Blytheville is one of two

county seats 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 five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equivalent term, shire town, is used in ...

of and the largest city in Mississippi County,

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

, United States. It is approximately north of

West Memphis West Memphis is the largest city in Crittenden County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 24,520 at the 2020 census, ranking it as the state's 20th largest city. It is part of the Memphis metropolitan area, and is located directly acro ...

. The population was 13,406 at the 2020 census, down from 15,620 in

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

History

Blytheville was founded by

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

clergyman Henry T. Blythe in 1879. It received a post office the same year, was incorporated in 1889, and became the county seat for the northern half of Mississippi County (Chickasawba District) in 1901. Blytheville received telephone service and electricity in 1903, and natural gas service in 1950.

Forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...

was an early industry, spurred by the massive harvesting of lumber needed to rebuild Chicago following the Great Fire of 1871. The lumber industry brought sawmills and a rowdy crowd, and the area was known for its disreputable saloon culture during the 1880s and 1890s. The

Paragould Southeastern Railway The Paragould Southeastern Railway (“PSR”), originally the Paragould and Buffalo Island Railway, was an industrial line initially started to carry timber products from lands east of Paragould, Arkansas, into town. It acquired its first tracka ...

, which served the logging industry, arrived in town in 1907. The cleared forests enabled

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

farming to take hold, encouraged by ongoing

levee A levee ( or ), dike (American English), dyke (British English; see American and British English spelling differences#Miscellaneous spelling differences, spelling differences), embankment, floodbank, or stop bank is an elevated ridge, natural ...

building and waterway management; the population grew significantly after 1900. On Blytheville's western edge lies one of the largest

cotton gin A cotton gin—meaning "cotton engine"—is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, enabling much greater productivity than manual cotton separation.. Reprinted by McGraw-Hill, New York and London, 1926 (); ...

s in North America.

Soybean The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean. Soy is a staple crop, the world's most grown legume, and an important animal feed. Soy is a key source o ...

s and

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

have also become important crops. The area northwest of the town was developed into an "advanced" pilot training school for the

Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

in 1942. The school hosted the

BT-13 The Vultee BT-13 Valiant is an American World War II-era basic (a category between primary and advanced) trainer aircraft built by Vultee Aircraft for the United States Army Air Corps, and later US Army Air Forces. A subsequent variant of the ...

, AT-6, AT-9, and AT-10. The facility closed after the end of WW2 and briefly served as the city's municipal airport. The area around Blytheville continues to be farmed, though family farms have given way to large factory operations. The former Blytheville Army Airfield was reopened by the

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

in 1956 as

Blytheville Air Force Base Blytheville Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base that operated under the Tactical Air Command and Strategic Air Command from 1954 until its closure in 1992. The facility originally served as a B-25 pilot training school during WW2 ...

, and from 1959 to 1991 hosted the 97th Wing as part of the Strategic Air Command's Ground Alert Program. The base was closed in December 1992 as part of the 1991 BRAC Commission. In the 1980s, Blytheville began to develop an industrial base, much of which centered on the

steel industry Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high elastic modulus, yield strength, fracture strength and low raw material cost, steel is one of the ...

Nucor Steel Nucor Corporation is an American company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, that produces steel and related products. It is the largest steel producer in the United States and the largest recycler of scrap in North America. Nucor is the 16th- ...

opened a plant east of Blytheville, on the Mississippi River, in 1987. Aeroplextower2023

James Sanders was elected as the mayor of Blytheville in 2011. He was the first

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

to serve in that position. After James Sanders’ retirement in 2023, local accountant and veteran Melissa Logan was elected as the city’s first female black mayor.

Geography

Blytheville is located in northeastern Arkansas and northeastern Mississippi County. It is the easternmost incorporated place in Arkansas. The

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

state line is north, and the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

, forming the

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

border, is east. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which , or 0.29%, are water.

Climate

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

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Blytheville has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 13,406 people, 5,674 households, and 3,644 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 15,620 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 55.9% Black, 38.8% White, 0.2% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% from some other race and 1.2% from two or more races. 3.0% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 18,272 people, 7,001 households, and 4,746 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 8,533 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 45.15%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 52.15%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.19% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.07%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 0.48% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population. There were 7,001 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 20.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.16. In the city, the population was well distributed, with 29.9% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,683, and the median income for a family was $32,816. Males had a median income of $30,889 versus $20,710 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $14,426. About 23.3% of families and 28.6% 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 42.2% of those under age 18 and 17.4% of those age 65 or over. Blytheville's population continues to decline. The 2010 Census reported Blytheville's population at 15,620, and the 2014 Census estimate was 14,884. The 2015 City-data.com crime index for Blytheville, Arkansas is 946.2. The U.S. average is only 284.1.

Economy

is the largest employer for both Blytheville and Mississippi County, with four locations (Nucor Yamato Steel, Nucor Steel Arkansas, Nucor Castrip, and Nucor Skyline). Nucor Steel Arkansas announced plans for a new cold mill in 2019. Aviation Repair Technologies (ART) is headquartered at

Arkansas International Airport Arkansas International Airport is a public use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) northwest of the central business district of Blytheville, Arkansas, Blytheville, a city in Mississippi County, Arkansas, Mississippi County, Arkansa ...

in Blytheville and employs approximately 120 employees. In February 2015, ART laid off between 50 and 75 employees. Tenaris, a manufacturer and supplier of seamless and welded steel pipe products, operates 4 ERW (electric resistance welded) pipe manufacturing, threading and coating facilities. In January 2015, Tenaris laid off about 300 employees. In January 2016, Tenaris laid off 100 more employees.

Recreation

* Blytheville City Parks ** Cyprus Park ** Nelson Park ** Walker Park *** Blytheville City Pool ** Williams Park * Blytheville Youth Sportsplex * Thunder Bayou Golf Course

Cultural institutions

* Adams-Vines Recital Hall (Arkansas Northeastern College) * Arts Council of Mississippi County * Blytheville Book Company * Delta Gateway Museum * Lights of the Delta * Main Street Blytheville * Mississippi County Library System * National Cold War Center - In 2020, the National Cold War Center was formed by local citizens to create a museum that interpreted the multi-decade conflict known as the Cold War. They are projecting the museum to be open in 2027, and are working to restore the former Blytheville Air Force Base's SAC Ready Alert Facility to serve as the museum's primary exhibit. * Ritz Civic Center

Education

Blytheville Public Schools serves the majority of the city.
2010 Map
/ref> The schools include: * Blytheville Primary School (K-2) * Blytheville Elementary School (3-5) * Blytheville Middle School (6-8) * Blytheville High School (9-12) Other portions of the city limits are zoned to Armorel Public Schools and

Gosnell Public Schools Gosnell School District (officially: Gosnell School District No. 6) is a public school district based in Gosnell, Arkansas, United States. The Gosnell School District provides early childhood, elementary and secondary education for more than ...

. The former operates Armorel High School and the latter operates

Gosnell High School Gosnell High School (or Gosnell Secondary School) is an accredited comprehensive public high school located in the city of Gosnell, Arkansas, United States, located northwest of Blytheville. The school provides secondary education for student ...

. In addition KIPP Delta operates the KIPP Delta Blytheville Charter School. A Catholic school, Immaculate Conception School, operated in Blytheville until its 2007 closure. Blytheville is home to Arkansas Northeastern College (formerly Mississippi County Community College until its merger with Cotton Boll Technical Institute). It offers a two-year program, and is the United States' first community college with a solar photovoltaic prototype facility.

Infrastructure

Highways include:

Interstate 55 Interstate 55 (I-55) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. The ...

U.S. Route 61 U.S. Route 61 or U.S. Highway 61 (U.S. 61) is a major United States highway that extends between New Orleans, Louisiana and the city of Wyoming, Minnesota. The highway generally follows the course of the Mississippi River and is designat ...

U.S. Route 78 U.S. Route 78 (US 78) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that runs for from Swifton, Arkansas, to Charleston, South Carolina. From Byhalia, Mississippi to Graysville, Alabama, US 78 runs concurrently with Inte ...

, Highway 18, Highway 137, Highway 151, Highway 239, and Highway 239 Spur. The Heartland Division of the

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad in the United States. One of six North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 36,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that provide ...

runs through downtown Blytheville.

Notable people

Julie Adams Julie Adams (born Betty May Adams; October 17, 1926 – February 3, 2019) was an American actress, billed as Julia Adams in her early career, primarily known for her numerous television guest roles. She starred in a number of films in the 1 ...

, film and television actress; grew up in Blytheville *

Fred Akers Frederick Sanford Akers (March 17, 1938 – December 7, 2020) was an American football player and coach. He served as head football coach at the University of Wyoming (1975–1976), the University of Texas at Austin (1977–1986), and Purdue Uni ...

