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Benton County, Arkansas
Benton County Courthouse, July 2011
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Arkansas
Arkansas's location within the U.S.
Founded	September 30, 1836
Named for	Thomas Hart Benton
Seat	Bentonville
Largest city	Rogers
Area
• Total	884 sq mi (2,290 km2)
• Land	847 sq mi (2,194 km2)
• Water	37 sq mi (96 km2), 4.1%
Population (est.)
• (2016)	258,291
• Density	261/sq mi (101/km2)
Congressional district	3rd
Time zone	Central: UTC−6/−5
Website	www.bentoncountyar.gov

Benton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 221,339,^[1] making it the second-most populous county in Arkansas. The county seat is Bentonville.^[2] The county was formed on September 30, 1836 and was named after Thomas Hart Benton, a U.S. Senator from Missouri. In 2012, Benton County voters elected to make the county wet, or a non-alcohol prohibition location.^[3]

Benton County is part of the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, AR-MO Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 884 square miles (2,290 km²), of which 847 square miles (2,190 km²) is land and 37 square miles (96 km²) (4.1%) is water.^[4] Most of the water is in Beaver Lake.

Adjacent counties

• 
  Barry County, Missouri (north)


• 
  Carroll County (east)


• 
  Madison County (southeast)


• 
  Washington County (south)


• 
  Adair County, Oklahoma (southwest)


• 
  Delaware County, Oklahoma (west)


• 
  McDonald County, Missouri (northwest)

National protected areas

• Logan Cave National Wildlife Refuge


• 
  Ozark National Forest (part)


• Pea Ridge National Military Park

Demographics

Age pyramid Benton County^[10]

As of the 2000 United States Census,^[11] there were 153,406 people, 58,212 households, and 43,484 families residing in the county. The population density was 181 people per square mile (70/km²). 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, 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 Benton County's population was 81.7% non-Hispanic white, while the percentage of Latinos grew by 60 percent in the time period. Latinos are attracted to the growth of light industrial jobs, home construction and service sector in the county. 1.1% of the population was African-American (perhaps the lowest in all of Arkansas); 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 arrived 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. And 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.^[12]

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.

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.^[13]

Politically, Benton County is arguably one of the most Republican-Leaning Counties in Arkansas. Benton County has not voted Democrat in a Presidential election since 1948 when a former senator from bordering Missouri, Harry S. Truman won Benton County along with winning Arkansas as a whole. ^[14]

Economy

• 
  Walmart 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 nearby Springdale, has a distribution center located in Rogers.

Transportation

Major highways

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 Regional 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

Like all of the conservative Bible Belt 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 in 1948,^[15] and along with nearby Sebastian County it was one of the few counties in Arkansas to resist the appeal of southern “favorite sons” George Wallace, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.

Communities

Cities

Towns

• Avoca


• Garfield


• Gateway


• Highfill


• Springtown

Census-designated places

• Cherokee City


• 
  Hiwasse (former CDP)


• Lost Bridge Village


• Maysville


• Prairie Creek

Townships

Townships in Benton County, Arkansas as of 2010

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

Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries. Arkansas townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, the United States Census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "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 and publications. The townships of Benton County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.^[17][18]

See also

• List of lakes in Benton County, Arkansas


• National Register of Historic Places listings in Benton County, Arkansas

References

External links

• Official Website of Benton County, Arkansas


• 
  Benton County Code of Ordinances^{[permanent dead link]}


• County Records Online

Coordinates: 36°21′08″N 94°14′03″W / 36.35222°N 94.23417°W / 36.35222; -94.23417