Benton County is a county within 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 with a culture, economy, and history that have transitioned from rural and agricultural to suburban and white collar since the growth of

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

, which is headquartered in Benton County. Created as Arkansas's 35th county on September 30, 1836, Benton County contains thirteen incorporated

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

, including Bentonville, 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 ...

, and

Rogers Rogers may refer to: Places Canada *Rogers Pass (British Columbia) * Rogers Island (Nunavut) United States * Rogers, Arkansas, a city * Rogers, alternate name of Muroc, California, a former settlement * Rogers, Indiana, an unincorporated communit ...

, the most populous city. The county was named after Thomas Hart Benton, a

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from

Missouri Missouri 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 is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

influential in Arkansas statehood. The county is located within the gently rolling terrain of the Springfield Plateau, a subset of the

Ozark Mountains The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant portio ...

. Much of eastern Benton County is located along Beaver Lake, a reservoir of the White River. The county contains three protected areas: Logan Cave National Wildlife Refuge,

Pea Ridge National Military Park Pea Ridge National Military Park is a United States National Military Park located in northwest Arkansas near the Missouri border. The park protects the site of the Battle of Pea Ridge, fought March 7 and 8, 1862. The battle was a victory for th ...

, and Devil's Eyebrow Natural Area, as well as parts of the

Ozark National Forest The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant port ...

Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area (formerly known as Beaver Lake State Park and Hobbs State Management Area) is a Arkansas state park in Benton, Carroll, and Madison Counties, Arkansas in the United States. The park was bought in 1979 ...

, and two state wildlife management areas. Other historical features such as log cabins, one-room school houses, community centers, and museums describe the history and culture of Benton County. Benton County occupies and contained a population of 284,333 people in 100,749 households as of the 2020 Census, ranking it tenth in size and second in population among the state's 75 counties. The economy is heavily influenced by the presence of Walmart and the hundreds of associated businesses, with agriculture, tourism, and construction also important sectors. Household incomes are among the highest in the state but below national averages.

History

Benton County was created from Washington County by the 1st Arkansas General Assembly on September 30, 1836. Created shortly after statehood, it was named for Thomas Hart Benton, a

from

influential in Arkansas's statehood. Early white settlements were established at Maysville and Cross Hollow, but a new centrally located community was laid out, named Bentonville, and designated as

Geography

According to the

U.S. 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 county has a total area of , of which is land and (4.1%) is water. Most of the water is in Beaver Lake.

Adjacent counties

Barry County, Missouri Barry County is a county located in the southwest portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 34,534. Its county seat is Cassville. The county was organized in 1835 and named after William Taylor Barry, a ...

(north) * Carroll County (east) * Madison County (southeast) * Washington County (south) *

Adair County, Oklahoma Adair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2010 census, the population was 22,286. Its county seat is Stilwell. Adair County was named after the Adair family of the Cherokee tribe. One source says that the co ...

(southwest) * Delaware County, Oklahoma (west) *

McDonald County, Missouri McDonald County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the population was 23,083. Its county seat is Pineville. The county was organized in 1849 and named for Sergeant Alexander ...

(northwest)

National protected areas

* Logan Cave National Wildlife Refuge *

(part) *

State protected areas

* Beaver Lake Wildlife Management Area *

Hobbs State Park - Conservation Area Hobbs may refer to: Surname *Hobbs (surname) Fictional * Russel Hobbs of the virtual band Gorillaz *Luke Hobbs, a character from ''The Fast and the Furious'' film series * Lynne Hobbs, a character from ''EastEnders'' *Garry Hobbs, a characte ...

* Wedington WMA

Demographics

2000 census

As of the

2000 United States Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...

, there were 153,406 people, 58,212 households, and 43,484 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 64,281 housing units at an average density of 76 per square mile (29/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.87%

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 ...

, 0.41%

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 ...

, 1.65% Native American, 1.09%

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 ...

, 0.08%

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 O ...

