Blytheville

Blytheville, Arkansas
—  City  —
Location in Mississippi County and the state of Arkansas
Coordinates: 35°55′51″N 89°54′50″W / 35.93083°N 89.91389°W / 35.93083; -89.91389
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
County	Mississippi
Area
- Total	20.7 sq mi (53.5 km2)
- Land	20.6 sq mi (53.3 km2)
- Water	0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation	256 ft (78 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	18,272
- Density	887.2/sq mi (342.6/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	72315, 72316, 72319
Area code(s)	870
FIPS code	05-07330
GNIS feature ID	0057402

That Bookstore in Blytheville is reputedly one of John Grisham's favorite bookstores.

Blytheville is a city in and one of the two county seats of Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States.^[1] The population was 18,272 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 16,638 in 2005.^[2]

Blytheville was founded in 1879 by the Methodist clergyman Henry T. Blythe. Blytheville is located in Mississippi County approximately 60 miles north of West Memphis. Because of the abundance of trees, the city grew quickly and was incorporated in 1889. According to records, the city had a large and diverse population in 1890. As the vast forest began to shrink, the people of Blytheville started growing cotton. Blytheville was a huge agricultural community until 1980, when farming was increasingly mechanized. Since then, Blytheville has developed a growing industrial base, much of which is centered around the steel industry.

Blytheville is the home to Arkansas Northeastern College, a two-year community college. It was formerly known as Mississippi County Community College until the merger with the Cotton Boll Technical Institute. Until the 1990s, Blytheville was home to Blytheville Air Force Base later renamed to Eaker Air Force Base, a major airfield that was part of the Strategic Air Command.

Notable employers

Nucor, a large steel manufacturer, operates two facilities east of the town near the Mississippi River.

Aviation Repair Technologies (ART) is headquartered at Arkansas International Airport in Blytheville and employs approximately 200. It performs heavy aircraft maintenance, aircraft engine disassembly, aircraft disassembly, and aircraft storage.^[3] Its aircraft repair services are focused on turboprop, regional jet, and narrowbody aircraft such as the ATR 42, ATR 72, Dash 8, Q400, ERJ, CRJ, MD80 and 737. Its engine tear down operation specializes in CFM56, CF6-80, and CF6-50 engine types.^[4]

Notable residents

• R&B singer Dee Clark, known for his 1961 hit "Raindrops," was a native of Blytheville.
• George Hamilton (actor)
• World War II Medal of Honor recipient Edgar H. Lloyd
• Mad editor Al Feldstein, who was stationed in Blytheville during World War II, later wrote a science fiction story set in Blytheville, "Chewed Out," Weird Science 12 (March 1952).

Education

The Blytheville area is home to three public school districts, Blytheville Public Schools, Gosnell Public Schools, and Armorel Public Schools, as well as one private K-12 school, Pathway Christian Academy. A community college, Arkansas Northeastern College, is also in Blytheville.

Geography

Blytheville is located at 35°55′51″N 89°54′50″W / 35.93083°N 89.91389°W / 35.93083; -89.91389 (35.930735, -89.913940).^[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.6 square miles (53.5 km²), of which, 20.6 square miles (53.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.29%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census^[6] of 2000, there were 18,272 people, 7,001 households, and 4,746 families residing in the city. The population density was 887.5 people per square mile (342.6/km²). There were 8,533 housing units at an average density of 414.5/sq mi (160.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.15% Black or African American, 45.15% White, 0.19% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. 1.31% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Estimated population in July 2005: 16,638. Estimated population in July 2006: 16,403.

There were 7,001 households out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were married couples living together, 20.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. There are 320 unmarried partner households: 297 heterosexual, 12 same-sex male, and 11 same-sex female households. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.9% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,683, and the median income for a family was $32,816. Males had a median income of $30,889 versus $20,710 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,426. About 23.3% of families and 28.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.2% of those under age 18 and 17.4% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

• History of Blytheville's Jewish community (from the Institute of Southern Jewish Life)
• Blytheville Chamber of Commerce
• Blytheville Schools
• Blytheville School Ratings
• Blytheville Courier News
• Where to stay in Blytheville
• Current Weather in Blytheville
• Arkansas Aeroplex in Blytheville
• Detailed Profile of Blytheville, AR
• Places to Golf in Blytheville
• New Madrid Fault Information
• Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry: Blytheville (Mississippi County)

• Blytheville, Arkansas is at coordinates 35°55′51″N 89°54′50″W / 35.930735°N 89.91394°W / 35.930735; -89.91394 (Blytheville, Arkansas)Coordinates: 35°55′51″N 89°54′50″W / 35.930735°N 89.91394°W / 35.930735; -89.91394 (Blytheville, Arkansas)

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