Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Arkansas County
Crawford County, Arkansas
Van Buren's Historic District and the Arkansas River Valley - from Van Buren's exceptionally preserved Victorian Main Street (Van Buren's downtown historic district - a remarkably intact collection of 19th-century commercial buildings overlooking the Arkansas River - is one of the finest Victorian Main Street preservation examples in Arkansas, serving as a filming location and heritage tourism destination) to Crawford County's position at the western gateway of the Arkansas River Valley (the valley between the Boston Mountains and the Ouachita Mountains creates a scenic corridor that channeled the Butterfield Overland Mail and is now framed by I-40 and the Arkansas River) and Alma's spinach capital heritage.
County SeatVan Buren
Population60,133
Founded1820
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Crawford County Office of Emergency Management
Address: 300 Main St, Van Buren, AR 72956
Phone: (479) 474-1511
Alert System: AR Alert; CodeRed; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Contact county OEM; Van Buren community facilities
FEMA Region: Region 6
Notes: Northwest Arkansas Arkansas River valley county; Van Buren is county seat (directly across the Arkansas River from Fort Smith); tornado corridor; Arkansas River flooding (significant – Van Buren sits on the river); winter weather; mountain terrain transitioning to Arkansas River valley; Fort Smith Regional Airport serves the area
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Crawford County Road Department – (479) 474-1511
Public Transit: River Valley Transit (serves Fort Smith metro including Van Buren area) – (479) 785-0546; demand-response for county
Road Conditions: ARDOT – idrivearkansas.com
Notes: I-40 runs through Van Buren (major I-40 crossing of the Arkansas River at the Fort Smith metro); US-64 along the Arkansas River; Van Buren and Fort Smith are twin cities separated by the Arkansas River; significant freight traffic on I-40 (major transcontinental corridor); Arkansas River navigation through the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Crawford County – (479) 474-1511
Services: Building permits; Van Buren (active – separate), Alma, Cedarville, Chester, Dyer, Mulberry, Mountainburg have separate permits
Notes: Van Buren is growing as a Fort Smith suburb; I-40 commercial development; Arkansas River waterfront development; mountain communities (Mountainburg area) have cabin and rural residential permits
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Crawford County Veterans Service Office – (479) 474-1511
VA Medical: Fort Smith VA Clinic; Fayetteville VAMC – (479) 443-4301
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment
Notes: Fort Smith VA clinic (nearby in Sebastian County) provides local access; large veteran community in Fort Smith metro
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Crawford County Library – (479) 471-3226; Van Buren Branch
Services: Books, e-books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs; Fort Smith libraries accessible across river
Notes: Crawford County library serves the Van Buren community; Fort Smith Public Library system is accessible for residents
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Lee Creek (canoeing and fishing – beautiful Ozark stream); Alma City Park; Van Buren Historic District (well-preserved 19th century downtown – Civil War and railroad heritage); Mulberry River (northwest Crawford County – one of Arkansas’s finest whitewater rivers; Class II-IV depending on season); Arkansas River water recreation; Lake Fort Smith State Park (nearby Sebastian County)
Notes: The Mulberry River in northwest Crawford County is Arkansas’s most popular whitewater paddling river – a wild and scenic Ozark stream with excellent rapids; Lee Creek is a gentler float option; Van Buren’s historic district is one of the best-preserved small-town Victorian commercial districts in Arkansas; the Arkansas River Corridor between Van Buren and Fort Smith has significant Civil War history
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Crawford County GIS – crawfordcountyar.gov; Arkansas GIS
Notes: County GIS; Arkansas River navigation mapping (Army Corps); Mulberry River watershed mapping
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Crawford County Animal Control – (479) 474-1511; Van Buren area humane society
Services: Stray intake, adoptions, animal control
Notes: Active humane community; Fort Smith metro influence; Humane Society of Crawford County
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Crawford County – (479) 474-1511; Van Buren city sanitation
Environmental: Arkansas DEQ; Army Corps of Engineers (Arkansas River navigation system – McClellan-Kerr system); Mulberry River watershed protection; I-40 corridor stormwater
Notes: Arkansas River navigation channel maintenance by Army Corps; Mulberry River water quality protection important for the whitewater recreation economy and ecology; I-40 corridor stormwater management; industrial facilities in Van Buren/Fort Smith metro monitored by ADEQ
About Crawford County
Crawford County is northwest Arkansas’s Victorian Main Street and Arkansas River Valley gateway county – Van Buren’s preserved 19th-century downtown and the river valley’s scenic corridor define a community at the crossroads of the Ozarks and Ouachitas.
