Yell County, Arkansas

Yell County Education, Geography, and History

Yell County is a county in the state of Arkansas. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 22,185. The county has two county seats, Dardanelle and Danville. Yell County was formed on December 5, 1840 from portions of Scott and Pope counties. The county is named after Archibald Yell, who was the state's first member of the United States House of Representatives and the second governor of Arkansas; he later was killed in combat at the Battle of Buena Vista during the Mexican-American War.

Yell County is part of the Russellville, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Etymology - Origin of Yell County Name

Yell county is named for Governor of Arkansas Archibald Yell. Archibald Yell (August 9, 1797 - February 23, 1847) was a member of the United States House of Representatives, Governor of the State of Arkansas, and a Brigadier General in the United States Army serving in the Mexican-American War.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Yell County History

Yell county was formed on December 5, 1840, from parts of Pope and Scott counties and was named for Archibald Yell, second Governor of the State of Arkansas. The economic base of Yell County is well balanced. Leading industries are connected with production of poultry, hogs, and beef cattle with some small manufacturing. Tourism and recreation activities are very popular in an area full of lakes. The Arkansas River, Lake Dardanelle, Nimrod Lake, Blue Mountain Lake and Kingfisher Lake are poplar with the professional angler as well as the local fisherman. Mount Nebo State Park rises 1,800 feet above the mountain valleys and has cabins, campsites, picnic sites, tennis courts, swimming pool, and hiking trails. Mount Magazine State Park offers camping and picnicking. Petit Jean Mountain and Wildlife Management Area offer hunting and beautiful scenery. The county has dual seats, Danville and Dardanelle. The courthouse at Dardanelle is located on one of the earliest military roads in Arkansas, one named in honor of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy by act of the General Assembly of 1925. On the east lawn, the statue of a Confederate soldier with a boyish face stands as a memorial to Yell County Confederate veterans. It is an alcohol prohibition or dry county.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 949 square miles (2,460 km²), of which 930 square miles (2,400 km²) is land and 19 square miles (49 km²) (2.0%) is water.

The landscape of the county is rolling farmlands, forested ridges, and isolated mountains and lakes with rugged terrain in the south.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Northeast: Pope County; Conway County
• East: Perry County
• Southeast: Garland County
• Southwest: Montgomery County; Scott County
• Northwest: Logan County

Education

Public education

Early childhood, elementary and secondary education within Yell County is provided by four public school districts:

• Danville School District
• Dardanelle School District
• Two Rivers School District formed in 2004 by the consolidation of the former Fourche Valley School District, Ola School District, Perry Casa School District, and Plainview Rover School District.
• Western Yell County School District formed in 1985 by the consolidation of the former Belleville School District and Havana School District.

Public libraries

The Arkansas River Valley Regional Library System, is headquartered in Dardanelle and serves multiple counties and consists of one central library and six branch libraries, including the Yell County Library, a branch library in Danville.

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