West Fork is a city in

Washington County, Arkansas Washington County is a regional economic, educational, and cultural hub in the Northwest Arkansas region. Created as Arkansas's 17th county on November 30, 1848, Washington County has 13 incorporated municipalities, including Fayetteville, the ...

, United States. The population is 2,317 at the 2010 census. It is part of the

Northwest Arkansas Northwest Arkansas (NWA) is a metropolitan area and region in Arkansas within the Ozark Mountains. It includes four of the ten largest cities in the state: Fayetteville, Arkansas, Fayetteville, Springdale, Arkansas, Springdale, Rogers, Arkansas, ...

region.

History

West Fork was incorporated as a city in 1885.

Geography

West Fork is located at (35.9356771, -94.1801038) at an elevation of . 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 , all land.

Demographics

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 2,042 people, 750 households, and 600 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 800 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.56%

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 o ...

or European American, 0.44%

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 ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.93% Native American, 0.54%

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 ...

, 1.71% 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 1.81% from two or more races. 3.13% of the population were

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. There were 750 households, out of which 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.3% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.9% were non-families. 16.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.72 and the average family size was 4.04. In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.0% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males. Economically one of the poorer regions of the Northwest Arkansas region, the median income for a household in the city was $31,356, and the median income for a family was $34,818. Males had a median income of $28,037 versus $20,091 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 $14,976. About 34.6% of families and 25.8% 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 28.3% of those under age 18 and 19.7% of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation

The West Fork of the White River flows through the east side of the town. The town sits on the West Fork of the White River, hence the name. Alongside the river is Riverside Park, a common spot for recreational activities such as parties and reunions. The park features playground equipment, several pavilions, many benches, and a walking path. The town is flanked by mountains on both the east and west with Bloyd Mountain on the east has an elevation of .

Education

West Fork Public Schools serves the city, and includes: * West Fork Elementary * West Fork Middle School * West Fork High School All of the West Fork schools are co-located on School Avenue, west of the White River. West Fork's official school mascot is a tiger.

Media

West Fork is the home of the ''Washington County Observer'' newspaper.

Notable people

Mildred Earp Mildred Kathryn Earp (October 7, 1925 – 2017), nicknamed Mid or Millie, was an American female pitcher who played from to in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 135 lb, she batted and threw right-handed. Earp ...

, professional women's baseball player

References

External links

The City of West Fork, Arkansas
Portal style website, Government, Business, Library, Recreation and more
Local.Arkansas.gov
{{authority control Cities in Arkansas Cities in Washington County, Arkansas Northwest Arkansas 1885 establishments in Arkansas