Cleburne

Formed February 20, 1883 (75^th county)

Cleburne County (24,705), Heber Springs (6,967)

The stately domed courthouse made of brick was built in 1914 as is the only courthouse built in the Heber Springs.  Clyde A. Ferrell was the architect of this Beaux Arts style courthouse.  It is located on a square West Main, 3^rd, Searcy, and 4^th streets.  Main Street is Arkansas State Highway 110.  An Annex has been added.  Cleburne County was named for Patrick Cleburne, a noted hero of the Confederacy.  Heber Springs is a consolidation of a local mineral springs and local resident Dr. Heber Jones.  Cleburne County was created on February 20, 1883 from Independence, Van Buren, and White counties as the 75^th and last county.  Heber Springs has been the only county seat. 

Cleburne County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, treasurer, and coroner (executive).  It has 11 Quorum Court members (legislative.)  Four Circuit Court Judges serve Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Izard, and Stone counties and a District Court Judge, an Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Cleburne County (judicial.)  The county is located in the north central part of the state.  The Little Red River crosses the county for west to east.  Little Rock, Arkansas is south of the county.  The center of the county is 4.8 miles Southwest of Heber Springs.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Stone, Independence, White, Faulkner, and Van Buren counties.  There is a small notch missing in the southeast corner of this otherwise square shaped county.  Heber Springs is in the southern half of the county.  Heber Springs is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 28.2% of the county population.  The county is pronounced KLEE-BURN.  The county seat is pronounced HEE-BUR SPRINGS.

The area of the county is 591.9 square miles.  It is 65 of 75 in size.  It ranks 25 out of 75 in population in the state.  It has a density of 41.7 persons per square mile making it 23 out of 75 in the state.  Cleburne County has 36.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States highways in the county.