Faulkner County, Arkansas

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Faulkner County

| state = Arkansas

| flag = Flag_of_Faulkner_County,_Arkansas.svg

| seal = Faulkner County, Arkansas official seal.png

| founded = April 12, 1873

| seat wl = Conway

| largest city wl = Conway

| area_total_sq_mi = 664

| area_land_sq_mi = 648

| area_water_sq_mi = 16

| area percentage = 2.4%

| population_as_of = 2020

| population_total = 123498

| pop_est_as_of = 2023

| population_est = 129,951 {{gain}}

| density_sq_mi = auto

| web = www.faulknercounty.org

| ex image = FaulknerCountyCourthouse.jpg

| ex image cap = Faulkner County Courthouse

| district = 2nd

| time zone = Central

| named for = Sandford C. Faulkner

}}

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.{{cite web|title=Census - Geography Profile: Faulkner County, Arkansas|url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Faulkner_County,_Arkansas?g=0500000US05045|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 19, 2023}} The county seat and largest city is Conway.{{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 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }} Faulkner County was created on April 12, 1873, one of nine counties formed during Reconstruction, and is named for Sandford C. Faulkner, better known as Sandy Faulkner, a popular figure in the state at the time.

Located at the intersection of the Ozarks and Arkansas River Valley, the county was sparsely populated for much of its early years. Largely a county of rural settlements, growth came slowly following the Civil War and Reconstruction. The college known today as University of Central Arkansas was established in 1907, but population continued to grow slowly. The growth of Little Rock and the construction of Interstate 40 have made Conway and other parts of Faulkner County into bedroom communities for the state capital. Today Faulkner County is included in the Central Arkansas metro area, with Conway as a principal city.

History

=Eponym=

Faulkner County was formed from parts of Conway and Pulaski counties on April 12, 1873, and is named after Sandford C. Faulkner, a planter, raconteur, and fiddle player known for his popular folk tale Arkansas Traveler (folklore) from the early-19th century.{{Cite book |last=Pope |first=William F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i3IOAAAAIAAJ |title=Early Days in Arkansas: Being for the Most Part the Personal Recollections of an Old Settler |date=1895 |publisher=F. W. Allsopp |isbn=978-0-89308-071-6 |pages=230–233 |language=en}} The story later was performed by Mose Case in the mid-19th century as a folk song "Arkansas Traveler", the official historic song of the U.S. state of Arkansas since 1987.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9V1IAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA124 | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=124}}

Geography

File:Lake Conway, Faulkner County, AR.jpg]]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of {{convert|664|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|648|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|16|sqmi}} (2.4%) 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 26, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}

=Major highways=

=Transit=

Jefferson Lines

=Adjacent counties=

Cleburne County (northeast)
White County (east)
Lonoke County (southeast)
Pulaski County (south)
Perry County (southwest)
Conway County (west)
Van Buren County (northwest)

Demographics

{{US Census population

|1880= 12786

|1890= 18342

|1900= 20780

|1910= 23708

|1920= 27681

|1930= 28381

|1940= 25880

|1950= 25289

|1960= 24303

|1970= 31572

|1980= 46192

|1990= 60006

|2000= 86014

|2010= 113237

|2020= 123498

|estyear=2023

|estimate=129951

|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 26, 2015}}
1790–1960{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=August 26, 2015|archive-date=August 11, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811110448/http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/|url-status=dead}} 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 26, 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 26, 2015}} 2010{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/05/05043.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 20, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607032146/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/05/05043.html|archive-date=June 7, 2011}}

}}

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

=2020 census=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:right" \|+Faulkner County racial composition{{Cite web\|title=Explore Census Data\|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US05045&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) \| 92,573 \| 74.96%
scope="row"\| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) \| 14,274 \| 11.56%
scope="row"\| Native American \| 562 \| 0.46%
scope="row"\| Asian \| 1,461 \| 1.18%
scope="row"\| Pacific Islander \| 61 \| 0.05%
scope="row"\| Other/Mixed \| 7,777 \| 6.3%
scope="row"\| Hispanic or Latino \| 6,790 \| 5.5%

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

|+Faulkner County racial composition{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US05045&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)

| 92,573

| 74.96%

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

| 14,274

| 11.56%

scope="row"| Native American

| 562

| 0.46%

scope="row"| Asian

| 1,461

| 1.18%

scope="row"| Pacific Islander

| 61

| 0.05%

scope="row"| Other/Mixed

| 7,777

| 6.3%

scope="row"| Hispanic or Latino

| 6,790

| 5.5%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 123,498 people, 47,389 households, and 31,590 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=May 14, 2011 |title=U.S. Census website }} there were 86,014 people, 31,882 households, and 22,444 families residing in the county. The population density was {{convert|133|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 34,546 housing units at an average density of {{convert|53|/mi2|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the county was 88.33% White, 8.48% Black or African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races, and 1.23% from two or more races. 1.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 31,882 households, out of which 35.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.70% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.60% were non-families. 22.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.60% under the age of 18, 15.30% from 18 to 24, 30.10% from 25 to 44, 19.50% from 45 to 64, and 9.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,204, and the median income for a family was $45,946. Males had a median income of $32,288 versus $24,428 for females. The per capita income for the county was $35,159.{{cite web|title=Local Area Personal Incomes|url=https://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/lapi/lapi_newsrelease.htm|website=Bureau of Economic Analysis|publisher=Bureau of Economic Analysis|access-date=February 6, 2018}} About 7.90% of families and 12.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.90% of those under age 18 and 12.00% of those age 65 or over.

Government and Politics

= 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 Faulkner County Quorum Court has thirteen 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"

|+Faulkner County, Arkansas Elected Countywide Officials{{Cite web |title=Faulkner {{!}} Association of Arkansas Counties |url=https://www.arcounties.org/counties/faulkner/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=www.arcounties.org}}{{Cite web |title=Faulkner County Government Offices and Services |url=https://www.faulknercountyar.gov/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Faulkner County GOV |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Election Night Reporting |url=https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/AR/Faulkner/115791/web.307039/#/summary?v=314038/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=results.enr.clarityelections.com}}https://www.arcounties.org/site/assets/files/6033/november_races.pdf

!Position

!Officeholder

!Party