Hempstead County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,065, down from 22,609 at the 2010 census. The county seat is Hope. Hempstead County is Arkansas's fourth county, formed on December 15, 1818, alongside Clark and Pulaski counties. The county is named for Edward Hempstead, a delegate to the U.S. Congress from the Missouri Territory, which included present-day Arkansas at the time. It is an alcohol prohibition or dry county.
The 42nd United States President, Bill Clinton, who served from 1993 to 2001, was born in the county seat of Hope on August 19, 1946. As of 2026, Clinton is the only President to have been born in Arkansas.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.8%) is water. Hempstead County is alternately considered as part of the greater regions of South Arkansas or Southwest Arkansas.
Major highways
- 20px Interstate 30
- 20px U.S. Highway 67
- 25px U.S. Highway 278
- 25px U.S. Highway 371
- 20px Highway 4
- 20px Highway 27
- 20px Highway 29
- 20px Highway 32
Adjacent counties
- Pike County (north)
- Nevada County (east)
- Lafayette County (south)
- Miller County (southwest)
- Little River County (west)
- Howard County (northwest)