Benton County, Arkansas
Template:Short description Template:Distinguish Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county
Benton County is a county in the Northwest region of the U.S. state of Arkansas. Created as Arkansas' 35th county on September 30, 1836, Benton County contains thirteen incorporated municipalities, including Bentonville, the county seat, and Rogers, the most populous city. The county was named after Thomas Hart Benton, a U.S. Senator from Missouri influential in Arkansas statehood.
The county is located within the Springfield Plateau of the Ozarks. Much of eastern Benton County is located along Beaver Lake, a reservoir of the White River. The county contains three protected areas: Logan Cave National Wildlife Refuge, Pea Ridge National Military Park, and Devil's Eyebrow Natural Area, as well as parts of the Ozark National Forest, Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area, and two state wildlife management areas.
Benton County occupies Template:Convert and contained a population of 284,333 people in 100,749 households as of the 2020 Census,<ref name="2020 Census (City)">Template:Cite web</ref> ranking it tenth in size and second in population among the state's 75 counties. The county's economy is heavily influenced by the presence of Walmart, headquartered in Bentonville, and hundreds of associated businesses, with agriculture, tourism, and construction also important sectors. Benton County's median household income is the highest in Arkansas and slightly above the national median.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
History
[edit]Prior to white settlement of the county, the region was used by roving bands of Osage and Delaware who used the area for seasonal hunting grounds. Initial white settlement on Benton County took place around Maysville around 1830, followed by areas around Garfield, Cross Hollow, and Centerton. Settlers were predominantly from Tennessee, followed by Southern Piedmont states.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Benton County was created from neighboring Washington County by the Arkansas General Assembly on September 30, 1836. Created shortly after statehood, it was named for Thomas Hart Benton, a U.S. Senator from Missouri influential in Arkansas's statehood.<ref name="1868report">Template:Cite book</ref>
Following establishment, a citizen committee was established to select the county seat. It decided to create Bentonville, with a town square and 136 lots around it, in 1837. The first building serving as courthouse was the home of George P. Wallace, the first county judge, for the 1837 court term. By the following year, a log structure on the north side of the Bentonville square was complete and served as the first permanent courthouse. In 1841, a contractor was building a brick courthouse in the middle of the Bentonville square. It was burned by Union troops during the Civil War in 1862. Court resumed after the war in a rented office for a few months until a new two-story frame building was constructed east of the county jail. In 1870, the search for a more permanent home for county government began, and a new structure was finished after significant struggle and controversy, in 1874. This building was replaced by the present-day Benton County Courthouse in 1928.<ref>Template:Harvp.</ref>
On May 26, 2024, Benton County experienced the largest tornado in Arkansas history, an EF3 with a width of Template:Convert. This also initiated the first ever Arkansas appearance of FEMA for emergency disaster relief.Template:Citation needed
Geography
[edit]Benton County is located within the Springfield Plateau subset of the Ozark Mountains. The plateau is gently rolling compared to the steeper Boston Mountains to the south and east, and contains karst features such as springs, losing streams, sinkholes, and caves. Groundcover historically consisted of oak–hickory forests, savannas, and tall grass prairies. Today, most of the forest and almost all of the prairie have been replaced by agriculture or expanding residential areas. Poultry, cattle, and hog farming are primary land uses; pastureland and hayland are common. Application of poultry litter to agricultural fields is a non-point source that can impair water quality. Total suspended solids and turbidity values in streams are usually low, but total dissolved solids and water hardness values are high.<ref name=ark4>Template:USGS</ref>
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (4.14%) is water.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is the 12th largest county in Arkansas by total area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Most of the water is in Beaver Lake.
The county is located approximately Template:Convert east of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Template:Convert south of Kansas City, Missouri, and Template:Convert northwest of Little Rock, Arkansas.<ref group="Note">Mileages from Benton County to Tulsa, Kansas City, and Little Rock are based on highway miles using county seat Bentonville for Benton County.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref></ref> Benton County is surrounded by Barry County, Missouri and McDonald County, Missouri to the north, Delaware County, Oklahoma and Adair County, Oklahoma to the west, Carroll County to the east, and the other two counties of the NWA metropolitan area: Madison County to the east, and Washington County to the south. The highest point in Benton County is near the Lost Bridge Village Community Center on Whitney Mountain (formerly known as Poor Mountain).<ref name="good">Template:Cite book</ref>
Hydrology
[edit]
Benton County is divided into five watersheds. The eastern part of the county is drained by the White River, which includes Beaver Lake. Major tributaries include War Eagle Creek, Little Clifty Creek, Spider Creek, Indian Creek, Prairie Creek and Esculapia Creek. Northern Benton County is within the Elk River watershed; the northeast corner is drained by tributaries to Big Sugar Creek; north central Benton County drains to Little Sugar Creek. The southwest part of Benton County is within the Illinois River watershed; southwest and south-central parts of the county drain to Osage Creek and western Benton County drains to Flint Creek or Spavinaw Creek. Northeastern Benton County drains to tributaries of the Neosho River.<ref name="good" /> A very small part of northwestern Benton County drains to the Grand Lake.
