Lonoke County is a county located in the Central Arkansas region of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 74,015, making it the 10th-most populous of Arkansas's 75 counties. The county seat is Lonoke and largest city is Cabot. Included in the Central Arkansas metropolitan area, with Little Rock as the principal city, it is an alcohol prohibition or dry county.

Etymology

Lonoke County was named for the "lone oak" located in the county at the time of its formation, by simply spelling it phonetically, at the suggestion of the chief engineer of the Cairo & Fulton Railroad.

History

Formed on April 16, 1873, from Pulaski and Prairie counties, Lonoke County's varied geography can be roughly broken into thirds horizontally. The top third has rolling hills at the edge of the Ozarks, including the Cabot area. The middle third, including the Lonoke area, contains portions of the Grand Prairie, a flat native grassland today known for rice farming, an important part of the culture, economy and history of Lonoke County. The southern third, including the Scott area, is home to the alluvial soils of the Arkansas Delta. Historically, a military road and a railroad brought settlers to the area, and cotton cultivation was very profitable. In 1904, a demonstration that rice could grow well on the same land coupled with sinking cotton prices drove the area into rice cultivation. During World Wars I and II, Lonoke County was home to Eberts Field, a U.S. Army airfield. Today the land is used in aquaculture.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 803 sqmi, of which 771 sqmi is land and 32 sqmi (4.0%) is water.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 74,015 people, 26,052 households, and 18,824 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 52,828 people, 19,262 households, and 15,024 families residing in the county. The population density was 69 PD/sqmi. There were 20,749 housing units at an average density of 27 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 91.03% White, 6.44% Black or African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. 1.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 19,262 households, out of which 40.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.30% were married couples living together, 10.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.00% were non-families. 19.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.09. In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.70% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 30.90% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 10.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.50 males. The median income for a household in the county was $40,314, and the median income for a family was $46,173. Males had a median income of $32,451 versus $22,897 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,397. About 8.10% of families and 10.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.20% of those under age 18 and 13.60% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

Lonoke County is home to Camp Nelson Confederate Cemetery, Plantation Agriculture Museum, and Plum Bayou Mounds Archeological State Park.

Politics

Over the past few election cycles, Lonoke County has trended heavily towards the Republican party. The last Democrat (as of 2024) to carry the county was Bill Clinton in 1996.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated place

Townships

Education

School districts include: