Blytheville, Arkansas
| Blytheville, Arkansas | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 |
|
 Location in Mississippi County and the state of Arkansas |
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| Coordinates: 35°55′51″N 89°54′50″W / 35.93083°N 89.91389°WCoordinates: 35°55′51″N 89°54′50″W / 35.93083°N 89.91389°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arkansas |
| County | Mississippi |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | James Sanders |
| Area | |
| • Total | 20.7 sq mi (53.5 km2) |
| • Land | 20.6 sq mi (53.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2) |
| Elevation | 256 ft (78 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 15,620 |
| • Density | 887.2/sq mi (342.6/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP codes | 72315, 72316, 72319 |
| Area code(s) | 870 |
| FIPS code | 05-07330 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0057402 |
Blytheville is the largest city in Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States, and one of the two county seats. Blytheville is approximately 60 miles north of West Memphis. The population was 18,272 at the 2000 census.
Blytheville was founded by Methodist clergyman Henry T. Blythe in 1879. It received a post office in 1879, was incorporated in 1889, and became the county seat for the northern half of Mississippi County (Chickasawba District) in 1901. Blytheville received telephone service and electricity in 1903, and natural gas service in 1950.
Forestry was an early industry, spurred by the massive harvesting of lumber needed to rebuild Chicago following the Great Fire of 1871. The lumber industry brought sawmills and a rowdy crowd, and the area was known for its disreputable saloon culture during the 1880s and 1890s.
The cleared forests enabled cotton farming to take hold, encouraged by ongoing levee building and waterway management; the population grew significantly after 1900. On Blytheville’s western edge lies one of the largest cotton gins in North America, and soybeans and rice have also become important crops.
The area around Blytheville continues to be farmed, though family farms have given way to large factory operations.
In the 1980s, Blytheville began to develop an industrial base, much of which centered on the steel industry.
Until 1991, Blytheville was home to Blytheville Air Force Base (later renamed Eaker Air Force Base), a major airfield that was part of the Strategic Air Command.
James Sanders is Blytheville's mayor, and the first African-American to serve in that position.
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 15,620 people residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 55.9% Black, 38.8% White, 0.2% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% from some other race and 1.2% from two or more races. 3.0% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,272 people, 7,001 households, and 4,746 families residing in the city. The population density was 887.5 people per square mile (342.6/km²). There were 8,533 housing units at an average density of 414.5 per square mile (160.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 45.15% White, 52.15% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population.
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