Conway 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 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 ...

. Created as Arkansas's 11th county on October 20, 1825, Conway County has four incorporated municipalities, including Morrilton, the county seat and most populous city. The county is also the site of numerous unincorporated communities and ghost towns. The county was formed from a portion of Pulaski County and is named for

Henry Wharton Conway Henry Wharton Conway (March 18, 1793 – November 9, 1827) was a United States naval officer during the War of 1812 and a politician in Arkansas Territory, who was elected as a territorial delegate (1823–1827) to the United States House of Rep ...

, a politician from a powerful political family who served as the delegate from the

Arkansas Territory The Arkansas Territory was a organized incorporated territory of the United States, territory of the United States from July 4, 1819, to June 15, 1836, when the final extent of Arkansas Territory was admitted to the United States, Union as the ...

to the

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a bicameral legislature, including a lower body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and an upper body, the U.S. Senate. They both ...

from 1823 to 1827. In 2010, the center of population of Arkansas was located in Conway County, near the city of Plumerville. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,715.

History

Conway County was formed on October 20, 1825, from a portion of Pulaski County and named for

, who was the territorial delegate to the

. From 1831 until 1883, Lewisburg was the county seat. When the

Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad The Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad was a railroad that operated in the state of Arkansas, United States, between 1853 and 1875. It came to national prominence when its bonds were the subject of a scandal involving Republican presidential can ...

planned built tracks north of Lewisburg in 1871, the proposed depot was to be named Morrilton after farmer E. J. Morrill, who sold the land to the railroad. People relocated from Lewisburg to Morrilton beginning in 1880, county government was relocated in 1883, and the depot was built in 1910. Conway County was much larger upon creation. Van Buren County was created from parts of Conway,

Izard Izzard may refer to: * Izzard, an 18th-century dialectal name for the letter Z * Izzard (fanzine), ''Izzard'' (fanzine), a science fiction fanzine __NOTOC__ Surname * Bob Izzard, 1930s Australian rugby league player * Brad Izzard, 1980s Australia ...

, and

Independence Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...

counties on November 11, 1833.

Perry County Perry County may refer to: United States *Perry County, Alabama *Perry County, Arkansas *Perry County, Illinois *Perry County, Indiana *Perry County, Kentucky *Perry County, Mississippi *Perry County, Missouri *Perry County, Ohio * Perry Cou ...

was created from Conway County on December 18, 1840.

Faulkner County Faulkner County is a county located in the Central Arkansas region of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 123,498, making it the fifth most populous of Arkansas's 75 counties. The county seat and largest city ...

was created from parts of Conway and Pulaski counties on April 12, 1873.

Geography

Conway County is within the

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 ...

region, a fertile, low-lying valley along the

Arkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in Colorado, specifically ...

between the

Ozark Mountains 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 ...

to the north and the

Ouachita Mountains The Ouachita Mountains (), simply referred to as the Ouachitas, are a mountain range in western Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. They are formed by a thick succession of highly deformed Paleozoic strata constituting the Ouachita Fold and Thru ...

to the south. 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 (2.5%) is water. It is the fifth-smallest county in Arkansas by area. The county is located approximately northwest 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 ...

, east of Fort Smith, and west of

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Mem ...

, Tennessee. Conway County is surrounded by two

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 ...

counties:

to the east and

to the south, and three River Valley/mountain counties: Van Buren County to the north, Yell County to the southwest, and Pope County to the west.

Hydrology

Protected areas

The northern of Conway County is protected within the

Ozark National Forest 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 ...

, a small part of a large protected forest spanning parts of 16 Arkansas counties.

Petit Jean State Park Petit Jean State Park is a park in Conway County, Arkansas managed by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. It is located on top of Petit Jean Mountain next to the Arkansas River in the area between the Ouachita Mountains and the Ozark ...

, is Arkansas's oldest state park, rises from the River Valley in southern Conway County along the top of Petit Jean Mountain. Conway County is home to five Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) under

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) is a state agency of Arkansas, headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Arkansas, most populous city of t ...

jurisdiction. Ed Gordon Point Remove WMA is a wetland near the confluence of the East Fork and West Fork of Point Remove Creek in western Conway County. The area is known for duck, deer, and dove hunting. Lake Overcup WMA is a noted

crappie Crappies () are two species of North American freshwater fish of the genus ''Pomoxis'' in the family Centrarchidae (sunfishes). Both species of crappies are popular game fish among recreational anglers. Etymology The genus name ''Pomoxi ...

fishing lake created by AGFC in 1963. Cypress Creek WMA is located around the shore of Brewer Lake, a fishing lake built in 1983 to construct a water supply for

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 ...

, as well as containing parts of the Cherokee WMA and a small part of Piney Creeks WMA. The county is also home to the Cove Creek Natural Area.

Demographics

2020 Census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 20,715 people, 8,309 households, and 5,600 families residing in the county.

2010 Census

As of the 2010 census, there were 21,273 people, 8,463 households, and 4,473 families in the county. The population density was . There were 9,720 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 84.2% White, 11.2% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.5% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. 3.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 8,463 households 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 26.4% of households were one person and 11.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.98. The age distribution was 24.2% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% 65 or older. The median age was 40.5 years. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males. The median household income was $32,700 and the median family income was $48,116. Males had a median income of $38,675 versus $26,318 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,909. About 10.2% of families and 17.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.8% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over.

