Benton County, Arkansas

Benton County is a county in the Northwest region of the U.S. state of Arkansas. Created as Arkansas' 35th county on September 30, 1836, Benton County contains thirteen incorporated municipalities, including Bentonville, the county seat, and Rogers, the most populous city. The county was named after Thomas Hart Benton, a U.S. Senator from Missouri influential in Arkansas statehood.

The county is located within the Springfield Plateau of the Ozarks. 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, and Devil's Eyebrow Natural Area, as well as parts of the Ozark National Forest, Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area, and two state wildlife management areas.

Benton County occupies 884.86 sqmi 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 county's economy is heavily influenced by the presence of Walmart, headquartered in Bentonville, and hundreds of associated businesses, with agriculture, tourism, and construction also important sectors. Benton County's median household income is the highest in Arkansas and slightly above the national median.

History
Prior to white settlement of the county, the region was used by roving bands of Osage and Delaware who used the area for seasonal hunting grounds. Initial white settlement on Benton County took place around Maysville around 1830, followed by areas around Garfield, Cross Hollow, and Centerton. Settlers were predominantly from Tennessee, followed by Southern Piedmont states. Benton County was created from neighboring Washington County by the Arkansas General Assembly on September 30, 1836. Created shortly after statehood, it was named for Thomas Hart Benton, a U.S. Senator from Missouri influential in Arkansas's statehood.

Following establishment, a citizen committee was established to select the county seat. It decided to create Bentonville, with a town square and 136 lots around it, in 1837. The first building serving as courthouse was the home of George P. Wallace, the first county judge, for the 1837 court term. By the following year, a log structure on the north side of the Bentonville square was complete and served as the first permanent courthouse. In 1841, a contractor was building a brick courthouse in the middle of the Bentonville square. It was burned by Union troops during the Civil War in 1862. Court resumed after the war in a rented office for a few months until a new two-story frame building was constructed east of the county jail. In 1870, the search for a more permanent home for county government began, and a new structure was finished after significant struggle and controversy, in 1874. This building was replaced by the present-day Benton County Courthouse in 1928.

On May 26, 2024, Benton County experienced the largest tornado in Arkansas history, an EF3 with a width of 1.8 miles. This also initiated the first ever Arkansas appearance of FEMA for emergency disaster relief.

Geography
Benton County is located within the Springfield Plateau subset of the Ozark Mountains. The plateau is gently rolling compared to the steeper Boston Mountains to the south and east, and contains karst features such as springs, losing streams, sinkholes and caves. Groundcover historically consisted of oak hickory forest or savannas and tall grass prairies. Today, most of the forest and almost all of the prairie have been replaced by agriculture or expanding residential areas. Poultry, cattle, and hog farming are primary land uses; pastureland and hayland are common. Application of poultry litter to agricultural fields is a non-point source that can impair water quality. Total suspended solids and turbidity values in streams are usually low, but total dissolved solids and water hardness values are high.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 884 sqmi, of which 847 sqmi is land and 37 sqmi (4.1%) is water. Most of the water is in Beaver Lake.

The county is located approximately 112 mi east of Tulsa, Oklahoma, 212 mi south of Kansas City, Missouri, and 215 mi northwest of Little Rock, Arkansas. Benton County is surrounded by Barry County, Missouri and McDonald County, Missouri to the north, Delaware County, Oklahoma and Adair County, Oklahoma to the west, Carroll County to the east, and the other two counties of the NWA metropolitan area: Madison County to the east, and Washington County to the south. The highest point in Benton County is near the Lost Bridge Village Community Center on Whitney Mountain (formerly known as Poor Mountain).

Hydrology
Benton County is divided into five watersheds. The eastern part of the county is drained by the White River, which includes Beaver Lake. Major tributaries include War Eagle Creek, Little Clifty Creek, Spider Creek, Indian Creek, Prairie Creek and Esculapia Creek. Northern Benton County is within the Elk River watershed; the northeast corner is drained by tributaries to Big Sugar Creek; north central Benton County drains to Little Sugar Creek. The southwest part of Benton County is within the Illinois River watershed; southwest and south-central parts of the county drain to Osage Creek and western Benton County drains to Flint Creek or Spavinaw Creek. Northeastern Benton County drains to tributaries of the Neosho River. A very small part of northwestern Benton County drains to the Grand Lake.

The county has natural springs, which were very important to early settlers. Benton County communities named for their nearby springs include Cave Springs, Eldorado Springs, Elm Springs, Osage Mills, Siloam Springs, Springdale, Springtown, and Sulphur Springs.

