Carroll County is a county in Arkansas, United States, in the Ozark Mountains along the Missouri border. It had a population of 28,260 at the 2020 census and covers 630 square miles (1,600 km2) of land centred near 36°22′05″N 93°29′47″W.
Berryville is the county seat of Carroll County’s eastern district, and its postal code is 72616. Eureka Springs is the county seat of the western district; an arrangement dating to a 19th-century railroad dispute split the county’s court functions between the two towns. The county has 8 incorporated cities and towns plus a scatter of smaller unincorporated communities. It sits in the Central time zone; its FIPS code is 05015.
Towns & Villages in Carroll County
Carroll County’s incorporated places range from the twin county seats down to small Ozark hamlets; most of the remaining names on this list are unincorporated communities and rural crossroads with no municipal government. CDP = census-designated place; Unincorp. = unincorporated community.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berryville | City · seat | 5,682 | 72616 |
| Eureka Springs | City · seat | 2,166 | 72632 |
| Green Forest | City | 2,972 | 72638 |
| Holiday Island | CDP | 2,533 | 72631 |
| Alpena | City | — | 72611 |
| Beaver | Town | — | 72606 |
| Blue Eye | Town | — | — |
| Oak Grove | Town | — | — |
| Carrollton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Osage | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rudd | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Busch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cabanal | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cisco | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Coin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Conner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dean | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Delmar | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Denver | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dry Fork | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Farewell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gobbler | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Grandview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| High | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hough | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lone Star | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Maple | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Metalton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rule | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Urbanette | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Yocum | Unincorp. | — | — |
Alpena straddles the Carroll–Boone county line, with most of the town sitting in neighboring Boone County; only its western edge falls inside Carroll County.
ZIP Codes
- 72616 — Berryville
- 72632 — Eureka Springs
- 72631 — Holiday Island (also serves the Eureka Springs area)
- 72638 — Green Forest
- 72611 — Alpena
- 72606 — Beaver
Smaller unincorporated communities generally use the postal address of the nearest ZIP-code town rather than carrying a code of their own.
Geography
Carroll County lies in the White River Hills section of the Ozark Mountains, a rugged, heavily forested landscape of limestone bluffs and spring-fed streams. Of its 639 square miles, 630 square miles are land and 8.7 square miles are water — the county’s share of Beaver Lake and Table Rock Lake along its western and northern edges, plus the White River and Kings River, which both cut through steep, scenic valleys popular with canoeists.
The county borders Stone County, Missouri, and Taney County, Missouri, to the north; Boone County, Arkansas, to the east; Newton County, Arkansas, to the southeast; Madison County, Arkansas, to the south; Benton County, Arkansas, to the west; and Barry County, Missouri, to the northwest. Of these, Stone County, Missouri and Barry County, Missouri have live pages on this site; Taney County, Boone County, Newton County, Madison County and Benton County do not yet.
Demographics
Carroll County’s population was 28,260 at the 2020 census. Berryville, with 5,682 residents, and Green Forest, with 2,972, are its two largest incorporated communities; Eureka Springs, the county’s other seat, had 2,166. Carroll County’s median household income runs below the Arkansas median of $58,700, typical of the county’s rural, tourism- and agriculture-based economy. Population density works out to roughly 45 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Poultry processing and agriculture anchor the county’s east side around Berryville and Green Forest, while tourism drives Eureka Springs, whose Victorian-era downtown was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. The Eureka Springs School of the Arts, the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow, and a downtown gallery district support a year-round arts economy, and the city’s Opera in the Ozarks summer festival has run since 1950. Lake tourism around Holiday Island and Beaver Lake adds a second seasonal draw.
History
Carroll County was formed on November 1, 1833, and named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence. Arkansas’s legislature later split the county into eastern and western judicial districts, each with its own seat — Berryville for the east, Eureka Springs for the west — a dual-seat structure that survives today. Eureka Springs itself grew rapidly in the 1880s after promoters marketed its more than 140 natural springs as healing waters, and the town later became known for its counterculture and LGBT community from the 1970s onward.
Getting There
U.S. Routes 62 and 412 and Arkansas Highways 21 and 23 are the county’s main roads, with U.S. 62 linking Eureka Springs to Berryville and on to Harrison.
- Harrison, Arkansas — 25 miles east
- Fayetteville, Arkansas — 45 miles southwest
- Branson, Missouri — 35 miles north
- Rogers, Arkansas — 40 miles west
The nearest commercial airport is Northwest Arkansas National Airport near Bentonville.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Carroll County?
It is in northwestern Arkansas, on the Missouri border in the Ozark Mountains.
What is the population of Carroll County?
28,260 at the 2020 census.
How big is Carroll County?
630 square miles (1,600 km2) of land, plus 8.7 square miles of water.
What are the county seats of Carroll County?
Berryville and Eureka Springs share county-seat duties, split between eastern and western judicial districts.
How many towns are in Carroll County?
Eight incorporated cities and towns, plus about two dozen smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Carroll County?
Main ZIPs include 72616 (Berryville), 72632 (Eureka Springs), 72631 (Holiday Island), 72638 (Green Forest), 72611 (Alpena), and 72606 (Beaver).
Why does Carroll County have two county seats?
The state legislature split the county into eastern and western judicial districts in the 19th century, each keeping its own courthouse; Berryville and Eureka Springs still both serve as seats today.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Arkansas.