Faulkner 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

Central Arkansas Central Arkansas, also known as the Little Rock metro, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metro area in the U.S. state ...

region of 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 123,498, making it the fifth most populous of Arkansas's 75 counties. 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 ...

and largest city is

Conway Conway may refer to: Places United States * Conway, Arkansas * Conway County, Arkansas * Lake Conway, Arkansas * Conway, Florida * Conway, Iowa * Conway, Kansas * Conway, Louisiana * Conway, Massachusetts * Conway, Michigan * Conway Townshi ...

. Faulkner County was created on April 12, 1873, one of nine counties formed during

Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Union ...

, and is named for Sandford C. Faulkner, better known as Sandy Faulkner, a popular figure in the state at the time. Located at the intersection of the

Ozarks 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, and Oklahoma, as well as a small area in the southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover ...

and

Arkansas River Valley The Arkansas River Valley, also known as the Arkansas Valley, is a region in Arkansas defined by the Arkansas River in the western part of the state. Generally defined as the area between the The Ozarks, Ozark and Ouachita Mountains, the River V ...

, the county was sparsely populated for much of its early years. Largely a county of rural settlements, growth came slowly following the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

and Reconstruction. The college known today as

University of Central Arkansas The University of Central Arkansas (Central Arkansas or UCA) is a public university in Conway, Arkansas, United States. Founded in 1907, the university is one of the oldest in the state. As the state's only normal school at the time, UCA has hist ...

was established in 1907, but population continued to grow slowly. The growth of

Little Rock Little Rock is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Arkansas, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city's population was 202,591 as of the 2020 census. The six-county Central Arkan ...

and the construction of

Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west transcontinental Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States, southeastern and Southwestern United States, southwestern portions of the United States. At a leng ...

have made Conway and other parts of Faulkner County into bedroom communities for the state capital. Today Faulkner County is included in the

metro area, with Conway as a principal city.

History

Eponym

Faulkner County was formed from parts of

and Pulaski counties on April 12, 1873, and is named after Sandford C. Faulkner, a planter, raconteur, and fiddle player known for his popular folk tale Arkansas Traveler (folklore) from the early-19th century. The story later was performed by Mose Case in the mid-19th century as a

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...

song " Arkansas Traveler", the official historic song of the

since 1987.

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 (2.4%) is water.

Major highways

* U.S. Highway 64 * U.S. Highway 65 * Highway 25 * Highway 60 * Highway 89 * Highway 107

Transit

Jefferson Lines Jefferson Lines (JL or JLI) is a regional intercity bus company operating in 14 states in the Midwest and the West of the United States. History The company is operated by Jefferson Partners L.P., located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jefferson P ...

Adjacent counties

* Cleburne County (northeast) * White County (east) * Lonoke County (southeast) * Pulaski County (south) * Perry County (southwest) * Conway County (west) * Van Buren County (northwest)

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 123,498 people, 47,389 households, and 31,590 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census, there were 86,014 people, 31,882 households, and 22,444 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 34,546 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 88.33%

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 ...

, 8.48%

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 ...

, 0.52% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.03%

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 ...

, 0.68% from other races, and 1.23% from two or more races. 1.75% 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 31,882 households, out of which 35.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.70% 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, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.60% were non-families. 22.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.90% 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 3.04. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.60% under the age of 18, 15.30% from 18 to 24, 30.10% from 25 to 44, 19.50% from 45 to 64, and 9.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.30 males. The median income for a household in the county was $38,204, and the median income for a family was $45,946. Males had a median income of $32,288 versus $24,428 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 $35,159. About 7.90% of families and 12.50% 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 12.90% of those under age 18 and 12.00% of those age 65 or over.

