Columbia

Formed December 17, 1852 (54^th county)

Columbia County (22,798), Magnolia (11,577)

The rotunda on the stately courthouse makes it unique to the city.  It was constructed in 1905.  It is located in the city square on Main Street at the intersection of Jefferson and Washington streets.  United States Highway 82 is Main Street in this part of the town.  The courthouse designer was W. S. Hull in a Renaissance Revival style.  Columbia County was named for Christopher Columbus.  The county seat is named after the magnolia trees.  Magnolia has been the county seat since formation.  Columbia County was the birthplace of 1 Arkansas Governor, Sidney S. McMath.  Parts of Hempstead, Lafayette, and Ouachita counties help form Columbia County on December 17, 1852 as the 54^th county. 

Columbia County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, treasurer, and coroner (executive).  It has 10 Quorum Court members (legislative.)  Six Circuit Court Judges serve Columbia, Calhoun, Cleveland, Dallas, Ouachita and Union counties and a District Court Judge, an Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Columbia County (judicial.)  The county is in the southwest on the border with Louisiana.  The center of the county is 10.6 miles South-Southeast of Magnolia nearer Emerson.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Nevada, Ouachita, and Union counties and Louisiana and Lafayette County.  The county is rectangular with a step inward from both sides east and west.  Magnolia is slightly north and west of center.  Magnolia is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 49.0% of the county population.  El Dorado, Arkansas is east and Texarkana, Arkansas is west of the county. 

The area of the county is 766.9 square miles.  It is 22 of 75 in size.  It ranks 28 out of 75 in population in the state.  It has a density of 29.7 persons per square mile making it 30 out of 75 in the state.  Columbia County has 59.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 79 comes from Ouachita County, northeast and goes to Louisiana, south.  United States Highway 82 crosses east to west from Union County to Lafayette County.  United States Highway 371 crosses north to south, Nevada County into Louisiana.  The county is in the Magnolia Micropolitan Statistical Area.