Newton

Formed December 14, 1842 (45^th county)

Newton County (7,225), Jasper (535)

The small stone county courthouse was constructed in 1939 in Art Deco style and remodeled in 2003.  This facility is located at Court and Stone Streets.  Arkansas State Highway 7 turns the corner from Court Street to Stone Street at the courthouse.  The courthouse was designed by the Works Progress Administration.  Parthenon (1842) and Jasper (1843) has both served as county seat.  United States Congressman, Thomas W. Newton provided his name to the county.  Jasper is named for the stone.  Carroll County provided the land for Newton County on December 14, 1842 as the 45^th county. 

Newton County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, treasurer, and coroner (executive).  It has 9 Quorum Court members (legislative.)  Four Circuit Court Judges serve Newton, Baxter, Boone, and Marion counties and a District Court Judge, an Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Newton County (judicial.)  The county is in northwestern Arkansas.  Fayetteville, Arkansas is West of the county.  The Buffalo River crosses the northern part of the county.  The center of the county is 4.4 miles South of Jasper.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Boone, Searcy, Pope, Johnson, Madison, and Carroll counties.  A rectangular county with a western jagged border is the shape.  Jasper is in the northern quarter of the county.  Jasper is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 7.4% of the county population.

The area of the county is 823.2 square miles.  It is 16 of 75 in size.  It ranks 70 out of 75 in population in the state.  It has a density of 8.8 persons per square mile making it 74 out of 75 in the state.  Newton County has 12.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 65 cuts the northeast corner from Boone County on the north to Searcy County on the east.  The county is in the Harrison Micropolitan Statistical Area.