The county has natural springs, which were very important to early settlers. Benton County communities named for their nearby springs include Cave Springs, Eldorado Springs, Elm Springs, Osage Mills, Siloam Springs, Springdale, Springtown, and Sulphur Springs.
Protected areas
[edit]Benton County contains eight protected areas and parts of three more. Three are federally administered, with the remainder under state jurisdiction.
Three areas preserve karst landforms: Logan Cave National Wildlife Refuge, which was created to preserve the endangered gray bat, endangered Benton cave crayfish, the threatened Ozark cavefish, and other significant cave dwelling wildlife species,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Cave Springs Cave Natural Area, and Healing Springs Natural Area.
Beaver Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA), Hobbs State Park - Conservation Area, and Devil's Eyebrow Natural Area preserve steep Ozark Mountain terrain around Beaver Lake. Two preserve the flat prairies of the Springfield Plateau: Chesney Prairie Natural Area and Searles Prairie Natural Area.
Pea Ridge National Military Park preserves the site and interprets the impact of the Battle of Pea Ridge during the American Civil War.
Demographics
[edit]
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 191,761 | 71.34% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 4,523 | 1.59% |
| Native American | 3,799 | 1.34% |
| Asian | 13,602 | 4.78% |
| Pacific Islander | 2,598 | 0.91% |
| Other/Mixed | 17,510 | 6.16% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 50,540 | 17.61% |
2020 census
[edit]As of the 2020 census, there were 284,333 people, 100,749 households, and 72,399 families residing in the county.
2010 census
[edit]As of the 2010 census, there were 221,339 people. The racial makeup of the county was 76.18% Non-Hispanic white, 1.27% Black or African American, 1.69% Native American, 2.85% Asian, 0.30% Pacific Islander. 15.49% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2000 census
[edit]As of the 2000 census, there were 153,406 people, 58,212 households, and 43,484 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 64,281 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 90.87% White, 0.41% Black or African American, 1.65% Native American, 1.09% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 4.08% from other races, and 1.82% from two or more races. 8.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
As of 2005 estimates, Benton County's population was 81.7% non-Hispanic white, while the percentage of Latinos grew by 60 percent in the time period. 1.1% of the population was African-American; 1.6% was Native American (the historical presence of the Cherokee Indians live in close proximity to Oklahoma); 1.7% was Asian (there was a large influx of Filipinos, Vietnamese and South Asian immigrants in recent decades) and 0.2% of the population was Pacific Islander. 1.6% reported two or more races, usually not black-white due to a minuscule African-American population. 12.8% was Latino, but the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce believed the official estimate is underreported and Latinos could well be 20 percent of the population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
There were 58,212 households, out of which 34.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.00% were married couples living together, 8.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.30% were non-families. 21.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.60% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 29.40% from 25 to 44, 21.10% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $40,281, and the median income for a family was $45,235. Males had a median income of $30,327 versus $22,469 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,377. About 7.30% of families and 10.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.80% of those under age 18 and 7.30% of those age 65 or over.
Culture
[edit]After the end of Prohibition in 1933, Benton County voters voted that year to stay dry and voted twice in 1944 to stay dry.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2012, Benton County voters elected to make the county wet, allowing countywide retail alcohol sales.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Economy
[edit]- Walmart was founded in Rogers, and its corporate headquarters is located in Bentonville.
- Daisy Outdoor Products, known for its air rifles, is headquartered in Rogers.
- JB Hunt Transport Services corporate headquarters is located in Lowell.
- Tyson Foods, based in Springdale, has a distribution center located in Rogers.
- Simmons Foods, a major supplier of poultry, pet, and animal nutrition products, is based in Siloam Springs.
- America's Car-Mart, one of the largest American publicly held automotive retailers, is based in Rogers.
Transportation
[edit]Major highways
[edit]- File:I-49 (AR).svg Interstate 49
- File:US 62.svg U.S. Highway 62
- File:US 71.svg U.S. Highway 71
- File:US 412.svg U.S. Highway 412
- File:Arkansas 12.svg Highway 12
- File:Arkansas 16.svg Highway 16
- File:Arkansas 43.svg Highway 43
- File:Arkansas 59.svg Highway 59
- File:Arkansas 72.svg Highway 72
- File:Arkansas 94.svg Highway 94
- File:Arkansas 102.svg Highway 102
- File:Arkansas 112.svg Highway 112
- File:Arkansas 127.svg Highway 127
- File:Arkansas 244.svg Highway 244
- File:Arkansas 264.svg Highway 264
- File:Arkansas 265.svg Highway 265
- File:Arkansas 279.svg Highway 279
- File:Arkansas 303.svg Highway 303
- File:Arkansas 340.svg Highway 340
- File:Arkansas 549.svg Highway 549
- File:Arkansas 612.svg Highway 612
.svg){kind=link}
The historic Trail of Tears is on US highways 62 and 71 and connects with U.S. Route 412 in nearby Washington County.
