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Arkansas County
Mississippi County, Arkansas
Blytheville's Big River Steel and the Mississippi Delta cotton heritage - from Big River Steel's Blytheville mini-mill (one of the most technologically advanced steel mills in the United States, opened 2017 and acquired by US Steel - the electric arc furnace facility produces flat-rolled steel and has brought significant industrial employment back to a Delta community that saw manufacturing decline for decades) to Mississippi County's cotton farming heritage (the county's Mississippi River alluvial plain - among the most fertile agricultural land in North America - has produced cotton since the antebellum period, and the county remains one of Arkansas's most productive agricultural counties) and the Nodena Site's Native American heritage.
County SeatBlytheville
Population40,685
Founded1833
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Office: Mississippi County Office of Emergency Management
Address: 200 W Walnut St, Blytheville, AR 72315
Phone: (870) 762-2421
Alert System: AR Alert; CodeRed; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Multiple shelter locations; Blytheville and Osceola community facilities
FEMA Region: Region 6
Notes: Northeast Arkansas Delta county; Blytheville is county seat; Osceola is the second major city; Mississippi River borders the east (significant flood risk; major levee system); tornado corridor; New Madrid Seismic Zone (extremely high earthquake risk – this area is essentially ground zero for a major New Madrid earthquake); Big Lake NWR; significant steel production (Big River Steel/Cleveland-Cliffs in Osceola – one of the most advanced steel mills in the US); Blytheville Air Force Base (closed 1991 – now Arkansas Aeroplex/Arkansas Inland Port)
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Mississippi County Road Department – (870) 762-2421
Public Transit: Very limited; demand-response; rural Delta county
Road Conditions: ARDOT – idrivearkansas.com
Notes: I-55 runs through Blytheville (major north-south freight artery – Chicago to New Orleans); US-61 (historic highway along the Mississippi River); US-412; Blytheville Regional Airport (former AFB runway); Arkansas Inland Port (intermodal logistics facility at former base); Mississippi River bridges critical; New Madrid Seismic Zone poses extreme infrastructure risk to bridges and levees
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Mississippi County – (870) 762-2421
Services: Building permits; Blytheville (active), Osceola (active), Luxora, Manila, Leachville, Gosnell, Joiner, Wilson, Keiser, Bassett, Jonesboro separate
Notes: Big River Steel (Osceola) expansion has been the largest industrial investment in recent Arkansas history; Arkansas Inland Port logistics development; Blytheville urban renewal projects; agricultural processing facilities
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Mississippi County Veterans Service Office – (870) 762-2421
VA Medical: Memphis VAMC – (901) 523-8990; Marion VA clinic (Crittenden County); very accessible via I-55
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment; former AFB veteran community
Notes: Memphis VA is very accessible via I-55; Blytheville’s Air Force Base legacy means a significant veteran community; Mississippi County has a higher-than-average veteran concentration for a Delta county
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Mississippi County Library System – Blytheville: (870) 762-2431; Osceola, Manila branches
Notes: Library system serves a challenging community with significant socioeconomic disparities; Blytheville branch has materials related to the former Air Force Base; Delta Blues heritage connects Mississippi County to the broader Mississippi Delta music culture
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge (premier waterfowl and bass fishing area – one of the largest natural lakes in Arkansas); Arkansas Aeroplex (former Blytheville AFB – vintage aircraft, airshows, aviation heritage); Lake Frierson State Park (nearby Craighead County); Wilson Historic District (Wilson – a planned agricultural town with unique architecture; mid-century farming community); Delta cultural heritage; I-55 corridor travel
Notes: Big Lake NWR is an extraordinary natural area – a large natural lake in the Delta that provides world-class duck hunting and bass fishing; Wilson (a Delta plantation town rebuilt in a distinctive architectural style in the 1930s) is a fascinating planned community; Mississippi County’s Delta Blues heritage is significant – this area is part of the broader Mississippi Delta music culture that gave birth to the Blues; the former Blytheville AFB has been reimagined as an inland port and aeroplex with aviation heritage activities
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Mississippi County GIS; Arkansas GIS – gis.arkansas.gov
