Arkadelphia is a city in

Clark County, Arkansas Clark County is a county located in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 22,995. The county seat is Arkadelphia. The Arkadelphia, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Clark ...

, 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 st ...

of Clark County. It is situated at the foothills of the

Ouachita Mountains The Ouachita Mountains (), simply referred to as the Ouachitas, are a mountain range in western Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. They are formed by a thick succession of highly deformed Paleozoic strata constituting the Ouachita Fold and Thru ...

. Two universities,

Henderson State University Henderson State University (HSU) is a public university in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Founded in 1890 as Arkadelphia Methodist College, it is Arkansas's only member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. Henderson has an undergraduate enrol ...

and

Ouachita Baptist University Ouachita Baptist University (OBU) is a private Baptist university in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. The university's name is taken from the Ouachita (pronounced WAH-shi-tah) River, which forms the eastern campus boundary. It is affiliated with the Arka ...

, 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 A salt evaporation pond is a shallow artificial salt pan designed to extract salts from sea water or other brines. The Salt pans are shallow and large of size because it will be easier for sunlight to travel and reach the sea water. Natural s ...

, 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 States ( ...

. 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. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, 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, notabl ...

system, Arkadelphia has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, 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 The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

, 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 incl ...

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 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 reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 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 have o ...

or African American, 0.53% Native American, 1.29%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.05%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 1.35% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.28% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

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 t ...

, 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. Va ...

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 r ...

, and

Arkadelphia School District Arkadelphia Public School District is a public school district located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, United States. The school district supports families with education facilities and educators from early childhood through secondary education. In add ...

employ many people in the education sector. The manufacturing sector includes

Georgia Pacific Georgia-Pacific LLC is an American pulp and paper company based in Atlanta, Georgia, and is one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of tissue, pulp, paper, toilet and paper towel dispensers, packaging, building products and r ...

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 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 Confederate Monument The Arkadelphia Confederate Monument is located on the grounds of the Clark County Courthouse in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. The sculpture, which depicts a Confederate Army soldier, was carved from Italian marble, and is mounted on a base of Georgia m ...

, Clark County Courthouse, and the Clark County Library, 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 artistic v ...

. Other family attractions include the Diamond Lakes Regional Visitors Center on Highway 7 near I-30, and the Reynolds Science Center

Planetarium A planetarium ( planetariums or ''planetaria'') is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation. A dominant feature of most 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 Arkadelphia Aquatic Park is a water park located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. During the 2006 season, nearly 25,000 individuals visited the park. This was up over 20% from 2005. Roughly 40% of the visitors are from out of town. Location The Aquat ...

, 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 DeGray Lake Resort State Park is a Arkansas state park in Clark and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas in the United States. Situated in the Ouachita Mountains, the park features the DeGray Lake, the park features a championship rated 18 hole golf ...

surrounds

DeGray Lake DeGray Lake is a reservoir on the Caddo River constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in Arkansas, 8 miles (13 km) from Arkadelphia. Arkansas Scenic Byway 7 is located on the eastern shore of the lake, and provides views of ...

, 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 The Caddo people comprise the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma, a federally recognized tribe headquartered in Binger, Oklahoma. They speak the Caddo language. The Caddo Confederacy was a network of Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands, wh ...

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 Tube or tubes may refer to: * ''Tube'' (2003 film), a 2003 Korean film * ''The Tube'' (TV series), a music related TV series by Channel 4 in the United Kingdom * "Tubes" (Peter Dale), performer on the Soccer AM television show * Tube (band), a ...

rentals are available in nearby Caddo Valley, Arkansas. The

Ouachita National Forest The Ouachita National Forest is a vast congressionally-designated United States National Forest, National Forest that lies in the western portion of Arkansas and portions of extreme-eastern Oklahoma, USA. History The Ouachita National Forest is t ...

and

Hot Springs National Park Hot Springs National Park is an American national park in central Garland County, Arkansas, adjacent to the city of Hot Springs, the county seat. Hot Springs Reservation was initially created by an act of the United States Congress on April 20, 18 ...

are located on the scenic byway, approximately north of Arkadelphia. To the west of Hot Springs is

Lake Ouachita Lake Ouachita (''Pronounced WAH-shi-tah'') is a reservoir created by the damming of the Ouachita River by Blakely Mountain Dam (). Blakely Mountain Dam was built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers from 1948 to 1953 for hydroelectric p ...

