Newton County is acounty in theU.S. state ofArkansas. As of the2020 census, the population was 7,225.^[1] Thecounty seat isJasper.^[2] Newton County is Arkansas's 46th county, formed on December 14, 1842, and named forThomas W. Newton, an ArkansasCongressman.

Newton County
County
Clockwise from top:Boxley Valley,Hawksbill Crag, theOzark Mountains in theUpper Buffalo Wilderness, Twin/Triple Falls at Camp Orr Boy Scout Camp, and theNewton County Courthouse in Jasper (center)
Location within the U.S. state ofArkansas
Arkansas's location within theU.S.
Coordinates:35°56′08″N93°13′19″W / 35.935555555556°N 93.221944444444°W /35.935555555556; -93.221944444444
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
Founded	December 14, 1842
Named after	Thomas Willoughby Newton
Seat	Jasper
Largest city	Jasper
Area
• Total	823 sq mi (2,130 km2)
• Land	821 sq mi (2,130 km2)
• Water	2.3 sq mi (6 km2)  0.3%
Population  (2020)
• Total	7,225
• Estimate  (2023)	7,071
• Density	8.8/sq mi (3.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	4th

Newton County is part of theHarrison, ARMicropolitan Statistical Area.

It is an alcohol prohibition ordry county.^[3]

Newton County residents were divided during the Civil War, serving in both the Confederate and Union armies. John Cecil, who had served as Newton County's sheriff, served as a Confederate Captain. Jasper blacksmith James R. Vanderpool (ca. 1832–1880) served as Captain of Union Company C,1st Regiment Arkansas Infantry Volunteers, while farmer and teacher John McCoy (1820–1903) served as Captain of Union Company F,1st Regiment Arkansas Infantry Volunteers. Many Newton County citizens served under each of these men, as well as in other units. As an example of how the war divided families, Confederate Captain Cecil's brother, Sam, served as a sergeant in Union Company D,2nd Regiment Arkansas Cavalry Volunteers. Violence took a severe toll on the civilian population, and at one point, Captains McCoy and Vanderpool escorted 20 wagons of Unionist families from Newton County to Missouri to seek refuge.^[4]

According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 823 square miles (2,130 km²), of which 821 square miles (2,130 km²) is land and 2.3 square miles (6.0 km²) (0.3%) is water.^[5]

Newton County lies almost entirely within the ruggedBoston Mountain range of theOzark Mountains where elevations exceed 2,500 feet (760 m). TheBuffalo National River, a popular destination for canoeing and recreation, runs through the county from west to east.Highway 7, which traverses the county from north to south, has been rated as one of the most scenic drives in the country.

• Boone County (north)
• Searcy County (east)
• Pope County (southeast)
• Johnson County (south)
• Madison County (west)
• Carroll County (northwest)

• Buffalo National River (part)
• Ozark National Forest (part)
• Upper Buffalo Wilderness
• Mystic Cavern

As of the2020 United States census, there were 7,225 people, 2,936 households, and 1,800 families residing in the county.

As of the2000 census,^[14] there were 8,608 people, 3,500 households, and 2,495 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 4/km² (10/sq mi), one of the most sparse among county populations in Arkansas. There were 4,316 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile (1.9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 99.29%White, 0.00%Black orAfrican American, 0.56%Native American, 0.06%Asian, 0.00%Pacific Islander, 0.09% fromother races, and 0.00% from two or more races. 0.00% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.

There were 3,500 households, out of which 32.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.00% weremarried couples living together, 7.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.90% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 25.00% from 25 to 44, 27.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $24,756, and the median income for a family was $30,134. Males had a median income of $22,406 versus $17,654 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $13,788. About 15.70% of families and 20.40% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 27.80% of those under age 18 and 16.90% of those age 65 or over.