, 4.08% 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 1.82% from two or more races. 8.78% 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. As of 2005 estimates, Benton County's population was 81.7% non-Hispanic white, while the percentage of Latinos grew by 60 percent in the time period. 1.1% of the population was African-American; 1.6% was Native American (the historical presence of the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

Indians live in close proximity to

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

); 1.7% was Asian (there was a large influx of

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia ** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam. * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overse ...

and South Asian immigrants in recent decades) and 0.2% of the population was Pacific Islander. 1.6% reported two or more races, usually not black-white due to a minuscule African-American population. 12.8% was Latino, but the

United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) is the largest Hispanic business organization in the United States. It was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Washington, DC. The chamber promotes the economic growth and development o ...

believed the official estimate is underreported and Latinos could well be 20 percent of the population. There were 58,212 households, out of which 34.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.00% were married couples living together, 8.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.30% were non-families. 21.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.01. In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.60% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 29.40% from 25 to 44, 21.10% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.90 males. The median income for a household in the county was $40,281, and the median income for a family was $45,235. Males had a median income of $30,327 versus $22,469 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 county was $19,377. About 7.30% of families and 10.10% 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 13.80% of those under age 18 and 7.30% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, the county population was 221,339. The racial makeup of the county was 76.18% Non-Hispanic white, 1.27% Black or African American, 1.69% Native American, 2.85%

, 0.30%

. 15.49% of the population was

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, for example, by the United States ...

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 284,333 people, 100,749 households, and 72,399 families residing in the county.

Culture

In 2012, Benton County voters elected to make the county wet, or a non-alcohol prohibition location.

Economy

corporate headquarters is located in Bentonville. * Daisy Outdoor Products, known for its air rifles, is headquartered in

. * JB Hunt Transport Services corporate headquarters is located in Lowell. *

Tyson Foods Tyson Foods, Inc. is an American multinational corporation, based in Springdale, Arkansas, that operates in the food industry. The company is the world's second-largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork after JBS S.A. It annually ...

, based in Springdale, has a distribution center located in

. * Simmons Foods, a major supplier of poultry, pet, and animal nutrition products is based in

Siloam Springs Siloam Springs is a city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. The city shares a border on the Arkansas-Oklahoma state line with the city of West Siloam Springs, Oklahoma, which is within the Cherokee Nation territory. The town was founded i ...

. *America’s Car-Mart, one of the largest American publicly held automotive retailers, is based in

Transportation

Major highways

Interstate 49 Interstate 49 (I-49) is a north–south Interstate Highway that exists in multiple segments: the original portion entirely within the state of Louisiana with an additional signed portion extending from I-220 in Shreveport to the Arkansas st ...

U.S. Highway 62 U.S. Route 62 or U.S. Highway 62 (US 62) runs from the Mexico–United States border, Mexican border at El Paso, Texas, to Niagara Falls, New York, near the Canada–United States border, Canadian border. It is the only east-west ...

U.S. Highway 71 U.S. Route 71 or U.S. Highway 71 (US 71) is a major north–south United States highway that extends for over 1500 miles (2500 km) in the central United States. This original 1926 route has remained largely unchanged by encroaching Interstat ...

U.S. Highway 412 U.S. Route 412 is an east–west United States highway, first commissioned in 1982. U.S. 412 overlaps expressway-grade Cimarron Turnpike from Tulsa west to Interstate 35 and the Cherokee Turnpike from east of Chouteau, Oklahoma, to west of the ...

* Highway 12 *

Highway 16 Route 16, or Highway 16, can refer to: International * Asian Highway 16 * European route E16 * European route E016 Australia - Thompsons Road (Victoria) - South Australia Canada ;Parts of the Trans-Canada Highway: *Yellowhead Hi ...

* Highway 43 * Highway 59 * Highway 72 * Highway 94 *

Highway 102 Route 102 or Highway 102 can refer to multiple roads: China * China National Highway 102 Canada * New Brunswick Route 102 * Newfoundland and Labrador Route 102 * Nova Scotia Highway 102 * Ontario Highway 102 * Prince Edward Island Rou ...

* Highway 112 * Highway 127 * Highway 244 * Highway 264 * Highway 265 * Highway 279 * Highway 303 * Highway 340 * Highway 549 * Highway 612 The historic

Trail of Tears The Trail of Tears was an ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of approximately 60,000 people of the "Five Civilized Tribes" between 1830 and 1850 by the United States government. As part of the Indian removal, members of the Cherokee, ...

is on US highways 62 and 71 and connects with U.S. Route 412 in nearby Washington County.

Airports

Northwest Arkansas National Airport Northwest Arkansas National Airport is in Northwest Arkansas in Highfill, Arkansas, United States, northwest of Fayetteville and northwest of Springdale. It is often referred to by its IATA code, which is incorporated in the airport's logo a ...

