Hope, Arkansas
Welcome sign for Hope visitors alongside Interstate 30
Motto: A Slice of the Good Life
Coordinates: 33°40′4″N 93°35′24″W / 33.66778, -93.59
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
County	Hempstead
Founded
Incorporated
Government
- Mayor
Area
- City	sq mi (km²)
- Land	sq mi ( km²)
- Water	sq mi ( km²)
Elevation	ft ( m)
Population (U.S. Census 2006 estimate)
- City
- Density	/sq mi (/km²)
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	71801-71802
Area code(s)	870
FIPS code	05-33190
GNIS feature ID	0057940
Website: www.hopearkansas.net

Hope is a small city in Hempstead County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 10,467.^[1] The city is the county seat of Hempstead County⁶.

It is notable primarily as the birthplace of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton (see Bill Clinton Birthplace). At the 1992 Democratic National Convention, Clinton ended his acceptance speech by saying, "I believe in a place called Hope" The city tagged this statement as their unofficial motto. The city converted its railroad depot to a museum featuring the life and accomplishments of President Clinton.

Hope is also the birthplace of the former governor of Arkansas and current presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee; former White House Chief of Staff Mack McLarty; attorney Vince Foster; Representative Mike Ross; former Louisville, Kentucky mayor David L. Armstrong; former Arkansas Secretary of State Kelly Bryant (1908-1975), PGA golfer Ken Duke and actress Melinda Dillon. Country Music Hall of Fame singer Patsy Montana attended schools in Hope. A former Michigan congressman, Robert James Huber, is buried in Hope, but he did not live there. It was the hometown of his wife, the former Mary Pauline "Polly" Tolleson, a graduate of Hope High School.

Paul Klipsch founded Klipsch and Associates in Hope in 1946. Klipsch invented the world famous Klipschorn speaker, a folded horn loaded speaker that revolutionized the speaker industry. The Klipschorn and a number of other speaker lines are still being manufactured in Hope by Klipsch Audio Technologies.

The Hope Municipal Airport was originally the Southwestern Proving Ground during World War II and had the claim of the third longest runway in the United States. Paul Klipsch used to joke that his desk was not in the same exact spot as the one he had during his Army service at the Proving Ground in World War II; it was on the other side of the room.

Hope is also known for growing watermelons and continues to produce records for the largest watermelons in the world. The last record was set by Lloyd Bright in 2005 with a 268.8 pound watermelon. The Watermelon Festival is celebrated annually on the second week of August. The watermelon is used in the city's logo and its slogan: A Slice of the Good Life.

Geography

Hope is located at 33°40′4″N, 93°35′24″W (33.667779, -93.589908)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.1 km² (10.1 mi²). 25.9 km² (10.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.60%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 10,616 people, 3,961 households, and 2,638 families residing in the city. The population density was 409.9/km² (1,061.9/mi²). There were 4,301 housing units at an average density of 166.1/km² (430.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 47.71% White, 43.17% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 6.63% from other races, and 1.78% from two or more races. 13.48% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,961 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% were married couples living together, 21.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. Of 3,961 households, 192 are unmarried partner households: 175 heterosexual, 11 same-sex male, and 6 same-sex female households. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.9% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 87.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,385, and the median income for a family was $28,445. Males had a median income of $23,525 versus $17,394 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,783. About 22.3% of families and 27.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.1% of those under age 18 and 17.3% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

• City of Hope, Arkansas official website
• Southwestern Proving Ground
• Hope Public Schools official site

Coordinates: 33.667779° N 93.589908° W

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