Des Arc, Arkansas

Des Arc, Arkansas
City
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
Location of Des Arc in Prairie County, Arkansas.
Coordinates: 34°58′32″N 91°30′02″W / 34.97556°N 91.50056°W / 34.97556; -91.50056
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
County	Prairie
Incorporated	1854
Named for	"At the bend" in French
Government
• Type	Mayor–Council
• Mayor	James Garth
Area [1]
• 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 [2]	207 ft (63 m)
Population  (2020)
• 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
Area code	870
FIPS code	05-18550
GNIS feature ID	2404222[2]

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.