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Arkansas County
Howard County, Arkansas
Nashville's diamond mine proximity and the Caddo River headwaters - from Howard County's proximity to Crater of Diamonds State Park (the world's only diamond-producing site open to the public for fee mining is in adjacent Pike County - Howard County's Nashville serves as a gateway community for diamond hunters visiting the Murfreesboro site) to the Caddo River's Howard County headwaters and Nashville's position as the commercial hub for southwest Arkansas's timber and agricultural communities.
County SeatNashville
Population12,785
Founded1873
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Office: Howard County Office of Emergency Management
Address: 421 N Main St, Nashville, AR 71852
Phone: (870) 845-1511
Alert System: AR Alert; CodeRed; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Contact county OEM; Nashville community facilities
FEMA Region: Region 6
Notes: Southwest Arkansas; Nashville is county seat (not to be confused with Nashville, Tennessee); Little Missouri River runs through county; tornado corridor; timber and poultry industry dominant; Caddo Gap area has archaeological significance; Texarkana metro influence
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Howard County Road Department – (870) 845-1511
Public Transit: Very limited; auto-dependent rural county
Road Conditions: ARDOT – idrivearkansas.com
Notes: US-278 and US-371 are main corridors; Nashville is the county seat; rural southwest Arkansas; limited transit infrastructure; Texarkana accessible via US-278
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Howard County – (870) 845-1511
Services: Building permits; Nashville and Mineral Springs separate
Notes: Rural agricultural and timber county; poultry industry construction; limited development
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Howard County Veterans Service Office – (870) 845-1511
VA Medical: Overton Brooks VAMC (Shreveport, LA); Central Arkansas VA (Little Rock)
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment
Notes: Shreveport VA often more accessible for southwest Arkansas; rural county with limited local veteran services
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Howard County Library – (870) 845-1696
Address: Nashville area
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs
Notes: Small county library serving rural southwest Arkansas
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Ouachita National Forest access (eastern Howard County – Caddo Gap area); Little Missouri River (canoeing and fishing); Caddo Gap – historically significant as probable point of Hernando de Soto’s 1541 crossing; hunting on private and national forest lands; Millwood Lake (Little River County – nearby); Crater of Diamonds State Park (Pike County – nearby)
Notes: Howard County’s outdoor recreation centers on the Little Missouri River and Ouachita National Forest; the Caddo Gap area is archaeologically and historically significant; Crater of Diamonds SP (adjacent Pike County) is a major attraction accessible from Howard County; hunting (deer, turkey, hogs) is the primary local recreation on extensive private timberlands; Millwood Lake (nearby) provides water recreation
Notes: Rural county; state GIS primary; Ouachita National Forest mapping through USFS
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Howard County Animal Control – (870) 845-1511
Services: Basic animal control; Nashville area humane efforts
Notes: Rural county; poultry industry creates some animal control considerations; limited shelter resources
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Howard County – (870) 845-1511; Nashville city sanitation
Environmental: Arkansas DEQ; Ouachita National Forest (USFS); Little Missouri River watershed; poultry industry waste management; timber industry
Notes: Poultry industry (chicken farming is significant in southwest Arkansas) creates litter management and water quality concerns; ADEQ monitors poultry operations; Little Missouri River water quality important for recreation and ecology; Ouachita National Forest management includes watershed protection for streams flowing through Howard County
About Howard County
Howard County is southwest Arkansas’s Caddo River headwaters and diamond country gateway county – Nashville’s commercial services and proximity to Crater of Diamonds State Park make it an important hub for the southwest Arkansas region.
Nashville (the county seat, population ~4,600) serves southwest Arkansas’s timber, poultry, and agricultural communities as the regional commercial and healthcare hub. The proximity to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Pike County draws visitor traffic through Nashville.
The Caddo River’s headwaters in Howard County flow south through the Ouachita Mountain foothills toward Lake Ouachita and Lake DeGray.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Local DHS office: Nashville (confirm via dhs.arkansas.gov)
Recommended
Search Howard County public records for Nashville, Mineral Springs, and Howard County residents.
Courts & Legal
Howard County Circuit Clerk at 421 N. Main Street, Nashville, AR 71852, phone 870-845-7502, handles probate.
Senior Services
Area Agency on Aging: Southwest Arkansas Planning and Development District (SWAPDD) — 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
421 N. Main St., Nashville, AR 71852
(870) 845-7502
CIRCUIT CLERK (Deeds, Court Records)
421 N. Main St., Nashville, AR 71852
(870) 845-7502
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Howard County Clerk, Probate Division (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
No dedicated Howard County genealogical or historical society was confirmed in available directories.
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 Howard County, probate matters are handled by the County Clerk’s Office, while other Circuit Court matters go through the separate Circuit Clerk.
Howard County Clerk – Probate Division 421 N. Main Street, Nashville, AR 71852 (870) 845-7502 (Probate/County Clerk); (870) 845-7506 (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
Nashville, AR 71852
(870) 845-2020
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Unit
(870) 845-5020
DHS / SNAP / Medicaid
(800) 482-8988
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Howard County Health Unit – (870) 845-3131
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records
Hospital: Howard Memorial Hospital (Nashville) – (870) 845-4400; critical access hospital
Notes: Small critical access hospital; limited specialty care; Texarkana and Shreveport for major medical services
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Editorial Trust
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Nashville
Population: 12,785
Area: 589 sq mi
Established: 1873
Tier: 3
Public Records
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