Crittenden County, Arkansas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Crittenden County, Arkansas | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Arkansas |
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 Arkansas's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | October 22, 1825 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Marion |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
637 sq mi (1,650 km²) 610 sq mi (1,580 km²) 27 sq mi (70 km²), 4.17% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
50,886 83/sq mi (32/km²) |
Crittenden County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2000 census, the population was 50,866. The county seat is Marion,[1] while its largest city is West Memphis. Crittenden County is Arkansas's twelfth county, formed on October 22, 1825 and named for Robert Crittenden, the first Secretary of the Arkansas Territory.
Crittenden County is part of the Memphis, TN–MS–AR Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 637 square miles (1,649 km²), of which, 610 square miles (1,580 km²) of it is land and 27 square miles (69 km²) of it (4.17%) is water.
[edit] Major Highways
- Interstate 40
- Interstate 55
- U.S. Highway 61
- U.S. Highway 63
- U.S. Highway 64
- U.S. Highway 70
- U.S. Highway 79
- Highway 38
- Highway 42
- Highway 50
- Highway 77
- Highway 147
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Mississippi County (northeast)
- Tipton County, Tennessee & Shelby County, Tennessee (east)
- DeSoto County, Mississippi (southeast)
- Tunica County, Mississippi (south)
- Lee County (southwest)
- St. Francis County & Cross County (west)
- Poinsett County (northwest)
[edit] History
West Memphis was the home of Sonny Boy Williamson II, influential blues singer and harmonica player. One of his songs, West Memphis Blues, tells the story of how his home there was damaged by fire in 1949. The song mentions several local personalities, white and black, who supported him when he was falsely accused of arson.
In another case of what is widely believed to be a false accusation (this time resulting in a conviction and death sentence), three West Memphis teens, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley, collectively known as the West Memphis Three were convicted of the murder of three eight year old boys in 1994. When the State was unable to produce any physical evidence, they resorted to calling an "occult expert" to the stand from the now-closed Columbia Pacific University who testified that Damien was "a witch" and that since "eight is a witches number", the West Memphis Three had a motive to kill the children. The case has gained worldwide attention and further proceedings are scheduled.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 50,866 people, 18,471 households, and 13,373 families residing in the county. The population density was 83 people per square mile (32/km²). There were 20,507 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile (13/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 50.91% White, 47.05% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.66% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. 1.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 18,471 households out of which 37.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.80% were married couples living together, 21.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.60% were non-families. 23.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the county the population was spread out with 31.10% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 29.10% from 25 to 44, 20.50% from 45 to 64, and 9.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 91.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,109, and the median income for a family was $34,982. Males had a median income of $31,299 versus $21,783 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,424. About 21.00% of families and 25.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.30% of those under age 18 and 23.70% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Cities and towns
[edit] References
- ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Based on 2000 census data
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
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