Official name | City of Jonesboro |
---|
Motto | People Pride Progress |
---|
Website | Jonesboro.org |
---|
Settlement type | City |
---|
Image seal | Jonesboro City Seal.PNG |
---|
Map caption | Location in the state of Arkansas |
---|
Subdivision type | Country |
---|
Subdivision type1 | State |
---|
Subdivision type2 | County |
---|
Subdivision name | United States |
---|
Subdivision name1 | Arkansas |
---|
Subdivision name2 | Craighead |
---|
Leader title | Mayor |
---|
Leader name | Harold Perrin |
---|
Area magnitude | 1 E8 |
---|
Area total sq mi | 80.0 |
---|
Area total km2 | 207.2 |
---|
Area land sq mi | 79.6 |
---|
Area land km2 | 206.3 |
---|
Area water sq mi | 0.4 |
---|
Area water km2 | 0.9 |
---|
Population as of | 2010 |
---|
Population total | 67263 |
---|
Population metro | 118,830 |
---|
Population density sq mi | 827.0 |
---|
Population density km2 | 697.1 |
---|
Timezone | CST |
---|
Utc offset | -6 |
---|
Timezone dst | CDT |
---|
Utc offset dst | -5 |
---|
Coordinates display | inline,title |
---|
Coordinates type | region:US_type:city |
---|
Elevation m | 79 |
---|
Elevation ft | 259 |
---|
Established title | Incorporated |
---|
Established date | February 19, 1859 |
---|
Postal code type | ZIP codes |
---|
Postal code | 72401-72404 |
---|
Area code | 870 |
---|
Blank name | FIPS code |
---|
Blank info | 05-35710 |
---|
Blank1 name | GNIS feature ID |
---|
Blank1 info | 0077389 |
---|
Jonesboro is a city in and one of the two
county seats of
Craighead County,
Arkansas,
United States. According to the 2010 US Census, the population of the city was 67,263. A
college town, Jonesboro is the largest city in northeastern Arkansas and the fifth most populous city in the state. It is the principal city of and is included in the Jonesboro, Arkansas
Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2010, the
Jonesboro metropolitan area had a population of 121,026 and an estimated population (2009) of 161,135 in the
Jonesboro-Paragould Combined Statistical Area.
Jonesboro is home to Arkansas State University and is a regional center for manufacturing, agriculture, medicine, education, and trade.
History
The Jonesboro area was first inhabited by Indian tribes which included the
Osage, the
Caddo, and the
Quapaw. The name of the state of Arkansas actually comes from the Quapaw language. In 1900, St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center was established by the Olivetan Benedictine Sisters. The first department store was opened in 1900 and its name was The Grand Leader Department Store. 1904 saw the establishment of Woodland College come and the opening of two more schools within the Jonesboro School District. Arkansas State University was established in 1909. and the first horseless carriages were seen in the city that same year. The two oldest churches still in the city today were started in the 1910s. First Baptist Church was established in 1911 and First Methodist Church was established in 1916.
On September 10, 1931, Governor Harvey Parnell authorized the Arkansas National Guard to be deployed in Jonesboro to quell the Church War, a clash between the followers of Joe Jeffers and Dow H. Heard, the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Jonesboro. Jeffer's adherents also attacked the mayor and police chief resulting in front page coverage of the incident in The New York Times.
The Westside Middle School massacre occurred on March 24, 1998 in a nearby unincorporated area of Craighead County. Two young boys (aged 11 and 13 years) fired upon students at Westside Middle School while hidden in woodlands near the school. Four students and one teacher were killed and ten injured.
In the 2007-2008 school year the Jonesboro Public School District elementary schools became magnet schools.
In 2010 Jonesboro E911 Dispatch center became the 1st in the state to offer TEXT 911 for emergency help.
Geography
Jonesboro is located at (35.828067, -90.694048) atop
Crowley's Ridge in northeastern Arkansas.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 80.0 square miles (207.2 km²), of which, 79.6 square miles (206.3 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (0.9 km²) of it (0.45%) is water.
Climate
Jonesboro has a
humid subtropical climate (
Köppen climate classification Cfa).
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 55,515 people, 22,219 households, and 14,353 families residing in the city. The population density was 697.1 people per square mile (269.1/km²). There were 24,263 housing units at an average density of 304.7 per square mile (117.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.37% White, 11.27% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.05% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. 2.34% of the population were Hispanic.
