Van Buren, Arkansas
| Van Buren, Arkansas | |
|---|---|
| City | |
| City of Van Buren | |
Clockwise, from top: US 64/US 71B bridge over the Arkansas River, Van Buren Train Depot, Crawford County Bank Building, Main Street in the Van Buren Historic District, Crawford County Courthouse
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 Location in Crawford County and the state of Arkansas |
|
 Van Buren
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| Coordinates: 35°26′40″N 94°20′48″W / 35.44444°N 94.34667°WCoordinates: 35°26′40″N 94°20′48″W / 35.44444°N 94.34667°W | |
| Country |
 United States
|
| State |
 Arkansas
|
| County | Crawford |
| Township(s) | Dora, Van Buren |
| Incorporated | January 4, 1845 |
| Named for | Martin Van Buren |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–Council |
| • Mayor | Bob Freeman (I) |
| • Council | |
| Area | |
| • City | 16.5 sq mi (42.7 km2) |
| • Land | 15.4 sq mi (40.0 km2) |
| • Water | 1.0 sq mi (2.7 km2) |
| Elevation | 401 ft (122 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • City | 22,791 |
| • Density | 1,475/sq mi (569.4/km2) |
| • Metro | 273,170 (Fort Smith metropolitan area) |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code(s) | 72956 |
| Area code(s) | 479 |
| FIPS code | 05-71480 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0078647 |
| Major airport | FSM |
| Website | vanburencity |
Van Buren /væn ˈbjʊərən/ is the second largest city in the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area and the county seat of Crawford County, Arkansas, United States. The city is located directly northeast of Fort Smith at the Interstate 40 - Interstate 540 junction. The city was incorporated in 1845 and as of the 2010 census had a population of 22,791, ranking it as the state's 22nd largest city, behind Searcy.
The area was settled by David Boyd and Thomas Martin in 1818. After Arkansas became a territory in 1819 Daniel and Thomas Phillips constructed a lumber yard in the community to serve as a fuel depot for traffic along the Arkansas River. In 1831 a post office was constructed for the community, at the time known as Phillips Landing. This post office was named after the newly appointed Secretary of State, Martin Van Buren.
John Drennen, along with his partner David Thompson, purchased the area for US$11,000. They moved their business of supplying firewood for steamboats to this new location on higher ground. The courthouse was constructed on a lot of land donated by Drennen on the condition that Van Buren become the county seat. The Drennen Reserve is one of the town's existing historical sites from the 1830s.
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