Benton

Formed September 30, 1836 (34^th county)

Benton County (284,329), Bentonville (54,210), Rogers (69,913)

The arched entries to the concrete and brick courthouse give it a government aura.  This 1928 structure is located on A Street between East Central (Arkansas State Highway 72) and 2^nd Street.  The designer of the courthouse is A. O. Clark in a Neo-Classical style.  An Administrative Building was added in 1997 and a Judicial Center was added in 1999.  Two courthouses have been located in Bentonville, the only county seat.  Missouri United States Senator Thomas Hart Benton gave his name to the county and the county seat.  He also provided his name to the Saline County seat.  Benton County was the birthplace of 1 Arkansas Governor, W. Asa Hutchinson.  The county was created on September 30, 1836 from Washington County as the 34^th county.  

Benton County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, treasurer, and coroner (executive).  It has 15 Quorum Court members (legislative.)  Six Circuit Court Judges and Four District Court Judges, an Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Benton County (judicial.)  It is the furthest northwest in the state on borders with Oklahoma and Missouri.  Fayetteville, Arkansas is directly south of the county.  The center of the county is 22.1 miles Southwest of Bentonville in Gentry.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Missouri and Carroll, Madison, and Washington counties and Oklahoma.  The county is overall rectangular with a foot on the southwest corner.  Bentonville is in the northern half of the county.  Rogers is located southeast of center in the county.  Bentonville is the county seat and Rogers is the largest city.  Bentonville is 19.1% of the county population while Rogers is 24.6% of the county population.

The area of the county is 884.9 square miles.  It is 10 of 75 in size.  It ranks 2 out of 75 in population in the state.  It has a density of 321.3 persons per square mile making it 2 out of 75 in the state.  Benton County has 84.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 62 enters from Carroll County on the east then turns south to exit into Washington County.  United States Highway 71 comes from the north (Missouri), joins United States Highway 62, and goes into Washington County.  United States Highway 412 cuts the southwest corner from Washington County into Oklahoma.  The county is in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers Metropolitan Statistical Area.