Fulton County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,075. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Salem. Fulton County was formed on December 21, 1842, and named for William Fulton, the last governor of the

Arkansas Territory The Arkansas Territory was a organized incorporated territory of the United States, territory of the United States from July 4, 1819, to June 15, 1836, when the final extent of Arkansas Territory was admitted to the United States, Union as the ...

. It is an alcohol prohibition or

dry county In the United States, a dry county is a county whose local government forbids the sale of any kind of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. The vast majority of counties n ...

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.3%) is water.

Major highways

* * * * U.S. Highway 62 Business * Highway 9 * Highway 87 * Highway 175 * Highway 223 * Highway 289 * Highway 395

Adjacent counties

* Ozark County,

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 ...

(northwest) * Howell County,

(north) * Oregon County,

(northeast) * Sharp County (east) * Izard County (south) * Baxter County (west)

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 12,075 people, 4,973 households, and 3,278 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 11,642 people, 4,810 households, and 3,511 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 5,973 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.67%

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 ...

, 0.20%

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 ...

, 0.67% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.06% from other races, and 1.19% from two or more races. 0.53% of the population were

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. There were 4,810 households, out of which 27.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.40% 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, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.00% were non-families. 24.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.83. In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.80% under the age of 18, 6.40% from 18 to 24, 23.70% from 25 to 44, 27.00% from 45 to 64, and 20.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 96.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.10 males. The median income for a household in the county was $25,529, and the median income for a family was $29,952. Males had a median income of $22,213 versus $18,066 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 county was $15,712. About 12.70% of families and 16.30% 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 20.10% of those under age 18 and 12.70% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the

Constitution of Arkansas The Constitution of Arkansas is the Constitution, primary organizing law for the U.S. state of Arkansas delineating the duties, powers, structures, and functions of the Politics and government of Arkansas, state government. Arkansas' original ...

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 Fulton County Quorum Court has nine members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is the county judge, who serves as the chief executive 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. The composition of the Quorum Court after the 2024 elections is 9 Republicans. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are: * District 1: Cris Newberry (R) * District 2: Dennis Kinder (R) * District 3: Albert Roork (R) * District 4: Gary Phillips (R) * District 5: Scott Watkins (R) * District 6: Marjorie A. Rogers (R) * District 7: Gary Tanner (R) * District 8: Jimmy Marler (R) * District 9: Hank Burke (R) Additionally, the townships of Fulton County are entitled to elect their own respective constables, as set forth by the

. Constables are largely of historical significance as they were used to keep the peace in rural areas when travel was more difficult. The township constables as of the 2024 elections are: * District 1: Clay Divelbiss (R) Over the past few election cycles Fulton county has trended heavily towards the GOP. The last Democrat (as of 2024) to carry the county was Bill Clinton, in 1996.

Education

Fulton County is the home to several public school districts: * Mammoth Spring School District, including Mammoth Spring High School. * Salem School District, including Salem High School. * Viola School District, including Viola High School.

Communities

Cities

* Ash Flat * Cherokee Village * Hardy * Horseshoe Bend * Mammoth Spring * Salem (county seat)

Town

Viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

Unincorporated communities

* Bexar * Camp * County Line * Elizabeth * Gepp * Glencoe *

Heart The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ found in humans and other animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels. The heart and blood vessels together make the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrie ...

* Many Islands *

Morriston Morriston (; ) is a Community (Wales), community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, and falls within the Morriston (electoral ward), Morriston ward. It is the largest community in the Swansea county. Morriston is sometimes referred to ...

* Ruth *

Saddle A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider of an animal, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is equestrian. However, specialized saddles have been created for oxen, camels and other animals. It is not know ...

* Sturkie * Wild Cherry