Woodruff

Formed November 26, 1862 (57^th county)

Woodruff County (6,276), Augusta (2,004)

The tall clock tower of the brown brick courthouse stands out in this community.  Located at the corner of 3^rd Street between Spruce Street and Courthouse Boulevard, this structure was built in 1902.  The building designer was Charles L. Thompson in Romanesque Revival style.  Arkansas State Highway 33 is 3^rd Street in this part of the town.  Augusta has been the only county seat.  A 1973 Service Center building augments the courthouse.  The county was named for newspaper publisher William E. Woodruff.  The county seat’s name originates from the mother of George III of England.  Jackson and St. Francis counties provided the land for Woodruff County on November 26, 1862 as the 57^th county. 

Woodruff County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, treasurer, and coroner (executive).  It has 9 Quorum Court members (legislative.)  Five Circuit Court Judges serve Woodruff, Cross, Lee, Monroe, Phillips, and Saint Francis counties and a District Court Judge, an Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Woodruff County (judicial.)  The county is situated in northeast Arkansas to the southwest of Jonesboro, Arkansas.  The White River forms most of its west border.  The county center is 24 miles Southeast of Augusta nearer McCrory.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Jackson, Cross, St. Francis, Monroe, Prairie, and White counties.  The county’s overall a tall rectangle with a chimney on the northwest and two feet on the south.  Augusta is in the northwest on the western river border.  Augusta is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 31.9% of the county population.  The county is pronounced WOOD-RUF.

The area of the county is 594.1 square miles.  It is 63 of 75 in size.  It ranks 74 out of 75 in population in the state.  It has a density of 10.6 persons per square mile making it 72 out of 75 in the state.  Stone County has 72.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 49 enters from Cross County, northeast, and goes into Monroe County, south.  United States Highway 64 crosses east to west from Cross County into White County.