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Clark County, Arkansas facts for kids

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Clark County
Clark County Courthouse in Arkadelphia
Clark County Courthouse in Arkadelphia
Map of Arkansas highlighting Clark 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 15, 1818
Named for William Clark
Seat Arkadelphia
Largest city Arkadelphia
Area
 • Total 883 sq mi (2,290 km2)
 • Land 866 sq mi (2,240 km2)
 • Water 17 sq mi (40 km2)  1.9%%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 22,995
 • Estimate 
(2019)
22,320
 • Density 26.042/sq mi (10.055/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 4th

Clark County is a county located in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 22,995. The county seat is Arkadelphia. The Arkadelphia, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Clark County.

History

Clark County was Arkansas' third county, formed on December 15, 1818, alongside Hempstead and Pulaski counties. The county is named after William Clark who at the time was Governor of the Missouri Territory, which included present-day Arkansas. On November 1, 1833, Pike County was created, out of western Clark County and part of northern Hempstead County by the Arkansas territorial legislature and named after Zebulon Pike. Arkadelphia was named as the county seat in 1842.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 883 square miles (2,290 km2), of which 866 square miles (2,240 km2) is land and 17 square miles (44 km2) (1.9%) is water.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1830 1,369
1840 2,309 68.7%
1850 4,070 76.3%
1860 9,735 139.2%
1870 11,953 22.8%
1880 15,771 31.9%
1890 20,997 33.1%
1900 21,289 1.4%
1910 23,686 11.3%
1920 25,632 8.2%
1930 24,932 −2.7%
1940 24,402 −2.1%
1950 22,998 −5.8%
1960 20,950 −8.9%
1970 21,537 2.8%
1980 23,326 8.3%
1990 21,437 −8.1%
2000 23,546 9.8%
2010 22,995 −2.3%
2019 (est.) 22,320 −2.9%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2016
USA Clark County, Arkansas age pyramid
Age pyramid Clark County

2020 census

Clark County racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 14,093 65.71%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 5,068 23.63%
Native American 76 0.35%
Asian 150 0.7%
Pacific Islander 16 0.07%
Other/Mixed 951 4.43%
Hispanic or Latino 1,092 5.09%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 21,446 people, 8,446 households, and 5,253 families residing in the county.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Note: Unlike most Arkansas counties, Clark County only has one single township. That township encompasses the entire 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 Clark County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.

  • Caddo

Notable residents

  • Daniel Davis, actor, best known for playing "Niles the butler" in the television series The Nanny, was born in Gurdon.
  • Jody Evans, singer of country music, started his music career in Clark County, and works for the Arkadelphia Police Department.
  • Cliff Harris, football player, Dallas Cowboys NFL, played college football for the Ouachita Baptist University football team.
  • Bob C. Riley, politician, was born and raised in Arkadelphia. The Democrat served as Lieutenant Governor from 1971 to 1975.
  • Jerry Thomasson, politician and state representative, was born and raised in Arkadelphia. He switched to the Republican Party in 1966 and ran unsuccessfully for state attorney general in 1966 and 1968.
  • Billy Bob Thornton, film actor, grew up in Alpine.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Clark (Arkansas) para niños

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