Pope County is a county in Arkansas, United States, in the Arkansas River Valley below the Ozarks. It had a population of 63,381 at the 2020 census and covers 831 square miles (2,150 km2) of land and water, centred near 35°25′N 93°02′W.
Russellville is the county seat, and its postal code is 72801. The county has five cities, one town, and a scatter of unincorporated communities, sits in the Central time zone, and carries FIPS code 05115.
Towns & Villages in Pope County
Six places in Pope County are incorporated — five cities and one town — while the rest are unincorporated communities recognized by the U.S. Geological Survey’s place-name database but with no municipal government of their own. The table below uses City · seat for Russellville, City for the other incorporated municipalities, Town for Hector, and Unincorp. for the rest; a dash means the 2020 census did not report a separate figure for that place.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russellville | City · seat | 28,940 | 72801, 72802 |
| Atkins | City | 2,859 | 72823 |
| Dover | City | 1,337 | 72837 |
| London | City | 936 | 72847 |
| Pottsville | City | — | 72858 |
| Hector | Town | 411 | 72843 |
| Pelsor | Unincorp. | — | 72856 |
| Tilly | Unincorp. | — | 72679 |
| Augsburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nogo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Smyrna | Unincorp. | — | — |
Beyond those eleven, Pope County’s hills and river bottoms carry dozens of older place names that never grew into towns: Appleton, Bernice, Bertha, Bethel, Broomfield, Bullfrog Valley, Buttermilk, Caglesville, Center Valley, Economy, Freeman Springs, Galla Rock, Georgetown, Gold Hill, Happy Bend, Holla Bend, Lost Corner, Mars Hill, Mill Creek, Moreland, New Hope, Norristown, North Dardanelle, Oak Grove, Ouitaville, Piney, Pleasant Valley, Raspberry, Retta, Rock Springs, Ross, Sand Gap, Scotia, Scottsville, Shiloh, Silex, Simpson, Solo, Tag, Taral, Treat, Victor, Walnut Grove, Welcome, Wilson, and Worthen. Most mark a former post office, school, or river landing rather than a settlement with any population today; none has its own ZIP code or a verified current population, so none is scored in the table above.
ZIP Codes
- 72801 — Russellville (also serves Holla Bend)
- 72802 — Russellville, PO box routes
- 72823 — Atkins
- 72837 — Dover
- 72843 — Hector
- 72847 — London
- 72856 — Pelsor
- 72858 — Pottsville
- 72679 — Tilly
The many small unincorporated communities without their own post office — Augsburg, Nogo, Smyrna, and the older named places above — are served by the ZIP code of the nearest incorporated town.
Geography
Pope County straddles the line between the Arkansas River Valley and the Ozark National Forest, with roughly two-thirds of the county wooded and about 40% of its land inside the national forest. The Arkansas River forms part of the southern county line, and the Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge sits on a horseshoe bend of the river south of Russellville. The county borders Searcy County to the northeast (Searcy County), Van Buren County to the northeast (Van Buren County), Conway County to the southeast, Yell County to the south (Yell County), Logan County to the southwest (Logan County), Johnson County to the west, and Newton County to the northwest.
Demographics
Pope County’s 2020 population of 63,381 works out to about 76 people per square mile. Russellville, with 28,940 residents, holds nearly half the county’s population; Atkins is the second-largest incorporated place at 2,859. Household income in the county runs below the Arkansas median of $58,700, reflecting a mix of manufacturing, retail, and higher-education wages against a large rural and retired population in the surrounding hill country.
Economy & Local Life
Russellville anchors the county’s economy. Arkansas Tech University, with an enrollment of several thousand students, is the city’s largest single employer and shapes much of its retail and rental economy. Entergy’s Arkansas Nuclear One plant, on the Dardanelle Reservoir west of Russellville, is the state’s only nuclear power station and one of the county’s biggest taxpayers and employers. Poultry processing, timber, and river-barge shipping on the Arkansas River round out the base. Pope County is legally dry — the sale of alcohol is banned countywide, a status it has held since before Prohibition.
History
Pope County was formed on November 2, 1829, carved from part of Crawford County while Arkansas was still a territory. It was named for John Pope, the third governor of Arkansas Territory, and was the 19th county created in what is now the state. Its boundaries shifted repeatedly through the 19th century as neighboring counties were organized around it, with the lines finally fixed on March 8, 1877. Russellville, the seat, grew after the Civil War as a river-shipping and rail town and later became a college town with the founding of what is now Arkansas Tech University.
Getting There
Interstate 40 runs east-west through the county, crossing US 64 at Russellville; Arkansas Highways 7, 27, and 105 connect the smaller towns to the north and south.
- Fort Smith — 55 miles west
- Little Rock — 75 miles east
- Fayetteville — 65 miles north
- Conway — 40 miles southeast
Russellville Regional Airport handles general aviation; the nearest commercial service is at Fort Smith Regional Airport or Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Pope County?
It is in west-central Arkansas, in the Arkansas River Valley below the Ozarks, about 75 miles northwest of Little Rock.
What is the population of Pope County?
63,381 at the 2020 census.
How big is Pope County?
831 square miles (2,150 km2) of land and water.
What is the county seat of Pope County?
Russellville is the county seat.
How many towns are in Pope County?
Six incorporated places — five cities and one town — plus numerous unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Pope County?
Nine, including 72801/72802 (Russellville), 72823 (Atkins), 72837 (Dover), 72843 (Hector), 72847 (London), 72856 (Pelsor), 72858 (Pottsville), and 72679 (Tilly).
Why is Pope County a dry county?
It has banned the retail sale of alcohol countywide since before national Prohibition, a status that remains in effect today.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Arkansas.