Editing Ouachita County, Arkansas

{{Short description|County in Arkansas, United States}}
{{Redirect|Ouachita County|the administrative area in Louisiana|Ouachita Parish, Louisiana}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Ouachita County
 | state                = Arkansas
 | type                 = [[Arkansas counties|County]]
 | seal                 = 
 | founded year         = 1842
 | founded date         = November 29
 | seat wl              = Camden
 | largest city wl      = Camden
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 740
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 733
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 7.0
 | area percentage      = 0.9%
 | population_as_of     = 2020
 | population_total     = 22650
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2023
 | population_est       = 21793 {{loss}}
 | density_sq_mi        = auto
 | ex image             = Camden, Arkansas Courthouse.jpg
 | ex image size        = 300px
 | ex image cap         = [[Ouachita County Courthouse]] in Camden
 | web                  = 
 | district             = 4th
 | time zone            = Central
 |named for=[[Ouachita River]]
}}

'''Ouachita County''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|ɑː|ʃ|ᵻ|t|ɑː}} {{respell|WAH|shih|tah}}) is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the south central part of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Arkansas]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 22,650.<ref>{{cite web|title=Census - Geography Profile: Ouachita County, Arkansas|url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Ouachita_County,_Arkansas?g=0500000US05103|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 20, 2023}}</ref>

The [[county seat]] is [[Camden, Arkansas|Camden]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> Ouachita County is part of the Camden, AR [[Camden micropolitan area|Micropolitan Statistical Area]]. Formed on November 29, 1842, the county is named for the [[Ouachita River]].

==History==
Until the late 20th century, the county was a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] stronghold, aided by the state's having disenfranchised most African Americans at the turn of the century. As in much of the rest of the South, conservative whites, who constitute the majority of the population in the county, have shifted into the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]]. In 1972, [[U.S. President]] [[Richard M. Nixon]] became the first [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] presidential nominee in the 20th century to win a majority in Ouachita County. Much later, in the [[2008 United States presidential election|2008 presidential election]], [[U.S. Senator]] [[John McCain]] won the county by nearly ten percentage votes over Senator [[Barack Obama]], following President [[George W. Bush]]'s victory over Senator [[John F. Kerry]] in 2004.

The politically influential Pryor family is based here; they include two U.S. senators, [[David Pryor]] (serving 1978–1997) and his son [[Mark Pryor]] (elected 2002). The elder Pryor also served as a former governor of Arkansas and US Congressman. The county is served by a daily newspaper, ''[[The Camden News]]''.

==Geography==
[[File:PoisonSpringsBattlefieldSP.jpg|thumb|277px|Entrance to the [[Poison Springs Battleground State Park]], a [[National Historic Landmark|U.S. National Historic Landmark]]]]
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|740|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|733|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|7.0|sqmi}} (0.9%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_05.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 27, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}</ref>

===Major highways===
*[[Image:I-69 (Future).svg|20px]] [[Interstate 69|Future Interstate 69]]
*[[Image:US 79.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 79]]
*[[Image:US 278.svg|25px]] [[U.S. Highway 278]]
*[[Image:Arkansas 4.svg|20px]] [[Arkansas Highway 4|Highway 4]]
*[[Image:Arkansas 7.svg|20px]] [[Arkansas Highway 7|Highway 7]]
*[[Image:Arkansas 9.svg|20px]] [[Arkansas Highway 9|Highway 9]]
*[[Image:Arkansas 24.svg|20px]] [[Arkansas Highway 24|Highway 24]]

===Adjacent counties===
*[[Dallas County, Arkansas|Dallas County]] (north)
*[[Calhoun County, Arkansas|Calhoun County]] (east)
*[[Union County, Arkansas|Union County]] (south)
*[[Columbia County, Arkansas|Columbia County]] (southwest)
*[[Nevada County, Arkansas|Nevada County]] (west)
*[[Clark County, Arkansas|Clark County]] (northwest)

==Demographics==
The county had its peak of population in 1950.
{{US Census population
|1850= 9591
|1860= 12936
|1870= 12975
|1880= 11758
|1890= 17033
|1900= 20892
|1910= 21774
|1920= 20636
|1930= 29890
|1940= 31151
|1950= 33051
|1960= 31641
|1970= 30896
|1980= 30541
|1990= 30574
|2000= 28790
|2010= 26120
|2020= 22650
|estyear=2023
|estimate=21793
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 30, 2024}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 27, 2015}}</ref><br />1790–1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=August 27, 2015}}</ref> 1900–1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ar190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|editor-last=Forstall|editor-first=Richard L.|date=March 27, 1995|access-date=August 27, 2015}}</ref><br />1990–2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=April 2, 2001|access-date=August 27, 2015}}</ref> 2010<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/05/05103.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 23, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607033457/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/05/05103.html|archive-date=June 7, 2011}}</ref>
}}