Notes: County GIS; Mississippi River levee mapping (Army Corps – critical); New Madrid Seismic Zone hazard maps; I-55 infrastructure mapping; Big Lake NWR wildlife habitat mapping
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Mississippi County Animal Control – (870) 762-2421; Blytheville Animal Services – (870) 762-8800
Services: Stray intake, adoptions, animal control
Notes: Delta county with significant stray animal challenges; Blytheville area humane organizations
Environmental: Arkansas DEQ; Army Corps (Mississippi River levees – the most critical infrastructure in the county; Big Lake management); Big River Steel/Cleveland-Cliffs (Osceola – electric arc furnace steelmaking; significant industrial air quality monitoring); Big Lake NWR (USFWS); agricultural drainage districts; New Madrid Seismic Zone infrastructure vulnerability
Notes: Big River Steel (now Cleveland-Cliffs) in Osceola is one of the most significant industrial investments in Arkansas history – a state-of-the-art electric arc furnace steel mill that has brought thousands of direct and indirect jobs; the mill requires significant air quality and water monitoring by ADEQ; Mississippi River levee integrity is the most critical environmental and safety infrastructure in the county – a major New Madrid earthquake could simultaneously damage the levees and need immediate emergency response; the county sits at the intersection of flood risk (Mississippi River) and earthquake risk (New Madrid) in one of the highest-risk convergence zones in the eastern US; Big Lake NWR water quality and habitat management is an important USFWS priority
About Mississippi County
Mississippi County is northeast Arkansas’s Delta cotton and steel county – Big River Steel’s advanced mini-mill has brought industrial employment back to a community whose rich alluvial soils have supported cotton farming since before the Civil War.
Blytheville (the county seat, population ~13,000) experienced decades of economic decline after the closure of Eaker Air Force Base in 1991 – the Big River Steel investment represented a significant economic revival. The city’s Delta heritage includes connections to the broader Arkansas Delta Blues tradition.
Osceola (population ~7,000) on the Mississippi River is the county’s second city, connected historically to river commerce and cotton marketing.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Local DHS offices: Blytheville and Osceola (confirm via dhs.arkansas.gov)
Recommended
Search Mississippi County public records for Blytheville, Osceola, Manila, and Mississippi County residents.
Courts & Legal
Mississippi County Circuit Clerk at 200 W. Walnut Street, Blytheville, AR 72315, phone 870-762-2411, handles probate.
Senior Services
Area Agency on Aging: East Arkansas Area Agency on Aging (EAAAA) — serves Mississippi County
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
200 W. Walnut St., Blytheville, AR 72315
(870) 762-7870
CIRCUIT CLERK (Deeds, Court Records)
200 W. Walnut St., Blytheville, AR 72315
(870) 762-7870
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Mississippi County Circuit/County Clerk, both districts (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Mississippi County Historical & Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 483, Osceola, AR 72370, (870) 563-6161
Mississippi County Historical Center, 209 Hale Avenue, Osceola, AR, (870) 563-6161
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
Mississippi County has two districts, each with its own courthouse – file in whichever is more convenient.
Blytheville District – 206 North 2nd Street, Blytheville, AR 72315 (mailing: P.O. Box 1498). (479) 762-2411 (Probate/County Clerk); (870) 762-2332 (Circuit Clerk, other case types). Osceola District – Circuit Clerk (870) 563-6471; Probate/County Clerk (479) 563-2242. Hours (both): 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
200 W. Walnut St., Blytheville, AR 72315
(870) 763-3121
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Unit
(870) 762-2002
DHS / SNAP / Medicaid
(800) 482-8988
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Mississippi County Health Unit – Blytheville: (870) 763-2106; Osceola: (870) 563-2466
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI/HIV testing, environmental health, vital records
Hospital: Great River Medical Center (Blytheville) – (870) 838-7300; South Mississippi County Regional Medical Center (Osceola) – (870) 563-7000
Notes: Two hospitals serve the county’s dual-city structure; severe Delta health disparities; steel mill worker health considerations; former military personnel community health; STI rates among the highest in Arkansas; significant poverty-related health challenges
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Blytheville
Population: 40,685
Area: 901 sq mi
Established: 1833
Tier: 3
Public Records
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