Izard County is a county in Arkansas, United States, in the north-central Ozark highlands near the Missouri border. It had a population of 13,577 at the 2020 census and covers 584 square miles (1,510 km2) centred near 36°06′N 91°54′W.
Melbourne is the county seat and its postal code is 72556. The county has 4 incorporated cities, 4 incorporated towns, and dozens of unincorporated communities scattered across its Ozark ridges and hollows. Izard County observes Central time and has been a dry county — alcohol sales are prohibited — since Prohibition-era local option votes.
Towns & Villages in Izard County
Izard County has 46 named places in local use: 4 incorporated cities (including the county seat), 4 incorporated towns, and 38 unincorporated communities. Most of the unincorporated places are crossroads hamlets, former mill or mining sites, or scattered post-office communities with no formal municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne | City · seat | — | 72556 |
| Calico Rock | City | — | 72519 |
| Horseshoe Bend | City | — | 72512 |
| Oxford | City | — | 72565 |
| Franklin | Town | — | 72536 |
| Guion | Town | — | 72540 |
| Mount Pleasant | Town | — | 72561 |
| Pineville | Town | — | 72566 |
| Band Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Belview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bone Town | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Boswell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brandenburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brockwell | Unincorp. | — | 72517 |
| Creswell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crocker | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Day | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dolph | Unincorp. | — | 72528 |
| Forty Four | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gid | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gorby | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Iuka | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jumbo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Knob Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| LaCrosse | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lafferty | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Larkin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lone Star | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lunenburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Olive | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Myersville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Myron | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nasco | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Needmore | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Liberty | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Newburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sage | Unincorp. | — | 72573 |
| Stella | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sylamore | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Twin Bridges | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Twin Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Violet Hill | Unincorp. | — | 72584 |
| Wideman | Unincorp. | — | 72585 |
| Wiseman | Unincorp. | — | 72587 |
| Wolquarry | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Zion | Unincorp. | — | — |
Horseshoe Bend, on the county’s eastern edge near the Sharp County line, is a planned retirement and recreation community built around a private lake system; it has grown into the county’s largest city even though Melbourne remains the seat of government.
ZIP Codes
- 72556 — Melbourne (county seat)
- 72519 — Calico Rock (also serves nearby White River communities)
- 72512 — Horseshoe Bend
- 72565 — Oxford
- 72561 — Mount Pleasant
- 72566 — Pineville
- 72536 — Franklin
- 72573 — Sage
- 72584 — Violet Hill
- 72528 — Dolph
- 72540 — Guion
- 72517 — Brockwell
- 72585 — Wideman
- 72587 — Wiseman
The county’s many smaller hamlets share a ZIP code with their nearest post-office town rather than carrying one of their own.
Geography
Izard County sits in the Ozark Mountains of north-central Arkansas, a country of steep wooded ridges cut by clear-running streams. The White River crosses the county from north to south past Calico Rock and Guion, and the Ozark National Forest’s northern reaches touch the county’s western hills. Of the county’s 584 square miles, 581 square miles are land and 3.4 square miles are water.
Izard County borders Fulton County to the north, Sharp County to the east, Independence County to the southeast, Stone County to the southwest, and Baxter County to the northwest.
Demographics
Izard County had 13,577 residents at the 2020 census, giving a density of roughly 23 people per square mile of land — a sparsely settled, entirely rural county with no urban population under Census Bureau definitions. Horseshoe Bend and Melbourne are the county’s two largest population centers. Median household income in Izard County runs well below the Arkansas median of $58,700, consistent with the county’s rural, retirement- and agriculture-based economy and its relatively older population (median age 48.1 in 2020).
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture, forestry, and small-scale manufacturing anchor the local economy, alongside tourism tied to the White River’s trout and smallmouth bass fishing and to the Ozark lakes region. Horseshoe Bend’s lake-and-golf community draws retirees and part-time residents, supporting local services and seasonal trade. Melbourne serves as the county’s government and commercial hub, home to the county courthouse and Izard County Medical Center. The county’s dry status means no retail alcohol sales anywhere within its borders.
History
Izard County was established on October 27, 1825, Arkansas’s thirteenth county, and was named for George Izard, territorial governor of Arkansas and a general in the War of 1812. Its early economy centered on subsistence farming and small river-landing trade along the White River at Calico Rock, which grew into a shipping point for the surrounding hill country before rail and highway travel replaced river commerce. The county has remained rural and lightly populated through the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, with Horseshoe Bend’s development as a retirement community marking its most significant recent growth.
Getting There
U.S. Highway 63 and Arkansas Highways 9, 5, and 56 are the county’s main roads, linking Melbourne, Calico Rock, and the surrounding communities.
- Melbourne — the county seat, central to the county
- Mountain Home — about 25 miles north, in neighboring Baxter County
- Batesville — about 30 miles southeast, in Independence County
- Mountain View — about 25 miles south, in Stone County
The nearest commercial airport is Ozark Regional Airport in Mountain Home; Northwest Arkansas National Airport near Fayetteville is the nearest major hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Izard County, Arkansas?
It is in the north-central Ozark highlands of Arkansas, on the White River near the Missouri border.
What is the population of Izard County?
Izard County had a population of 13,577 at the 2020 census.
How big is Izard County?
The county covers 584 square miles (1,510 km2), of which 581 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Izard County?
Melbourne is the county seat.
How many towns are in Izard County?
Izard County has 4 incorporated cities, 4 incorporated towns, and around 38 unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Izard County?
Izard County’s postal code is 72556 for Melbourne, plus separate ZIPs for Calico Rock, Horseshoe Bend, Oxford, and other post-office towns listed above.
Why is Izard County a dry county?
Izard County has prohibited retail alcohol sales under a longstanding local-option vote, a status shared by several rural Arkansas counties.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Arkansas.