Van Buren (the county seat, population ~24,000) has one of Arkansas’s most intact Victorian commercial districts – the Main Street buildings dating from the 1880s-1910s have been preserved and restored, creating a heritage tourism destination and filming backdrop that attracts visitors from the Fort Smith metro.
Alma (population ~6,500) is the Spinach Capital of the World – the Allen Canning Company’s Alma spinach processing made it a significant producer, celebrated with a Popeye statue downtown.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Local DHS offices: Van Buren (confirm via dhs.arkansas.gov)
Recommended
Search Crawford County public records for Van Buren, Alma, Mulberry, and Crawford County residents.
Courts & Legal
Crawford County Circuit Clerk at 300 Main Street, Suite 2, Van Buren, AR 72956, phone 479-474-1312, handles probate.
Senior Services
Area Agency on Aging: Western Arkansas Planning and Development District (WAPDD) — Area Agency on Aging
Meals on Wheels, transportation, senior centers
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
300 Main St., Van Buren, AR 72956
(479) 474-1511
CIRCUIT CLERK (Deeds, Court Records)
300 Main St., Van Buren, AR 72956
(479) 474-6332
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Crawford County Clerk, Probate Division (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Crawford County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 276, Alma, AR 72921 (physical address 614 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, AR 72921), (479) 997-8559 – library open Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m., or by appointment.
Crawford County Historical Society, 929 East Main Street, Van Buren, AR 72956
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
In Crawford County, probate matters are handled by the County Clerk’s Office, while other Circuit Court matters go through the separate Circuit Clerk.
Crawford County Clerk – Probate Division 317 Main Street, Van Buren, AR 72956 (479) 474-1312 (Probate/County Clerk); (479) 474-1821 (Circuit Clerk, other case types) Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Arkansas has one of the more generous small-estate thresholds in the country, so check this first.
Small Estate Affidavit – for estates where total property value (after debts, excluding the homestead and statutory spousal/minor-child allowances) is $100,000 or less. Available 45 days after the death. Filed using Form 23 (Affidavit for Collection of Small Estate by Distributee) under Ark. Code § 28-41-101 – no personal representative is appointed, and no full administration is needed.
Independent Administration – available when the will authorizes it, or when all heirs agree to it. The personal representative acts with minimal court oversight at each step.
Supervised Administration – the traditional, more heavily court-involved track; used for contested estates or when independent administration isn’t available or agreed to.
Administration with Will Annexed – used when a valid will doesn’t name an executor, or the named executor can’t or won’t serve.
If using the small estate affidavit
Wait at least 45 days after the death.
Confirm the estate’s total value (after debts, excluding homestead and statutory allowances) is $100,000 or less and there are no unresolved claims against the estate.
Complete Form 23, the Affidavit for Collection of Small Estate by Distributee, listing the property and heirs.
File it with the Probate Clerk, or present it with a certified death certificate directly to banks or other institutions holding the property.
If filing for independent or supervised administration
Gather the original will (if any), a certified death certificate, a list of assets/debts, and names of heirs.
File a Petition for Probate of Will and Appointment of Personal Representative (Form 3, if there’s a will) or a Petition for Appointment of Administrator/Administratrix (Form 2, if there isn’t) with the Probate Division. Filing fee is $165.
If there’s a will, the court formally admits it to probate; the court then issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative must file an inventory of estate assets within 2 months of appointment.
Creditor notice must be published in a local newspaper, plus direct notice to known creditors; creditors then have 6 months from the date of first publication to file claims.
If independent administration applies, the personal representative can act on most matters without seeking court approval at each step.
After debts are resolved, the personal representative files a final settlement with the court; once approved, the estate closes.
What it costs
Small estate affidavit: no separate court filing fee (a nominal recording fee may apply depending on what’s being transferred).
Formal probate filing fee: $165 (may vary somewhat by county).
Personal representative and attorney compensation: no fixed statutory rate – courts typically look to roughly 2–5% of the estate’s value as a reasonable baseline, subject to court approval as “just and reasonable.”
No state estate tax or inheritance tax in Arkansas.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
2705 Alma Hwy., Van Buren, AR 72956
(479) 474-2511
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Unit
(479) 474-3511
DHS / SNAP / Medicaid
(800) 482-8988
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Crawford County Health Unit – (479) 474-3401
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records
Hospital: Baptist Health Fort Smith (across river); Crawford County Medical Center (Van Buren) – (479) 474-3401 – limited; primarily uses Fort Smith hospitals
Notes: Van Buren residents primarily use Fort Smith healthcare (across the Arkansas River); Fort Smith has several major hospitals serving the region
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Van Buren
Population: 60,133
Area: 593 sq mi
Established: 1820
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Crawford County residents.
