Springdale, Arkansas

Springdale is a city in Washington and Benton counties in the U.S. state of Arkansas. It had 84,161 people living there in 2020, making it the fourth-biggest city in Arkansas. It is part of the Northwest Arkansas area, which had 546,725 people in 2020.

Springdale is located in the Ozark Mountains and has been an important industrial city for the area. It is home to the world headquarters of Tyson Foods, the largest meat company in the world, and several trucking companies.

Springdale has grown fast in recent years. The number of people living there grew by 133% between 1990 and 2010. During this time, a Springdale campus of Northwest Arkansas Community College opened, and the Northwest Arkansas Naturals minor league baseball team moved into Arvest Ballpark. Tyson Foods is still the city's biggest employer and can be seen all over the city. In 2013, Governor Mike Beebe called Springdale "The Poultry Capital of the World."

History

Springdale used to be called Shiloh. It was mapped out in 1866 under that name and became Springdale in 1878.

In 2020, the nearby city of Bethel Heights joined Springdale after problems with their city sanitation plant. The merger happened on August 21, 2020.

On March 30, 2022, a strong tornado hit the town, damaging buildings and hurting several people.

Geography

Springdale is a city in the U.S. state of Arkansas. It covers an area of 49.7 square miles, most of which is land with a small part being water. Springdale is next to several other cities, including Cave Springs, Lowell, Elm Springs, Tontitown, Johnson, and Fayetteville.

The city is along major highways such as Interstate 49, US Highway 62, and US Highway 71. This area is part of the Springfield Plateau, a region in the Ozarks made of sandstone and shale, with some limestone visible. Springdale has a humid subtropical climate, which means hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters, similar to nearby Fayetteville. July is the hottest month, and January is the coldest.

Demographics

Springdale had a population of 84,161 in the 2020 census. The average age was 31.2 years, and many families and children lived in the city. Most people lived in urban areas, and many homes had married couples and families.

In 2010, the population was 69,797. People in Springdale came from different backgrounds, including Hispanic and Asian communities. The city also has a large community of people from the Marshall Islands, who came to work and shared their stories with others.

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	249	—
1890	1,146	360.2%
1900	1,251	9.2%
1910	1,755	40.3%
1920	2,263	28.9%
1930	2,763	22.1%
1940	3,319	20.1%
1950	5,835	75.8%
1960	10,076	72.7%
1970	16,783	66.6%
1980	23,458	39.8%
1990	29,941	27.6%
2000	45,798	53.0%
2010	69,797	52.4%
2020	84,161	20.6%
2025 (est.)	90,685	7.8%
Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture

Springdale, Arkansas – Racial and ethnic composition
*Note: the US census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	33,926	36,798	34,543	74.08%	52.72%	41.04%
Black or African American alone (NH)	293	1,160	1,733	0.64%	1.66%	2.06%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	370	534	544	0.81%	0.77%	0.65%
Asian alone (NH)	760	1,336	1,791	1.66%	1.91%	2.13%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian alone (NH)	700	3,967	8,662	1.53%	5.68%	10.29%
Other race alone (NH)	24	105	193	0.05%	0.15%	0.23%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	720	1,205	3,408	1.57%	1.73%	4.05%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	9,005	24,692	33,287	19.66%	35.38%	39.55%
Total	45,798	69,797	84,161	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

Racial composition as of the 2020 census
Race	Number	Percent
White	39,343	46.7%
Black or African American	1,884	2.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native	1,352	1.6%
Asian	1,836	2.2%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	8,711	10.4%
Some other race	20,404	24.2%
Two or more races	10,631	12.6%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	33,287	39.6%

Economy

Springdale has a strong poultry processing industry. Big companies like Tyson Foods, Cargill, and George's have hatcheries and processing plants there. Many people work at these companies. The city also has other industries and manufacturing companies, such as Apex Tool Group, Ball Corporation, Brunner & Lay, Dayco Products, and Pratt & Whitney. This makes Springdale different from other big cities in Northwest Arkansas.

Tyson World Headquarters

Top Employers
Springdale Chamber of Commerce
#	Employer	# of Employees
1	Tyson Foods	4,300
2	George's	2,500
3	Springdale Public Schools	2,235
4	Cargill Meat Solutions	1,200
5	Northwest Medical Center-Springdale	900
6	Rockline Industries	535
7	A.E.R.T.	500
8	Harps Food Stores	495
9	Kawneer	465
10	Multi-Craft Contractors	400

Arts and culture

See also: Culture of Arkansas and Bible Belt

Points of interest

Arts Center of the Ozarks
Arvest Ballpark
Fitzgerald Station and Farmstead
Shiloh Historic District
Shiloh Museum of Ozark History
Springdale Poultry Industry Historic District
The Springdale Post Office has a mural from 1939 painted by Natalie Smith Henry, called Local Industries. It shows pictures of poultry and fruit farmers.

Parsons Stadium in the east part of Springdale holds many events each year. The biggest is the Rodeo of the Ozarks. This four-day event started in Springdale in 1944 and brings skilled horse riders to the city. It happens every year on Independence Day weekend and includes a parade and a contest to choose Miss Rodeo of the Ozarks. The stadium also hosts Buckin' in the Ozarks (a Professional Bull Riders event) and Arenacross (a motorcycle competition) during Bikes Blues and BBQ weekend, and other motor shows.

Sports

Springdale is home to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, a minor league baseball team. They play in the Texas League. The team moved to Springdale in 2008 after building Arvest Ballpark. The ballpark has 6,500 seats and space for more fans. The Naturals play about 70 home games each year there.

Government

Springdale has a mayor and a city council to help run the city. The mayor is picked by all the voters and leads the city. The mayor can serve many terms and gives jobs to city workers.

The city council has eight members who help make laws and decide how to spend the city's money. Two members come from each of the city's four areas. They meet twice a month.

People can share ideas with special groups picked by the mayor. Springdale is part of Arkansas's 3rd congressional district, represented by Steve Womack.

Education

Springdale Public Schools is the largest school district in Arkansas. It serves many students at different schools, including Springdale High School and Har-Ber High School. The district has special programs and classes to help students prepare for college.

Springdale High School

Other schools in the area include Bentonville Public Schools and Rogers Public Schools. Shiloh Christian School is a private school. Northwest Technical Institute and Northwest Arkansas Community College offer classes and training. Ecclesia College is a small religious college.

Infrastructure

Springdale has important roads that help people travel. The main road is Interstate 49, which connects to other big cities. There are also roads like US Route 62, US Route 71, and state highways to help people get around.

US 412 and US 71B briefly overlap in Springdale along Thompson Avenue

The city has a public bus system called Ozark Regional Transit for travel in Washington and Benton Counties. For longer trips, people can use Jefferson Lines buses in nearby Fayetteville. There is a small airport called the Springdale Municipal Airport, but most people fly from the bigger Northwest Arkansas National Airport in Highfill.

The city has police and firefighters to help keep everyone safe. The Springdale Police Department works to make sure the streets are safe, and the Springdale Fire Department helps with emergencies and fires.

Notable people

Springdale has been home to many interesting people. George W. Bond was an educator there and later became president of Louisiana Tech University. Albert E. Brumley was a famous composer of southern gospel music and is in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. The Duggar Family, known from the TV show 19 Kids and Counting, also lived in Springdale. Jim Bob Duggar served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2002.

Other well-known people include Jenee Fleenor, a musician who won Musician of the Year several times, and Ronnie Floyd, a pastor who led a large church group. Many former sports players, like Joshua Frazier and Damian Williams, grew up or lived in Springdale. The city has also been home to politicians, business leaders, and coaches who have achieved success in different areas.