Mountain Home, Arkansas - Mountain Home Arkansas

Mountain Home is a small city in and the county seat of Baxter County, Arkansas, United States, in the southern Ozark Mountains near the northern state border with Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 12,448. A total of 41,307 persons lived within the city and micropolitan combined, which encompasses the majority of Baxter County.

Geography

Mountain Home is located in northern Arkansas at 36°20′10″N 92°22′56″W (36.336248, -92.382279). It is the center of the Twin Lakes area, with Norfork Lake 15 minutes to the east and Bull Shoals Lake 20 minutes to the northwest. It is located within the Ozarks mountain range, in the Salem Plateau region.

The city is located within 15 to 20 minutes of three rivers, the Buffalo National River, the White River and the North Fork River, which features the world-renowned Norfork Tailwater. These make the Mountain Home area one of the nation's top freshwater fishing destinations. Some creeks in the area with fishing access are Fall Creek, Dodd Creek, and Hicks Creek, with Fall Creek being the largest.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.7 square miles (30.4 km²), all of it land.

Transportation

Highways in Mountain Home:

• US 62/US 412
• U.S. Route 62 Business
• Highway 5
• Highway 101
• Highway 178
• Highway 201
• Highway 201 Spur

The city is served by Ozark Regional Airport, a county-owned, public-use airport with a few commercial flights.

No railroads pass through Mountain Home, but the Union Pacific Railroad passes through the nearby community of Cotter, 10 miles (16 km) to the west. The line encompasses 506 miles of track from Carthage, Missouri to Diaz Junction, Arkansas. The line has about five trains a day, with most being mixed freight or empty coal trains.

Media

Mountain Home has been served by local newspaper The Baxter Bulletin since 1901. The Bulletin also publishes Living Well Magazine, a general interest magazine featuring people, place and things in the Ozarks. Several local radio stations serve Mountain Home. KTLO AM 1240 was the first, established in 1953. KTLO FM, KOMT The Eagle 93.5 FM, KPFM Country 105.5 FM, and KKTZ Hit 107.5 FM (Week-day Morning Drive Bob "DJ PEACE" Van Haaren). KCTT FM and KCMH FM are licensed to Mountain Home. Several other stations are licensed to surrounding communities and serve Baxter County.

Demographics

According to the 2010 census, the population of Mountain Home was 12,448.

As of the census of 2000, there were 11,012 people, 5,175 households, and 3,151 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,035.7 people per square mile (400.0/km²). There were 5,612 housing units at an average density of 527.8 per square mile (203.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.69% White, 0.18% Black or African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. 1.20% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,175 households out of which 19.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 22.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.02 and the average family size was 2.59.

In the city, the population was spread out with 17.7% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 18.8% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 36.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 53 years. For every 100 females there were 78.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,869, and the median income for a family was $34,895. Males had a median income of $26,800 versus $19,702 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,789. About 7.5% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.6% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

ASU â€" Mountain Home

Arkansas State University-Mountain Home is a public, open-access, two-year campus of Arkansas State University located on a campus on the west side of the city. The campus became part of the ASU system in 1995. The campus architecture is styled after the University of Virginia.

Mountain Home school district

The public school district, Mountain Home Public Schools, encompasses some 330 square miles (850 km²) and serves more than 4,000 students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The public school consists of seven campuses, which includes the Mountain Home High School (grades 10-12), Mountain Home-Baxter Junior High (grades 8 & 9), Pinkston Middle School (grades 6-7), Hackler Intermediate (grade 3-5), Nelson-Wilks-Herron Elementary school (grades 1-2), the Kindergarten center, and the Guy Berry College and Career Academy (alternative school setting.)

The Mountain Home School System, with the mascot the Bombers, plays in the 6A/7A East Athletic Conference in basketball, football, baseball, softball, track and field, soccer, wrestling, cross country, volleyball and swimming. The cross country teams have won multiple state championships in recent years and the swim and volleyball teams have competed for state championships recently. Mountain Home High School has an excellent band program which marched in the 2006 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and is currently directed by Tom Chentnik.

Notable people

• Richard Antrim, rear admiral in the U.S. Navy; World War II veteran and Medal of Honor recipient
• Wes Bentley, film actor
• Johnny R. Key, Republican member of the Arkansas State Senate from Baxter County since 2009; businessman in Mountain Home
• Richard A. Knaak, author; wrote the Minotaur Wars and other contributions to Dragonlance
• Jennifer Wiseman, astronomer, discoverer of Comet Wiseman-Skiff
• Shawn Womack, Republican former member of both houses of the Arkansas State Legislature; circuit judge of Arkansas' 14th Judicial District
• C. D. Wright, poet

Government

• Mayor - Joe Dillard
• Clerk - Brian Plumlee
• City Attorney - Roger Morgan
• Chief of Police - Carry Manuel
• Fire Chief - Ken Williams
• Superintendent - Lonnie Myers
• Arkansas State Representative from District 100 - Nelda Speaks
• Arkansas State Senator from District 17 -Scott Flippo

References

External links

• City of Mountain Home official website
• Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce
• Norfork Lake Chamber of Commerce
• Arkansas State University - Mountain Home
• Mountain Home Public Schools
• Ozark Regional Airport
• The Baxter Bulletin, local newspaper
• Ozark Amateur Radio Club