:Pulaski County, Arkansas

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Pulaski County

| state = Arkansas

| seal = Pulaski County, Arkansas seal.png

| flag = Pulaski Flag AR.png

| founded = December 15, 1818

| seat wl = Little Rock

| largest city wl = Little Rock

| area_total_sq_mi = 808

| area_land_sq_mi = 760

| area_water_sq_mi = 48

| area percentage = 5.9%

| population_as_of = 2020

| population_total = 399125

| pop_est_as_of = 2023

| population_est = 400009 {{gain}}

| density_sq_mi = auto

| web = http://pulaskicounty.net/

| ex image = Pulaski county arkansas courthouse.jpg

| ex image cap = Pulaski County Courthouse, in downtown Little Rock

| district = 1st

| district2 = 2nd

| district3 = 4th

| time zone = Central

| named for = Casimir Pulaski }}

Pulaski County is a county in the U.S. state of Arkansas. 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 metropolitan area. Its county seat is Little Rock,{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}} 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 officer who was killed in action 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. 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 {{convert|808|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|760|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|48|sqmi}} (5.9%) is water.{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_05.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 27, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}

=Major highways=

{{jct|state=AR|I|30}}
{{jct|state=AR|I|40}}
{{jct|state=AR|I|57}}
{{jct|state=AR|I|430}}
{{jct|state=AR|I|440}}
{{jct|state=AR|I|530}}
{{jct|state=AR|I|630}}
20px U.S. Highway 65
20px U.S. Highway 67
20px U.S. Highway 70
25px U.S. Highway 165
25px U.S. Highway 167
20px Highway 5
20px Highway 10
25px Highway 100
25px Highway 161
25px Highway 300
25px Highway 338
25px Highway 365
25px Highway 367

=Transit=

Rock Region Metro (Metro Streetcar)
Amtrak Texas Eagle (Little Rock station)
Greyhound Lines
Jefferson Lines

=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

{{US Census population

|1830= 2395

|1840= 5350

|1850= 5657

|1860= 11699

|1870= 32066

|1880= 32616

|1890= 47329

|1900= 63179

|1910= 86751

|1920= 109464

|1930= 137727

|1940= 156085

|1950= 196685

|1960= 242980

|1970= 287189

|1980= 340613

|1990= 349660

|2000= 361474

|2010= 382748

|2020= 399125

|estyear=2023

|estimate=400009

|estref={{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 30, 2024}}

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 27, 2015}}
1790–1960{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=August 27, 2015}} 1900–1990{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ar190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|editor-last=Forstall|editor-first=Richard L.|date=March 27, 1995|access-date=August 27, 2015}}
1990–2000{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=April 2, 2001|access-date=August 27, 2015}} 2010–2020{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/05/05119.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 22, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607034112/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/05/05119.html|archive-date=June 7, 2011|url-status=dead}} 2020{{cite web |title=2020 Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US05119 |website=data.census.gov}}

}}

Image:USA Pulaski County, Arkansas age pyramid.svg data]]

=2020 census=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:right" \|+Pulaski County racial composition{{Cite web\|title=Explore Census Data\|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US05119&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2\|access-date=December 31, 2021\|website=data.census.gov}} !scope="col"\| Race !scope="col"\| Number !scope="col"\| Percentage
scope="row"\| White (non-Hispanic) \| 193,993 \| 48.6%
scope="row"\| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) \| 142,139 \| 35.61%
scope="row"\| Native American \| 1,169 \| 0.29%
scope="row"\| Asian \| 9,933 \| 2.49%
scope="row"\| Pacific Islander \| 208 \| 0.05%
scope="row"\| Other/Mixed \| 18,530 \| 4.64%
scope="row"\| Hispanic or Latino \| 33,153 \| 8.31%

class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"

|+Pulaski County racial composition{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US05119&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 31, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}

!scope="col"| Race

!scope="col"| Number

!scope="col"| Percentage

scope="row"| White (non-Hispanic)

| 193,993

| 48.6%

scope="row"| Black or African American (non-Hispanic)

| 142,139

| 35.61%

scope="row"| Native American

| 1,169

| 0.29%

scope="row"| Asian

| 9,933

| 2.49%

scope="row"| Pacific Islander

| 208

| 0.05%

scope="row"| Other/Mixed

| 18,530

| 4.64%

scope="row"| Hispanic or Latino

| 33,153

| 8.31%

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,{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}} there were 361,474 people, 147,942 households, and 95,718 families residing in the county. The population density was {{convert|469|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 161,135 housing units at an average density of {{convert|209|/mi2|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the county was 63.96% White, 31.87% Black or African American, 0.39% Native American, 1.25% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.09% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. 2.44% of the population were Hispanic 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 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 for the county was $21,466. About 10.40% of families and 13.30% of the population were below the poverty line, 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.{{Cite web |title=Quorum Courts |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/quorum-courts-6348/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Office of County Judge |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/office-of-county-judge-5720/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |language=en-US}}

class="wikitable mw-collapsible"

|+Pulaski County, Arkansas Elected countywide officialshttps://votepulaskiar.gov/wp-content/uploads/Elected-Officials-List_Jan-2025.pdf

!Position

!Officeholder

!Party