Airports
[edit]- Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) is located near Highfill.
- Rogers Municipal Airport (ROG) serves the county and surrounding communities.
Rail
[edit]The Arkansas and Missouri Railroad parallels US Highways 62 and 71 in the county.
The St. Louis–San Francisco Railway (commonly known as the "Frisco") was completed across Benton County in 1881. The Bentonville Railway Company operated a freight and passenger railroad between Rogers and Bentonville between 1883 and 1898.<ref>Template:Harvp.</ref>
Government & Politics
[edit]Government
[edit]The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of Arkansas and the Arkansas Code. The quorum court is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are called justices of the peace and are elected from county districts every even-numbered year. The number of districts in a county vary from nine to fifteen, and district boundaries are drawn by the county election commission. The Benton County Quorum Court has fifteen members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is the county judge, who serves as the chief operating officer of the county. The county judge is elected at-large and does not vote in quorum court business, although capable of vetoing quorum court decisions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
| Position | Officeholder | Party |
|---|---|---|
| County Judge | Barry Moehring | Republican |
| County Clerk | Betsy Harrell | Republican |
| Circuit Clerk | Brenda DeShields | Republican |
| Sheriff | Shawn Holloway | Republican |
| Treasurer | Deanna Ratcliffe | Republican |
| Collector | Gloria Peterson | Republican |
| Assessor | Roderick Grieve | Republican |
| Coroner | Daniel Oxford | Republican |
The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 15 Republicans. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- District 1: Jeff Dunn (R) of Rogers
- District 2: Ken Farmer (R) of Rogers
- District 3: Richard McKeehan (R) of Rogers
- District 4: Mike Miller (R) of Rogers
- District 5: Carrie Perrien Smith (R) of Rogers
- District 6: Brian Armas
- District 7: Joseph Bollinger (R) of Bella Vista
- District 8: Joel Jones (R) of Bentonville
- District 9: Gregory Woodell (R) (position now Vacant)
- District 10: Danny McCrackin (R) of Bella Vista
- District 11: Dustin Todd (R) of Bentonville
- District 12: John Rissler (R) of Siloam Springs
- District 13: Kurt S. Moore (R) of Siloam Springs
- District 14: Bethany Rosenbaum (R) of Lowell
- District 15: Joel Edwards (R) of Centerton
Additionally, the townships of Benton County are entitled to elect their own respective constables, as set forth by the Constitution of Arkansas. Constables are largely of historical significance as they were used to keep the peace in rural areas when travel was more difficult.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The township constables as of the 2024 elections are:<ref name=":0" />
- District 1: James Gibson (R)
- District 2: Keith Brummett (R)
- District 3: Stephen Rosser (R)
- District 4: Gordon L. Fisher (R)
- District 5: Steven Walls (R)
Politics
[edit]As is typical of the Ozarks and the Bible Belt, Benton County is strongly Republican. It was one of the first counties in Arkansas to break from the Democratic Solid South, supporting Republicans Herbert Hoover in 1928 and Thomas E. Dewey in 1944. It has not been carried by a Democratic presidential nominee since Harry S. Truman in 1948.<ref name="How">Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016</ref> Along with nearby Sebastian County, it was one of the few counties in Arkansas to resist the appeal of Southern Democratic "favorite sons" Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and Arkansas governor Bill Clinton,Template:Efn while also voting for Republican Richard Nixon in 1968 as George Wallace won Arkansas on the pro-segregation American Independent Party ticket. Carter, in 1976, remains the last Democrat to win even forty percent of the county's vote.
In Benton County, voters have supported the GOP in the last nineteen presidential elections.
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Communities
[edit]Cities
[edit]- Bella Vista
- Bentonville (county seat)
- Bethel Heights
- Cave Springs
- Centerton
- Decatur
- Elm Springs (mostly in Washington County)
- Gentry
- Gravette
- Little Flock
- Lowell
- Pea Ridge
- Rogers
- Siloam Springs
- Springdale (mostly in Washington County)
- Sulphur Springs
Towns
[edit]Census-designated places
[edit]- Cherokee City
- Hiwasse (former CDP)
- Lost Bridge Village
- Maysville
- Prairie Creek
Townships
[edit]
Note: Most Arkansas counties have names for their townships. Benton County, however, has numbers instead of names.
Template:Arkansas Townships About<ref> Template:Cite map</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Education
[edit]School districts include:<ref>Template:Cite map - Text list</ref> Template:Div col
- Bentonville Public Schools
- Decatur School District
- Gentry Public Schools
- Gravette School District
- Pea Ridge School District
- Rogers Public Schools
- Siloam Springs Schools
- Springdale School District
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]Template:Notelist Template:Reflist
References
[edit]External links
[edit]- Official Website of Benton County, Arkansas
- Benton County Code of OrdinancesTemplate:Dead link
- County Records Online
Template:Benton County, Arkansas Template:Arkansas Template:Authority control