Baxter County, Arkansas | |
|---|---|
      Clockwise from top:Buffalo River at Buffalo City, the 1825Jacob Wolf House at Norfork, Vada Sheid Community Development Center on the campus ofASU-Mountain Home,Cotter Bridge over the White River at sunset,Bull Shoals Dam,Baxter County Courthouse in Mountain Home | |
 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofArkansas | |
| Coordinates:36°18′25″N92°21′17″W / 36.3069°N 92.3547°W /36.3069; -92.3547 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Arkansas |
| Founded | March 24, 1873 |
| Named after | Elisha Baxter |
| Seat | Mountain Home |
| Largest city | Mountain Home |
| Area | |
• Total | 586.74 sq mi (1,519.6 km2) |
| • Land | 554.36 sq mi (1,435.8 km2) |
| • Water | 32.38 sq mi (83.9 km2) 5.5% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 41,627 |
• Estimate (2024) | 43,007 |
| • Density | 75.090/sq mi (28.992/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | Baxter County government's website |
Baxter County is acounty in theOzark Mountains ofArkansas. Created as Arkansas's 66th county on March 24, 1873, the county has eight incorporated municipalities, includingMountain Home, its largest city andcounty seat. The county is named forElisha Baxter, the tenthgovernor of Arkansas. It is coterminal with the Mountain HomeMicropolitan Statistical Area.
The county is located in a steep section of the Ozark Mountains sometimes known as the Twin Lakes Area because it is bordered by two of Arkansas's largest lakes,Bull Shoals Lake andNorfork Lake. On its southern border are theWhite River,Norfork Tailwater and theBuffalo National River. Occupying 587 square miles (170,000 ha), the county's population was 41,627 as of the2020 Census, ranking Baxter the 66th largest and 16th most populous of the 75 counties in Arkansas.[2] Thecounty seat isMountain Home.[3] The county contains five protected areas, including parts of theBuffalo National River,Ozark National Forest,Bull Shoals-White River State Park, and twoWildlife Management Areas. The natural environment of nearby Norfork and Bull Shoals lakes and the surrounding countryside has attracted tourists from around the country for many years.[4] Educational institutions have also played a role in the life of the community.[5] Other historical features such as theJacob Wolf House andCold Water School preserve the history and culture of Baxter County.
Baxter County is served by three public school districts:Mountain Home,Cotter, andNorfork, and contains one public community college:Arkansas State University–Mountain Home (ASUMH).Baxter Health serves as a healthcare hub for the region. Although noInterstate highways serve Baxter County, the county has access to twoconcurrentUnited States highways:U.S. Highway 62 (US 62) andUS 412, and thirteenArkansas state highways. Baxter County is served by two public use airports:Baxter County Airport andGaston's White River Resort Airstrip, two electric service providers, and fifteen public water systems providingpotable water to customers in the county.
Baxter County was created by the19th Arkansas General Assembly on March 24, 1873, from parts ofFulton,Izard,Marion, andSearcy counties. It was named forElisha Baxter, who wasgovernor of Arkansas at the time. The small community of Mountain Home was named temporary county seat; and was later named permanent county seat.[6]
In 1945, Baxter County voted to take the county "dry"—liquor sales prohibited—in 1945 by a vote of 548 to 432. The liquor sales prohibition was overturned in 1978 in the heaviest voter turnout in county history to that date, with 6,175 for the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors and 5,991 against. A narrow margin of 184 votes took the county "wet".[7]
Baxter County is located within theSalem Plateau, a subregion of theOzark Mountains. Land nearBull Shoals Lake,Norfork Lake, and along theWhite River are within theWhite River Hills subregion, known for steep, rocky soils, spring-fed mountain streams, and oak-hickory-pine forest. Eastern Baxter County and a small area around Mountain Home are within theCentral Plateau subregion, known for comparatively flatter terrain more suited for hayfields, pastures, and housing, as well askarst.[8]
The county has a total area of 586.74 square miles (1,519.6 km2), of which 554.36 square miles (1,435.8 km2) is land and 32.38 square miles (83.9 km2) (5.5%) is water.[1]
The county is located approximately 110 miles (180 km) southeast ofSpringfield,Missouri, 152 miles (245 km) north ofLittle Rock, and 246 miles (396 km) southwest ofSt. Louis, Missouri.[Note 1] Baxter County is surrounded by sparsely populated Ozark counties on all sides:Fulton County to the east,Izard County to the southeast,Stone County to the south,Searcy County to the southwest,Marion County to the west, andOzark County,Missouri to the north.
