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Mount Ida, Arkansas
Montgomery County Courthouse in downtown Mount Ida
Montgomery County Courthouse in downtown Mount Ida
Motto(s): 
"Quartz Crystal Capital of the World"
Location in Montgomery County, Arkansas
Location in Montgomery County, Arkansas
Country United States
State Arkansas
County Montgomery
Incorporated (city) May 30, 1890
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
 (2020)
 • 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(s) 870
FIPS code 05-47690
GNIS feature ID 2404320

Mount Ida is a city in and county seat of Montgomery 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 largely ranching, poultry farming, silviculture, and tourism around Lake Ouachita. It is known as the quartz crystal capital of the U.S. and is known worldwide for its quartz deposits. The population was 996 as of the 2020 census.

History

Mount Ida was incorporated on May 30, 1890.

Episode 133, entitled "What's in my Pocket?", of the popular podcast Small Town Murder, hosted by James Pietragallo and Jimmie Whisman, featured Mount Ida on August 22, 2019.

Geography

WLA hmns Quartz Arkansas
Arkansas quartz crystals

Mount Ida is located in central Montgomery County on the south bank of the South Fork of the Ouachita River. US Route 270 and Arkansas Highway 27 pass through the town. US 270 leads east 36 miles (58 km) to Hot Springs and northwest 86 miles (138 km) to Heavener, Oklahoma, while AR 27 leads northeast 46 miles (74 km) to Danville and southwest 9 miles (14 km) to Norman. Mount Ida, the mountain, is about 5 miles (8 km) southwest of the town along Route 27.

According to the United 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.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Mount Ida has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

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)
Average precipitation 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

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
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

2020 census

Mount Ida racial composition
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 or Latino 48 4.82%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 996 people, 428 households, and 273 families residing in the city.

Parks and recreation

Lake Ouachita north of Mount Ida, Arkansas
Lake Ouachita north of Mount Ida, Arkansas

The Ouachita National Forest is located in Montgomery County, and is close to Mount Ida. It is the South's oldest and largest national forest, and offers scenic areas like Little Missouri Falls, and hiking and backpacking trails. Lake Ouachita, one of the largest lakes in the region, is partially situated within Montgomery County.

Notable people

  • Mark Davis, professional sport fisherman of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society; born in Mount Ida
  • Lon Warneke, Major League Baseball player, Major League umpire; born in Mount Ida
  • Charles L. Watkins, first Parliamentarian of the United States Senate; born and raised in Mount Ida

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Mount Ida (Arkansas) para niños

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