Tontitown, Arkansas
| Tontitown, Arkansas | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 Location of Tontitown in Washington County, Arkansas. | |
| 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 |
| Settled | 1898 |
| Incorporated (city) | 1909 |
| Founded by | Pietro Bandini |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor/Council |
| • Mayor | Paul Colvin |
| • Police Chief | Joey McCormick |
| Area[1] | |
| • Total | 18.05 sq mi (46.74 km2) |
| • Land | 17.91 sq mi (46.39 km2) |
| • Water | 0.14 sq mi (0.36 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,289 ft (393 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 2,460 |
| • Estimate (2017)[2] | 3,715 |
| • Density | 207.43/sq mi (80.09/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| 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, United States. The community is located in the Ozark Mountains and was founded by Italian settlers in 1898. Known for its grapes and wines, Tontitown has hosted the Tontitown Grape Festival continuously since 1898. It is part of the Northwest Arkansas metropolitan area, serving as a bedroom community for larger neighbors Fayetteville and Springdale. The town experienced a 160% growth in population between the 2000 and 2010 censuses.[3]
History
Led by Catholic priest Pietro Bandini, who eventually became mayor of the city,[4] 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 settled in 1898 and named for Italian explorer Henri de Tonti.[5] It was incorporated as a city in 1909.[4]
Geography
Tontitown is located at 36°10′45″N 94°14′48″W / 36.17917°N 94.24667°W (36.179043, -94.246572).[6]
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% | |
| Est. 2017 | 3,715 | [2] | 51.0% |
| Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture[3] | |||
As of the census[7] 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. Tontitown has seen a very rapid growth in recent years as indicated by a 160% growth in population between the 2000 and 2010 censuses.
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.
Notable people
- Pietro Bandini (1852–1917), town founder and mayor
- Albert Lewis Fletcher, former Roman Catholic Bishop of Little Rock from 1947-1972, resided in Tontitown during his childhood.[8]
- Jerry E. Hinshaw, member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1981 to 1996, resided in Tontitown.
- The Duggar Family, reality TV stars, reside in Tontitown.
See also
References
- ↑ "2017 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Aug 22, 2018.
- 1 2 "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved March 24, 2018.
- 1 2 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.
- 1 2 Giordano, Joe. "Italians in Arkansas: Father Pietro Bandini and Tontitown". joe-giordano.com. Archived from the original on September 3, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
- ↑ "Tontitown (Washington County) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas". www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Albert Lewis Fletcher (1896–1979) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas". www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
External links
 |
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Tontitown. |
- Tontitown.com (Official Website)
