Faulkner County is a county in Arkansas, United States, part of the Central Arkansas region just north of Little Rock. It had a population of 123,498 at the 2020 census and covers 664 square miles (1,720 km2), centred near 35°10′N 92°19′W.
Conway is the county seat, and its postal code is 72032. The county has seven incorporated cities and towns plus more than two dozen unincorporated communities, sits in the Central time zone, and is bisected east–west by Interstate 40.
Towns & Villages in Faulkner County
Faulkner County has seven incorporated places — two cities and five towns — and roughly thirty smaller unincorporated communities, most of them crossroads or former mill and mining settlements from the 19th century. Quitman, though it carries an Arkansas Highway 25 address inside Faulkner County’s boundary, has most of its town limits in neighboring Cleburne County.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conway | City · seat | 64,134 | 72032 |
| Greenbrier | City | 5,222 | 72058 |
| Vilonia | City | 4,706 | 72173 |
| Mayflower | City | 2,326 | 72106 |
| Guy | City | 703 | 72061 |
| Holland | City | 661 | 72047 |
| Damascus | Town | 375 | 72039 |
| Wooster | Town | 669 | 72181 |
| Mount Vernon | Town | 508 | 72111 |
| Enola | Town | 158 | 72047 |
| Twin Groves | Town | — | — |
| Barney | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Belk Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beryl | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bono | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brockington Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brumley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Caney | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cato | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Center Point | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Centerville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Enders | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Funston | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Garland Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gentry Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gleason | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gold Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gold Lake Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lakeview Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Linder | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lollie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Martinville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McGintytown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Naylor | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Old Texas | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Otto | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Palarm | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Preston | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Red Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Republican | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rolling Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Round Mountain | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Saltillo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shady Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Soda Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Springhill | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 72032 — Conway (also serves 72033–72035 for post office boxes and the university district)
- 72058 — Greenbrier
- 72173 — Vilonia
- 72106 — Mayflower
- 72061 — Guy
- 72047 — Holland and Enola
- 72039 — Damascus
- 72181 — Wooster
- 72111 — Mount Vernon
Most of the county’s smaller unincorporated communities share a ZIP code with the nearest incorporated town rather than carrying their own postal code.
Geography
Faulkner County sits at the southern edge of the Arkansas River Valley where it meets the Gulf Coastal Plain, a landscape of rolling pine and hardwood ridges cut by Cadron Creek and the Palarm and Cypress creek systems, both tributaries of the Arkansas River that forms part of the county’s southern boundary. Lake Conway, built by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, is the largest man-made lake of its kind in the country and draws anglers from across the state.
Faulkner County borders Cleburne County to the north, White County to the east, Lonoke and Pulaski counties to the south, Perry County to the southwest, and Van Buren and Conway counties to the west.
Demographics
The county’s 2020 population of 123,498 makes it Arkansas’s fifth most populous, with Conway (64,134) and Greenbrier (5,222) its two largest communities. Household income in the county tends to run above the Arkansas median of $58,700, a reflection of Conway’s university, hospital and corporate employment base. Population density works out to roughly 186 people per square mile, concentrated heavily around Conway and along the Interstate 40 corridor.
Economy & Local Life
Higher education anchors the local economy: the University of Central Arkansas enrolls about 12,000 students in Conway, alongside Hendrix College and Central Baptist College, earning the city the nickname “the City of Colleges.” Conway Regional Health System is a major employer, as is Acxiom, the data-marketing firm founded in the city in 1969. Outside Conway, the county’s economy is more agricultural and light-industrial, with poultry farming and timber common in the rural north and west.
History
Faulkner County was organized on April 12, 1873, during the Reconstruction era, one of several counties carved from existing territory in that period. It takes its name from Sandford C. “Sandy” Faulkner, a planter and fiddler remembered for popularizing the folk tune and tale “The Arkansas Traveler.” Conway was platted a few years later along the route of the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railway and grew into the county’s commercial center once the rail line and, later, U.S. Route 64 and Interstate 40 passed through it.
Getting There
Interstate 40 runs east–west through the county via Conway and Mayflower, with U.S. Highways 64 and 65 and Arkansas Highways 25, 60, 89 and 107 serving the smaller towns.
- Little Rock — 30 miles southeast
- Russellville — 45 miles west
- Searcy — 30 miles east
- Heber Springs — 30 miles north
Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Faulkner County?
It is in central Arkansas, just north of Little Rock, along the Interstate 40 corridor.
What is the population of Faulkner County?
123,498 at the 2020 census, making it Arkansas’s fifth most populous county.
How big is Faulkner County?
It covers 664 square miles (1,720 km2).
What is the county seat of Faulkner County?
Conway is the county seat and largest city.
How many towns are in Faulkner County?
Seven incorporated cities and towns, plus roughly thirty unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Faulkner County?
Conway uses 72032, with Greenbrier, Vilonia, Mayflower, Guy, Holland, Damascus, Wooster and Mount Vernon each carrying their own ZIP code.
Why is it called Faulkner County?
It is named for Sandford C. Faulkner, a 19th-century planter and fiddler known for the folk tale “The Arkansas Traveler.”
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Arkansas.