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  (2010)
• Total	41,639
• Estimate  (2019)	38,682
• 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 2010 census, the population was 41,639. 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, 1828, from portions of Clark and Hempstead counties.

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 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)

Union County in Arkansas and Union Parish in Louisiana are two of twenty-two counties or parishes in the United States with the same name to border each other across state lines. The others are Big Horn County, Montana and Big Horn County, Wyoming, Sabine County, Texas and Sabine Parish, Louisiana, Bristol County, Massachusetts and Bristol County, Rhode Island, Kent County, Maryland and Kent County, Delaware, Escambia County, Alabama and Escambia County, Florida, Pike County, Illinois and Pike County, Missouri, Teton County, Idaho and Teton County, Wyoming, Park County, Montana and Park County, Wyoming, San Juan County, New Mexico and San Juan County, Utah, and Vermilion County, Illinois and Vermillion County, Indiana. respectively. (Note, despite the different spellings, the source of the name is the same for Vermilion County, Illinois and Vermillion County, Indiana—the Vermillion River which flows through both counties.)

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.

Union County/Union Parish monument

In 1931, a monument was established at the Union County border with Union Parish, Louisiana, through the private efforts of former Arkansas Governor George Washington Donaghey (1856–1937), who was born in Union Parish and grew up in the border area before he moved as a teenager to Conway, Arkansas. As governor, he oversaw the construction of the state capitol building in Little Rock and brought about the establishment of the state health unit and its agricultural colleges.

After his gubernatorial tenure, Donaghey, who felt a kinship to both states, commissioned a park on the land about the monument. Known for its intricate carvings and Art Deco style, the monument includes references to different modes of transportation a century apart—1831 and 1931—and mentions Huey P. Long, Jr., whose educational program Donaghey admired. The land was not registered with the state parks offices in either state, timber companies cut trees thereabouts, and the monument was forgotten. In 1975, State Representative Louise B. Johnson obtained passage of a law to refurbish the monument. Restoration efforts were finally unveiled in 2009.

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

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

Towns

• Felsenthal
• Calion

Unincorporated community

• Mount Holly

Townships

Townships in Union 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 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