Pulaski 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 ...

in the U.S. state of

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 ...

. With a population of 399,125 as of the 2020 United States census, it is the most populous county in Arkansas. The county is included in the Little Rock– North Little Rock–

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 ...

metropolitan area. Its

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 Little Rock, which is also Arkansas's capital and largest city. Pulaski County is Arkansas's fifth county, formed on December 15, 1818, alongside Clark and Hempstead Counties. Pulaski County is named for Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski, a Polish-born

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

officer who was

killed in action Killed in action (KIA) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their personnel at the hands of enemy or hostile forces at the moment of action. The United States Department of Defense, for example, ...

at the Siege of Savannah during the Revolutionary War. The county was the site of the Battle of Bayou Fourche on September 10, 1863. The Union army took control the same day and occupied Pulaski County until the end of 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 ...

. The county was home to Willow Springs Water Park, one of the oldest water parks in the nation, which opened in 1928 and closed in 2013.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (5.9%) is water.

Major highways

* * * * * * * * U.S. Highway 65 * U.S. Highway 67 * U.S. Highway 70 * U.S. Highway 165 * U.S. Highway 167 * Highway 5 * Highway 10 * Highway 100 * Highway 161 * Highway 300 * Highway 338 * Highway 365 * Highway 367

Transit

* Rock Region Metro ('' Metro Streetcar'') *

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

'' Texas Eagle'' ('' Little Rock station'') * Greyhound Lines *

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

* Faulkner County (north) * Lonoke County (east) * Grant County (southwest) * Jefferson County (southeast) * Saline County (west) * Perry County (northwest)

National protected areas

* Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 399,125 people, 158,000 households, and 93,080 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census, there were 361,474 people, 147,942 households, and 95,718 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 161,135 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 63.96%

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 ...

, 31.87%

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 ...

, 0.39% Native American, 1.25% Asian, 0.04%

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 ...

, 1.09% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. 2.44% 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 147,942 households, out of which 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.90% 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, 15.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.30% were non-families. 30.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.80% 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 2.98. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.20% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 31.10% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 11.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $38,120, and the median income for a family was $46,523. Males had a median income of $33,131 versus $25,943 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 $21,466. About 10.40% of families and 13.30% 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 19.90% of those under age 18 and 9.80% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

Government

The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of Arkansas 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 Pulaski County Quorum Court has fifteen 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 10 Democrats and 5 Republicans. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are: * District 1: Rebekah L. Davis (R) * District 2: Natalie Capps (D) * District 3: Kathy Lewison (D) * District 4: Julie Blackwood (D) * District 5: Steven Person (D) * District 6: Donna Massey (D) * District 7: Dianne Curry (D) * District 8: Curtis Keith (D) * District 9: Tina Ward (D) * District 10: Patricia Young-Baker (D) * District 11: Aaron Robinson (R) * District 12: Luke McCoy (R) * District 13: Phil Stowers (R) * District 14: Paul Elliott (R) * District 15: Staci Medlock (D) Additionally, the townships of Pulaski County are entitled to elect their own respective constables, as set forth by the Constitution of Arkansas. 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 of Pulaski County as of the 2024 elections are: * Big Rock: Frank Gilbert ( Libertarian) * Hill: Robert Wells (Democratic)

Infrastructure

The Arkansas Department of Correction Wrightsville Unit is in Wrightsville.

Politics

Pulaski County is one of the most Democratic counties in Arkansas and the Southern United States. The city of North Little Rock was ranked the most liberal community in the state. In the

Reconstruction Era The Reconstruction era was a period in History of the United States, US history that followed the American Civil War (1861-65) and was dominated by the legal, social, and political challenges of the Abolitionism in the United States, abol ...

following the Civil War, Republicans carried the county in every presidential election from 1868 to 1888. Since then, Republicans have only won the county four times: 1956, 1972, 1984, and 1988, all national Republican landslides. Pulaski County has followed in the footsteps of most urban counties across the country, especially in the era of

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

's presidency and post-presidency that has seen urban areas turn bluer and rural areas, such as most of Arkansas, to become even redder and more conservative.

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

, the two-time winner of the state with over 60% of the vote, only garnered about 38% in this county, among his worst performances in this state.

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

's 59.98% share in 2020 is the highest for a Democrat in the county since 1976, besting even Arkansas native

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

in both 1992 and 1996.

Education

; Tertiary * Pulaski Technical College is a two-year community college and technical school that offers seven locations throughout the county, including a flagship campus in western North Little Rock. * Four-year postsecondary institutions include the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the University of Arkansas System's only metropolitan campus, the

United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant Christian denomination, denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was ...

-affiliated Philander Smith College, Arkansas Baptist College, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences — all located in Little Rock. School districts include: * Jacksonville North Pulaski School District * Little Rock School District * North Little Rock School District * Pulaski County Special School District * East End School District ; State-operated schools * Arkansas School for the Blind * Arkansas School for the Deaf

Communities

Cities

* Cammack Village * Jacksonville * Little Rock (county seat) * Maumelle * North Little Rock * Sherwood * Wrightsville

Town

Alexander Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here ar ...

(mostly in Saline County)

Census-designated places

* College Station * Gibson * Hensley * Landmark * McAlmont * Natural Steps *

Roland Roland (; ; or ''Rotholandus''; or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. The historical Roland was mil ...

* Scott * Sweet Home * Woodson

Other communities

* Crystal Hill * Gravel Ridge * Ironton * Little Italy * Mabelvale *

Marche Marche ( ; ), in English sometimes referred to as the Marches ( ) from the Italian name of the region (Le Marche), is one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. The region is located in the Central Italy, central area of the country, ...

* Pankey * Woodyardville

Townships

Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas and some may have incorporated towns or cities within part of their space. Townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, the US Census does list Arkansas population based on townships (often referred to as "minor civil divisions"). Townships are also of value for historical purposes in terms of genealogical research. Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps. Pulaski County only has two townships, as of 2010. They are listed below.

Notable people

* Karilyn Brown, member of the Arkansas House of Representatives * Granville Ryles (1831–1909), minister, farmer and state legislator in Arkansas * Derek Fisher, NBA player

References

External links

Pulaski County Government

Pulaski County, Arkansas
in Encyclopedia of Arkansas {{DEFAULTSORT:Pulaski County, Arkansas Arkansas counties 1818 establishments in Missouri Territory Arkansas populated places on the Arkansas River Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway metropolitan area Majority-minority counties in Arkansas Populated places established in 1818