- Newport, Arkansas
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Newport, Arkansas — City — Location in Jackson County and the state of Arkansas
Coordinates: 35°36′43″N 91°15′44″W / 35.61194°N 91.26222°WCoordinates: 35°36′43″N 91°15′44″W / 35.61194°N 91.26222°W Country United States State Arkansas County Jackson Government – Mayor David Stewart Area – Total 13.3 sq mi (34.5 km2) – Land 13 sq mi (33.8 km2) – Water 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km2) Elevation 223 ft (68 m) Population (2000) – Total 7,811 – Density 587.3/sq mi (226.4/km2) Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6) – Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5) ZIP code 72112 Area code(s) 870 FIPS code 05-49580 GNIS feature ID 0077846 Website http://www.newportar.org Newport is a city in Jackson County, Arkansas, 84 miles (135 km) northeast of Little Rock, on the White River. In 1900, 2,866 people lived in Newport, Arkansas; in 1910, 3,557. The population was 7,811 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Jackson County[1].
Newport is home to a campus of the Arkansas State University system, with particular focus on training in transportation careers. Newport is known as the town in which Sam Walton owned a Ben Franklin store prior to starting Wal-Mart.
Contents
Geography
Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, the city's residents comprised 7,811 people in 2,690 households 1,702 families. The population density was 599.2 people per square mile (231.5/km²). There were 3,118 housing units at an average density of 239.2 per square mile (92.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 56.57% White, 41.76% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. 1.13% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,690 households out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples living together, 17.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.90.
19.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 16.7% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 84.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $24,151, and the median income for a family was $33,500. Males had a median income of $29,943 versus $17,437 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,757. About 17.7% of families and 22.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.1% of those under age 18 and 18.1% of those age 65 or over.
Government and infrastructure
The Grimes Unit and the McPherson Unit, prisons of the Arkansas Department of Correction, are located in Newport, off Arkansas Highway 384, 4 miles (6.4 km) east of central Newport.[3] The prison houses the state's death row for women.[4]
The United States Postal Service operates the Newport Post Office.[5]
Famous present and former residents
Commerce
- Helen Walton, wife of Sam Walton
- Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart
- S. Robson Walton, John T. Walton, Jim Walton and Alice Walton, children of the Wal-Mart founder
Entertainment & literature
- Sonny Burgess, rockabilly artist and a member of Rockabilly Hall of Fame
- Elizabeth Gregg Patterson, short fiction writer
- Mary Steenburgen, Academy Award-winning actress
Politics, military & education
- Mike Beebe, current Governor of Arkansas
- Army Major General Lynn Hartsell, former US Army Chief of the Budget[6][7]
- Kaneaster Hodges, Jr., appointed to succeed John McClellan as United States Senator upon McClellan's death in 1977
- Dr. Ed Madden, activist, poet, and professor at the University of South Carolina
- Martha Shoffner, current Treasurer of the State of Arkansas
- Army Major General James Simmons, a former deputy commander of the U.S.-led multinational force in Iraq
- Jim Wood, Arkansas State Auditor from 2003 to 2011
Sports
- Bernis Duke, started and coached the Oral Roberts University men's tennis team for 33 years, inducted into Intercollegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame in 2002
- George Kell, member of Baseball Hall of Fame
- Theo Young, played one season with NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers and is a college football coach
Legendary Animals
- White River Monster
See also
References
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Grimes Unit/McPherson Unit." Arkansas Department of Correction. Retrieved on November 22, 2010.
- ^ Haddigan, Michael. "They Kill Women, Don't They?" Arkansas Times. April 9, 1999. Retrieved on August 15, 2010.
- ^ "Post Office™ Location - NEWPORT." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on November 22, 2010.
- ^ http://www.ndu.edu/inss/symposia/jointops00/hartsell.html
- ^ http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=3503
External links
- Newport official city website
- The Newport Independent, the city's newspaper published since 1901
- Arkansas State University-Newport official website
- Newport Economic Development Commission
- Newport Area Chamber of Commerce
- W.A. Billingsly Jackson County Library
- History of Newport's Jewish community (from the Institute of Southern Jewish Life)
Municipalities and communities of Jackson County, Arkansas County seat: NewportCities 
Towns Amagon | Beedeville | Campbell Station | Grubbs | Jacksonport | Tupelo | Weldon
Unincorporated
communitiesCenterville | Stegall
Categories:- Populated places in Jackson County, Arkansas
- Cities in Arkansas
- County seats in Arkansas
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