Johnson

Formed November 6, 1833 (29^th county)

Johnson County (25,749), Clarksville (9,365)

The masonry courthouse sits on a square at Main, Cravens, Sevier and Fulton streets.  Main Street is United States Highway 64 passing through the city.  The courthouse designers were Haralson and Nelson in Classical Revival style.  Two courthouses have been in Clarksville, one in 1838 and the current 1936 courthouse.  Spadra Boat Landing was the county seat from 1833-1836 when Clarksville took over.  Judge Benjamin Johnson is the namesake for the county.  Explorer William Clark was the source of the county seat’s name.  Clark also gave his name to Clark County.  The county was taken from a part of Pope and Madison counties on November 6, 1833 as the 29^th county. 

Johnson County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, treasurer, and coroner (executive).  It has 11 Quorum Court members (legislative.)  Four Circuit Court Judges serve Johnson, Franklin, and Pope counties and a District Court Judge, an Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Johnson County (judicial.)  The northwest part of the state has Johnson County northwest of Little Rock, Arkansas and east of Fort Smith, Arkansas.  The center of the county is 11.1 miles North-Northwest of Clarksville nearer Ozone.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Newton, Pope, Logan, Franklin, and Madison counties.  

The area of the county is 682.7 square miles.  It is 33 of 75 in size.  It ranks 24 out of 75 in population in the state.  It has a density of 37.7 persons per square mile making it 24 out of 75 in the state.  Johnson County has 50.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 40 crosses from Pope County, east, to Franklin County, west.  United States Highway 64 parallels Interstate Highway 40 from Pope to Franklin counties.  The Arkansas River forms the southern border of the county.  The county is basically a rectangle with an indent on the southeast and the wandering river on the south.  Clarksville is in the middle east-west but on the extreme south on the river.  Clarksville is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 36.4% of the county population.