Native residents of Newton County were interviewed in 1970 for research being done by a doctoral student at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. A Ph.D. degree was awarded to Bethany K. Dumas in May 1971 after she completed "A Study of the Dialect of Newton County, Arkansas." Results are discussed in two of her published articles/chapters: "The Morphology of Newton County, Arkansas: An Exercise in Studying Ozark Dialect," Mid–South Folklore 3 (1975), 115–125, and "Southern Mountain English" Chapter 5 of The Workings of Language, ed. R. S. Wheeler, Westport, CT, and London: Praeger, 1999, 67–79.

The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by theConstitution of Arkansas and theArkansas 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, and district boundaries are drawn by the county election commission. The Newton County Quorum Court has nine members. 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.^[15][16]

The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 8 Republicans and 1 Independent. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:^[17][18][19]

• District 1: Jamie Mefford (R)
• District 2: Richard Campbell (R)
• District 3: Terry Clark (R)
• District 4: Dennis Sain (I)
• District 5: Jerry Lee (R)
• District 6: Chris Martin (R)
• District 7: Steven Adams (R)
• District 8: Arlis Jones (R)
• District 9: John David Phillips (R)

Additionally, the townships of Newton 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.^[20] The township constables as of the 2024 elections are:^[19]

• Hickory Grove: Charles Moore (R)
• Hudson: Marvin Wilson (R)
• Jackson: Joe Phillips (R)
• Jefferson: Jayson Flud (R)
• Pleasant Hill: Johnny Bohannon (R)
• Richland: Lee Young (R)
• Western Grove: Gary Waters (R)

Along with adjacent Searcy County, Newton is unique among Arkansas counties in being traditionallyRepublican in political leanings even during the overwhelmingly Democratic "Solid South" era. This Republicanism resulted from their historical paucity ofslaves, in turn created by infertile soils unsuitable for intensive cotton farming, and produced support forthe Union during the Civil War.^{[citation needed]} These were the only two counties in Arkansas to be won byAlf Landon in 1936,^[21]Wendell Willkie in 1940,Charles Evans Hughes in 1916, and evenCalvin Coolidge in 1924. Since the Civil War the only Democrats to gain an absolute majority of Newton County's vote have beenFranklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 andJimmy Carter in 1976.^[22] In2008, theSocialism and Liberation candidate,Gloria La Riva, had the notable achievement of winning the precinct of Murray, ahead of major party candidatesBarack Obama andJohn McCain.^[23] The Republican nominee has received over sixty percent in all Presidential elections from 2000 to 2020 inclusive.^[24] In 2016, Newton County voted over 76 percent forDonald Trump, whileHillary Clinton received just 18 percent.

The county is inArkansas's 1st congressional district, which fromReconstruction until 2010 sent only Democrats to the U.S. House. That year, it elected RepublicanRick Crawford, who currently holds the seat as to date. In theArkansas House of Representatives Newton County is represented by Steven Walker.The state senator,Missy Thomas Irvin, is also a Republican.

24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell (24HHH) is an annualrock-climbing competition held at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch in Newton County.^[26] Using difficulty ratings based on theYosemite Decimal System, teams of two attempt to climb as many routes as possible in 24 hours. Thesandstone walls of thecanyon has over 411 established routes. The event was first held in 2006, and was rated byClimbing magazine as one of the most difficultendurance events in the nation.^[27][28]

• Jasper (county seat)

• Western Grove

• Deer
• Mount Judea
• Ponca
• Wayton

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 Newton County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/orcensus-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.^[29][30]

•  U.S. Highway 65
•  Arkansas Highway 7
•  Arkansas Highway 16
•  Arkansas Highway 21
•  Arkansas Highway 43
•  Arkansas Highway 74
•  Arkansas Highway 123

• List of lakes in Newton County, Arkansas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Newton County, Arkansas

• Map of Newtown County from the U. S. Census Bureau
• Map of Newton County from the Encyclopedia of Arkansas
• Newton County entry in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas
• Jasper/Newton County Chamber of Commerce
• Newton County Historical Society
• Newton County Scrap book
• 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell
• Newton County Sheriff

35°56′08″N93°13′19″W / 35.93556°N 93.22194°W /35.93556; -93.22194