2000 Census

At the 2000 census, there were 20,336 people, 7,967 households, and 5,736 families in the county. The population density was . There were 9,028 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 84.27% White, 13.05% Black or African American, 0.50% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.74% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. 1.77% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 7,967 households 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.70% were married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 25.40% of households were one person and 12.10% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.99. The age distribution was 25.40% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 26.70% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 16.10% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.50 males. The median household income was $31,209 and the median family income was $38,179. Males had a median income of $28,199 versus $20,134 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,056. About 12.20% of families and 16.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.90% of those under age 18 and 13.10% of those age 65 or over.

Government and Politics

Government & Local Politics

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 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 to the ...

. 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 Conway County Quorum Court has eleven 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 Democratic Party continued to win all local county and city elected offices until 2018, when two members of the Republican Party were elected: Keith Long as Justice of the peace and Dennis Decker as County Coroner. In the 2022 midterm elections, the county government flipped red, with Republicans winning all but three contested seats. Additionally, four Republicans were newly elected as new justices of the peace, the party flipped three Morrilton City Council seats – including Isaac Decker, who became the youngest to ever be elected, at age 20 – and the Oppelo Mayoral race. In May 2023 the Morrilton City Council voted to turn the municipal offices to a non-partisan designation allowing for the mayor, city clerk, and council members to run as independents. The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 7

Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

and 4 Democrats. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are: * District 1: Philip Hoyt (D) of Perry. * District 2: Patrick Hartman (R) of Hattieville. * District 3: Steven Davenport (R) of Cleveland. * District 4: Thomas A. Flowers (D) of Center Ridge. * District 5: Keith Long (R) of Solgohachia. * District 6: Brigham Jones (R) of Morrilton. * District 7: Johnathan Ray Trafford (R) of Morrilton. * District 8: Michael Hammons (D) of Morrilton. * District 9: John David Trafford Jr. (R) of Morrilton. * District 10: Leslie Griffiths (R) of Morrilton. * District 11: Jimmy Miller (D) of Plumerville. Additionally, the townships of Conway 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 as of the 2024 elections are: * Cedar Falls: Thomas William Barber (D) * Griffin: Alex Campbell (R) * Washington: John Gordon (R) * Welbourne: Shane Engebrecht (R)

Federal Politics

For the bulk of the 20th century, Conway County was reliably Democratic, voting solidly for the party in every presidential election except for the

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...

and

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

landslides of

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

and

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

, respectively. Former Governor

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, ...

won the county twice in his

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

and

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

victories while comfortably sweeping his native Arkansas. As is the case with most rural counties as well as the state of Arkansas as a whole since the turn of the millennium, Conway County has turned sharply rightward and away from a more socially liberal Democratic Party than the one Clinton led. Though Republican

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

won the county by less than 1% in

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

and

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, both Conway County and Arkansas would become safely red at the presidential level starting in

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

, despite Democrat

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 ...

decisively winning the election. In

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

, Republican

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 ...

won Conway County with 61% of the vote and a 28.6% margin of victory over former

First Lady of Arkansas The first spouse of Arkansas is the title held by the host of the Arkansas Governor's Mansion, usually the spouse of the governor of Arkansas, concurrent with the governor's term in office. Bryan Sanders (First Gentleman of Arkansas), Bryan S ...

and the U.S.

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

, owing both to Trump's strength in

Rural America Rural areas in the United States, often referred to as rural America, consist of approximately 97% of the United States' land area. An estimated 60 million people, or one in five residents (17.9% of the total U.S. population), live in rural Ame ...

and the decline of the Clinton brand in their home state. Trump would top his vote share and margin of victory in the county twice since then, winning with a 35.4% margin of victory and more than 65% of the vote over Democrat

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 ...

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

(despite Biden winning nationwide), followed by a 40.3% margin of victory and 69% vote share as he reclaimed the Presidency in

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

, the latter of which stands as the best performance for a Republican presidential candidate in county history.

Communities

Cities

* Morrilton (county seat) * Oppelo * Plumerville

Town

* Menifee

Census-designated places

* Center Ridge *

Hattieville Hattieville is a village in the Belize District of the nation of Belize. It is located at 17N 88W, at an elevation of above mean sea level, and has a population of about 1,300 people. Hattieville was established as a refugee camp after Hurrican ...

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

* Springfield

Other unincorporated communities

* Blackwell *

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

Formosa Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The island of Taiwan, formerly known to Westerners as Formosa, has an area of and makes up 99% of the land under ROC control. It lies about across the Taiwan Strait f ...

* Lanty * Mount Olive * Pleasant Hill * Pontoon * Solgohachia * Winrock

Townships

Conway County Arkansas 2010 Township Map large

* Austin * Bentley ( Oppelo) * Bird * Catholic Point * Cedar Falls * Gregory * Griffin * Higgins * Howard ( Menifee, Plumerville) * Lick Mountain (CDP Center Ridge) * Martin * McLaren * Nichols * Old Hickory * Petit Jean * St. Vincent * Steele * Union * Washington * Welborn ( Morrilton) * White Eagle

Infrastructure

Major highways

I-40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west transcontinental Interstate Highway in the southeastern and southwestern portions of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and ...

* US Highway 64 * * * * * * * * * * * *

Notes

References

{{authority control 1825 establishments in Arkansas Territory Populated places established in 1825