34°35′01″N 93°07′39″W / 34.58361°N 93.12750°W / 34.58361; -93.12750

Garland County
County
Garland County Courthouse
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Arkansas
Arkansas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 34°35′01″N 93°07′39″W / 34.5836°N 93.1275°W / 34.5836; -93.1275
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
Founded	April 5, 1873
Named for	Augustus Hill Garland
Seat	Hot Springs
Largest city	Hot Springs
Area
• Total	735 sq mi (1,900 km)
• Land	678 sq mi (1,760 km)
• Water	57 sq mi (150 km)  7.7%
Population  (2020)
• Total	100,180
• Density	140/sq mi (53/km)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	4th
Website	www.garlandcounty.org

Garland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 100,180. The county seat is Hot Springs.

Garland County comprises the Hot Springs, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county includes Hot Springs National Park, the only national park in the state of Arkansas as well as the first property to be protected under federal legislation. A law was passed in 1832 supported by President Andrew Jackson to preserve this area, even before Arkansas was admitted as a state.

This area was occupied by the historic Natchitoches people, who frequented the hot springs for their healing powers. Their ancestors among regional indigenous peoples had been coming to this area for thousands of years before their time.

After acquiring the Louisiana Territory in 1803, which had been controlled by French and Spanish officials, President Thomas Jefferson requested William Dunbar, a planter and amateur scientist of Natchez, Mississippi, to explore this area. Dunbar led small group of a dozen soldiers and friend George Hunter, a chemist, to the Ouachita Mountains to report on the Indian tribes, minerals, and springs. They reached Hot Springs in December 1804, where they found a basic cabin used by visitors to the springs.

The first European-American settler was Jean Pierre Emanuel Prudhomme, a descendant of French colonists. An owner of a plantation at Red River, Prudhomme was suffering from illness and sought relief from the springs. In 1807 he built the first permanent European house by the springs, living here for two years. Isaac Cates and John Percival, two trappers from Alabama, joined him. Percival foresaw a great potential for the area and built log cabins in order to rent to visitors to the springs.

In 1828, Ludovicus Belding came with wife and children to visit the hot springs. After a few months they built a small hotel for the visitors of the springs.

In 1832 President Andrew Jackson signed legislation to protect the hot springs area for recreational use by American citizens as Hot Springs Reservation, the first time such action was taken. This was four years before Arkansas became a state, on June 15, 1836. A dispute among original settlers and their descendants over control of the property was settled by the US Supreme Court in 1877 in favor of the federal government. Hot Springs National Park was established in 1921 and is managed by the National Park Service.

Garland County is Arkansas' 68th county, formed during the Reconstruction era on April 5, 1873, from portions of Hot Spring, Montgomery, and Saline counties. It was named for Augustus H. Garland, eleventh governor of Arkansas. It is the only county in the United States with this name.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 735 square miles (1,900 km), of which 678 square miles (1,760 km) is land and 57 square miles (150 km) (7.7%) is water.

• Hot Springs Intracity Transit

• U.S. Highway 70
• U.S. Highway 270
• Highway 5
• Highway 7
• Highway 88

• Perry County (north)
• Saline County (east)
• Hot Spring County (south)
• Montgomery County (west)
• Yell County (northwest)

• Hot Springs National Park
• Ouachita National Forest (part)

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	9,023		—
1890	15,328		69.9%
1900	18,773		22.5%
1910	27,271		45.3%
1920	25,785		−5.4%
1930	36,031		39.7%
1940	41,664		15.6%
1950	47,102		13.1%
1960	46,697		−0.9%
1970	54,131		15.9%
1980	70,531		30.3%
1990	73,397		4.1%
2000	88,068		20.0%
2010	96,024		9.0%
2020	100,180		4.3%
2023 (est.)	99,784		−0.4%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010

Garland County racial composition

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	77,239	77.1%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	8,034	8.02%
Native American	623	0.62%
Asian	960	0.96%
Pacific Islander	71	0.07%
Other/Mixed	6,206	6.19%
Hispanic or Latino	7,047	7.03%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 100,180 people, 41,743 households, and 26,006 families residing in the county.

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 88,068 people, 37,813 households, and 25,259 families residing in the county. The population density was 130 people per square mile (50 people/km). There were 44,953 housing units at an average density of 66 units per square mile (25 units/km). The racial makeup of the county was 88.85% White, 7.80% Black or African American, 0.61% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.72% from other races, and 1.49% from two or more races. 2.56% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 37,813 households, out of which 25.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.20% were married couples living together, 10.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.20% were non-families. 28.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.78.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.30% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 25.20% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 21.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,724, and the median income for a family was $38,079. Males had a median income of $28,117 versus $20,421 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,631. About 10.50% of families and 14.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.70% of those under age 18 and 8.60% of those age 65 or over.

