Dardanelle, Arkansas | |
|---|---|
 Front St. Downtown Dardanelle. January 2020 | |
| Motto: "Where history & hospitality reside"[1] | |
 Location of Dardanelle in Yell County, Arkansas. | |
| Coordinates:35°14′21″N93°10′37″W / 35.23917°N 93.17694°W /35.23917; -93.17694 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arkansas |
| County | Yell |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.64 sq mi (9.44 km2) |
| • Land | 3.64 sq mi (9.44 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 328 ft (100 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 4,517 |
| • Density | 1,239.57/sq mi (478.56/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 72834 |
| Area code | 479 |
| FIPS code | 05-17380 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2404187[3] |
| Website | City of Dardanelle Arkansas |
Dardanelle is a city in northeastYell County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 4,517 at the2020 census.[4] Along withDanville, it serves as acounty seat for Yell County.[5] It is located nearLake Dardanelle.
Dardanelle is part of theRussellvilleMicropolitan Statistical Area.
Dardanelle is one of the oldest cities in the state of Arkansas. Officially incorporated in 1855, Dardanelle celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2005. However, the area had been settled for years before that, first being established as a river town in the mid-18th century. It is Yell County's dual county seat, sharing that title with Danville.
The Treaty of Council Oaks[6] was signed on June 24, 1823, on what is now North Front Street beneath two huge oak trees (102 feet high and 400–500 years old). Under orders of PresidentJames Monroe, U.S. Army Colonel David Brearley and secretary of Arkansas TerritoryRobert Crittendon met with Black Fox and several Cherokee leaders to determine boundaries. As a result of the treaty, the Cherokees gave up all of their land in Arkansas south of theArkansas River. One of the trees was destroyed in the early 1990s in a flood, but the other is still standing. The site is now a city park.[7]
Because of its location on the banks of the Arkansas River, Dardanelle was one of Arkansas's leading towns in the 19th century. Hundreds of barges, steamboats, and other vessels traveled by the town annually. Approximately halfway between the state's two largest cities ofLittle Rock andFort Smith, Dardanelle was a transportation and business hub, known as a marketplace for gin, rum and cotton.[8]
Dardanelle has a history of being one of the state's leading immigration centers that continues to this day. Vast numbers ofCzech andGerman families, including the Ballouns, Vodrazkas, Staneks, and Pfeiffers, came to the town in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and their impact can still be felt.[9] As of 2010, Dardanelle has one of the highest percentages of Hispanics in the state, with over 36% of the town's population Hispanic (up from 21% in 2000).[10]
Merritt Park opened in the late 1990s on the west side of town. It is a large, state-of-the-art park featuring outstanding baseball facilities, a playground, soccer fields, basketball courts, and a walking/jogging trail. The adjacent Dardanelle Community Center opened around the same time, and provides multiple services for the community.
In the late 19th century, apontoon bridge between Dardanelle and Russellville replaced ferry service. Spanning 2,208 feet, it was the longest pontoon bridge ever constructed across a moving body of water. The bridge was completely washed out multiple times during its nearly forty years of existence.[citation needed]
The Dardanelle Lock & Dam, constructed in the 1960s as a part of theMcClellan-Kerr Navigation System, led to the formation of Lake Dardanelle. It is a source of hydropower, and helps regulate river traffic on the Arkansas River. In 2013 it had an operating budget just over 8.9 million dollars.[11]
During the2019 Arkansas River floods, alevee just south of Dardanelle nearHolla Bend failed and broke at 1 a.m. Friday, May 31. Over the next few days water came perilously close to homes, schools and businesses in the southern part of Dardanelle but receded before causing any major damage.[12]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8.0 km2), all land.
