Union

Formed November 2, 1829 (21^st county)

Union County (39,049), El Dorado (17,755)

The governmental masonry courthouse of Union County is located on a square at Washington, Main, Jefferson and Elm streets.  Main Street is United States Highway Business 167.  It was built in 1928 using the Neo-Classical designs of Eugene John Stern.  El Dorado was also the site of 1844 and 1848 courthouses.  Camden was the first county seat (1829) followed by El Dorado (1843).  The county was named for the union of the states.  El Dorado is Spanish for “the Gold.”  Union County was the birthplace of 1 Arkansas Governor, Thomas C. McRae.  Union County was formed on November 2, 1829 from parts of Hempstead and Clark counties as the 21^st county.  

Union County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, treasurer, and coroner (executive).  It has 11 Quorum Court members (legislative.)  Six Circuit Court Judges serve Union, Calhoun, Cleveland, Columbia, Dallas, and Ouachita counties and a District Court Judge, an Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Union County (judicial.)  The county is situated in south central Arkansas on the border with Louisiana.  Pine Bluff, Arkansas is Northeast of the county.  Its east border is the Ouachita River.  The center of the county is 9.5 miles Southeast of El Dorado.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Ouachita, Calhoun, Bradley, and Ashley counties, Louisiana, and Columbia County.  The county is shaped like a fat knife blade pointing east.  El Dorado is in the western half of the county.  El Dorado is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 45.4% of the county population.  

The area of the county is 1055.3 square miles.  It is 1 of 75 in size.  It ranks 19 out of 75 in population in the state.  It has a density of 37.0 persons per square mile making it 25 out of 75 in the state.  Union County has 56.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 82 crosses from Ashley County to Columbia County, east to west.  United States Highways 79/167 come from Calhoun County on the northeast and goes south into Louisiana.  The county is in the El Dorado Micropolitan Statistical Area.