[[Image:USA Ouachita County, Arkansas age pyramid.svg|thumb|left|150px|Age pyramid Ouachita County<ref>Based on [[2000 United States Census|2000 census]] data</ref>]]

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Ouachita County racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US05103&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 13, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
|12,092
|53.39%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
|8,856
|39.1%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|49
|0.22%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|123
|0.54%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
|3
|0.01%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|1,011
|4.46%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|516
|2.28%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 22,650 people, 9,658 households, and 6,009 families residing in the county.

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]], there were 26,120 people living in the county. The racial makeup of the county was 56.3% White, 39.9% Black, 0.3% Native American, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% from some other race and 1.4% from two or more races. 1.6% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

===2000 census===
As of the [[2000 United States Census|2000 census]],<ref name="GR8">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=May 14, 2011|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> there were 28,790 people, 11,613 households, and 8,071 families living in the county. The population density was {{convert|39|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 13,450 housing units at an average density of {{convert|18|/mi2|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the county was 59.74% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 38.64% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.25% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.24% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.03% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.26% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.83% from two or more races. 0.73% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 11,613 households, out of which 30.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.00% were married couples living together, 15.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.50% were non-families. 28.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.90% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 25.60% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 16.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,341, and the median income for a family was $35,736. Males had a median income of $30,976 versus $18,800 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $15,118. About 16.10% of families and 19.50% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 26.20% of those under age 18 and 18.60% of those age 65 or over.

==Government==

=== Government ===
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 Ouachita County Quorum Court has eleven 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>{{Cite web |title=Quorum Courts |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/quorum-courts-6348/ |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Office of County Judge |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/office-of-county-judge-5720/ |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |language=en-US}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+Ouachita County, Arkansas Elected countywide officials<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Ouachita {{!}} Association of Arkansas Counties |url=https://www.arcounties.org/counties/ouachita/ |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=www.arcounties.org}}</ref><ref>https://www.arcounties.org/site/assets/files/6033/november_races.pdf</ref>
!Position
!Officeholder
!Party
|-style="background-color:#92C5DE;
|County Judge
|Robbie McAdoo
|Democratic
|-style="background-color:#999999;
|County Clerk
|Sherri Hunter
|Independent
|-style="background-color:#92C5DE;
|Circuit Clerk
|Gladys Nettles
|Democratic
|-style="background-color:#92C5DE;
|Sheriff/Collector
|David Norwood
|Democratic
|-style="background-color:#F48882;
|Treasurer
|Melinda Chambers
|Republican
|-style="background-color:#92C5DE;
|Assessor
|Tonya McKenzie
|Democratic
|-style="background-color:#F48882;
|Coroner
|Todd McAteer
|Republican
|}
The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 8 Republicans, 2 Democrats, and 1 Independent. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ouachita County, Arkansas, elections, 2024 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Ouachita_County,_Arkansas,_elections,_2024 |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}}</ref>

* District 1: Ware Russell (R)
* District 2: Dale Vaughan (R)
* District 3: Eddie Pickett (R)
* District 4: Jonathan Wolfe (R)
* District 5: Shannon Milam (R)
* District 6: Addie Moore-Edwards (R)
* District 7: Wayland Chambers (R)
* District 8: Willie R. Hardy (D)
* District 9: Fred Lilly Sr. (D)
* District 10: Helen Aregood (R)
* District 11: Jerry West (I)

=== Politics ===
Over the past few election cycles Ouachita County has trended towards the GOP. The last Democrat (as of 2024) to carry this county was [[Al Gore]] in 2000.

In 2020, the county saw an increase in third party votes compared to 2016, whereas the national trend was a significant drop of third party support.

