Randolph County, Arkansas

Randolph County
County
Randolph County courthouse in Pocahontas
Location within the U.S. state of Arkansas
Arkansas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°20′41″N 91°00′46″W / 36.344722222222°N 91.012777777778°W / 36.344722222222; -91.012777777778
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
Founded	October 29, 1835
Named for	John Randolph
Seat	Pocahontas
Largest city	Pocahontas
Area [1]
• Total	656.04 sq mi (1,699.1 km2)
• Land	651.83 sq mi (1,688.2 km2)
• Water	4.21 sq mi (10.9 km2)  0.6%
Population  (2020)
• Total	18,571
• Density	28/sq mi (11/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	randolphcounty.arkansas.gov

Randolph County is located between the Ozark Mountains and Arkansas Delta in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The county is named for John Randolph, a U.S. senator from Virginia influential in obtaining congressional approval of the Louisiana Purchase, which includes today's Randolph County. Created as Arkansas's 32nd county on October 29, 1835, Randolph County has two incorporated cities, including Pocahontas, the county seat and most populous city. The county is also the site of numerous unincorporated communities and ghost towns.

Crossed by five rivers, most of Randolph County contains foothills and valleys typical of the Ozarks. However, the eastern side of the county is largely flat with fertile soils typical of the Delta, with the Black River roughly dividing the regions. The county contains three protected areas: two Wildlife Management Areas and Davidsonville Historic State Park, which preserves and interprets an early pioneer settlement. Other historical features such as log cabins, one-room school houses, community centers, and museums describe the history and culture of Randolph County.

Randolph County occupies 656.04 square miles (169,910 ha) and contained a population of 18,571 as of the 2020 Census.^[2] The economy is largely based on agriculture and small manufacturing. Poverty and unemployment rates are above national averages, but steady. Household incomes are below state and national averages.

Randolph County is served by two school districts, Pocahontas School District and Maynard School District, and parts of three others. Higher education is provided at Black River Technical College, a public two-year community college in Pocahontas. St. Bernards Five Rivers Medical Center in Pocahontas is a community hospital providing primary care in the county. Although no Interstate highways serve Randolph County, the county has access to three United States highways (U.S. Route 62 [US 62], US 67, and US 412) and eleven Arkansas state highways. Randolph County is also served by one public owned/public use general aviation airport, Pocahontas Municipal Airport, and six community water systems provide potable water to customers in the county.