Government and Politics

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 Faulkner County Quorum Court has thirteen 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 following the 2024 elections is 11 Republicans and 2 Democrats. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are: * District 1: Justin Knight (R) * District 2: Maree Coats (R) * District 3: John Allison III (R) * District 4: Samuel Strain (R) * District 5: Jonny Tyler (R) * District 6: Tyler Lachowsky (R) * District 7: Tyler Pearson (D) * District 8: Jason Lyon (R) * District 9: Kris Kendrick (R) * District 10: Andy Shock (R) * District 11: Joyia Yorgey (D) * District 12: David Meeks (R) * District 13: Jake Moss (R) Additionally, the townships of Faulkner 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: * Cadron: Earl David Hall (R) * Cypress: Gary Adams (R) * Danley: Mark Kolody (R) * Hardin: Howard Hall (R) * Matthews: James D. Freeman (R) * Wilson: Terry L. Jones (R)

Politics

Over the past few election cycles Faulkner county has trended heavily towards the GOP. The last Democrat (as of 2024) to carry this county was Arkansas native Bill Clinton in 1996.

Education

Public education

Publicly funded education for elementary and secondary school students is provided by: * Conway School District, which includes Conway High School, Conway * Greenbrier School District, which includes Greenbrier High School, Greenbrier * Guy–Perkins School District, which includes Guy–Perkins High School, Guy * Mayflower School District, which includes

Mayflower High School Mayflower High School, founded in 1965, and named after the ''Mayflower'' ship, is a coeducational, secondary school located in Billericay, Essex in the East of England in the United Kingdom. The school has a mixed intake of pupils aged 11–18 ...

, Mayflower *

Mount Vernon–Enola School District Mount Vernon–Enola School District 19 (MVESD) is a public school district based in Mount Vernon, Arkansas. MVESD supports more than 500 students in kindergarten through grade 12 and employs more than 90 faculty and staff on a full time equiv ...

, which includes

Mount Vernon–Enola High School Mount Vernon–Enola High School (MVE) is a comprehensive six-year public high school in Mount Vernon, Arkansas, United States. It is one of six public high schools located in Faulkner County and is the sole high school administered by Mount V ...

, Mount Vernon * Pulaski County Special School District * Quitman School District * Rose Bud School District * South Side-Bee Branch School District * Vilonia School District, which includes Vilonia High School, Vilonia

Private education

Privately funded education for elementary and secondary school students is provided by: * St. Joseph High School, Conway * Conway Christian School (Conway, Arkansas)

Communities

Cities

(county seat) * Greenbrier * Guy *

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...

Mayflower ''Mayflower'' was an English sailing ship that transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620. After 10 weeks at sea, ''Mayflower'', with 102 passengers and a crew of about 30, reac ...

* Quitman (mostly in Cleburne County) * Vilonia

Towns

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

(partly in Van Buren County) * Enders * Enola *

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is the former residence and plantation of George Washington, a Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States, and his wife, Martha. An American landmar ...

* Twin Groves * Wooster

Townships

Faulkner County Arkansas 2010 Township Map large

* Benedict (contains part of

) * Benton (contains part of Quitman) *

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

* Cadron (contains most of

and part of

) *

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

(contains most of Guy, part of Twin Groves) * Clifton (contains Wooster) *

Cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs from the ''Cupressus'' genus of the '' Cupressaceae'' family, typically found in temperate climates and subtropical regions of Asia, Europe, and North America. The word ''cypress'' ...

(contains most of Vilonia) * Danley (contains most of

) *

Eagle Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

(contains part of

and Vilonia) * East Fork * Enola (contains most of Enola) * Hardin (contains Greenbrier and part of

) * Harve (contains most of

, part of Enola) * Matthews *

Mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...

(contains

) * Newton * Palarm (contains part of Vilonia) * Pine Mountain (contains part of

and

) * Union (contains part of Twin Groves) *

Walker Walker or The Walker may refer to: People *Walker (given name) *Walker (surname) *Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer Places In the United States *Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County *Walker, Mono County, California * ...

(contains most of Twin Groves, part of

and Guy) * Wilson, includes Cato, Arkansas Source:

References

External links

* {{authority control 1873 establishments in Arkansas Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway metropolitan area Populated places established in 1873 Sandford C. Faulkner