Texarkana is a city in the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Miller County, on the southwest border of the state. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 29,387. It is the twin city of Texarkana, Texas, located just across the state line. The city was founded at a railroad intersection on December 8, 1873, and was incorporated in Arkansas on August 10, 1880. Texarkana and its Texas counterpart are the principal cities of the Texarkana metropolitan area, which in 2021 was ranked 289th in the United States with a population of 147,174, according to the United States Census Bureau. Within the Ark-La-Tex subregion of southwest Arkansas, Texarkana is located in the Piney Woods, an oak–hickory forest that dominates the flat Gulf Coastal Plain. Texarkana's economy is based on agriculture. The city has long been a trading center, first located at the intersection of major railroads serving Texas, Arkansas and north into Missouri. Since then three major Interstate highways constructed crossroads here: Interstate 30 (I-30), I-49, and the future I-69. The Red River Army Depot is the largest single employer in the city. The Texarkana Arkansas School District is the largest public school district on the Arkansas side. The city has a branch campus of the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana (UAHT). Texarkana College is located on the Texas side.
History
Miller County was formed in 1820 in the Arkansas Territory; it was named in honor of James Miller, Arkansas' first territorial governor and a general during the War of 1812. Much of its eastern border is formed by the Red River. At the time, there was considerable uncertainty among Americans as to the location of the boundary between the county (and the United States) and national territory of Mexico, which then included Texas. Consequently, settlers believed that Arkansas levied and collected taxes on land that eventually might be held by Mexico. Moreover, many who resented what they considered Mexican oppression of European-American Texans were openly declaring allegiance to the Texans. After the Texas Republic gained independence from Mexico, regional unrest increased. In 1838, Governor James Conway proposed that the "easiest and most effective remedy is the abolition of Miller County to an area which is more patriotic." Miller County was dissolved and its land was made part of Lafayette County, Arkansas. In 1873 town lots were sold in Texarkana, Arkansas, at the intersection of two railroads, which stimulated its growth as a trading center. In this area and time period, railroads had replaced rivers as the preferred method of transportation and shipping, and new towns were sited for best advantage via the railroad. The next year (1874), Texarkana, Texas, was founded on the rail line on June 12 across the state border. That same year, the Arkansas legislature re-established Miller County. Efforts of the young town in Arkansas to be incorporated were not realized until October 17, 1880, nearly seven years after Texarkana, Texas, was formed. Both Texarkana cities generally recognize December 8, 1873, as the date of organization. On February 11, 1922, masked men lynched Mr. Norman, an African-American man, in Texarkana, Miller County, Arkansas. Lynchings were perpetrated by white men primarily against black males, although some black women were also lynched in the South.
Geography
Texarkana is 143 miles (230 km) southwest of Little Rock, 72 miles (116 km) north of Shreveport, Louisiana, and 180 miles (290 km) northeast of Dallas, Texas. According to the United States Census Bureau, Texarkana has a total area of 42.2 square miles (109 km2), of which 42.0 square miles (109 km2) are land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km2), or 0.54%, are water. The city is mainly drained by Nix Creek, a southwest-flowing tributary of Days Creek, part of the Sulphur River watershed leading to the Red River.
Climate The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Texarkana has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Texarkana had a population of 29,387 and 11,831 households, of which 7,348 were families. The median age was 39.1 years. 23.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.2 males age 18 and over. 86.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 13.5% lived in rural areas. There were 11,831 households in Texarkana, of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 37.1% were married-couple households, 19.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 36.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 13,593 housing units, of which 13.0% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.5%.
2016 estimates The median income for a household in the city was $31,343, and the median income for a family was $38,292. Males had a median income of $35,204 versus $21,731 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,130. About 17.2% of families and 21.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.0% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or above.
Government and infrastructure The Arkansas Department of Correction operates the Texarkana Regional Correction Center in Texarkana. Arkansas residents whose permanent residence is within the city limits of Texarkana, Arkansas, are exempt from Arkansas individual income taxes. The Federal Courthouse (which holds the city's only post office) is located directly on the Arkansas-Texas state line. It is the only federal office building to straddle a state line. According to the city's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the area are:
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