Baxter County is within theWhite Riverwatershed. The river has several important milestones in Baxter County: beginning along the western boundary of Baxter County, the White River is impounded to form theBull Shoals Lakereservoir byBull Shoals Dam, which spans the Baxter-Marion county line. South of the dam, the White River forms the western boundary of Baxter-Marion county line untilBuffalo City, when theBuffalo National River empties into the White, with the White continuing across Baxter County from west to east. South ofSalesville, theNorth Fork of White River empties into the White via theNorfork Tailwater downstream ofNorfork Dam.[10] Within the county, Barren Fork, Big Creek, Bruce Creek, Hightower Creek, Leatherwood Creek, and Moccasin Creek are important watercourses.[11]
Baxter County contains a small section of theBuffalo National River near Buffalo City where the river empties into the White River. Almost all land in Baxter County south of the White River is part of theOzark National Forest. Within this area, a subdivision of the Ozark National Forest known as theLeatherwood Wilderness is located alongHighway 341 (Push Mountain Road). Another part of the Ozark National Forest is also protected in the Sylamore Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The WMA is known as a destination for hiking, fishing, and huntingwild turkey, bear, squirrel, anddeer. Camping is available atBlanchard Springs Caverns, Gunner Pool, and Barkshed areas and agun range is open to the public.[12] TheOzark Highlands Trail passes through the Leatherwood Wilderness and Sylamore WMA.
TheBull Shoals-White River State Park is along the downstream shoreline ofBull Shoals Lake at theBull Shoals Dam. The park contains campgrounds, a marina, and visitor center. The dam tailwater is well known fortrout fishing.
Norfork Lake WMA is a series of protected walk-in hunting areas alongLake Norfork covered in hardwood forest with some pine and ranging topography. The four Baxter County units are Indian Head Unit, Chapin Point Unit, Seward Point Unit, and the Bennett's Creek Unit. The WMA is managed for deer, turkey and small game and attracts waterfowl during migration.[13]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 6,004 | — | |
| 1890 | 8,527 | 42.0% | |
| 1900 | 9,298 | 9.0% | |
| 1910 | 10,389 | 11.7% | |
| 1920 | 10,216 | −1.7% | |
| 1930 | 9,519 | −6.8% | |
| 1940 | 10,281 | 8.0% | |
| 1950 | 11,683 | 13.6% | |
| 1960 | 9,943 | −14.9% | |
| 1970 | 15,319 | 54.1% | |
| 1980 | 27,409 | 78.9% | |
| 1990 | 31,186 | 13.8% | |
| 2000 | 38,386 | 23.1% | |
| 2010 | 41,513 | 8.1% | |
| 2020 | 41,627 | 0.3% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 43,007 | [14] | 3.3% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[15] 1790–1960[16] 1900–1990[17] 1990–2000[18] 2010–2016[19] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 41,627. The median age was 52.7 years. 17.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 31.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.8 males age 18 and over.[21][22]
The racial makeup of the county was 92.5%White, 0.2%Black or African American, 0.6%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 0.8% from some other race, and 5.3% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.5% of the population.[22]
42.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 57.3% lived in rural areas.[23]
There were 18,936 households in the county, of which 21.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.9% were married-couple households, 18.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[21]
There were 22,699 housing units, of which 16.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.5% were owner-occupied and 25.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.7%.[21]
The median income for a household in the county was $43,504, and the median income for a family was $52,342.[24]
As of 2010 Baxter County had a population of 41,513. The racial makeup was 95.96% Non-Hispanic whites, 0.16% blacks, 0.56% Native Americans, 0.41% Asians, 0.04% Pacific Islanders, 1.25% Non-Hispanics reporting more than one race and 1.66% Hispanic or Latino.
As of the2000 census,[25] there were 38,386 people, 17,052 households, and 11,799 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 69 people per square mile (27 people/km2). There were 19,891 housing units at an average density of 36 units per square mile (14 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.81% White, 0.11% Black or African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.22% fromother races, and 0.97% from two or more races. 1.00% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 17,052 households, out of which 22.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.00% weremarried couples living together, 7.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.80% were non-families. 27.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.65.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 19.00% under the age of 18, 5.80% from 18 to 24, 21.10% from 25 to 44, 27.40% from 45 to 64, and 26.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 92.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,106, and the median income for a family was $34,578. Males had a median income of $25,976 versus $18,923 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $16,859. About 7.90% of families and 11.10% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 14.70% of those under age 18 and 8.90% of those age 65 or over.
