Des Arc, Arkansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Des Arc, Arkansas
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    Clockwise from top: Prairie County Courthouse, Northern District, Downtown Des Arc, the White River, city park and bridge, and the Lower White River State Park
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Location of Des Arc in Prairie County, Arkansas.
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Arkansas |
| County | Prairie |
| Incorporated | 1854 |
| Named for | "At the bend" in French |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.11 sq mi (5.46 km2) |
| • Land | 2.10 sq mi (5.45 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2) |
| Elevation | 207 ft (63 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,905 |
| • Density | 906.28/sq mi (349.83/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−06:00 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−05:00 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code |
72040
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| Area code(s) | 870 |
| FIPS code | 05-18550 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2404222 |
Des Arc (/ˈdɛz.ɑːrk/ dez-ark) is a city on the White River in the Arkansas Delta, United States. It is the largest city in Prairie County, Arkansas, and the county seat for the county's northern district. Incorporated in 1854, Des Arc's position on the river has shaped its culture, history, and economy, beginning as a major lumber shipping port but leaving the city vulnerable to major floods in 1927 and 1937. As river shipping declined, Des Arc was bypassed by railroads, Interstate highways, and much of the post-industrial society. Des Arc's history is preserved by seven listings on the National Register of Historic Places, and the region's history is interpreted at Lower White River Museum State Park. The city's population stopped growing in the 1980s and has been declining since, with a population of 1,717 at the 2010 Census.
Contents
History
White settlement in the area began in the Lower White River Valley while the area was within French Louisiana, which lasted from 1686-1763. French from Canada and South Louisiana passed through the area while hunting and trapping bears and other animals. They shipped furs and bear oil downriver to Arkansas Post, which was the only established settlement in the region, then likely onto New Orleans. During this period, several places were named by the French, including Des Arc and other places in Prairie County such as La Grue.
Des Arc was founded in 1854. A map shows the original town included 80 residential blocks, and two blocks for a commercial district. The gridded street pattern has never been fully developed, though most of the streets and blocks match the 1854 plan. The gridded east-west street pattern began with a street named McNulty Street in the north, near where present-day Highway 38 is located along the northern edge of the city. The southernmost east-west street was Barrier Street. The town ran from Foster Street (present-day First Street) on the eastern side, to present-day Eighth Street.
Geography
Des Arc is located in the Lower White River segment of the Arkansas Delta (in Arkansas, usually referred to as "the Delta"). The Arkansas Delta is a subregion of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, which is a flat area consisting of rich, fertile sediment deposits from the Mississippi River between Louisiana and Illinois. The White River Lowlands contain swamps and forests, in contrast to southern portions of Prairie County within the Grand Prairie, a subdivision of the Arkansas Delta known today for rice farming and aquaculture.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2), of which 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2) is land and 0.49% is water. Des Arc is located approximately 60 miles (97 km) east of Little Rock and 95 miles (153 km) west of Memphis, Tennessee. Within Prairie County, Des Arc is the northernmost city, located 10–15 miles (16–24 km) north of Hazen, DeValls Bluff, and Fredonia (Biscoe).
Climate
Prairie County has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). Prairie County experiences all four seasons, although summers can be extremely hot and humid and winters are mild with little snow. July is the hottest month of the year, with an average high of 92 °F (33.3 °C) and an average low of 73 °F (22.8 °C). Temperatures above 100 °F (38 °C) are not uncommon. January is the coldest month with an average high of 48 °F (8.9 °C) and an average low of 31 °F (−0.6 °C). The highest temperature was 109 °F (42.8 °C), and the lowest temperature recorded was −5 °F (−21 °C). Record snowfall in Des Arc occurred January 7, 1912, with 18 inches (46 cm).
| Climate data for Des Arc, Arkansas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1903–1908, 1940–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 80 (27) |
82 (28) |
93 (34) |
93 (34) |
98 (37) |
105 (41) |
109 (43) |
109 (43) |
105 (41) |
98 (37) |
87 (31) |
83 (28) |
109 (43) |
| 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) |
100.8 (38.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 48.9 (9.4) |
53.9 (12.2) |
62.9 (17.2) |
72.6 (22.6) |
81.0 (27.2) |
88.9 (31.6) |
92.0 (33.3) |
91.4 (33.0) |
84.9 (29.4) |
74.7 (23.7) |
61.7 (16.5) |
51.8 (11.0) |
72.1 (22.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 40.8 (4.9) |
45.0 (7.2) |
53.7 (12.1) |
62.9 (17.2) |
71.7 (22.1) |
79.7 (26.5) |
82.7 (28.2) |
81.6 (27.6) |
74.8 (23.8) |
63.6 (17.6) |
52.2 (11.2) |
43.7 (6.5) |
62.7 (17.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 32.6 (0.3) |
36.1 (2.3) |
44.4 (6.9) |
53.2 (11.8) |
62.4 (16.9) |
70.6 (21.4) |
73.4 (23.0) |
71.9 (22.2) |
64.6 (18.1) |
52.6 (11.4) |
42.7 (5.9) |
35.6 (2.0) |
53.3 (11.8) |
| 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) |
13.5 (−10.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −8 (−22) |
−4 (−20) |
10 (−12) |
28 (−2) |
37 (3) |
46 (8) |
53 (12) |
48 (9) |
32 (0) |
23 (−5) |
13 (−11) |
−2 (−19) |
−8 (−22) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.68 (93) |
4.04 (103) |
5.16 (131) |
5.53 (140) |
5.40 (137) |
3.01 (76) |
3.10 (79) |
2.89 (73) |
3.32 (84) |
4.23 (107) |
4.43 (113) |
5.25 (133) |
50.04 (1,271) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.6 (1.5) |
0.8 (2.0) |
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) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.1 (0.25) |
2.3 (5.8) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 8.7 | 8.7 | 9.8 | 9.4 | 9.9 | 7.0 | 6.8 | 6.3 | 5.9 | 7.1 | 8.2 | 9.2 | 97.0 |
| 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 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.4 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 548 | — | |
| 1890 | 546 | −0.4% | |
| 1900 | 640 | 17.2% | |
| 1910 | 1,061 | 65.8% | |
| 1920 | 1,307 | 23.2% | |
| 1930 | 1,348 | 3.1% | |
| 1940 | 1,410 | 4.6% | |
| 1950 | 1,612 | 14.3% | |
| 1960 | 1,482 | −8.1% | |
| 1970 | 1,714 | 15.7% | |
| 1980 | 2,001 | 16.7% | |
| 1990 | 2,001 | 0.0% | |
| 2000 | 1,933 | −3.4% | |
| 2010 | 1,717 | −11.2% | |
| 2020 | 1,905 | 10.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2014 Estimate |
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2020 Census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,547 | 81.21% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 261 | 13.7% |
| Native American | 3 | 0.16% |
| Asian | 3 | 0.16% |
| Other/Mixed | 66 | 3.46% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 25 | 1.31% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,905 people, 715 households, and 446 families residing in the city.
Culture and contemporary life
Des Arc has seven properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including Bethel House, at Erwin and 2nd Streets, designed by architect Charles L. Thompson.
Human resources
Education
Des Arc is served by the Des Arc School District.
- Des Arc Pre-K
- Des Arc Elementary School K-6
- Des Arc High School 7-12
See also
In Spanish: Des Arc (Arkansas) para niños