There were 22,219 households out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. There are 878 unmarried partner households: 776 heterosexual, 50 same-sex male, and 52 same-sex female households. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 16.6% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,196, and the median income for a family was $42,082. Males had a median income of $21,633 versus $31,633 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,884. About 12.9% of families and 17.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.4% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Air
Scheduled flights between Jonesboro, AR and Memphis, TN are offered by
SeaPort Airlines.
Education
's main campus.]]
There are four public school districts operating within the city limits of Jonesboro. They include:
Higher education
Arkansas State University
Jonesboro in popular culture
Jonesboro is the place of death of the fictional character Rooster Cogburn in the 2010 film adaptation of John Portis' novel True Grit.
Numerous references to the city are made in Jonesboro native John Grisham's book A Painted House and in the 2003 movie of the same title. The story takes place in Craighead County, and the movie was filmed in the town of Lepanto in neighboring Poinsett County.
Elvis Presley, who frequently played the high school and college dance circuit in the Jonesboro area, became an honorary member of Tau Kappa Epsilon of Arkansas State University.
Notable natives & residents
Larry Lacewell- former American football player, coach and scout
Matt Cavenaugh- Broadway Star.
Kyle Dean Massey- Broadway Star.
David Auburn- Playwright and screenplay writer, best known for his award winning play (and adapted screenplay) for Proof.
Alan Belcher - UFC Fighter
Earl Bell - former pole vault champion and current coach of top US men and women vaulters
Wes Bentley - actor best known for his role as the drug dealer Ricky in American Beauty
Rodger Bumpass - the voice of Squidward Tentacles on SpongeBob SquarePants
Hattie Caraway - first woman elected to the United States Senate
Clint Catalyst - writer, actor, model, stylist, journalist, red carpet commentator for 2007 Emmy Awards
Woody Freeman - businessman; Republican gubernatorial nominee in 1984
John Grisham - novelist
Julia Butterfly Hill - environmental activist
Matt Green - US Congressman
Mary Lambert - Director of Pet Semetary; various Madonna music videos
Dustin McDaniel - current Arkansas Attorney General
Pete Mead - middleweight boxing champion of the 1940s
Ben Murphy - actor, formerly of ABC's Alias Smith and Jones
Jon Olsen - Olympic gold medalist swimmer
David Ring - motivational speaker with cerebral palsy
John W. Snyder - former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury under President Harry S. Truman
Tony Spinner - solo blues/rock musician and guitarist for the band Toto
Michael Craven - Author, speaker, cultural apologist, theologian and syndicated columnist
Charley Thornton - sports figure
Bobby Lee Trammell - rockabilly musician
Debbye Turner - Miss America 1990
is home of Jonesboro's ASU Red Wolves.]]
Shopping
The Mall at Turtle Creek, opened in 2006, is the largest mall in northeast Arkansas. Before the opening of the mall, the
Indian Mall was the primary shopping destination in northeast Arkansas.
Local Television/Radio Media
Television:
KAIT-TV, ABC, Channel 8
KJOS-TV, The CW, Channel 21 (cable only)
KTEJ-TV, PBS (AETN), Channel 19
KVTJ-TV REL (VTN), Channel 48
Radio:
KASU-FM 91.9 FM Public Radio
KEGI-FM 100.5 FM Classic Hits
KIYS-FM 101.7 FM KISS-FM
KDXY-FM 104.9 FM Country
KJBX-FM 106.3 FM Hot AC
KFIN-FM 107.9 FM Country
KNEA-AM 970 AM Sports
KBTM-AM 1230 AM News/Talk
References
External links
City of Jonesboro
Jonesboro.com | Your Hometown, Your Home Page
- An Independent News and Information Portal
History of Jonesboro's Jewish community (from the Institute of Southern Jewish Life)
Former Jonesboro Railroad Depot Photo
The Jonesboro Sun, the local daily newspaper serving Northeast Arkansas
The Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce, the local Chamber of Commerce
KAIT Local Television Station
Northeast Arkansas Business Today
"Local Jonesboro Ar information" Information on Jonesboro, Arkansas, including maps and addresses
Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry: Jonesboro (Craighead County)
Ozark Weather & Radar
Category:Craighead County, Arkansas
Category:Cities in Arkansas
Category:County seats in Arkansas
Category:Jonesboro metropolitan area