{{PresHead|place=Ouachita County, Arkansas|source=<ref name="DL">{{cite web|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|access-date=November 18, 2016}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|5,056|3,412|158|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|5,294|3,995|340|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|5,351|4,321|263|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|5,521|4,633|161|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|5,427|4,346|187|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|5,345|5,188|117|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|4,739|5,464|192|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|3,136|6,635|838|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|3,711|7,411|1,293|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|6,297|5,229|517|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|6,700|5,858|531|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|4,329|7,152|727|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|2,753|8,946|0|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|6,620|3,931|11|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1968|American Independent|2,209|4,603|5,031|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|3,572|7,056|70|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|2,439|5,169|584|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|2,819|5,188|122|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|2,171|5,936|29|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|476|3,315|1,027|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|473|3,154|1|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|284|2,951|5|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|262|2,808|0|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|432|3,118|7|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|1,051|1,582|0|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|952|1,318|42|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|1,141|1,307|26|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|970|1,405|0|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|793|913|169|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|1,505|1,166|28|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1904|Democratic|974|1,083|20|Arkansas}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|1,143|1,120|15|Arkansas}}
{{PresFoot|1896|Democratic|1,029|1,366|11|Arkansas}}

==Communities==

===Cities===
*[[Bearden, Arkansas|Bearden]]
*[[Camden, Arkansas|Camden]] (county seat)
*[[Chidester, Arkansas|Chidester]]
*[[East Camden, Arkansas|East Camden]]
*[[Stephens, Arkansas|Stephens]]

===Town===
*[[Louann, Arkansas|Louann]]

===Census designated place===
*[[Reader, Arkansas|Reader]]

===Unincorporated community===
*[[Cullendale, Arkansas|Cullendale]]

===Townships===
{{Arkansas Townships About|County = Ouachita}}
<ref>{{Cite map
 |publisher  = U. S. Census Bureau
 |title      = 2011 Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS): Ouachita County, AR
 |url        = http://www2.census.gov/geo/pvs/bas/bas11/st05_ar/cou/c05103_ouachita/BAS11C20510300000_000.pdf
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121019170610/http://www2.census.gov/geo/pvs/bas/bas11/st05_ar/cou/c05103_ouachita/BAS11C20510300000_000.pdf
 |url-status   = dead
 |archive-date = October 19, 2012
 |access-date = August 24, 2011
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/maps/block/2010/cousub/dc10blk_st05_cousub.html#O | title = Arkansas: 2010 Census Block Maps - County Subdivision | publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]] | access-date = May 29, 2014}}</ref>

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* Behestian
* Bradley ([[East Camden, Arkansas|East Camden]])
* Bragg
* Bridge Creek (Elliott)
* Carroll
* Cleveland
* Ecore Fabre (most of [[Camden, Arkansas|Camden]])
* Freeo
* Jefferson
* Lafayette (small part of [[Camden, Arkansas|Camden]])
* Liberty
* Marion (Buena Vista)
* Red Hill ([[Chidester, Arkansas|Chidester]], most of CDP [[Reader, Arkansas|Reader]])
* River
* Smackover ([[Stephens, Arkansas|Stephens]])
* Union ([[Bearden, Arkansas|Bearden]])
* Valley
* Washington ([[Louann, Arkansas|Louann]])
{{div col end}}

==Monuments and memorials== <!-- EDITORS NOTE: Please do not add monument and memorial images to this section. It would quickly become too unwieldy. Thank you. -->
{{gallery|width=230|height=130|Image:Confederate Women's Monument in Camden, AR IMG 2244.JPG|[[Camden Confederate Monument|Confederate Women's Monument]]|Image:Vietnam Monument in Camden, AR IMG 2240.JPG|Vietnam Veterans Monument|Image:Ouachita County, AR, Veterans Monument IMG 2239.JPG|Ouachita County War Memorial}} <!-- EDITORS NOTE: Please do not add monument and memorial images to this section. It would quickly become too unwieldy. Thank you. -->

==See also==
* [[List of lakes in Ouachita County, Arkansas]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Ouachita County, Arkansas]]
* [[USS Ouachita County (LST-1071)|USS ''Ouachita County'' (LST-1071)]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=795 Ouachita County, Arkansas] entry on the [[Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture]]
* [http://www.ouachitacountysheriff.org/ Ouachita County Sheriff's Office].
{{Geographic Location
| Centre    = Ouachita County, Arkansas
| North     = [[Dallas County, Arkansas|Dallas County]]
| Northeast =
| East      = [[Calhoun County, Arkansas|Calhoun County]]
| Southeast =
| South     = [[Union County, Arkansas|Union County]]
| Southwest = [[Columbia County, Arkansas|Columbia County]]
| West      = [[Nevada County, Arkansas|Nevada County]]
| Northwest = [[Clark County, Arkansas|Clark County]]
}}

{{Ouachita County, Arkansas}}
{{Arkansas}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|33|36|N|92|55|W|region:US-AR_type:adm2nd_source:dewiki|display=title}}

[[Category:Ouachita County, Arkansas| ]]
[[Category:1842 establishments in Arkansas]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1842]]
[[Category:Arkansas placenames of Native American origin]]
[[Category:Camden, Arkansas micropolitan area]]