Incorporated as a town in 1891, Blytheville later became the second county seat of Mississippi County. Osceola was the first. Blytheville's population has increased steadily since it's incorporation. By 1916 the city had reached 5,000 and become a city of the first class. Today the population is approximately 23,000.
Local government has a mayor and city council.
Blytheville is a diversified city. The residents enjoy a good livelihood, derived from a combination of agricultural and industrial revenues. Mississippi County is the second largest steel producing county in the United States. The Blytheville Public Schools consist of five elementary schools, two junior high schools, and one senior high school. We also have the Cotton Boll Technical Institute and the Mississippi County Community College.