Clinton, AR

Clinton is Van Buren County's seat, built around a courthouse square in the foothills of north-central Arkansas. The 2020 census counted 2,509 residents, making it the county's largest city. The county seat moved here in 1844, and a one-room log courthouse came first; the current downtown still carries that county-seat role. Highway 65 later pulled stores toward the edge of town, so Clinton has two centers to keep in mind: the older square and the commercial strip along the highway.

ATTRLinnunrata89 / CC BY-SA 4.0

Greers Ferry Lake changed the town's regional connections after it filled between 1959 and 1963, even though most lake tourism sits east of Clinton. The Archey Fork and Upper Little Red River bring the water into town, and city programs point residents toward the downtown square, Riverwalk trails, and nearby lake country. Every Labor Day weekend, the National Championship Chuckwagon Races at the Bar of Ranch turn Clinton into a western-event destination, with rodeo, live music, auctions, and the Snowy River Race. That is Clinton's particular blend: courthouse town, lake gateway, and annual ranch spectacle.