• Hot Springs (county seat)
• Mountain Pine

• Fountain Lake
• Lonsdale

• Crystal Springs
• Hot Springs Village
• Lake Hamilton
• Pearcy
• Piney
• Rockwell

• Bear
• Jessieville
• Royal

Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries. Arkansas townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, the United States census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "minor civil divisions"). Townships are also of value for historical purposes in terms of genealogical research. Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps and publications. The townships of Garland County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.

Township	FIPS code	ANSI code (GNIS ID)	Population center(s)	Pop. (2010)	Pop. density (/mi)	Pop. density (/km)	Total area (mi)	Total area (km)	Land area (mi)	Land area (km)	Water area (mi)	Water area (km)	Geographic coordinates
Hale	05-91581	00066591	Mountain Pine, most of CDP Hot Springs Village, small part of CDP Rockwell	16,142	41.99	16.21	428.979	1,111	384.389	995.6	44.590	115.5	34°38′02″N 93°11′55″W / 34.633909°N 93.198598°W / 34.633909; -93.198598
Hot Springs	05-91773	00066592	most of Hot Springs	41,479	801.70	309.54	54.073	140.0	51.739	134.0	2.334	6.045	34°29′40″N 93°02′52″W / 34.494338°N 93.047883°W / 34.494338; -93.047883
Lake Hamilton	05-92100	00066594	CDP Lake Hamilton, most of CDP Rockwell	20,534	260.45	100.56	86.717	224.6	78.839	204.2	7.878	20.40	34°25′52″N 93°05′11″W / 34.431040°N 93.086323°W / 34.431040; -93.086323
Whittington	05-94047	00066602	Fountain Lake, Lonsdale, CDP Piney, part of CDP Hot Springs Village, small part of Hot Springs	17,599	108.09	41.73	164.852	427.0	162.814	421.7	2.038	5.278	34°34′08″N 92°59′59″W / 34.568990°N 92.999676°W / 34.568990; -92.999676
Source: "Census 2010 U.S. Gazetteer Files: County Subdivisions in Arkansas". U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division. Archived from the original on May 31, 2014. Source: "Census 2010 U.S. Gazetteer Files". U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division.

Over the past few election cycles Garland County has trended heavily towards the GOP. The last Democrat to carry this county was Arkansas “favorite son” Bill Clinton in 1996.

United States presidential election results for Garland County, Arkansas

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	28,359	67.00%	13,015	30.75%	953	2.25%
2020	29,069	65.77%	14,045	31.78%	1,085	2.45%
2016	26,087	63.93%	12,311	30.17%	2,407	5.90%
2012	26,014	63.87%	13,804	33.89%	910	2.23%
2008	26,825	61.36%	15,899	36.37%	995	2.28%
2004	21,734	54.13%	18,040	44.93%	380	0.95%
2000	19,098	53.15%	15,840	44.08%	997	2.77%
1996	13,662	37.73%	19,211	53.06%	3,333	9.21%
1992	12,886	35.80%	18,811	52.26%	4,298	11.94%
1988	19,281	60.93%	11,406	36.05%	955	3.02%
1984	21,213	62.47%	11,484	33.82%	1,261	3.71%
1980	15,739	52.96%	12,515	42.11%	1,463	4.92%
1976	10,394	39.72%	15,707	60.02%	69	0.26%
1972	15,602	73.90%	5,207	24.66%	303	1.44%
1968	7,674	37.83%	5,655	27.88%	6,955	34.29%
1964	9,952	46.01%	11,591	53.59%	86	0.40%
1960	7,204	51.66%	6,333	45.42%	407	2.92%
1956	9,427	62.53%	5,437	36.06%	212	1.41%
1952	7,848	60.07%	5,165	39.53%	52	0.40%
1948	2,286	31.95%	3,764	52.61%	1,104	15.43%
1944	2,069	36.50%	3,596	63.43%	4	0.07%
1940	1,424	29.84%	3,335	69.89%	13	0.27%
1936	1,217	29.09%	2,931	70.07%	35	0.84%
1932	833	16.38%	4,252	83.60%	1	0.02%
1928	2,720	48.94%	2,823	50.79%	15	0.27%
1924	1,064	37.50%	1,501	52.91%	272	9.59%
1920	1,423	45.45%	1,619	51.71%	89	2.84%
1916	1,057	38.65%	1,678	61.35%	0	0.00%
1912	300	14.80%	1,046	51.60%	681	33.60%
1908	1,105	42.91%	1,340	52.04%	130	5.05%
1904	854	50.92%	804	47.94%	19	1.13%
1900	708	42.62%	940	56.59%	13	0.78%
1896	703	31.33%	1,465	65.29%	76	3.39%
1892	940	37.10%	1,456	57.46%	138	5.45%

• List of lakes in Garland County, Arkansas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Garland County, Arkansas

• Garland County government's website
• Hot Springs, Arkansas Community Guides • What to do and where to find it in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
• Garland County Sheriff's Department