The 2019American Community Survey found 88.7% of Baxter County residents over age 25 held a high school degree or higher and 17.9% holding a bachelor's degree or higher. Baxter County exceeded statewide and nationwide averages for high school attainment (86.6% and 88.0%, respectively), but lags far behind on bachelor's degree attainment (23.0% and 32.1%, respectively).[26]
Three public school districts are based in Baxter County;Mountain Home School District is the largest school district in Baxter County, withCotter School District serving the Cotter-Gassville area and theNorfork School District serving the southeast side of the county. Successful completion of the curriculum of these schools leads to graduation fromMountain Home High School,Cotter High School, orNorfork High School respectively. All three high schools are accredited by theArkansas Department of Education (ADE).
Small areas in Baxter County are within the boundaries ofCalico Rock School District,Mountain View School District, andViola School District.[27]
The Big Flat School District was in the county until July 1, 1985, when it merged with the Fifty Six School District into theTri-County School District. On July 1, 1993, the Tri-County district was dissolved, with portions going to various districts, including the Mountain View district.[28]
The lone institution of higher education in Baxter County isArkansas State University-Mountain Home (ASUMH), apubliccommunity college. Other nearby institutions includeOzarka College inMelbourne andNorth Arkansas College inHarrison.
TheDonald W. Reynolds Library serving Baxter County was opened in September 2010 at 300 Library Hill in Mountain Home. The library offers books, e-books, media, reference, programs, youth, special collections, and genealogy services.
Baxter Health in Mountain Home offers acute inpatient care,emergency care,diagnostics, surgery, OB/GYN, rehabilitation, therapy, and senior care services.[29] The facility is rated as aLevel 3 Trauma Center by theArkansas Department of Health.
The nearestLevel 1 Trauma Centers areCoxHealth andMercy Hospital Springfield, both inSpringfield, Missouri.[30]
TheBaxter County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency in the county. The agency is led by the Baxter County Sheriff, an official elected by countywide vote every four years. Police departments in Cotter, Gassville, Lakeview, and Mountain Home provide law enforcement in their respective jurisdictions, with remaining municipalities contracting with the Baxter County Sheriff's Office for law enforcement services.
The county is under the jurisdiction of the Baxter County District Court, astate district court.[31] State district courts in Arkansas are courts oforiginal jurisdiction for criminal, civil, and traffic matters.[32] State district courts are presided over by an elected full-time judge. The district court has seven departments, one in each municipality of Baxter County.[31]
Superseding district court jurisdiction is the14th Judicial Circuit Court, which covers Baxter, Boone, Marion, and Newton counties. The 14th Circuit contains four circuit judges, elected to six-year terms circuitwide.[33]
Fire protection is provided by nineteen agencies in Baxter County, together covering the entire county except areas within the major lakes. Cotter, Gassville, Norfork, and Mountain Home, each provide fire protection, in some cases extending beyond corporate limits. Rural areas are served by the Buford Volunteer, Clarkridge Volunteer, Cotter-Gassville Rural, Gamaliel, Grover Township, Hand Cove Fire Protection District, Henderson, Lone Rock Volunteer, Midway Volunteer, Northeast Lakeside, Oakland-Promise Land Volunteer, Rodney Volunteer, Salesville, Tracy Area, and theUnited States Forest Service.[34]
Baxter County has several facilities, monuments, and museums dedicated to preserving the history and culture of the area. Perhaps one of the most recognizable and important historic structures in Baxter County is theCotter Bridge over the White River. Upon opening in 1930, the bridge opened Baxter County and north Arkansas to economic development and tourism by providing reliable transportation across the White River.
Two facilities interpret the county's history and heritage: theJacob Wolf House, a historiclog cabin built in 1825, is operated as ahistoric house museum by theArkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism, and the Baxter County Heritage Center, located in the formerRollins Hospital in downtown Gassville. FiveNational Register of Historic Places (NRHP,complete county list) properties in the county relate to the history of education:Buford School Building,Cold Water School, and theHorace Mann School Historic District, as well asBig Flat School Gymnasium,Old Cotter High School Gymnasium. Several buildings are preserved for connections to the county's economic and cultural history:Baxter County Courthouse, theSid Hutcheson Building in Norfork, and several structures in theMountain Home Commercial Historic District.
