Jackson

Formed November 15, 1829 (22^nd county)

Jackson County (16,760), Newport (8,010)                

The clock tower and castle look to the red brick structure are unique.  The only courthouse in Newport was built in 1892 at Main and 3^rd Streets.  Its site is in the business area of the city on Arkansas State Highway 367.  McAninch and Anderson are the courthouse architects in the Romanesque Revival style.  The building was remodeled in 1939.  Litchfield was the first county seat (1832), then Elizabeth (1839), Augusta (1852), Jacksonport (1853), and finally Newport in 1892.  Jacksonport had a county courthouse built in 1872.  Andrew Jackson, United States President, gave Jackson County its name.  Newport presumably is named as a new port on the White River.  Jackson County was the birthplace of 1 Arkansas Governor, Mickey D. Beebe.  Lawrence and St. Francis counties were the source of Jackson County on November 15, 1829 as the 22^nd county. 

Jackson County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, treasurer, and coroner (executive).  It has 9 Quorum Court members (legislative.)  Three Circuit Court Judges serve Jackson, Lawrence, Randolph, and Sharp counties and a District Court Judge, an Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Jackson County (judicial.)  The county is in northeast Arkansas, just southwest of Jonesboro, Arkansas.  The center of the county is 11.5 miles East-Northeast of Newport nearer Amagon.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Lawrence, Craighead, Poinsett, Cross, Woodruff, White, and Independence counties.  The county is shaped like a small g with an added foot on the southeast corner.  Newport is on the far west border yet in the center north-south of the county.  Newport is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 47.8% of the county population.

The area of the county is 641.5 square miles.  It is 41 of 75 in size.  It ranks 45 out of 75 in population in the state.  It has a density of 26.1 persons per square mile making it 41 out of 75 in the state.  Jackson County has 75.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 67 crosses diagonally from Lawrence County (northeast) to White County (southwest).  The White River forms most of the western border.