Saline County is a county in Arkansas, United States, in the central part of the state southwest of Little Rock. It had a population of 123,416 at the 2020 census and covers 730 square miles (1,900 km2), of which 724 square miles are land and 6.9 square miles are water, centred near 34°39′04″N 92°40′54″W.
Benton is the county seat, and its postal code is 72015. The county has six cities, one town, five census-designated places and several unincorporated communities. Saline County is in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Saline County
Saline County has 6 incorporated cities, 1 incorporated town, 5 census-designated places (CDP) and a number of unincorporated communities. Most of the growth since 2000 has clustered along the I-30 corridor between Bryant and Benton.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benton | City · seat | 35,014 | 72015 |
| Bryant | City | 20,663 | 72022 |
| Alexander | City | — | 72002 |
| Shannon Hills | City | — | 72103 |
| Haskell | City | — | 72015 |
| Traskwood | City | — | 72167 |
| Bauxite | Town | — | 72011 |
| Avilla | CDP | — | — |
| East End | CDP | — | 72025 |
| Hot Springs Village | CDP | — | 71909 |
| Salem | CDP | — | 72019 |
| Sardis | CDP | — | — |
| Brooks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Congo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lakeside | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Owensville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Paron | Unincorp. | — | 72122 |
Hot Springs Village is a large gated retirement community whose CDP boundary spans three counties — only part of it lies in Saline County, the rest in Garland and Perry counties. Several older place names from the county’s mining era — Bauxite Junction, Bland, Blocher, Careywood, Collegeville, Crows, Detonti, Edgewood, Evergreen, Goodman, Grape, Kentucky, Lena, Lignite, Nance, Pine Haven, Raintree Acres, Reform, Richardson Place, Rubicon, Shaw, Sherwood Estates, Springhill, Twin Oaks, Vimy Ridge and Woodland Hills — are informal subdivisions or crossroads rather than separately platted towns; they are not repeated here as a numbered list could not be independently verified against current gazetteer records.
ZIP Codes
- 72015 — Benton (also serves Haskell)
- 72019 — Benton (also serves Salem)
- 72022 — Bryant
- 72089 — Bryant
- 72002 — Alexander
- 72103 — Shannon Hills
- 72167 — Traskwood
- 72011 — Bauxite
- 72025 — East End
- 72122 — Paron
- 71909 — Hot Springs Village
Smaller unincorporated communities generally share a ZIP code with the nearest post-office town rather than having their own.
Geography
Saline County lies in the Gulf Coastal Plain where it meets the Ouachita Mountains, giving the county a mix of flat farmland in the east and forested hills in the west. The Saline River, which gave the county its name along with local brine springs, runs south through the county toward the Ouachita River. Bauxite ore mined here in the early 20th century made the county a national center of aluminum production for decades.
Saline County borders Perry County to the northwest, Pulaski County to the northeast, Grant County to the southeast, Hot Spring County to the southwest, and Garland County to the west.
Demographics
Saline County had 123,416 residents at the 2020 census, up 48% from 83,529 in 2000, making it one of Arkansas’s fastest-growing counties. Benton (35,014) and Bryant (20,663) are the two largest communities and together hold nearly half the county’s population. Median household income runs above the Arkansas median of $58,700, reflecting the county’s role as a Little Rock commuter suburb. Population density is about 170 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Retail, healthcare and construction are the county’s largest employment sectors, driven by suburban growth along the I-30 corridor. Saline Memorial Hospital in Benton is a major employer, and many residents commute into Little Rock and North Little Rock for work. Until a November 2014 local-option vote, Saline County was a dry county with no alcohol sales — a legacy of its early-20th-century temperance politics.
History
Saline County was formed on November 2, 1835, one of the last counties created before Arkansas statehood, and named for the salt-water springs found along its rivers. Bauxite mining, discovered here in 1887, turned the county into the center of America’s aluminum industry through both World Wars, and the town of Bauxite grew up around the Aluminum Company of America’s operations. The county’s dry-county status, in place for decades, ended only in 2014.
Getting There
Interstate 30 and Interstate 530 cross the county, along with US Routes 65, 67 and 70 and Arkansas Highways 5, 9 and 35.
- Little Rock — 20 miles northeast
- Hot Springs — 30 miles southwest
- Malvern — 20 miles south
- Conway — 40 miles north
Clinton National Airport in Little Rock is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Saline County, Arkansas?
It lies in central Arkansas, directly southwest of Little Rock, straddling the line between the Gulf Coastal Plain and the Ouachita Mountains.
What is the population of Saline County?
123,416 at the 2020 census, up from 83,529 in 2000.
How big is Saline County?
730 square miles (1,900 km2), of which 724 square miles are land and 6.9 square miles are water.
What is the county seat of Saline County?
Benton, the county’s largest city.
How many towns are in Saline County?
Six cities, one town, five census-designated places and several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Saline County?
Including 72015 and 72019 (Benton), 72022 and 72089 (Bryant), 72002 (Alexander), 72011 (Bauxite) and 72122 (Paron).
Was Saline County ever a dry county?
Yes. Alcohol sales were banned countywide until a local-option election in November 2014.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Arkansas.