Protected areas

 * Logan Cave National Wildlife Refuge
 * Ozark National Forest (part)
 * Pea Ridge National Military Park
 * Beaver Lake Wildlife Management Area
 * Hobbs State Park - Conservation Area
 * Wedington Wildlife Management Area
 * Cave Springs Cave Natural Area
 * Chesney Prairie Natural Area
 * Devil's Eyebrow Natural Area (part)
 * Healing Springs Natural Area
 * Searles Prairie Natural Area

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 153,406 people, 58,212 households, and 43,484 families residing in the county. The population density was 181 PD/sqmi. There were 64,281 housing units at an average density of 76 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 90.87% White, 0.41% Black or African American, 1.65% Native American, 1.09% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 4.08% from other races, and 1.82% from two or more races. 8.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino 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 Indians live in close proximity to Oklahoma); 1.7% was Asian (there was a large influx of Filipinos, Vietnamese 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 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 for the county was $19,377. About 7.30% of families and 10.10% of the population were below the poverty line, 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% Asian, 0.30% Pacific Islander. 15.49% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 284,333 people, 100,749 households, and 72,399 families residing in the county.

Culture
After the end of Prohibition in 1933, Benton County voters voted that year to stay dry and voted twice in 1944 to stay dry. In 2012, Benton County voters elected to make the county wet, allowing countywide retail alcohol sales.

Economy

 * Walmart was founded in Rogers, and its corporate headquarters is located in Bentonville.
 * Daisy Outdoor Products, known for its air rifles, is headquartered in Rogers.
 * JB Hunt Transport Services corporate headquarters is located in Lowell.
 * Tyson Foods, based in Springdale, has a distribution center located in Rogers.
 * Simmons Foods, a major supplier of poultry, pet, and animal nutrition products, is based in Siloam Springs.
 * America's Car-Mart, one of the largest American publicly held automotive retailers, is based in Rogers.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-49 (AR).svg|20px]] Interstate 49
 * [[Image:US 62.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 62
 * [[Image:US 71.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 71
 * [[Image:US 412.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 412
 * [[Image:Arkansas 12.svg|20px]] Highway 12
 * [[Image:Arkansas 16.svg|20px]] Highway 16
 * [[Image:Arkansas 43.svg|20px]] Highway 43
 * [[Image:Arkansas 59.svg|20px]] Highway 59
 * [[Image:Arkansas 72.svg|20px]] Highway 72
 * [[Image:Arkansas 94.svg|20px]] Highway 94
 * [[Image:Arkansas 102.svg|25px]] Highway 102
 * [[Image:Arkansas 112.svg|25px]] Highway 112
 * [[Image:Arkansas 127.svg|25px]] Highway 127
 * [[Image:Arkansas 244.svg|25px]] Highway 244
 * [[Image:Arkansas 264.svg|25px]] Highway 264
 * [[Image:Arkansas 265.svg|25px]] Highway 265
 * [[Image:Arkansas 279.svg|25px]] Highway 279
 * [[Image:Arkansas 303.svg|25px]] Highway 303
 * [[Image:Arkansas 340.svg|25px]] Highway 340
 * [[Image:Arkansas 549.svg|25px]] Highway 549
 * [[Image:Arkansas 612.svg|25px]] Highway 612

The historic Trail of Tears is on US highways 62 and 71 and connects with U.S. Route 412 in nearby Washington County.

Airports

 * Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) is located near Highfill.
 * Rogers Municipal Airport (ROG) serves the county and surrounding communities.

Rail
The Arkansas and Missouri Railroad parallels US Highways 62 and 71 in the county.

Politics
As is typical of the Ozarks and the Bible Belt, Benton County is strongly Republican. It was one of the first counties in Arkansas to break from the Democratic Solid South, supporting Republicans Herbert Hoover in 1928 and Thomas E. Dewey in 1944. It has not been carried by a Democratic presidential nominee since Harry S. Truman in 1948. Along with nearby Sebastian County, it was one of the few counties in Arkansas to resist the appeal of Southern Democratic “favorite sons” Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and Arkansas governor Bill Clinton, while also voting for Republican Richard Nixon in 1968 as George Wallace won Arkansas on the pro-segregation American Independent Party ticket. Carter in 1976 remains the last Democrat to win even forty percent of the county's vote.

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

Cities

 * Bella Vista
 * Bentonville (county seat)
 * Cave Springs
 * Centerton
 * Decatur
 * Elm Springs (mostly in Washington County)
 * Gentry
 * Gravette
 * Little Flock
 * Lowell
 * Pea Ridge
 * Rogers
 * Siloam Springs
 * Springdale (mostly in Washington County)
 * Sulphur Springs

Towns

 * Avoca
 * Garfield
 * Gateway
 * Highfill
 * Springtown

Census-designated places

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

Townships


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

Education
School districts include:


 * Bentonville Public Schools
 * Decatur School District
 * Gentry Public Schools
 * Gravette School District
 * Pea Ridge School District
 * Rogers Public Schools
 * Siloam Springs Schools
 * Springdale School District