Baxter

Formed March 24, 1873 (65^th county)

Baxter County (41,633), Mountain Home (12,824)                

A brick structure is the courthouse in this county.  It was built in 1941 on a square at 7^th, Baker, 6^th, and Main streets (United States Highway 62).  T. Ewing Shelton is the designer of this Art Deco style courthouse.  Two courthouses have been located in Mountain Home and the original county courthouse was located in Norfolk.  Governor Elisha Baxter provided his name to Baxter County.  Mountain Home was named for its geographical location is the Ozark Mountains.  Baxter County was carved from parts of Fulton, Izard, Marion, and Searcy counties on March 24, 1873 as the 65^th county. 

Baxter County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, treasurer, and coroner (executive).  It has 11 Quorum Court members (legislative.)  Four Circuit Court Judges serve Baxter, Boone, Marion, and Newton counties and a District Court Judge, an Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Baxter County (judicial.)  The county is in north central Arkansas on the border with Missouri.  Springfield, Missouri is northwest of the county.  The Buffalo River forms part of the southern border.  The center of the county is in Mountain Home .7 miles South of city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Missouri and Fulton, Izard, Stone, Searcy, and Marion counties.  The county is tall and skinny coming to a narrow south point.  Mountain Home is in the northwest quarter of the county.  Mountain Home is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 30.8% of the county population. 

The area of the county is 586.7 square miles.  It is 66 of 75 in size.  It ranks 17 out of 75 in population in the state.  It has a density of 71.0 persons per square mile making it 16 out of 75 in the state.  Baxter County has 43.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highways 62/412 go east to west from Fulton County to Marion County.  The county is in the Mountain Home Micropolitan Statistical Area.