Trout fishing enthusiasts visit the White River in Baxter County year-round,[35] with several annual events also celebrating trout fishing: theCotter Trout Festival in Big Spring Park and the Sowbug Roundup at the Baxter County Fairgrounds are held in May,[36][37] and the Southern Council Federation of Flyfishers Fair is held on campus at ASUMH in September.[38]
The Mountain Home Farmer's Market operates on the downtown square on Wednesdays and Saturdays, April–November.[39] The Baxter County Fair is one of the most well-attended in Arkansas, and begins with a popular parade through downtown Mountain Home.[40] Norfork Pioneer Days Heritage Festival is held annually on the third Saturday in May at the Jacob Wolf House.
The David's Trail Endurance Run was founded in 2017 as anultramarathon around Lake Norfork in January.[41]
The county newspaper isThe Baxter Bulletin, a daily newspaper established in Mountain Home in 1901. The first newspaper published in Baxter County was theQuid Nunc, from 1877 to 1880.[42] TheBaxter County Citizen was published in Mountain Home from 1880 until 1937.[43] Mountain Home was also home to briefly operated papers namedThe North Arkansas Herald (monthly,c. 1890) andThe Arkansas News (c. 1897).[42]
Cotter has been home to five newspapers over the years, the longest lasting being theCotter Courier (1903-c. 1918)[42] andThe Cotter Record (1911-1937).[43] Publications lasting only a year or so includeThe White River Headlight,[42]The Screech Owl, and theBull Shoals Gazette.[43]The Ozark Clarion was briefly published atThree Brothers around 1912, andNorfork Enterprise ran briefly at Norfork.[42]
Baxter County is within theSpringfield, Missouridesignated market area with the following local TV stations:KYTV (NBC,33.1ABC,33.2CW SD),KOLR (CBS),KOZK (PBS),KOZL-TV,KWBM,KSPR-LD (ABC),KBNS-CD, andKRBK (Fox).[44]
The county is home to four FM radio stations:KCMH (FM) (91.5 FM, "Keep Christ Most High"),KKTZ (107.5 FM),KTLO-FM (97.9 FM), andKPFM (FM) (105.5 MHz),[45] and one AM radio station:KTLO (AM) (1240 AM).[46]
The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by theConstitution 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 calledjustices 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 based on population, and district boundaries are drawn by the Baxter County Election Commission. The Baxter County Quorum Court has eleven members.[47] Presiding over quorum court meetings is thecounty judge, who serves as thechief operating 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.[48][49]
| Position | Officeholder | Party |
|---|---|---|
| County Judge | Kevin Litty | Republican |
| County/Circuit Clerk | Canda Reese | Republican |
| Sheriff | John Montgomery | Republican |
| Treasurer | Jenay Mize | Republican |
| Collector | Teresa Smith | Republican |
| Assessor | Jayme Nicholson | Republican |
| Coroner | Brad Hays | Republican |
| Surveyor | Charles Slater | (Unknown) |
The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 11 Republicans. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:[50][53]
Additionally, the townships of Baxter County are entitled to elect their own respective constables, as set forth by theConstitution of Arkansas. Constables are largely of historical significance as they were used to keep the peace in rural areas when travel was more difficult.[54] The township constables as of the 2024 elections are:[53]
In theArkansas Senate, Baxter County is within the 23rd District, which also contains Marion County and parts of Boone, Fulton, and Izard counties, and has been represented byScott Flippo (R) since 2015. In theArkansas House of Representatives, Baxter County is split among three districts: the 3rd District (Stetson Painter, R, since 2023), the 4th District (Jack Fortner, R, since 2023), and the 27th (Steven Walker, R, since 2023).[55]
