role in the life of the community.

The Baxter Bulletin weekly newspaper was named in 1973 by the Newspaper Enterprise Association as the "Best Overall Weekly Newspaper in the United States" in the over 10,000-circulation category. At the time it was published by Harold E. Martin and was the largest weekly paper in Arkansas.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 587 square miles (1,520 km2), of which 554 square miles (1,430 km2) is land and 32 square miles (83 km2) (5.5%) is water.

Major highways

  • US 62 (1961).svg US 62
  • US 412.svg US 412
  • US 62B.svg U.S. Route 62 Business
  • Arkansas 5.svg Arkansas Highway 5
  • Arkansas 14.svg Arkansas Highway 14
  • Arkansas 101.svg Arkansas Highway 101
  • Arkansas 126.svg Arkansas Highway 126
  • Arkansas 177.svg Arkansas Highway 177
  • Arkansas 178.svg Arkansas Highway 178
  • Arkansas 201.svg Arkansas Highway 201
  • Arkansas 202.svg Arkansas Highway 202
  • Arkansas 201S.svg Arkansas Highway 201 Spur
  • Arkansas 263.svg Arkansas Highway 263
  • Arkansas 341.svg Arkansas Highway 341
  • Arkansas 342.svg Arkansas Highway 342
  • Arkansas 345.svg Arkansas Highway 345

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 6,004
1890 8,527 42.0%
1900 9,298 9.0%
1910 10,389 11.7%
1920 10,216 −1.7%
1930 9,519 −6.8%
1940 10,281 8.0%
1950 11,683 13.6%
1960 9,943 −14.9%
1970 15,319 54.1%
1980 27,409 78.9%
1990 31,186 13.8%
2000 38,386 23.1%
2010 41,513 8.1%
2019 (est.) 41,932 1.0%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2016
USA Baxter County, Arkansas age pyramid
Age pyramid Baxter County

2020 census

Baxter County racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 38,049 91.4%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 88 0.21%
Native American 218 0.52%
Asian 234 0.56%
Pacific Islander 9 0.02%
Other/Mixed 1,971 4.73%
Hispanic or Latino 1,058 2.54%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 41,627 people, 18,435 households, and 11,964 families residing in the county.

Communities

Cities

Town

Census designated place

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Baxter County Arkansas 2010 Township Map large
Townships in Baxter 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 Baxter 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 FIPS code ANSI code
(GNIS ID)
Population
center(s)
Pop.
(2010)
Pop.
density
(/mi²)
Pop.
density
(/km²)
Land area
(mi²)
Land area
(km²)
Water area
(mi²)
Water area
(km²)
Geographic coordinates
Bayou 05-90165 00069555 360 13.90 5.37 25.900 67.08 1.045 2.707 36°28′04″N 92°12′34″W / 36.467714°N 92.209491°W / 36.467714; -92.209491
Big Flat 05-90288 00069556 Big Flat 198 4.15 1.6 47.761 123.7 0.021 0.05439 36°01′36″N 92°21′31″W / 36.026753°N 92.358551°W / 36.026753; -92.358551
Buckhorn 05-90525 00069557 Briarcliff, Norfork, Salesville 969 58.71 22.67 16.504 42.75 0.739 1.914 36°14′15″N 92°17′29″W / 36.237454°N 92.291449°W / 36.237454; -92.291449
Buford 05-90540 00069558 1295 32.86 12.69 39.415 102.1 0.553 1.432 36°13′57″N 92°25′06″W / 36.232621°N 92.418200°W / 36.232621; -92.418200
Greenwood 05-91524 00069559 164 4.32 1.67 37.929 98.24 0.300 0.7770 36°06′36″N 92°15′22″W / 36.110093°N 92.256098°W / 36.110093; -92.256098
Grover 05-91548 00069560 Lakeview, Midway 2438 186.23 71.92 13.091 33.91 2.123 5.499 36°22′49″N 92°31′47″W / 36.380141°N 92.529738°W / 36.380141; -92.529738
Independence 05-91818 00069561 Midway, Mountain Home 1891 59.06 32.3 32.018 82.93 0.027 0.06993 36°21′09″N 92°28′29″W / 36.352625°N 92.474704°W / 36.352625; -92.474704
Logan 05-92247 00069562 Midway 1566 38.29 14.78 40.898 105.9 0.092 0.2383 36°26′38″N 92°28′24″W / 36.443895°N 92.473419°W / 36.443895; -92.473419
Lone Rock 05-92265 00069563 415 15.05 5.81 27.566 71.40 0.490 1.269 36°10′03″N 92°19′09″W / 36.167387°N 92.319143°W / 36.167387; -92.319143
Matney 05-92424 00069564 107 4.40 1.70 24.297 62.93 0.186 0.4817 36°08′27″N 92°24′06″W / 36.140874°N 92.401774°W / 36.140874; -92.401774
Mill 05-92460 00069565 2478 58.82 22.71 42.125 109.1 9.032 23.39 36°23′33″N 92°13′44″W / 36.392563°N 92.228985°W / 36.392563; -92.228985
Mountain Home 05-92616 00069566 Mountain Home 19659 376.61 145.40 52.200 135.2 0.090 0.2331 36°20′08″N 92°22′12″W / 36.335503°N 92.370086°W / 36.335503; -92.370086
North Fork 05-92709 00069567 Norfork 1574 37.66 14.54 41.793 108.2 1.259 3.261 36°11′58″N 92°13′21″W / 36.199399°N 92.222462°W / 36.199399; -92.222462
Pigeon 05-92877 00069568 1850 35.87 13.85 51.570 133.6 3.516 9.106 36°26′49″N 92°21′11″W / 36.446831°N 92.352986°W / 36.446831; -92.352986
Union 05-94062 00069099 Briarcliff 1856 44.08 17.02 42.101 109.0 12.305 31.87 36°16′56″N 92°13′18″W / 36.282254°N 92.221680°W / 36.282254; -92.221680
Whiteville 05-94035 00069570 Cotter, Gassville, Mountain Home 4693 164.48 63.50 28.533 73.90 0.591 1.531 36°17′47″N 92°29′32″W / 36.296363°N 92.492255°W / 36.296363; -92.492255
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Infrastructure

Major highways

  • US 62 (1961).svg US 62
  • US 412.svg US 412
  • US 62B.svg U.S. Route 62 Business
  • Arkansas 5.svg Arkansas Highway 5
  • Arkansas 14.svg Arkansas Highway 14
  • Arkansas 101.svg Arkansas Highway 101
  • Arkansas 126.svg Arkansas Highway 126
  • Arkansas 177.svg Arkansas Highway 177
  • Arkansas 178.svg Arkansas Highway 178
  • Arkansas 201.svg Arkansas Highway 201
  • Arkansas 202.svg Arkansas Highway 202
  • Arkansas 201S.svg Arkansas Highway 201 Spur
  • Arkansas 263.svg Arkansas Highway 263
  • Arkansas 341.svg Arkansas Highway 341
  • Arkansas 342.svg Arkansas Highway 342
  • Arkansas 345.svg Arkansas Highway 345

Notable residents

  • Richard Antrim – naval rear admiral, World War II veteran and Medal of Honor recipient
  • Lonnie D. Bentley – professor and the head of the Department of Computer and Information Technology at Purdue University
  • Robbie Branscum – writer of children's books and young adult fiction
  • Johnny R. Key - member of the Arkansas State Senate from Baxter County since 2009
  • Richard A. Knaak – author of Minotaur Wars and other contributions to Dragonlance
  • Carolyn D. Wright – poet, born in Mountain Home

Images for kids

See also

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

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