Des Arc, Arkansas
Des Arc is a small city on the White River in the Arkansas Delta. It’s the largest city in Prairie County and serves as the northern county seat. The city was incorporated in 1854 and was named from a French phrase meaning “at the bend.”
Des Arc covers about 2.0 square miles, almost all land, and sits about 207 feet above sea level. The population was 1,905 in 2020 and about 1,841 in 2024. The city has a relatively low population density and a quiet, small-town feel.
Historically, Des Arc grew as a lumber shipping port on the river. It faced major floods in 1927 and 1937. As river shipping declined, the town was bypassed by railroads and highways. Seven sites in Des Arc are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the Lower White River Museum State Park helps tell the area’s history.
Geographically, Des Arc is about 60 miles east of Little Rock and 95 miles west of Memphis. It lies in the Lower White River Lowlands of the Arkansas Delta, a flat, fertile area. The region has a humid subtropical climate with hot summers and mild winters. July is usually the hottest month, and January is the coldest.
Economically, the city hosts White River Energetics, a factory that makes primers for small-arms ammunition. The company plans to expand to producing single-base smokeless powder, with production expected to begin in 2026. If it happens, it will be the first such factory built in the United States in about 50 years.
Des Arc runs under a mayor–council government. The current mayor is James Garth, and the city council has six aldermen. Des Arc is served by the Des Arc School District, the Des Arc Police Department, and the Des Arc Fire Department. For courts, Des Arc is in the 23rd District Court, with the 17th Judicial Circuit Court (covering Prairie and White counties) holding circuit court in Searcy.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 12:02 (CET).