Little River

Formed March 5, 1867 (58^th county)

Little River County (12,028), Ashdown (4,262)

Sidney Stewart designed the Beaux Arts style domed, red brick 1907 courthouse.  It is located on a square surrounded by 2^nd, Commerce, 3^rd, and Main streets.  The site is two blocks southwest of United States Highway 59.  It is the only courthouse built in Ashdown.  Rocky Comfort (1867), Richmond (1880), Foreman (1902), and Ashdown (1906) have all been the county seat.  The Little River gave the county its name.  Ashdown was named by Judge Lawrence A. Byrne for the home of his mother, Ashdown, England.  Little River County was the birthplace of 1 Arkansas Governor, Jefferson Davis.  Sevier County yielded land to form Little River County on March 5, 1867 as the 58^th county. 

Little River County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, treasurer, and coroner (executive).  It has 9 Quorum Court members (legislative.)  Two Circuit Court Judges serve Little River, Howard, Pike, and Sevier counties and a District Court Judge, an Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Little River County (judicial.)  Little River County government consists of a County Judge, a sheriff, and 9 Justices of the Peace.  serves Little River County.  The county is situated in the far southwest corner of the state just to the north of Texarkana, Arkansas.  Oklahoma is to its west and Texas is to its south.  The Little River forms its north and east borders.  The Red River is its southern border.  The center of the county is 3 miles West-Northwest of Ashdown.  Ashdown is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 35.4% of the county population.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Sevier, Howard, Hempstead, and Miller counties and Texas and Oklahoma.  It is a delta shape.  Ashdown is southeast toward the point of the delta. 

The area of the county is 564.9 square miles.  It is 72 of 75 in size.  It ranks 57 out of 75 in population in the state.  It has a density of 21.3 persons per square mile making it 51 out of 75 in the state.  Little River County has 48.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highways 59/71 cross the county north to south from Sevier County to Miller County.