, football coach for the University of Texas Longhorns and

Purdue Boilermakers The Purdue Boilermakers are the official college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletics teams representing Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana. As is common with athletic nicknames, the Boilermakers nickname ...

; Blytheville native *

Lawrence Babits Lawrence E. Babits (born June 22, 1943) is an American archaeologist with specific interests in military history, material culture, and battlefield and maritime archaeology. Babits is credited with highly accurate accounts of soldiers' combat exp ...

, archaeologist * M. C. Burton Jr., professional basketball player and medical doctor *

Marvin Childers Marvin Lynn Childers (born 1961) is an attorney from Little Rock, Arkansas, who is the president and chief lobbyist of the interest group, the Poultry Federation, which serves producers in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. A Republican, Childer ...

, state representative from Mississippi County from 2001 to 2006 *

Dee Clark Dee Clark (November 7, 1938 – December 7, 1990) was an American soul singer and songwriter best known for a string of R&B and pop hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including the song " Raindrops", which became a million-seller in the Uni ...

, R&B singer known for his 1961 hit " Raindrops"; native of Blytheville * Kimberly Derrick, short track speed skater and Olympic bronze medal winner *

Al Feldstein Albert Bernard Feldstein ( ; October 24, 1925 – April 29, 2014) was an American writer, editor, and artist, best known for his work at EC Comics and, from 1956 to 1985, as the editor of the satirical magazine '' Mad''. After retiring from ''Mad' ...

, ''Mad'' magazine editor; wrote a science fiction story set in Blytheville * Bob Fisher, president of

Belmont University Belmont University is a Private university, private Christian university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Descended from Belmont Women's College, founded in 1890 by schoolteachers Ida Hood and Susan Heron, the institution was incorporate ...

from 2000 to 2021 * George Hamilton, actor and grandson of Blytheville physician C.C. Stevens; spent his boyhood in Blytheville *

Eric Hill Eric Hill (7 September 1927 – 6 June 2014) was an English author and illustrator of children's picture books. He was best known for his puppy character named Spot. His works have been widely praised for their contributions to child literacy ...

, professional football player * Nannerl O. Keohane, former president of

Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...

; born in Blytheville * Edgar H. Lloyd, World War II

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

recipient * Bill Michael, head football coach at

University of Texas at El Paso The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a public university, public research university in El Paso, Texas, United States. Founded in 1913 as the State School of Mines and Metallurgy, it is the third oldest academic component of the Univers ...

from 1977 to 1981 *

Jermey Parnell Jermey Alexander Parnell (born June 20, 1986) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football and basketball at Ole Miss Rebels. He was a member of ...

, football player *

Cecil A. Partee Cecil Armillo Partee (April 10, 1921 – August 17, 1994) was an American attorney and politician. He was the first African American to serve as president of the Illinois Senate and the first to serve as Cook County State's Attorney. He serve ...

, Chicago treasurer and the first African-American to serve as president of the Illinois State Senate and Cook County's State Attorney *

Nick Symmonds Nicholas Boone Symmonds (born December 30, 1983) is an American YouTube personality and retired Middle distance track event, middle-distance runner from Boise, Idaho, who specialized in the 800 meters and 1500 meters. At Willamette University, he ...

, Olympic track and field runner; born in Blytheville * Jeff Taylor, professional basketball player * Whiquitta Tobar, former college basketball player and lawyer *

Trent Tomlinson Trent Tomlinson (born July 3, 1975) is an American country music artist. After several failed attempts at finding a record deal, Tomlinson was signed to Lyric Street Records in 2005, with his debut album '' Country Is My Rock'', released in ear ...

, country music artist *

Michael Utley Michael Edward Utley (born 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and was the musical director and keyboard player for Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band. After Buffett's death he retired from touring and was replaced by his ...

, award-winning composer and singer; graduate of Blytheville High School *

Junior Walker Autry DeWalt Mixon Jr. (June 14, 1931 – November 23, 1995), known professionally as Junior Walker, was an American multi-instrumentalist (primarily saxophonist) and vocalist who recorded for Motown during the 1960s. He also performed as a sess ...

, R&B singer and saxophonist * Kathy Webb, member of Arkansas House of Representatives * Ruth Whitaker, Arkansas state senator * Barry Williamson, chairman of Texas Railroad Commission * Jon Woods, Arkansas state senator and musician; spent part of his childhood in Blytheville

References

External links

*
Blytheville Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Populated places established in 1879 Cities in Arkansas Cities in Mississippi County, Arkansas County seats in Arkansas