(XNA) is located near Highfill. *

Rogers Municipal Airport Rogers Executive Airport , also known as Carter Field, is a city-owned public-use airport located two nautical miles (3.7 km) north of the central business district of Rogers, Arkansas, Rogers, a city in Benton County, Arkansas, Benton County ...

(ROG) serves the county and surrounding communities.

Rail

The

Arkansas and Missouri Railroad The Arkansas and Missouri Railroad is a Class III short-line railroad headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas. The A&M, as it is known, operates of line from Fort Smith, Arkansas to Monett, Missouri. The railroad interchanges freight cars wit ...

parallels US Highways 62 and 71 in the county.

Politics

Like all of the conservative

Bible Belt The Bible Belt is a region of the Southern United States in which socially conservative Protestant Christianity plays a strong role in society and politics, and church attendance across the denominations is generally higher than the nation's a ...

of the Ozarks and Ouachitas, Benton County is strongly Republican; however, it has been such for longer than most of the region. It voted Republican in 1928 and 1944, and the last Democratic presidential nominee to carry the county was

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

in 1948.Sullivan, Robert David
‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’
''America Magazine'' in ''The National Catholic Review''; June 29, 2016 Along with nearby Sebastian County it was one of the few counties in Arkansas to resist the appeal of southern “

favorite son Favorite son (or favorite daughter) is a political term. * At the quadrennial American national political party conventions, a state delegation sometimes nominates a candidate from the state, or less often from the state's region, who is not a ...

s”

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

, George Wallace,

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...

, and Arkansas governor

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

. In Benton County, voters have supported the GOP in the last eighteen presidential elections.

Communities

Cities

* Bella Vista * Bentonville (county seat) * Cave Springs * Centerton * Decatur * Elm Springs (mostly in Washington County) *

Gentry Gentry (from Old French ''genterie'', from ''gentil'', "high-born, noble") are "well-born, genteel and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past. Word similar to gentle imple and decentfamilies ''Gentry'', in its widest c ...

* Gravette * Little Flock * Lowell * Pea Ridge *

* Springdale (mostly in Washington County) *

Sulphur Springs Mineral springs are naturally occurring springs that produces hard water, water that contains dissolved minerals. Salts, sulfur compounds, and gases are among the substances that can be dissolved in the spring water during its passage under ...

Towns

* Avoca *

Garfield ''Garfield'' is an American comic strip created by Jim Davis. Originally published locally as ''Jon'' in 1976, then in nationwide syndication from 1978 as ''Garfield'', it chronicles the life of the title character Garfield the cat, his hum ...

* Gateway * Highfill * Springtown

Census-designated places

* Cherokee City * Hiwasse (former CDP) * Lost Bridge Village * Maysville * Prairie Creek

Townships

Benton County Arkansas 2010 Township Map large

Note: Most Arkansas counties have names for their townships. Benton County, however, has numbers instead of names.

Education

School districts include:
Text list
/ref> *

Bentonville Public Schools Bentonville Schools is a comprehensive community State school, school district serving students in kindergarten through 12th grade from Bentonville, Arkansas, in Benton County, Arkansas, Benton County. Bentonville Schools encompasses of land, i ...

Decatur School District Decatur may refer to a number of places, streets, military establishments, schools, and others mostly named after Stephen Decatur: Places in the United States * Decatur, Alabama, county seat of Morgan County ** Decatur metropolitan area, Alabama ...

* Gentry Public Schools *

Gravette School District Gravette School District is a public school district based in Gravette, Arkansas, United States. The Gravette School District provides early childhood, elementary and secondary education for more than 1,800 pre-kindergarten through grade 12 stude ...

Pea Ridge School District Pea Ridge School District 109 is a school district based in Pea Ridge, Benton County, Arkansas. The district is accredited by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) and AdvancED. The district includes the majority of Pea Ridge, half of ...

Rogers Public Schools Rogers Public Schools (formally Rogers Public School District #30) is a public school district based in Rogers, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2012-2013 school year, the district encompasses of land and serves early childhood, elementary an ...

* Siloam Springs Schools *

Springdale School District Springdale Public Schools (formally Springdale School District #50) is the public school district for students of primary and secondary education in Springdale, Arkansas and surrounding areas. The district contains three high schools, four juni ...

Notes

References

External links

Official Website of Benton County, ArkansasBenton County Code of OrdinancesCounty Records Online
{{Coord, 36, 21, 08, N, 94, 14, 03, W, region:US-AR_type:adm2nd_source:dewiki, display=title Northwest Arkansas 1836 establishments in Arkansas Populated places established in 1836