Arkadelphia is a city in Clark County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 10,714. The city is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Clark County. It is situated at the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. Two universities, Henderson State University and Ouachita Baptist University, are located here. Arkadelphia was incorporated in 1857.

History

The site was settled in about 1809 by John Hemphill, operator of a nearby salt works, Arkansas's first industry. It was known as Blakelytown until 1839, when the settlement adopted the name Arkadelphia. The town was named "Arkadelphia," a combination of ''Ark-'' from the state's name ''Arkansas'' and ''adelphia'' from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

meaning "brother/place". Arkadelphia was once known as the "City of Rainbows", perhaps because the humid climate often resulted in rain.

Geography

Arkadelphia is located in northeastern Clark County at (34.121920, -93.066178), on the west bank of the

Ouachita River The Ouachita River ( ) is a river that runs south and east through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Louisiana, joining the Tensas River to form the Black River near Jonesville, Louisiana. It is the 25th-longest river in the United State ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy An economy is an area of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.49%, is water.

Climate

The climate is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

system, Arkadelphia has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 10,380 people, 3,751 households, and 1,966 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 10,714 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 64.0% White, 30.0% Black, 0.4% Native American, 0.8% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% from some other race and 1.4% from two or more races. 3.2% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 10,912 people, 3,865 households, and 2,187 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 4,216 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 68.98%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 26.51%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

or African American, 0.53% Native American, 1.29% Asian, 0.05%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...

, 1.35% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 2.59% of the population. There were 3,865 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.6% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.4% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.87. In the city, the age distribution of the population showed 18.1% under the age of 18, 32.9% from 18 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 14.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,651, and the median income for a family was $42,479. Males had a median income of $30,152 versus $19,459 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $13,268. About 19.8% of families and 23.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 25.8% of those under the age of 18 and 15.9% of those 65 and older.

Economy

Major factors in Arkadelphia's economy are

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. ...

and

manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to a ...

. Ouachita Baptist University, Henderson State University, and Arkadelphia School District employ many people in the education sector. The manufacturing sector includes Georgia Pacific and Siplast. The economy includes small-scale businesses, including fast-food restaurants.

Arts and culture

Opened in 2011, the Arkadelphia Arts Center hosts exhibits, productions and educational workshops for many organizations in town, including the Caddo River Art Guild, the Poet and Writer's Guild, the Little Theatre, the two universities, and Arkadelphia School District. Henderson State University holds plays and musical performances in Arkansas Hall located on campus. Ouachita Baptist University displays student art and sculpture in the Hammons Gallery. OBU performing arts take place in the OBU Jones Performing Arts Center on Ouachita Street.

Tourism

The Clark County Historical Museum contains artifacts from prehistoric times through today in an attempt to document the history of the county. Based in the former Amtrak station, a historic tour through Arkadelphia, including the historic

James E. M. Barkman House The James E. M. Barkman House is a historic house located at 406 North 10th Street in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Description and history The two-story, timber-framed, hipped-roof house was built around 1860 for James E. M. Barkman, son of one of A ...

. The Captain Henderson House is a historic

bed and breakfast Bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. Bed and breakfasts are often private family homes and typically have between four and eleven rooms, wit ...

owned and operated by Henderson State University and originally inhabited by the university's namesake. Downtown Arkadelphia includes the

Arkadelphia Commercial Historic District The Arkadelphia Commercial Historic District encompasses the historic commercial core of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, the county seat of Clark County. Arkadelphia was settled in 1842, and its commercial district is located in one of the older parts ...

, the Arkadelphia Confederate Monument, Clark County Courthouse, and the

Clark County Library The Clark County Library is located at 609 Caddo St. in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. It is located in a Classical Revival single-story brick building designed by Charles L. Thompson Charles L. Thompson and associates is an architectural group ...

, all listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

. Other family attractions include the Diamond Lakes Regional Visitors Center on Highway 7 near I-30, and the Reynolds Science Center Planetarium, open to the public during the academic year, is located on the Henderson State University campus.

Parks and recreation

Arkadelphia Parks and Recreation Department operates facilities and manages activities for the community. Within Feaster Park, the department operates Arkadelphia Aquatic Park, which features water slides, swimming, and diving areas. The park includes a recreation center that has an indoor basketball/volleyball court, a weight lifting area and an elevated walking track. In 2013, the department completed construction of DeSoto Bluff Trail, which overlooks the Ouachita River. DeGray Lake Resort State Park surrounds DeGray Lake, which is located northwest of Arkadelphia, on Arkansas Scenic Byway 7. The state park has facilities for camping, fishing, water sports, golf, hiking, and biking. The Iron Mountain Bike Trail is a winding path inside the park that runs for approximately . The Caddo and Ouachita rivers merge just outside the northern city limits.

Canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the term ...

and tube rentals are available in nearby

Caddo Valley, Arkansas Caddo Valley is a town in Clark County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 635 at the 2010 census. Geography Caddo Valley is located in northeastern Clark County at (34.199478, -93.077012), on the north side of the Caddo River west of ...

. The Ouachita National Forest and Hot Springs National Park are located on the scenic byway, approximately north of Arkadelphia. To the west of Hot Springs is Lake Ouachita, which has more than of shoreline and more than of water. The lake is surrounded by Ouachita National Forest. The tourist destination of

Hot Springs A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by c ...

is located adjacent to the national park. Bathhouse Row, Oaklawn Park Race Track and Casino and Magic Springs are some attractions located there.

Government

Arkadelphia operates under the city manager form of government. There is a seven-member city council known as the board of directors that appoint the city manager. Five members of the board are elected via ward. Two members are elected at large, one of which is the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...

position.

Education

Colleges and universities

* Henderson State University is a public liberal arts, undergraduate institution that is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. The university was founded as ''Arkadelphia Methodist College'' in 1890, and was renamed Henderson-Brown College before it became a public institution in 1929. Its current name was adopted in 1975. In 2021, Henderson State University joined the

Arkansas State University System The Arkansas State University System, based in Little Rock, serves almost 40,000 students annually on campuses in Arkansas and Queretaro, Mexico, and globally online. The Arkansas State University System includes Arkansas State University (A-S ...

. * Ouachita Baptist University is a private, liberal arts, undergraduate institution that is affiliated with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. The university was founded as ''Ouachita Baptist College'' in 1886, and its current designation was established in 1965.

Secondary schools

Public schools

Arkadelphia School District operates five public schools: * Central Primary School * Louisa E. Perritt Primary School * Peake Elementary School * Goza Middle School * Arkadelphia High School For the 2011–2012 school year, there were approximately 2,125 students enrolled. In September 2015, voters in the Arkadelphia School District passed a millage increase earmarked for new elementary and middle schools. Dr. Donnie Whitten is District Superintendent.

Private schools

* Clark County Christian Academy. K4 through 12th grade.

Historic schools

* Arkansas Institute for the Blind was located in Arkadelphia from 1859–1868.

Infrastructure

Healthcare

Major medical services in Arkadelphia are provided by: * Baptist Health Medical Center-Arkadelphia – a Hospital which provides a wide variety of services, including the 'Arkadelphia Medical Clinic', and a Women's Health Clinic. * CHI St. Vincent Heart Clinic Arkansas – provider of specialized

Cardiology Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular he ...

services. * The Surgical Clinic of Central Arkansas – a comprehensive

General Surgery General surgery is a surgical specialty that focuses on alimentary canal and abdominal contents including the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix and bile ducts, and often the t ...

provider. * Baptist Health Orthopaedic Clinic – General, sports, and joint replacement.

Transportation

Major highways

* Interstate 30 *

U.S. Highway 67 U.S. Route 67 is a major north–south U.S. highway which extends for 1,560 miles (2,511 km) in the Central United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the United States-Mexico border in Presidio, Texas, where it continues so ...

* Arkansas Highway 7 * Arkansas Highway 8 * Arkansas Highway 51 *

Arkansas Highway 874 The following is a list of state highways in Arkansas. The state does not use a numbering convention. Generally the two-digit odd numbered highways run north–south with a few exceptions; and even-numbered two-digit state highways run east–w ...

Arkadelphia is intersected by Interstate 30, a primary east-west Interstate highway running northeast to Little Rock, southwest to Texarkana, and southwest to

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

. US Route 67 runs parallel to I-30 and connects Arkadelphia to Malvern to the northeast and Gurdon to the southwest. Highway 8 and Arkansas Highway 51 serve as primary east-west arterials for Arkadelphia. Arkansas Highway 7 provides a primary north-south route and has been designated as an Arkansas Scenic Byway.

is a system of state highways that serve Henderson State University.

Rail

Passenger rail service is provided by

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

's Texas Eagle, which stops at

Arkadelphia station Arkadelphia station is an Amtrak train station located at 798 South Fifth Street in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, in the restored Missouri Pacific Railroad station. Arkadelphia is a stop for the '' Texas Eagle''. The station also serves as the headqu ...