| Climate data for Dardanelle, Arkansas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1909–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 82 (28) | 87 (31) | 95 (35) | 100 (38) | 100 (38) | 108 (42) | 110 (43) | 113 (45) | 108 (42) | 99 (37) | 88 (31) | 81 (27) | 113 (45) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 70.4 (21.3) | 73.9 (23.3) | 81.6 (27.6) | 85.6 (29.8) | 90.3 (32.4) | 95.0 (35.0) | 99.6 (37.6) | 100.4 (38.0) | 95.4 (35.2) | 88.2 (31.2) | 78.2 (25.7) | 71.1 (21.7) | 101.4 (38.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 51.1 (10.6) | 56.4 (13.6) | 65.2 (18.4) | 74.2 (23.4) | 81.3 (27.4) | 89.0 (31.7) | 93.4 (34.1) | 93.1 (33.9) | 86.5 (30.3) | 76.0 (24.4) | 62.4 (16.9) | 53.0 (11.7) | 73.5 (23.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 40.1 (4.5) | 44.4 (6.9) | 52.8 (11.6) | 61.6 (16.4) | 70.1 (21.2) | 78.2 (25.7) | 82.1 (27.8) | 81.2 (27.3) | 74.2 (23.4) | 63.2 (17.3) | 50.8 (10.4) | 42.6 (5.9) | 61.8 (16.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 29.1 (−1.6) | 32.5 (0.3) | 40.3 (4.6) | 49.0 (9.4) | 59.0 (15.0) | 67.3 (19.6) | 70.8 (21.6) | 69.3 (20.7) | 61.8 (16.6) | 50.3 (10.2) | 39.2 (4.0) | 32.1 (0.1) | 50.1 (10.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 13.9 (−10.1) | 18.0 (−7.8) | 23.3 (−4.8) | 32.2 (0.1) | 43.0 (6.1) | 56.6 (13.7) | 61.8 (16.6) | 59.4 (15.2) | 46.4 (8.0) | 33.0 (0.6) | 23.3 (−4.8) | 17.3 (−8.2) | 11.1 (−11.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −11 (−24) | −14 (−26) | 9 (−13) | 24 (−4) | 34 (1) | 47 (8) | 49 (9) | 47 (8) | 32 (0) | 23 (−5) | 14 (−10) | −3 (−19) | −14 (−26) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.56 (90) | 3.34 (85) | 4.58 (116) | 5.15 (131) | 5.44 (138) | 3.65 (93) | 3.62 (92) | 3.35 (85) | 3.53 (90) | 4.00 (102) | 4.79 (122) | 4.52 (115) | 49.53 (1,258) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.8 (2.0) | 1.2 (3.0) | 0.7 (1.8) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.4 (1.0) | 3.1 (7.9) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 6.5 | 6.3 | 7.7 | 6.9 | 8.3 | 6.0 | 5.8 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 76.7 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 1.6 |
| Source:NOAA[13][14] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 299 | — | |
| 1870 | 926 | 209.7% | |
| 1880 | 748 | −19.2% | |
| 1890 | 1,456 | 94.7% | |
| 1900 | 1,602 | 10.0% | |
| 1910 | 1,757 | 9.7% | |
| 1920 | 1,835 | 4.4% | |
| 1930 | 1,832 | −0.2% | |
| 1940 | 1,807 | −1.4% | |
| 1950 | 1,772 | −1.9% | |
| 1960 | 2,098 | 18.4% | |
| 1970 | 3,297 | 57.1% | |
| 1980 | 3,621 | 9.8% | |
| 1990 | 3,722 | 2.8% | |
| 2000 | 4,228 | 13.6% | |
| 2010 | 4,745 | 12.2% | |
| 2020 | 4,517 | −4.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[15] 2014 Estimate[16] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 2,368 | 52.42% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 147 | 3.25% |
| Native American | 24 | 0.53% |
| Asian | 20 | 0.44% |
| Pacific Islander | 2 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 179 | 3.96% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 1,777 | 39.34% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 4,517 people, 1,609 households, and 1,066 families residing in the city.
As of thecensus[18] of 2000, there were 4,228 people, 1,605 households, and 1,078 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,382.0 inhabitants per square mile (533.6/km2). There were 1,747 housing units at an average density of 571.0 per square mile (220.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 75.24%White, 4.64%Black, 0.54%Native American, 0.43%Asian, 0.09%Pacific Islander, 16.65% fromother races, and 2.41% from two or more races. 21.48% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,727, and the median income for a family was $30,457. Males had a median income of $21,138 versus $17,370 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $14,583. About 14.9% of families and 19.6% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 26.5% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those age 65 or over.
According to 2010 Census results, the population of the area was approximately 4,745 people. From 2000 to 2010, the Dardanelle city population growth percentage was 12.2% (or from 4,228 people to 4,745 people). 28.7% of the Dardanelle city residents were under 18 years of age. Racial data for Dardanelle city include the breakdown percentages of 57.9% non-Latino White, 3.6% African American, 0.5% Asian and 36.1% Hispanic, with 1,346 of 1,745 Latino residents being of Mexican descent.
Also, there were 1,877 housing units in Dardanelle city, 89.5% of which were occupied housing units, with just over 50% of occupied units being those of homeowners. There were 1,680 households, out of which 39.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 27.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.33.[19]
Some of Dardanelle's larger employers includeTyson Foods,Walmart Supercenter, The Dardanelle Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Dardanelle School System, Dardanelle City Government and Chambers Bank, which acquired River Town Bank (formerly the Bank of Dardanelle) in 2019.
Dardanelle is home to theDardanelle Post-Dispatch. Established in 1853, the newspaper claims to be the oldest weekly newspaper in Arkansas.
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A number of attractions can be found in Dardanelle or its surrounding area, including:
The Arkansas River Valley Regional Library system is based in Dardanelle, which consists of one central library, located at 501 North Front Street, and six branch libraries in other communities, which provide area residents with access to print books, publications and multimedia content.
Public elementary and secondary education is provided byDardanelle School District that leads students to graduate atDardanelle High School.[20]
TheDardanelle and Russellville Railroad, or "D&R" as it is known locally, is one of few remaining short-line railroads in the state. It connects Dardanelle with its larger neighbor on the north bank of the river. Highways 7, 22, 27, and 28 can be found ending or going through Dardanelle. Dardanelle is halfway between the Buffalo River to the north and Hot Springs to the south on Scenic Byway 7.
Municipalities and communities ofYell County, Arkansas,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
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| Other unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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