Van Buren County is a county in Arkansas, United States, about 60 miles north of Little Rock.
It had a population of 15,796 at the 2020 census, an estimated 15,998 by 2024, and covers 708
square miles (1,830 km2) centred near 35°36′N 92°29′W.
Clinton is the county seat and largest city; its postal code is 72031. The county holds 2
cities, 2 incorporated towns, 2 census-designated places and about three dozen smaller
unincorporated communities, and it runs on Central Time. Its FIPS code is 05141.
Towns & Villages in Van Buren County
Van Buren County has 45 named places on record: 4 incorporated cities and towns, 2
census-designated places (CDPs), and 39 unincorporated communities with no local government of
their own. CDP stands for census designated place, a Census Bureau statistical area with no
formal boundary; Unincorp. covers crossroads and rural communities the Bureau does not track as
a place.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton | City · seat | 2,509 | 72031 |
| Fairfield Bay | City | 2,108 | 72088 |
| Damascus | Town | 382 | 72039 |
| Shirley | Town | 248 | 72088 |
| Dennard | CDP | 496 | 72629 |
| Bee Branch | CDP | 293 | 72013 |
| Alread | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Archey Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Austin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Botkinburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chimes | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Choctaw | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Choctaw Pines | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Claude | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Copeland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crabtree | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Culpepper | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dabney | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eglantine | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elba | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fairbanks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Formosa | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gravel Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gravesville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Green Tree | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Half Moon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Morganton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Old Botkinburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Palisades | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pee Dee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Plant | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rabbit Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rex | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rocky Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rumley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rupert | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Scotland | Unincorp. | — | 72141 |
| Southside | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stumptoe | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sulphur Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Walnut Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Whipple | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Woodlum | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Zion Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
Two of the incorporated places straddle county lines. Fairfield Bay sits mostly in Van Buren
County but extends east into Cleburne County across Greers Ferry Lake, and its population figure
above counts both sides. Damascus splits the other way — most of the town lies in Faulkner
County, with only its northern edge reaching into Van Buren, so its 382 residents are mostly
Faulkner County residents, not Van Buren ones.
ZIP Codes
- 72031 — Clinton (the county’s most populous ZIP)
- 72039 — Damascus
- 72088 — Fairfield Bay (also serves northern Shirley)
- 72153 — Shirley (rural route)
- 72013 — Bee Branch
- 72629 — Dennard
- 72141 — Scotland
The remaining unincorporated communities have no ZIP code of their own; mail there is
delivered under the nearest incorporated town’s code.
Geography
Van Buren County sits in the Ozark hills of north-central Arkansas, and part of the Ozark
National Forest lies within its borders. Of its 708 square miles, 692 are land and 16 are water,
about 2.2 percent — most of that from Greers Ferry Lake, a reservoir on the Little Red
River that forms much of the county’s eastern edge. The Archey Fork, a Little Red River
tributary, runs through Clinton on its way to the lake.
Searcy County lies to the north, Stone County to the northeast, Cleburne County to the east,
Faulkner County to the southeast, Conway County to the southwest, and Pope County to the west.
Searcy County, Stone County, Cleburne County, Faulkner County, Conway County and Pope County all border Van Buren directly.
Demographics
Van Buren County had a population of 15,796 at the 2020 census, and the latest estimate puts
the county near 15,998 residents as of 2024. Clinton and Fairfield Bay are the two largest
communities, together holding roughly 30 percent of the county’s population. Median
household income runs $50,354 (2024 estimate), well below Arkansas’s statewide figure of
$58,700 (2023 ACS). Population density works out to roughly 22 people per square mile of land,
low even for a mostly rural Ozark county, reflecting the amount of national forest and lake
frontage that carries no residents at all.
Economy & Local Life
Retail trade employs the most workers in the county, about 891 people, followed by health
care and social assistance at 850 and construction at 642. Fairfield Bay’s resort hotel is
one of the county’s largest single hospitality employers, drawing seasonal staff for its
golf courses and lakefront amenities on Greers Ferry Lake. The county is also known locally for
its shiitake mushroom harvest, which draws seasonal agricultural labor each year alongside the
resort’s hospitality jobs. Clinton hosts the National Championship Chuckwagon Races each
Labor Day weekend, a draw that brings crowds well beyond the county’s own population for
the holiday.
History
The Arkansas legislature formed Van Buren County on 11 November 1833. It was named for Martin
Van Buren, who was serving as United States Vice President at the time and became president four
years later, in 1837. Clinton was named for DeWitt Clinton, the New York governor who built the
Erie Canal, and became the county seat.
On the night of 18–19 September 1980, an Air Force repairman working inside a Titan II
missile silo near Damascus dropped a heavy wrench socket, which struck and punctured a
pressurized fuel tank. About 8.5 hours later the leaking fuel vapor ignited, blowing the silo
door off and ejecting the nuclear warhead, which was recovered intact with no radioactive
contamination. One airman died and 21 others were injured. The incident, later documented in Eric
Schlosser’s 2013 book Command and Control, remains the county’s best-known historical
event.
Getting There
No interstate highway crosses Van Buren County. US Highway 65 runs north–south through
Clinton and Damascus, and Arkansas Highways 9, 16, 27, 92, 95, 110, 124, 254, 285, 330, 336, 337
and 356 cover the rest of the county.
- Little Rock — about 60 miles south
- Conway — about 34 miles south
- Heber Springs — about 24 miles east
- Mountain View — about 27 miles northeast
Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, about 61 miles south of Clinton, is
the nearest major commercial airport. Amtrak has no station in the county; the nearest stop is
Little Rock Union Station, also about 60 miles south, on the Texas Eagle line.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Van Buren County located?
It sits in the Ozark hills of north-central Arkansas, about 60 miles north of Little Rock,
bordered by Searcy, Stone, Cleburne, Faulkner, Conway and Pope counties.
What is the population of Van Buren County?
15,796 at the 2020 census, with a 2024 estimate near 15,998.
How big is Van Buren County?
708 square miles (1,830 km2), of which 692 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Van Buren County?
Clinton, named for New York governor DeWitt Clinton, is the county seat and largest city.
How many towns and communities are in Van Buren County?
Four incorporated places — Clinton, Fairfield Bay, Damascus and Shirley — plus two
census-designated places, Bee Branch and Dennard, and 39 smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes does Van Buren County use?
72031 for Clinton, 72039 for Damascus, 72088 and 72153 for Fairfield Bay and Shirley, 72013 for
Bee Branch, 72629 for Dennard, and 72141 for Scotland.
What is Van Buren County known for?
The 1980 Titan II missile explosion near Damascus, the National Championship Chuckwagon Races in
Clinton, and Fairfield Bay’s resort community on Greers Ferry Lake.
More counties in this state: Towns
and villages in Arkansas.