Mount Ida, Arkansas | |
|---|---|
 Montgomery County Courthouse in downtown Mount Ida | |
| Motto: "Quartz Crystal Capital of the World"[1] | |
 Location in Montgomery County, Arkansas | |
| Coordinates:34°33′03″N93°37′35″W / 34.55083°N 93.62639°W /34.55083; -93.62639[2] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arkansas |
| County | Montgomery |
| Incorporated (city) | May 30, 1890[3] |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.60 sq mi (4.14 km2) |
| • Land | 1.57 sq mi (4.06 km2) |
| • Water | 0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2) |
| Elevation | 659 ft (201 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 996 |
| • Density | 634.80/sq mi (245.06/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 71957 |
| Area code | 870 |
| FIPS code | 05-47690 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2404320[2] |
Mount Ida is a city in and thecounty seat ofMontgomery County,Arkansas, United States. Founded in 1842, the city saw a silver boom in the 1880s bring early prosperity and economic development to the area.
Today, the economy is largelyranching,poultry farming,silviculture, and tourism aroundLake Ouachita. It is known as the quartz crystal capital of the U.S. and is known worldwide for itsquartz deposits.[1] The population was 996 as of the2020 census.[5]
Mount Ida was incorporated on May 30, 1890.[3]
Episode 133, entitled "What's in my Pocket?", of the popular podcastSmall Town Murder, hosted by James Pietragallo and Jimmie Whisman, featured Mount Ida on August 22, 2019.
Mount Ida is located in central Montgomery County on the south bank of the South Fork of theOuachita River.US Route 270 andArkansas Highway 27 pass through the town.[6] US 270 leads east 36 miles (58 km) toHot Springs and northwest 86 miles (138 km) toHeavener, Oklahoma, while AR 27 leads northeast 46 miles (74 km) toDanville and southwest 9 miles (14 km) toNorman. Mount Ida, the mountain, is about 5 miles (8 km) southwest of the town along Route 27.[6]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city of Mount Ida has a total area of 1.60 square miles (4.14 km2), of which 0.03 square miles (0.08 km2), or 1.94%, are water.[4]
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Mount Ida has ahumid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[7]
| Climate data for Mount Ida, Arkansas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1883–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 87 (31) | 86 (30) | 91 (33) | 93 (34) | 97 (36) | 108 (42) | 110 (43) | 116 (47) | 107 (42) | 100 (38) | 89 (32) | 83 (28) | 116 (47) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 53.0 (11.7) | 56.9 (13.8) | 65.4 (18.6) | 73.6 (23.1) | 80.5 (26.9) | 88.4 (31.3) | 92.9 (33.8) | 92.7 (33.7) | 86.3 (30.2) | 75.3 (24.1) | 63.5 (17.5) | 55.0 (12.8) | 73.6 (23.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 41.8 (5.4) | 45.5 (7.5) | 53.3 (11.8) | 61.5 (16.4) | 69.4 (20.8) | 77.2 (25.1) | 81.0 (27.2) | 80.4 (26.9) | 73.4 (23.0) | 62.2 (16.8) | 51.5 (10.8) | 43.6 (6.4) | 61.7 (16.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 30.7 (−0.7) | 34.0 (1.1) | 41.2 (5.1) | 49.3 (9.6) | 58.3 (14.6) | 66.1 (18.9) | 69.2 (20.7) | 68.2 (20.1) | 60.5 (15.8) | 49.1 (9.5) | 39.6 (4.2) | 32.2 (0.1) | 49.9 (9.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −15 (−26) | −21 (−29) | 4 (−16) | 20 (−7) | 30 (−1) | 41 (5) | 47 (8) | 43 (6) | 31 (−1) | 20 (−7) | 6 (−14) | −6 (−21) | −21 (−29) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.81 (97) | 4.04 (103) | 5.01 (127) | 6.17 (157) | 5.44 (138) | 4.77 (121) | 4.20 (107) | 3.66 (93) | 4.14 (105) | 4.44 (113) | 5.25 (133) | 4.82 (122) | 55.75 (1,416) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 8.6 | 9.9 | 10.9 | 9.9 | 12.0 | 9.8 | 10.2 | 8.3 | 7.6 | 9.3 | 9.1 | 9.4 | 115.0 |
| Source:NOAA[8][9] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 298 | — | |
| 1930 | 512 | 71.8% | |
| 1940 | 490 | −4.3% | |
| 1950 | 566 | 15.5% | |
| 1960 | 564 | −0.4% | |
| 1970 | 819 | 45.2% | |
| 1980 | 1,023 | 24.9% | |
| 1990 | 775 | −24.2% | |
| 2000 | 981 | 26.6% | |
| 2010 | 1,076 | 9.7% | |
| 2020 | 996 | −7.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 869 | 87.25% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 4 | 0.4% |
| Native American | 16 | 1.61% |
| Asian | 1 | 0.1% |
| Pacific Islander | 3 | 0.3% |
| Other/Mixed | 55 | 5.52% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 48 | 4.82% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 996 people, 428 households, and 273 families residing in the city.
As of thecensus[12] of 2000, there were 981 people, 412 households, and 257 families residing in the city. The population density was 598.5 inhabitants per square mile (231.1/km2). There were 471 housing units at an average density of 287.4 per square mile (111.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.53%White, 0.10%Black orAfrican American, 1.94%Native American, 0.31%Asian, 0.10% fromother races, and 1.02% from two or more races. 0.51% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 412 households, out of which 22.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% weremarried couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.74.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.2% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 18.3% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 34.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females, there were 78.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $21,438, and the median income for a family was $30,714. Males had a median income of $25,875 versus $20,179 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $13,532. About 18.9% of families and 23.4% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 29.2% of those under age 18 and 16.0% of those age 65 or over.
TheOuachita National Forest is located in Montgomery County, and is close to Mount Ida. It is the South's oldest and largest national forest,[1] and offers scenic areas like Little Missouri Falls, and hiking and backpacking trails.[13]Lake Ouachita, one of the largest lakes in the region, is partially situated within Montgomery County.
Municipalities and communities ofMontgomery County, Arkansas,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| City |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