. Trains run daily between

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

and

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

. Connecting service between San Antonio and

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

is available three times a week via the Sunset Limited. Freight service in Arkadelphia is provided by Arkansas Midland Railroad and the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pac ...

Aviation

Dexter B. Florence Memorial Field Dexter B. Florence Memorial Field (formerly identified as M89 by FAA) is a city-owned public-use airport located one nautical mile (2 km) south of the central business district of Arkadelphia, a city in Clark County, Arkansas, United States. T ...

(KADF) in southeastern Arkadelphia can serve small business jets as well as single and double-engine aircraft. Henderson State University offers a four-year bachelor of science degree in

aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot ...

and is responsible for the airport's fixed-base operation.

Public transportation

Within the city, bus service is provided by South Central Arkansas Transit. (SCAT)

Utilities

Water and sewer utilities are provided by Arkadelphia's municipal water & wastewater system. The city's electric system is maintained by South Central Arkansas Electric Cooperative, Inc., and natural gas is provided by CenterPoint Energy.

Notable people

Harley Bozeman Harley Bernard Bozeman (May 3, 1891 – May 16, 1971) was a salesman, tree farmer, politician, and historian from Winnfield, Louisiana, who served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1928 to 1929. He was a confidant of Democrati ...

, Arkadelphia native, politician, and confidant of

Huey Huey, used as a given name, is a variant of Hughie. It may refer to: People * Huey (rapper) (1987–2020), American rapper * Huey Dunbar, Puerto Rican salsa singer * Huey Johnson (1933–2020), American environmentalist and politician * Huey Lewis ...

and Earl LongHarley Bozeman obituary, ''Winn Parish Enterprise-News-American'', Winnfield, Louisiana, May 20, 1971 *

Trent Bryant Trent Baron Bryant (born August 14, 1959) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL), the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the United States Football League (USFL). He played for the Washington Redskins and ...

, cornerback for

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...

and

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The t ...

, and CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders *

V. L. Cox V. L. Cox (born 1962) is an American multimedia artist based in Arkansas and New York. Early life and education V. L. Cox was born on August 14, 1962, in Shreveport, Louisiana. She originally attended Arkansas Tech University in Russellville ...

, nationally known artist, grew up in Arkadelphia. *

Chad Griffin Chad Hunter Griffin (born July 16, 1973) is an American political strategist best known for his work advocating for LGBT rights in the United States. Griffin got his start in politics volunteering for the Bill Clinton presidential campaign, which ...

, youngest member of the White House Clinton staff at 19; grew up in Arkadelphia * Cliff Harris, safety for the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...

, two-time Super Bowl champion; attended college in Arkadelphia *

Cecil Ivory Reverend Cecil Augustus Ivory (March 3, 1921 - November 10, 1961) was a Presbyterian minister, disability rights activist and sit-in leader during the Civil rights movement. In 2017, Ivory was named a Freedom Walkway Local Hero for his activ ...

(1921-1961), Presbyterian

minister Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...

and civil rights leader born in Arkadelphia * Percy Malone, Arkansas politician and pharmacist * W. Francis McBeth, first Composer Laureate of Arkansas * Beth Moore, evangelist and Bible teacher; founder of Living Proof Ministries * Terry Nelson, tight end for

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC Wes ...

in Super Bowl XIV; born in Arkadelphia * Tommy Patterson, NBA player for Washington Bullets; attended college in Arkadelphia. * Jim Ranchino (1936–1978), political scientist, consultant and pollster *

Bob C. Riley Bob Cowley Riley (September 18, 1924 – February 16, 1994) was an American politician. He served as lieutenant governor of Arkansas from 1971 to 1975. Life and career Riley was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. Riley served in the Arkansas Hou ...

(1924–1994), former governor of Arkansas * Nick Tennyson, two-term mayor of Durham, North Carolina from 1997–2001 * Kevin Williams (b. 1980), defensive tackle for NFL's Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints; born in Arkadelphia * Winston P. Wilson (1911-1996),

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army S ...

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

and

Chief of the National Guard Bureau The chief of the National Guard Bureau (CNGB) is the highest-ranking officer of the National Guard and the head of the National Guard Bureau. The position is a statutory office (), held by a federally recognized commissioned officer who has ser ...

References

External links

City websiteArkadelphia Area Chamber of Commerce
* ''Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture'' entry
Arkadelphia (Clark County)
{{Authority control 1857 establishments in Arkansas Arkansas placenames of Native American origin Cities in Arkansas Cities in Clark County, Arkansas County seats in Arkansas Ouachita Mountains Populated places established in 1857 Arkansas populated places on the Ouachita River