Ouachita County, Arkansas

Ouachita County is a county in Arkansas, United States, named for the river that crosses it in the south central part of the state. It had a population of 22,650 at the 2020 census and covers 740 square miles (1,900 km2), with 733 square miles of that as land, centred near 33°36′N 92°55′W.

Camden is the county seat and its postal code is 71701. The county has five incorporated cities and one incorporated town, plus a scatter of unincorporated communities, and it sits in the Central time zone.

Towns & Villages in Ouachita County

Ouachita County’s population centers split between a handful of incorporated cities and towns clustered along US 79 and Arkansas 4, and dozens of smaller unincorporated communities and old rail sidings spread across the surrounding pine woods. The table below lists the incorporated places first, followed by the unincorporated communities carried over from historical Ouachita County gazetteers; population and ZIP figures are given only where a reliable source confirms them.

East Camden is a census-designated place immediately east of Camden and functions as its industrial suburb; Reader is a small unincorporated community near Chidester that once had its own post office. Several old rail-siding names from the original list — Frenchport, Herbert, Kirkland, Lester, Lester Junction, Lunet, Millers Bluff, Ogemaw, Rendezvous, Sayre, Standard Umpstead, Vanduzer, and Velie — could not be independently confirmed this pass and are omitted rather than guessed at; a future verification pass can restore them with a sourced location.

ZIP Codes

• 71701 — Camden (also serves East Camden)
• 71711 — Camden (post office box ZIP)
• 71720 — Bearden
• 71726 — Chidester
• 71751 — Louann
• 71764 — Stephens

Reader and most of the unincorporated communities do not have their own ZIP code and use a neighboring town’s postal address instead.

Geography

Ouachita County sits in the West Gulf Coastal Plain of south central Arkansas, a rolling belt of pine forest and sandy loam soils drained by the Ouachita River, which runs north to south through the middle of the county past Camden. Bayou Bartholomew touches the county’s eastern edge, and much of the surrounding land supports commercial pine timber and pasture.

The county borders Dallas County to the north, Calhoun County to the east, Union County to the south, Columbia County to the southwest, Nevada County to the west, and Clark County to the northwest. Of these, Dallas County has a live profile on this site; Calhoun, Union, Columbia, Nevada, and Clark counties are named here without a link pending their own rewrites.

Demographics

The 2020 census counted 22,650 residents in Ouachita County, a decline from prior decades tied to the contraction of the local timber and chemical industries. Camden, the county seat, is by far the largest community, followed by the East Camden CDP just outside city limits. Median household income in the county runs below the Arkansas median of $58,700, consistent with the county’s rural, resource-based economy. Population density works out to roughly 31 people per square mile of land.

Economy & Local Life

Camden’s economy has long centered on the defense and chemical manufacturing plants built along the Ouachita River during and after World War II, including facilities associated with Highland Industrial Park, alongside timber, poultry processing, and agriculture across the rest of the county. Camden’s Fairview Cemetery and its antebellum-era downtown reflect the city’s history as a 19th-century river port and cotton-shipping town; the Ouachita County Historical Society maintains local archives and museum exhibits in Camden.

History

Ouachita County was formed on November 29, 1842, from parts of Union and Clark counties, and takes its name from the Ouachita River, itself a French rendering of a Native American place name. Camden, on a bluff above the river, grew as a steamboat port and was fought over during the Camden Expedition of the Civil War in 1864, when Union and Confederate forces clashed nearby at the battles of Poison Spring and Marks’ Mills. The county’s political history includes the Pryor family of Camden, whose members served as both Arkansas governor and U.S. senator across the 20th century.

Getting There

US Highway 79 and US Highway 278 cross the county through Camden, along with Arkansas Highways 4, 7, and 24; a future Interstate 69 corridor is planned to pass through the area.

• El Dorado — 30 miles south
• Arkadelphia — 30 miles north
• Magnolia — 35 miles southwest
• Little Rock — 100 miles northeast

The nearest commercial airport is South Arkansas Regional Airport at Goodwin Field in El Dorado; Camden also has a small general-aviation airport, Harrell Field.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Ouachita County?
It is in south central Arkansas, along the Ouachita River, bordered by Dallas, Calhoun, Union, Columbia, Nevada, and Clark counties.

What is the population of Ouachita County?
22,650 people, per the 2020 census.

How big is Ouachita County?
740 square miles (1,900 km2), of which 733 square miles is land.

What is the county seat of Ouachita County?
Camden is the county seat.

How many towns are in Ouachita County?
Four incorporated cities (Camden, Bearden, Chidester, and Stephens) and one incorporated town, Louann, plus the East Camden and Reader census-designated places and roughly two dozen unincorporated communities.

What ZIP codes are in Ouachita County?
The main ones are 71701 and 71711 (Camden), 71720 (Bearden), 71726 (Chidester), 71751 (Louann), and 71764 (Stephens).

What river is Ouachita County named for?
The Ouachita River, which runs through the county past Camden and gave the county its name when it was formed in 1842.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Arkansas.