Montgomery

Formed December 9, 1842 (44^th county)

Montgomery County (8,486), Mount Ida (997)

The stone courthouse, built in 1923, stands out in this small community.  Clyde A. Ferrel provided the courthouse designs for this Classical Revival building.  The building was remodeled in 1975 with additions.  Mount Ida has been the only county seat.  United States Highway 270 passes through the center of the town.  The facility is located on East Highway 270.  Mount Ida was named by a settler for a hill in Massachusetts.  The county was named for American Revolutionary General Richard Montgomery.  Hot Spring County is the source for Montgomery County on December 9, 1842 as the 44^th county. 

Montgomery County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, treasurer, and coroner (executive).  It has 9 Quorum Court members (legislative.)  One Circuit Court Judge serves Montgomery and Polk counties and a District Court Judge, an Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Montgomery County (judicial.)  The county is located just west of Hot Springs, Arkansas in the west central part of the state.  The center of the county is 2.9 miles Southwest of Mount Ida.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Yell, Garland, Hot Spring, Clark, Pike, Polk, and Scott counties.  The county is mainly a square with the northwest cut off.  The Ouachita River crosses the northern part of the county.  Mount Ida is near the center of the county.  Mount Ida is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 11.8% of the county population.

The area of the county is 800.3 square miles.  It is 20 of 75 in size.  It ranks 65 out of 75 in population in the state.  It has a density of 10.6 persons per square mile making it 71 out of 75 in the state.  Montgomery County has 19.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 70 crosses southeast corner from Hot Springs County to Pike County.  United States Highway 270 transits the county from Garland County, east, to Scott County, northwest.