, 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 circ ...

is located adjacent to the national park.

Bathhouse Row Bathhouse Row is a collection of bathhouses, associated buildings, and gardens located at Hot Springs National Park in the city of Hot Springs, Arkansas. The bathhouses were included in 1832 when the Federal Government took over four parcels of la ...

, Oaklawn Park Race Track and Casino and

Magic Springs Magic Springs Theme and Water Park, known as Magic Springs, is an amusement park and water park located in Hot Springs, Arkansas, about from Little Rock. A single price admission includes all day use of the rides and attractions in both parks ...

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 a ...

position.

Education

Colleges and universities

is a public liberal arts, undergraduate institution that is a member of the

Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges The Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) is a consortium of 30 public colleges and universities in 27 states and one Canadian province. Established in 1987, COPLAC advances the aims of its member institutions and drives awareness of the ...

. 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,

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 ...

. *

is a private, liberal arts, undergraduate institution that is affiliated with the

Arkansas Baptist State Convention The Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC) was founded on September 21, 1848, at Brownsville Church in Tulip, Arkansas, Tulip in Dallas County, Arkansas as an affiliate of the Southern Baptist Convention. The first president was Isaac Perkins, an ...

. The university was founded as ''Ouachita Baptist College'' in 1886, and its current designation was established in 1965.

Secondary schools

Public schools

operates five public schools: * Central Primary School * Louisa E. Perritt Primary School * Peake Elementary School * Goza Middle School *

Arkadelphia High School Arkadelphia High School is a comprehensive public junior/senior high school serving grades nine through twelve in the rural, fringe community of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, United States. Located in Clark County, Arkadelphia High School is the larges ...

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 A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...

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 heart d ...

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 thyroid ...

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

Transportation

Major highways

Interstate 30 Interstate 30 (I-30) is a Interstate Highway in the southern states of Texas and Arkansas in the United States. I-30 travels from I-20 west of Fort Worth, Texas, northeast via Dallas, and Texarkana, Texas, to I-40 in North Little Rock, Ar ...

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 Highway 7 (AR 7, Ark. 7, Hwy. 7, and partially Scenic 7 Byway) is a north–south state highway that runs across the state of Arkansas. As Arkansas's longest state highway, the route runs from Louisiana Highway 558 at the Louisiana state line n ...

Arkansas Highway 8 Highway 8 (AR 8, Ark. 8, Hwy. 8) is an east–west state highway in Lower Arkansas. The route of runs from Oklahoma State Highway 63 (SH-63) at the Oklahoma state line east across the state to US Route 65 (US 65) south of E ...

* Arkansas Highway 51 * Arkansas Highway 874 Arkadelphia is intersected by

, a primary east-west Interstate highway running northeast to

Little Rock ( The "Little Rock") , government_type = Council-manager , leader_title = Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_party = D , leader_title2 = Council , leader_name2 ...

, 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 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 ...

runs parallel to I-30 and connects Arkadelphia to

Malvern Malvern or Malverne may refer to: Places Australia * Malvern, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide * Malvern, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne * City of Malvern, a former local government area near Melbourne * Electoral district of Malvern, an e ...

to the northeast and Gurdon to the southwest. Highway 8 and Arkansas Highway 51 serve as primary east-west arterials for Arkadelphia.

provides a primary north-south route and has been designated as an

Arkansas Scenic Byway Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage la ...

. Arkansas Highway 874 is a system of state highways that serve Henderson State University.

Rail

Passenger rail service is provided by

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

Texas Eagle The ''Texas Eagle'' is a daily passenger train route operated by Amtrak between Chicago and San Antonio in the central and western United States. Prior to 1988, the train was known as the ''Eagle''. Trains #21 (southbound) and 22 (northbound) ...

