Texarkana, Arkansas
Texarkana is a city in the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Miller County, on the southwest border of the state. The city is located across the state line from its twin city of Texarkana, Texas. The city was founded at a railroad intersection on December 8, 1873, and was incorporated in Arkansas on August 10, 1880. Texarkana (together with its Texas counterpart) is the principal city of the Texarkana metropolitan area, which is ranked 274th in terms of population in the United States with 150,098 in 2016, according to the United States Census Bureau . Located within the Ark-La-Tex subregion of Southwest Arkansas, Texarkana is located in the Piney Woods, an oak-hickory forest that dominates the flat Gulf Coastal Plain. Texarkana's economy is based on agriculture. In addition, the city is a trading center, at crossroads of three major Interstate highways: Interstate 30 (I-30), I-49, and the future I-69. Outdoor tourism, such as fishing at Lake Millwood and related activities, are also important in the region. The Red River Army Depot & Tenants comprise the largest single employer in the city. The Texarkana Arkansas School District is the largest public school district  on the Arkansas side. The city is home to Texarkana College (on the Texas side of town), and a branch campus of the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope (UACCH). History. Miller County was formed in 1820 in the Arkansas Territory; it was named in honor General James Miller, Arkansas' first territorial governor and a general during the War of 1812. Miller County was formed although there was considerable uncertainty as to the location of the boundary between the county (and the United States) and the Mexican boundary (Mexico then included Texas). Consequently, settlers believed that Arkansas levied and  collected taxes on land that eventually might be held by Mexico. Moreover, many who resented what they considered oppression of European-American Texans by the Mexicans were openly declaring allegiance to the Texans. After the Texas Republic gained independence, the unrest increased. In 1838, Governor James Conway proposed that the "easiest and most effective remedy is the abolition of Miller County to an area which is more patriotic." Miller County was dissolved and its land was made part of Lafayette County, Arkansas. In 1873 town lots were sold in Texarkana, Arkansas, at the intersection of two railroads, which stimulated its  growth as a trading center. In this area and time period, railroads had replaced rivers as the preferred site for new towns. The next year, Texarkana, Texas was founded on June 12, 1874 across the state border. That same year, the Arkansas legislature re-established Miller County. Efforts of the young town in Arkansas to be incorporated were not realized until October 17, 1880, nearly seven years after Texarkana, Texas was formed. Both Texarkana cities generally recognize December 8, 1873, as the date of organization. Geography. Texarkana, Arkansas, is located at (33.433075, -94.020514). According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.43%) is water. Climate. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Texarkana has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. Demographics. 2020 census. As of the 2020 United States census, there were 29,387 people, 11,404 households, and 7,348 families residing in the city. 2016. As of the census of 2016, there were 30,283 people, 13,565 households, and 7,040 families residing in the city. The population density was 830.5 people  per square mile (320.6/km). There were 11,721 housing units at an average density of 368.1 per square mile (142.1/km). The racial makeup of the city was 65.93% White, 31.00% Black or African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.61% from other races, and 1.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.78% of the population. There were 13,565 households, out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 18.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2 % were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.99. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.9% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and  over, there were 87.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $31,343, and the median income for a family was $38,292 . Males had a median income of $35,204 versus $21,731 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,130. About 17.2% of families and 21.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.0% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or above. Government and infrastructure. The Arkansas Department of Correction operates the Texarkana Regional Correction Center in Texarkana. Arkansas residents whose permanent residence  is within the city limits of Texarkana, Arkansas are exempt from Arkansas individual income taxes. The Federal Courthouse (which holds the city's only post office) is located directly on the Arkansas-Texas state line. It is the only federal office building to straddle a state line. According to the City's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the area are: Education. Public education for elementary and secondary school students is provided by two school districts: Private education opportunities include: In 2012, Texarkana became home to a branch of the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana (UAHT), a  community college based in Hope, Arkansas, and in 2015 UAHT began partnering with the University of Arkansas Little Rock, to offer bachelor's-degree programs through UALR Texarkana, based on the UAHT Texarkana campus.