Formed January 1, 1845 (48th county)
Dallas County (6,479), Fordyce (3,399)
The clock tower and the white columns on the 1911 brick courthouse give it a stately appearance. It is located on Oak Street between 3rd and 4th streets. Fourth Street is United States Highway 79. Frank W. Gibb is the architect for this Beaux Arts style facility. Princeton was the original county seat with Fordyce succeeding it in 1908. It is the only courthouse in Fordyce. Colonel Samuel Fordyce, railroad president provided the source for the county site’s name. Dallas County’s namesake was George M. Dallas, United States Vice President. Dallas County was created on January 1, 1845 from parts of Bradley and Clark counties as the 48th county.
Dallas County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, treasurer, and coroner (executive). It has 9 Quorum Court members (legislative.) Six Circuit Court Judges serve Dallas, Calhoun, Cleveland, Columbia, Ouachita, and Union counties and a District Court Judge, an Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Dallas County (judicial.) The county is located in the south-central part of the state south of Little Rock, Arkansas and north of El Dorado, Arkansas. The center of the county is 28.4 miles Northwest of Fordyce nearer Princeton. The county is surrounded clockwise by Grant, Cleveland, Calhoun, Ouachita, Clark, and Hot Spring counties. The Mayo River and Saline River are part of its eastern border and the Ouachita River is part of its western border. A small r shaped best describes this county. Fordyce is in the extreme southeast corner of the state on the border with Calhoun County. Fordyce is the county seat and the largest city. It is 52.5% of the county population. The county seat is pronounced FOER-DICE.
The county’ area is 668.2 square miles. It is 36 of 75 in size. It ranks 72 out of 75 in population in the state. It has a density of 9.7 persons per square mile making it 73 out of 75 in the state. Dallas County has 61.3% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highways 79 cuts the southeast corner of the county from Cleveland County, east, to Calhoun County, south. United States Highway 167 enters and exits the county twice, once in the far northeast corner from Grant County (north) going into Cleveland County (east). It again enters a second time from Cleveland County, joins United States Highway 167 in Fordyce, and exits into Calhoun County.
Carthage
Fordyce
Sparkman