, which stops at Arkadelphia station. Trains run daily between

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

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= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

. 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 world' ...

is available three times a week via the

Sunset Limited The ''Sunset Limited'' is an Amtrak passenger train that for most of its history has operated between New Orleans and Los Angeles, over the nation's second transcontinental route. However, up until Hurricane Katrina in 2005, it operated betwe ...

. 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 Paci ...

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 air ...

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 CenterPoint Energy, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 electric and natural gas utility serving several markets in the American states of Indiana, Ohio, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, and Texas. It was formerly known as Reliant Energy (from whi ...

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 Long Earl Kemp Long (August 26, 1895 – September 5, 1960) was an American politician and the 45th governor of Louisiana, serving three nonconsecutive terms. Long, known as "Uncle Earl", connected with voters through his folksy demeanor and c ...

Harley Bozeman obituary, ''Winn Parish Enterprise-News-American'',

Winnfield, Louisiana Winnfield is a small city in, and the parish seat of, Winn Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census, and 4,840 in 2010. Three governors of the state of Louisiana were from Winnfield.

, May 20, 1971 * Trent Bryant, 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) N ...

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 tea ...

, and

CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in 1 ...

* V. L. Cox, 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 Clifford Allen Harris (born November 12, 1948) is an American former professional football player who was a safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. A Pro Football Hall of Famer, he appeared in five Sup ...

, 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 divisi ...

, two-time Super Bowl champion; attended college in Arkadelphia * Cecil Ivory (1921-1961),

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

minister and civil rights leader born in Arkadelphia *

Percy Malone W. Percy Malone (born August 23, 1942) is an American politician, pharmacist, and businessman. Born in Rosedale, Mississippi, Malone graduated from University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy in 1965. He is a pharmacist and president of W. P. Mal ...

, Arkansas politician and pharmacist *

W. Francis McBeth William Francis McBeth (March 9, 1933 – January 6, 2012) was an American composer, whose wind band works are highly respected. His primary musical influences included Clifton Williams, Bernard Rogers, and Howard Hanson. The popularity of his ...

, first Composer Laureate of Arkansas *

Beth Moore Wanda Elizabeth "Beth" Moore (born Wanda Elizabeth Green, June 16, 1957) is an American Anglican evangelist, author, and Bible teacher. She is president of Living Proof Ministries, a Christian organization she founded in 1994 to teach women to k ...

, 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 Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...

Super Bowl XIV Super Bowl XIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Los Angeles Rams and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champi ...

; born in Arkadelphia * Tommy Patterson,

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

player for

Washington Bullets The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...

; attended college in Arkadelphia. *

Jim Ranchino James Lewis Ranchino (; April 20, 1936 - November 7, 1978), known as Jim Ranchino, was a pollster, political consultant, and political scientist on the faculty of Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. He died of a massive heart at ...

(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 Nicholas J. Tennyson (born September 29, 1950) was the Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Transportation under former Governor Pat McCrory and former two-term mayor of Durham, North Carolina. Mayor of Durham Tennyson was mayor from 19 ...

, two-term mayor of

Durham, North Carolina Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County, North Carolina, Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County and Wake County, North Carol ...

from 1997–2001 * Kevin Williams (b. 1980), defensive tackle for NFL's

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...

and

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

; born in Arkadelphia *

Winston P. Wilson Winston Peabody Wilson (November 11, 1911 – December 31, 1996) was a United States Air Force major general who served as Chief of the National Guard Bureau. Early life Winston Peabody Wilson was born in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, on November 11, ...

(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 Signal ...

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 serv ...

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

History

Geography

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

2000 census

Economy

Arts and culture

Tourism

Parks and recreation

Government

Education

Colleges and universities

Secondary schools

Public schools

Private schools

Historic schools

Infrastructure

Healthcare

Transportation

Major highways

Rail

Aviation

Public transportation

Utilities

Notable people

See also

References

External links