Sharp County is a county in Arkansas, United States, along the Missouri border in the north-central part of the state. It had a population of 17,271 at the 2020 census and covers 606 square miles (1,570 km2), centred near 36°09′21″N 91°30′18″W.
Ash Flat is the county seat, and its postal code is 72513. The county has six incorporated cities, three incorporated towns, one census-designated place and more than a dozen unincorporated communities. Sharp County sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Sharp County
Sharp County has 10 incorporated municipalities plus Ozark Acres, a census-designated place with no municipal government of its own, and a long list of unincorporated crossroads communities that appear on maps and mail routes but have never been incorporated. Cities and towns run their own governments; the CDP and unincorporated places are recognised places without one.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ash Flat | City · seat | 1,137 | 72513 |
| Cave City | City | — | 72521 |
| Cherokee Village | City | 4,780 | 72529 |
| Evening Shade | Town | — | 72532 |
| Hardy | City | — | 72542 |
| Highland | City | — | — |
| Horseshoe Bend | City | — | — |
| Ozark Acres | CDP | — | — |
| Sidney | Town | — | 72577 |
| Williford | Town | — | 72482 |
| Aetna | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Armstrong | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Baker | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ballard | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Calamine | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Center | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hidden Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Maxville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nelsonville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Poughkeepsie | Unincorp. | — | 72569 |
| Sellers Store | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shelbyville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sitka | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stuart | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wirth | Unincorp. | — | — |
Cave City straddles the Sharp–Independence county line; the section of town with a Sharp County address carries the same 72521 ZIP as the rest of the city. Ozark Acres, a gated retirement and vacation community near Melbourne, is unincorporated but tracked separately by the Census Bureau as a CDP.
ZIP Codes
- 72513 — Ash Flat (county seat)
- 72521 — Cave City
- 72525 — Cherokee Village (PO Box only)
- 72529 — Cherokee Village
- 72532 — Evening Shade
- 72542 — Hardy
- 72569 — Poughkeepsie
- 72577 — Sidney
- 72482 — Williford
Highland, Horseshoe Bend and the smaller unincorporated communities use the ZIP code of the nearest post-office town rather than a code of their own.
Geography
Sharp County sits in the eastern Ozark foothills, where the plateau breaks down into rolling hill country before it meets the Arkansas Delta. The Spring River and its South Fork cross the county from northwest to southeast, and the Strawberry River rises in the southern part of the county — both are noted trout and float-fishing streams, and Hardy and Cherokee Village grew up around the Spring River’s clear, spring-fed water.
Sharp County borders Oregon County, Missouri, to the north; Randolph County, Arkansas, to the northeast; Lawrence County, Arkansas, to the southeast; Independence County, Arkansas, to the south; Izard County, Arkansas, to the southwest; and Fulton County, Arkansas, to the northwest.
Demographics
Sharp County had 17,271 residents at the 2020 census, spread across 606 square miles for a density of about 29 people per square mile — one of the more rural counts in north Arkansas. Cherokee Village, a planned retirement and vacation community founded in the 1950s, is the county’s largest place at 4,780 residents; Ash Flat, the county seat, is next among the verified figures at 1,137. Sharp County’s population skews older than the state as a whole, with a large retiree community drawn by the lakes, rivers and low cost of living, and median household income runs below the Arkansas median of $58,700.
Economy & Local Life
Health care and retirement services anchor the local economy: Ozark Health Medical Center in Ash Flat is the county’s largest employer, drawing patients and staff from across the region. Tourism tied to the Spring and South Fork rivers — canoeing, kayaking and trout fishing out of Hardy and Cherokee Village — brings seasonal visitors and supports lodging, outfitters and restaurants. Cave City, on the county’s southern edge, is known statewide for its sweet watermelons and holds an annual Watermelon Festival each August. Farther out, cattle grazing and timber remain part of the working landscape.
History
Sharp County was created on July 18, 1868, from parts of Lawrence and Izard counties, and named for Ephraim Sharp, a state legislator from the area. Hardy grew as a resort town along the Spring River starting in the early 20th century, its downtown historic district now a well-known antiques-shopping destination. Cherokee Village, developed beginning in 1954, was one of Arkansas’s first large master-planned retirement and recreation communities and remains the county’s population center.
Getting There
US Routes 62, 63, 167 and 412 cross Sharp County, along with Arkansas Highways 56, 58 and 175, giving the county a well-connected highway grid for its size.
- Batesville — 30 miles south
- Mountain Home — 35 miles west
- Walnut Ridge — 30 miles east
- Salem — 15 miles southwest
Springfield–Branson National Airport in Missouri is the nearest airport with scheduled commercial service, roughly 75 miles to the north.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Sharp County, Arkansas?
It is in the north-central part of the state, on the Missouri border, in the eastern Ozark foothills.
What is the population of Sharp County?
17,271 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Sharp County?
606 square miles (1,570 km2), of which about 2.0 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Sharp County?
Ash Flat is the county seat.
How many towns are in Sharp County?
Six cities, three towns, one census-designated place (Ozark Acres) and more than a dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Sharp County?
72513 (Ash Flat), 72521 (Cave City), 72525 and 72529 (Cherokee Village), 72532 (Evening Shade), 72542 (Hardy), 72569 (Poughkeepsie), 72577 (Sidney) and 72482 (Williford).
What river runs through Sharp County?
The Spring River and its South Fork, both popular for canoeing and trout fishing, along with the Strawberry River in the south of the county.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Arkansas.