Clark County, Arkansas

Clark County Education, Geography, and History

Clark County is a county located in the state of Arkansas. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 22,995. Clark County was formed in 1818. The county seat is Arkadelphia. The county is named for William Clark, the famous explorer who was governor of the Missouri Territory at the time of the county's formation.

The Arkadelphia, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Clark County.

Etymology - Origin of Clark County Name

Clark is named for William Clark, the famous explorer who was governor of the Missouri Territory at the time of the county's formation. William Clark (August 1, 1770 - September 1, 1838) was an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor. A native of Virginia, he would also grow up in pre-statehood Kentucky before later settling in what later became the state of Missouri. Along with Meriwether Lewis, Clark led the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1803 to 1805 across the Louisiana Purchase to the Pacific Ocean. Before the expedition he served in a militia and the United States Army, while afterwards he served in a militia and as governor of the Missouri Territory. From 1822 until his death he held the position of Superintendent of Indian Affairs.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Clark County History

Clark county was created around 1818, its boundaries changed five times before reaching the present location in 1877. The county was named for William Clark, Governor of the Missouri Territory and partner on the Lewis and Clark expedition. The county seat is Arkadelphia. . Agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism comprise the economic base.  Two Universities, Ouachita Baptist and Henderson State, are located in Arkadelphia that is the county seat. The 19th century courthouse, along with a large area of businesses and dwellings, sustained heavy damage during a March 1, 1997, tornado, however, Clark County reports itself to be progressing steadily in restoration on all fronts.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the 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.

 The landscape of the county is hilly terrain in the north, and rolling, pine-covered hills in the south.

DeGray Lake, located in the northern part of the county, along with DeGray State Park, attracts visitors from far and near and offer a wide variety of recreational activities. More than half million people visit the park annually.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Northeast: Hot Spring County
• East: Dallas County
• Southeast: Ouachita County
• Southwest: Nevada County
• Northwest: Pike County; Montgomery County

Education

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