At the presidential level, Baxter County was ancestrally reliably Democratic, voting for the Democratic nominee in every election through 1952. In 1956, Baxter County backed RepublicanDwight D. Eisenhower, and ever since it has grown increasingly Republican, being one of only three counties in the state to supportGerald Ford againstJimmy Carter in 1976. The only Democrat after 1948 to win a majority wasLyndon Johnson in 1964, and the only subsequent Democrat to carry Baxter County was Arkansas native Bill Clinton in 1992.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1896 | 262 | 21.06% | 980 | 78.78% | 2 | 0.16% |
| 1900 | 287 | 28.28% | 723 | 71.23% | 5 | 0.49% |
| 1904 | 236 | 34.40% | 426 | 62.10% | 24 | 3.50% |
| 1908 | 300 | 30.74% | 607 | 62.19% | 69 | 7.07% |
| 1912 | 142 | 14.26% | 536 | 53.82% | 318 | 31.93% |
| 1916 | 318 | 25.81% | 914 | 74.19% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 484 | 38.38% | 707 | 56.07% | 70 | 5.55% |
| 1924 | 301 | 27.29% | 640 | 58.02% | 162 | 14.69% |
| 1928 | 504 | 42.71% | 665 | 56.36% | 11 | 0.93% |
| 1932 | 194 | 15.47% | 1,039 | 82.85% | 21 | 1.67% |
| 1936 | 375 | 32.47% | 773 | 66.93% | 7 | 0.61% |
| 1940 | 489 | 36.09% | 859 | 63.39% | 7 | 0.52% |
| 1944 | 572 | 41.69% | 796 | 58.02% | 4 | 0.29% |
| 1948 | 553 | 31.42% | 1,098 | 62.39% | 109 | 6.19% |
| 1952 | 1,387 | 49.66% | 1,388 | 49.70% | 18 | 0.64% |
| 1956 | 1,721 | 53.92% | 1,451 | 45.46% | 20 | 0.63% |
| 1960 | 2,108 | 54.34% | 1,694 | 43.67% | 77 | 1.99% |
| 1964 | 1,986 | 40.61% | 2,900 | 59.29% | 5 | 0.10% |
| 1968 | 3,401 | 49.53% | 1,952 | 28.43% | 1,513 | 22.04% |
| 1972 | 6,754 | 70.65% | 2,677 | 28.00% | 129 | 1.35% |
| 1976 | 5,885 | 50.51% | 5,766 | 49.49% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 9,684 | 63.93% | 4,789 | 31.62% | 674 | 4.45% |
| 1984 | 10,870 | 69.84% | 4,528 | 29.09% | 166 | 1.07% |
| 1988 | 8,614 | 63.35% | 4,808 | 35.36% | 175 | 1.29% |
| 1992 | 5,640 | 35.85% | 6,991 | 44.44% | 3,101 | 19.71% |
| 1996 | 6,877 | 44.35% | 6,703 | 43.23% | 1,925 | 12.42% |
| 2000 | 9,538 | 57.09% | 6,516 | 39.00% | 654 | 3.91% |
| 2004 | 11,128 | 60.05% | 7,129 | 38.47% | 273 | 1.47% |
| 2008 | 12,852 | 64.32% | 6,539 | 32.73% | 590 | 2.95% |
| 2012 | 13,688 | 70.78% | 5,172 | 26.74% | 479 | 2.48% |
| 2016 | 14,682 | 74.28% | 4,169 | 21.09% | 915 | 4.63% |
| 2020 | 15,836 | 75.38% | 4,635 | 22.06% | 536 | 2.55% |
| 2024 | 16,253 | 77.57% | 4,341 | 20.72% | 360 | 1.72% |
Property tax is assessed by the Baxter County Assessor annually based upon the fair market value of the property and determining which tax rate, commonly called amillage in Arkansas, will apply. The rate depends upon the property's location with respect to city limits, school district, and specialtax increment financing (TIF) districts. This tax is collected by the Baxter County Collector between the first business day of March of each year through October 15 without penalty. The Baxter County Treasurer disburses tax revenues to various government agencies, such as cities, county road departments, fire departments, libraries, and police departments in accordance with the budget set by the quorum court.
Sales and use taxes in Arkansas are voter approved and collected by theArkansas Department of Finance and Administration.Arkansas's statewidesales anduse tax has been 6.5% since July 1, 2013.[57] Baxter County has an additional sales and use tax of 1.25% since January 1, 2019. Within Baxter County, the City of Mountain Home has had an additional 2.125% sales and use tax since July 1, 2021, and Cotter has had an additional 2% since January 1, 2022, with the remaining incorporated communities having 1.00% sales and use tax rates.[58] TheArkansas State Treasurer disburses tax revenue to counties/cities in accordance with tax rules.
Seven incorporated cities and one town are located within the county. The largest city and county seat isMountain Home, located centrally between Bull Shoals Lake and Lake Norfork. Mountain Home had a population of 12,825 at the 2020 census and is the focal point of the Mountain Home, AR,Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Baxter County.Cotter andGassville are located west of Mountain Home.Briarcliff,Norfork, andSalesville are small towns with populations under 1,000 south of Mountain Home.Lakeview is a small municipality on Bull Shoals Lake. The small town ofBig Flat is located in the southern part of Baxter County, and partly in Searcy County.
