Stone County, Arkansas

Stone County
County
Stone County courthouse in Mountain View
Stone County courthouse in Mountain View
Map of Arkansas highlighting Stone County
Location within the U.S. state of Arkansas
Map of the United States highlighting Arkansas
Arkansas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°52′46″N 92°08′50″W / 35.879444444444°N 92.147222222222°W / 35.879444444444; -92.147222222222
Country United States
State Arkansas
FoundedApril 21, 1873
Named forrock formations in the area[1]
SeatMountain View
Largest cityMountain View
Area
[2]
 • Total609.43 sq mi (1,578.4 km2)
 • Land606.59 sq mi (1,571.1 km2)
 • Water2.84 sq mi (7.4 km2)  0.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total12,359
 • Density20/sq mi (7.8/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district1st

Stone County is located in the Ozark Mountains in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The county is named for the rugged, rocky area terrain of the Ozarks. Created as Arkansas's 74th county on April 21, 1873, Stone County has two incorporated cities: Mountain View, the county seat and most populous city, and Fifty-Six. The county is also the site of numerous unincorporated communities and ghost towns.

Most of the county is sparsely populated forested Ozark hills; including the northern fifth of the county managed by the United States Forest Service as the Ozark National Forest. The remainder of the county is used for poultry, ranching, and timber production. The White River runs along the eastern boundary of Stone County. The county contains six protected areas in addition to the Ozark National Forest: Blanchard Springs Caverns within the Ozark National Forest, two Natural Areas, two Wildlife Management Areas and the Ozark Folk Center, which preserves and interprets Ozark cultural heritage, especially traditional mountain folk music and crafts. Other features such as log cabins, one-room school houses, community centers, and museums, as well as annual cultural events, preserve the history and culture of Stone County.

Stone County occupies 609.43 square miles (1,578.4 km2) and contained a population of 12,359 as of the 2020 Census.[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference arcounties was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation (October 16, 2014). Arkansas County Polygons (SHP file) (Map). Arkansas GIS Office. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
  3. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Stone County, Arkansas". Retrieved January 21, 2023.