Sharp

Formed July 18, 1868 (59^th county)

Sharp County (17,280), Ash Flat (1,136), Cherokee Village (4,783)

The Modern style to the 1967 courthouse comes from the tan brick and concrete.  Stuck, Frier, Lane, and Scott were the courthouse designers.  Evening Shade (1870), Hardy (1894) and Ash Flat (1967) have all had courthouses.  Ash Flat Drive at Court Street is the location for the Ash Flat courthouse.  The county was named for State Legislator Ephraim Sharp.  Ash Flat is a geographical term for the nearby ash groves.  Lawrence County provided the land for Sharp County on July 18, 1868 as the 59^th county. 

Sharp County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, treasurer, and coroner (executive).  It has 9 Quorum Court members (legislative.)  Three Circuit Court Judges serve Sharp, Jackson, Lawrence, and Randolph counties and a District Court Judge, an Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Sharp County (judicial.)  The county is located in north central Arkansas on the Missouri border.  Jonesboro, Arkansas is Southeast of the county.  The center of the county is 15.4 miles Southeast of Ash Flat nearer Williford.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Missouri and Randolph, Lawrence, Independence, Izard, and Fulton counties.  Ash Flat is in the extreme west central part of the county and extends into Fulton County.  Cherokee Village is in the extreme northwest corner of the county and extends into Fulton County.  Ash Flat is the county seat and Cherokee Village is the largest city.  Ash Flat is 6.6% of the county population while Cherokee Village is 27.7% of the county population.

The area of the county is 606.4 square miles.  It is 58 of 75 in size.  It ranks 40 out of 75 in population in the state.  It has a density of 28.5 persons per square mile making it 32 out of 75 in the state.  Sharp County has 52.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highways 62/412 transit from Randolph County, east, into Fulton County, west.  United States Highway 63 enters joined with United States Highway 62, splits, and goes north into Fulton County.  United States Highway 167 originates in the county and heads south into Independence County.