Polk

Formed November 30, 1844 (47^th county)

Polk County (19,223), Mena (5,586)

The masonry structure of the county courthouse was built in 1939 in Art Deco style.  It is located at Mena Street between Church and Hickory streets.  United States Highway 59 is five blocks east of the site.  The designers were Haralson and Mott.  An addition has been added later.  There was also an earlier courthouse in Mena.  Dallas was the first county seat until 1898 when Mena became the county seat.  Polk County is named for United States President James K. Polk.  Mena got its name from Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands.  Sevier County was the origin of Polk County on November 30, 1844 as the 47^th county. 

Polk County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, treasurer, and coroner (executive).  It has 9 Quorum Court members (legislative.)  One Circuit Court Judge serves Polk and Montgomery counties and a District Court Judge, an Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Polk County (judicial.)  The county is in western Arkansas west of Hot Springs, Arkansas and south of Fort Smith, Arkansas.  Oklahoma is on its western border.  The center of the county is 8 miles Southeast of Mena nearer Nunley.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Scott, Montgomery, Howard, and Sevier counties and Oklahoma.  The county is shaped like a small r.  Mena is in the northern third of the county.  Mena is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 29.1% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced MEE-NA.

The area of the county is 862.4 square miles.  It is 12 of 75 in size.  It ranks 35 out of 75 in population in the state.  It has a density of 22.3 persons per square mile making it 47 out of 75 in the state.  Polk County has 39.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 59 enters from the northwest, Oklahoma, and exits to the south, Sevier County.  United States Highway 71 comes in from Scott County on the north, joins with United States Highway 59, and goes into Sevier County.  United States Highway 270 is joined with United States Highway 71 from Scott County, splits and joins United States Highway 59, and heads west into Oklahoma.  United States Highway 278 enters from Howard County on the southeast and terminates in the county.