Crittenden

Formed October 22, 1825 (11^th county)

Crittenden County (48,169), Marion (13,772), West Memphis (24,523)

The domed, columnar courthouse of Crittenden County is located on Center Street between Jackson and Court streets.  It is two blocks east of Arkansas State Highway 77.  The only Marion county courthouse was built in 1910 and enlarged in 1977.  Chamberlin and Company were the designers of this Beaux Arts style courthouse.  An Administration Building was added in 1958.  The county seat was named for patriot Francis Marion.  He is also the namesake of Marion County.  The county’s name was provided by Arkansas Territorial Governor, Robert Crittenden.  Phillips County yielded Crittenden County on October 22, 1825 as the 11^th county.  Greenock was the county seat until 1827, Earion until 1873, and finally Marion took over. 

Crittenden County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, treasurer, and coroner (executive).  It has 11 Quorum Court members (legislative.)  One Circuit Court Judge and Two District Court Judges, an Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Crittenden County (judicial.)  The county is situated in east Arkansas on the border with Tennessee and Mississippi.  Memphis, Tennessee is just across the Mississippi River.  The river serves as its eastern border.  The center of the county is 16.8 miles Northwest of Marion nearer Earle.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Poinsett and Mississippi counties and Tennessee and Mississippi and Lee, St. Francis, and Cross counties.  The county is a fat 7 except for the wavy eastern border of the river.  Marion is north and east of the county center.  West Memphis is in the southeast quarter of the county.  Marion is the county seat and West Memphis is the largest city.  Marion is 28.6% of the county population while West Memphis is 50.9% of the county population.  The county is pronounced KRIT-TEN-DEN. 

The area of the county is 636.7 square miles.  It is 46 of 75 in size.  It ranks 14 out of 75 in population in the state.  It has a density of 75.7 persons per square mile making it 13 out of 75 in the state.  Crittenden County has 88.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 40 crosses from Tennessee to St. Francis County, east to west.  Interstate Highway 55 also comes east from Tennessee but turns north to go into Mississippi County.  United States Highway 61 enters joined with Interstate Highway 55 from Tennessee and then splits in the northern part of the county to parallel it into Mississippi County.  United States Highway 63 comes in from Poinsett County on the northwest and terminates in the county.  United States Highway 64 also is joined with Interstate Highway 55 from Tennessee, splits away, and continues west into Cross County.  United States Highways 70/79 enter from Tennessee with Interstate Highway 55, split away, and parallel Interstate Highway 40 into St. Francis County.  The county is in the Memphis Metropolitan Statistical Area.

West Memphis