The United States Census Bureau has also designated four unincorporated communities asCensus-designated places:Gamaliel andHenderson near Norfork Lake,Buffalo City near the Buffalo National River, andMidway between Mountain Home and Lakeview.
Baxter County has dozens of unincorporated communities and ghost towns within its borders. This is due to early settlers in Arkansas tending to settle in small clusters rather than incorporated towns. Some communities, including Bennett's, Cumi, Custer, and Hand were inundated during creation of Lake Norfork.[59] For example, communities likeClarkridge andMonkey Run had a post office or other buildings at some point in their history. Other communities are simply a few dwellings at a crossroads, or a residential area near a cove or point on the lake that have adopted a common place name over time. Some are officially listed as populated places by the United States Geological Survey, and others are listed as historic settlements.
Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries. Arkansas townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, theUnited States census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "minor civil divisions"). Townships are also of value for historical purposes in terms of genealogical research. Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps and publications. The townships of Baxter County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/orcensus-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.[60][61]
The county contains one public owned/public use airport:Baxter County Airport, a small, rural airport west of Mountain Home with over 11,000 annual operations, almost entirelygeneral aviation.[64] The county contains three private airfields, includingGaston's White River Resort Airstrip, which is available for public use.[65][66] The nearestcommercial service airport isSpringfield–Branson National Airport.
Baxter County is not served by any Interstate highways; the nearest access to the Interstate system isInterstate 44 (I-44) in Springfield, Missouri. The main roadway across the county is aconcurrency betweenUS Highway 62 (US 62) andUS 412, which run east-west across Baxter County on their route across the northern part of Arkansas. The highway also has twobusiness routes in Baxter County:U.S. Route 62 Business (US 62B) in Mountain Home andUS 62B in Cotter.
Thirteenstate highway designations serve the traveling public in the county, ranging from short connector routes to long highways traversing the entire county. Some numbers have multiple distinct segments in Baxter County.[Note 2]Arkansas Highway 5 (AR 5) is the only route running continuously across the county from south to north, providing connectivity to Missouri in the north and Little Rock to the south.Highway 14 runs east-west across much of the state, running in southern Baxter County betweenMarshall andMountain View.Highway 101 andHighway 201 serve as north-south routes between Salesville and Norfork Dam and Missouri, respectively. Four routes serve as connections to lakes or rivers:Highway 126,Highway 177,Highway 178,Highway 342.Highway 341 (Push Mountain Road) runs in the Ozark National Forest.Arkansas Highway 345 serves to connect Cotter and Gassville.Highway 202 andHighway 263 run in the county only briefly.[66]
TheMissouri and Northern Arkansas Railroad crosses the county along the White River, including arail yard in Cotter.[66]
TheNorth Arkansas Electric Cooperative, based inSalem, is a non-profit electricutility cooperative serving much of the Arkansas Ozarks, including the rural areas of Baxter County with electric service.Entergy Arkansas provides electricity for Mountain Home, Cotter, Gassville, and nearby populated outlying areas, and the area around Big Flat.[68]
TheArkansas Department of Health (ADH) is responsible for the regulation and oversight of public water systems throughout the state. Nine community water systems are based in Baxter County: Baxter-Marion Rural Water Association No. 1 (BMRWA #1), Big Flat Water System, City of Briarcliff, Community Water Association, City of Cotter, City of Gassville, Lakeview Midway Public Water Authority, City of Mountain Home Water & Wastewater Department, City of Norfork Water Department, and Northeast Public Water Authority. There are also six minor systems serving residential areas: Autumn Acres Mobile Home Park (MHP), Crestwood MHP, Edgewood Bay Association, Laurelwood Homeowners Association, Starlight Estates, and Tall Oaks MHP.[69]
Resorts, motels and guide services all flourished, as well as restaurants and other businesses, as tourism became a driving force for the local, and state, economy.
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromWoods, A.J.; Foti, T.L.; Chapman, S.S.; Omernik, J.M.; et al.Ecoregions of Arkansas(PDF).United States Geological Survey.Archived(PDF) from the original on August 2, 2021. (color poster with map, descriptive text, summary tables, and photographs).
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)Places adjacent to Baxter County, Arkansas | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofBaxter County, Arkansas,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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36°18′25″N92°21′17″W / 36.30694°N 92.35472°W /36.30694; -92.35472
