List_of_cities_and_towns_in_Arkansas

List of municipalities in Arkansas

List of municipalities in Arkansas

List of cities and towns in the U.S. state of Arkansas

Arkansas is a state in the Southern United States. According to the 2020 United States census, it is the 33rd most populous state with 3,011,524 inhabitants and the 27th largest by land area spanning 52,035 square miles (134,770 km2) of land.[1] Arkansas is divided into 75 counties and contains 500[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3] municipalities consisting of cities and towns as of the 2020 United States census.[4]

Map of the United States with Arkansas highlighted

Arkansas municipalities are divided into three categories based on population.[5] Cities of the first class have or have had a population over 2,500, cities of the second class have between 500 and 2,499 people, and incorporated towns have 499 or fewer people; state law, however, provides mechanisms for a municipality to increase or decrease its classification despite not meeting the usual population requirement.[6] Several classes of municipalities in Arkansas have different obligations, with incorporated towns often having less.

The largest municipality by population is the state capital of Little Rock with 202,591 residents while the smallest by population is Victoria with 20 residents.[7] The largest municipality by land area is Little Rock, which spans 120.046 sq mi (310.92 km2), while the smallest is Oakhaven at 0.046 sq mi (0.12 km2).[8]

Classification of municipalities

Arkansas municipalities are divided into three categories based on population according to the laws in the 2020 Arkansas Code Title 14.[5] The state does not use villages or civil townships as possible designations for its minor civil divisions.[9]

City (first class)

Cities of the first class have a population over 2,500 and elect two council members per ward (elected at-large or by ward, or both). Any municipal expense over $20,000 goes to bidding by default in cities of the first class only. Only cities of the first class must hold elections for vacant mayoralty lasting more than one year, and must elect a city attorney to a four-year term. Cities of the first class must have a city clerk and may have a treasurer elected for a four-year term (or the role combined with city clerk). Cities of the first class must create a planning commission with at least five members and may have a police department superintended by a mayor. There are retirement benefits available if certain conditions are met for mayors and city clerks or treasurers.[10]

City (second class)

Cities of the second class have a population between 500 and 2,499 people and elect two council members per ward (elected at-large or by ward, or both). A city of the second class must have a recorder and may have a treasurer elected for a four-year term (or the role combined with city clerk). Cities of the second class do not need to create a separate planning commission and may allow city councilors to serve as the planning commission. Cities of the second class may have a police department, a marshal or a department of public safety. There are retirement benefits available if certain conditions are met for mayors and city clerks or treasurers.[6]

Town

Towns have a population of 499 or fewer people and elect five council members at-large with no wards. Towns must have a treasurer-recorder as a single position. Towns may have a police department, a marshal or a department of public safety. No prescribed retirement benefits are available for mayors and clerks or treasurers of towns.[6]

List of municipalities

  • Largest municipalities in Arkansas by population
  • Little Rock is Arkansas's state capital and most populous city.
  • Fayetteville is Arkansas's second most populous municipality.
  • The third most populous municipality in Arkansas is Fort Smith.
  • Springdale is Arkansas's fourth largest municipality by population.
  • Jonesboro is the fifth most populous municipality in Arkansas.
  • The sixth most populous municipality in Arkansas is Rogers.
  • North Little Rock is part of the Little Rock metropolitan area and is the seventh largest municipality in Arkansas by population.
  • Conway is Arkansas's eighth largest municipality by population.
  • Arkansas' ninth largest municipality by population is Bentonville.
  • Pine Bluff is the tenth largest municipality by population in Arkansas.
More information †, ‡ ...
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See also

Notes

  1. Bethel Heights was annexed by Springdale in 2020.[17]
  2. Holiday Island incorporated on December 3, 2020.[2]
  3. On October 14, 2021, the Jerome City Council elected to surrender the town's charter and officially declared Jerome inactive and no longer in existence.[3]
  4. Some counties possess two county seats. This is due to past difficulties in travelling.[11]
  5. Beaver lost its incorporation, but reincorporated on November 28, 1980.[16]
  6. Sources give conflicting dates for Blytheville's incorporation: May 1891, January 1892, and May 1889.[18]
  7. In 1981 Cedarville was unincorporated due to a petition from a local citizen, but was reincorporated in 1998 from another petition from a group of local citizens.[19]
  8. The Fulton County portion of Cherokee Village was incorporated in January 1998 as Cherokee Village West; the portion in Sharp County joined in April 1998 and the unified city was renamed Cherokee Village.[20]
  9. Clarendon's original charter from 1859 was dissolved in 1884, but was reincorporated in 1898.[21]
  10. Local records of Clinton's 1851 incorporation were lost, and the community reincorporated on August 15, 1879.[22]
  11. The incorporation date for Corinth is unknown.[14]
  12. The incorporation date for Hector is unknown.[14]
  13. Helena and West Helena merged on January 1, 2006.[23]
  14. Marion originally incorporated April 19, 1851, but the Civil War caused the dissolution of the municipality and it had to be reincorporated in 1868 and again on March 5, 1896.[24]
  15. The incorporation date for Patterson is unknown.[14]
  16. Salem originally incorporated July 21, 1900, but there was a period when the city did not have a governing body, and thus was reincorporated with an elected mayor and councilmen on November 15, 1927.[25]

References

  1. [1]
    "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  2. [2]
    "Holiday Island – Arkansas Municipal League". local.arkansas.gov. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  3. [3]
    "Petition and order revoking charter of the town of Jerome, Arkansas, 2021 October 14". Arkansas Digital Archives. October 14, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  4. [4]
    "Arkansas: 2010 Population and Housing Unit Counts 2010 Census of Population and Housing" (PDF). 2010 United States Census. United States Census Bureau. September 2012. p. 18. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  5. [5]
    "2020 Arkansas Code Title 14 - Local Government". Title 14, of 2020. Arkansas General Assembly.
  6. [6]
    "Guidebook for Municipal Officials of Mayor/Council Cities" (PDF). North Little Rock, AR: Arkansas Municipal League. May 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  7. [7]
    "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  8. [8]
    "Gazetteer Files". Census.gov. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  9. [9]
    "Geographic Areas Reference Manual". Census.gov. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  10. [10]
    "Major Differences Between Classes of Arkansas Municipalities" (PDF). Arkansas Municipal League. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
  11. [11]
    "Encyclopedia of Arkansas". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  12. [12]
    "Local Government Portal". local.arkansas.gov. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  13. [13]
    "Domestic Names". www.usgs.gov. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  14. [14]
    "Encyclopedia of Arkansas". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  15. [15]
    Crockett, John W. (1905). Biennial report of the Secretary of State for the years 1903–1904. Little Rock: Tunnah & Pittard. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  16. [16]
    "Beaver (Carroll County)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  17. [17]
    Joenks, Laurinda (August 15, 2020). "Springdale, Bethel Heights city officials working well together". Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  18. [18]
    Keffer, Rigel (April 13, 2022). "Blytheville (Mississippi County)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Central Arkansas Library System (CALS). Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  19. [19]
    "Cedarville (Crawford County)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  20. [20]
    "Cherokee Village". Arkansas Municipal League. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  21. [21]
    "Clarendon (Monroe County)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  22. [22]
    "Clinton (Van Buren County)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  23. [23]
    "Helena-West Helena (Phillips County)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  24. [24]
    "Marion (Crittenden County)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  25. [25]
    "Salem (Fulton County)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
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