B.C. Information & History Longtime known as the "Cornerstone of the State", Benton County is located in the extreme northwest corner of Arkansas and borders Missouri and Oklahoma. This region is geographically part of the Ozark Plateau. In the past this area was a Native American hunting ground for the Osage Indians, timberland, major fruit producer and more recently the county has become one of the fastest growing population and economic growth centers in the country.

Benton County and Bentonville are named in honor of Thomas Hart Benton , a U.S. Senator from Missouri, who played a key role in persuading Congress to admit Arkansas to the Union on September 30, 1836, as the 25th state. The county was organized in 1836.

Benton County is 886 square miles with a perimeter of 142.25 miles. The topography is gentle rolling hills (Ozark Mountains). The average annual rainfall is 40 to 45 inches.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports a population of 153,406 in Benton County in 2000, with an estimated population of 225,504 in 2009 (a 31.3% increase).  Bentonville is the county seat and had an estimated population of 26,397 in 2003, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The largest city is Rogers, with an estimated population in 2003 of 42,795.  There are 17 incorporated cities and towns and  6 unincorporated towns in the County.

The County Judge is the chief executive officer for county government in Arkansas. In Benton County, the County Judge is elected for a term of two years. The Quorum Court is the legislative body of Benton County and is comprised of 13 members (Justices of the Peace), who also serve a two-year elected term.  The County Judge and Justices of the Peace may be re-elected for additional two-year terms.  

In 1960, the Army Corps of Engineers began work on Beaver Dam , impounding a major part of the White River and creating Beaver Lake. Beaver Lake is approximately 50 miles in length and covers approximately 31,700 acres, with about 449 miles of shoreline and an elevation of 1,120 feet.  There are several U.S. Corps of Engineers parks and campgrounds surrounding Beaver Lake.  The Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area (formerly known as the Beaver Lake State Park) is the only state park in the County.  

Important agricultural crops include hay and pasture for livestock.  In 2002, Benton County led the state and was third in the nation for broiler (poultry) production.

The largest manufacturing industries are: Bekaert Corporation (steel tire cord); Clayton Mark (water system tanks, yard hydrants & water system accessories); Glad Manufacturing (Glad plastic bags & plastic cling wrap); Foam Molding Corporation (structural foam plastics & enclosures for electronic equipment); Kraft Foods (bulk cheese), Preformed Line Products Co. (pole line hardware for overhead power, splice cases & related products for telecommunications industry, rubber molding, injection molding, wire drawing & forming); Rogers Tool Works (carbide compacts for the oil industry, palletizing dies, blanks & carbide cutting tools, reamers, tool holders with inserts, drills, carbide wear parts & lathe tools); Superior Industries (aluminum road wheels); JB Hunt trucking company; Gates Corporation (rubber belts, hoses & hydraulics); Kellog's Brand Foods; Johnson & Johnson Health Care Products; McKee Foods Corporation Little Debbie Snack Cakes; Proctor & Gamble Consumer Based Products; and Tyson's, Inc. (poultry processing & distribution centers, specialty frozen chicken items).

The largest service & retail employer is Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., which locates its world headquarters in Bentonville. Numerous Fortune 500 companies (as well as smaller firms) have regional offices in Benton County to support their accounts at Wal-Mart. Money Magazine ranks Benton County #15 for jobs in the nation with a recorded 32.1% job growth from 2000-2009.

Historical sites in Benton County include:
· Pea Ridge National Military Park (Battle of Pea Ridge during the Civil War)
· War Eagle Mill and War Eagle Bridge (water-powered grist mill)
· Cross Hollow (Civil War encampment & battle field)
· Monte Ne (resort town now covered by Beaver Lake near Rogers)
· Simon Sager Cabin (log cabin open to the public in Siloam Springs)
· 1875 Peel Mansion & Historic Gardens (built by Colonel Samuel West Peel in Bentonville)
· Hawkins House (museum in Rogers)

Famous people from Benton County include:
· Sam and Helen Walton (founders of Wal-Mart, Inc.)
· Betty Blake Rogers (Will Rogers' wife)
· Coin Harvey (built Monte Ne resort)
· Louise Thaden (famous pilot)
· Willis Harvey "Bubs" Ricketts Republican Party gubernatorial nominee
· Karri Turner Television Actress
· Jim Walton Chairman of Arvest Bank

Benton County has seven school districts (Bentonville, Decatur,Gentry, Gravette, Pea Ridge, Rogers & Siloam Springs) that include 45 public schools.  The enrollment for the 2001-02 school year was 25,991 students.

The Northwest Arkansas Community College (two-year college) is located in Bentonville and John Brown University (four-year college) is located in Siloam Springs.

A list of civic organizations may be obtained by contacting either the Bentonville-Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce or the Rogers-Lowell Chamber of Commerce.

Please contact Rosemary Goines, Executive Secretary to Benton County Judge Dave Bisbee, at rgoines@co.benton.ar.us for additional information.