Tontitown, Arkansas
| Tontitown, Arkansas | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 36°10′45″N 94°14′48″W / 36.17917°N 94.24667°WCoordinates: 36°10′45″N 94°14′48″W / 36.17917°N 94.24667°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arkansas |
| County | Washington |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7 sq mi (18.2 km2) |
| • Land | 7 sq mi (18.2 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,289 ft (393 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 2,460 |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 72770 |
| Area code(s) | 479 |
| FIPS code | 05-69740 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0073882 |
| Website | Tontitown.com |
Tontitown is a city in Washington County, Arkansas. The community is located in the Ozark Mountains and was founded by Italian settlers in 1898. Famous for its grapes and wines, Tontitown has hosted the Tontitown Grape Festival continuously since 1898. No longer reliant upon an agricultural economy, today the community relies on its proximity to the growing Northwest Arkansas metropolitan area, serving as a bedroom community for larger neighbors Fayetteville and Springdale. Although able to retain its Italian American heritage, Tontitown has seen rapid growth in recent years as indicated by a 160% growth in population between the 2000 and 2010 censuses.[1]
History
Led by Catholic priest Pietro Bandini, Italian settlers working on Lakeport Plantation in the Arkansas delta moved to northwest Arkansas and found the climate and terrain similar to their native Northern Italy. Tontitown was founded in 1898 and named for Italian explorer Henri de Tonti.
Geography
Tontitown is located at 36°10′45″N 94°14′48″W / 36.17917°N 94.24667°W (36.179043, -94.246572)[2].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.0 square miles (18 km2), all of it land.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 222 | ||
| 1920 | 235 | 5.9% | |
| 1930 | 188 | −20.0% | |
| 1940 | 189 | 0.5% | |
| 1950 | 203 | 7.4% | |
| 1960 | 209 | 3.0% | |
| 1970 | 426 | 103.8% | |
| 1980 | 615 | 44.4% | |
| 1990 | 460 | −25.2% | |
| 2000 | 942 | 104.8% | |
| 2010 | 2,460 | 161.1% | |
| Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture[1] | |||
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 942 people, 351 households, and 273 families residing in the city. The population density was 134.2 people per square mile (51.8/km²). There were 368 housing units at an average density of 52.4/sq mi (20.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.28% White, 1.70% Native American, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.85% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. 2.23% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 351 households out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.4% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.2% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males. Tonitown is part of the Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers metro area.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,750, and the median income for a family was $47,589. Males had a median income of $32,917 versus $25,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,058. About 4.9% of families and 8.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.
Famous residents
- Albert Lewis Fletcher, former Roman Catholic Bishop of Little Rock from 1947-1972, resided in Tontitown during his childhood.[4]
- The Duggar family from TLC's 19 Kids and Counting.
- Jerry E. Hinshaw, Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1981 to 1996, resided in Tontitown.
See also
-
Arkansas portal
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Young, Susan (February 14, 2013). "Tontitown (Washington County)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at the Central Arkansas Library System. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
- ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=341
External links
- Tontitown.com (Official Website)
