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Arkansas County
Monroe County County Government Offices
County SeatClarendon
Population6,799
Founded1829
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Office: Monroe County Office of Emergency Management
Address: 123 Madison St, Clarendon, AR 72029
Phone: (870) 747-3616
Alert System: AR Alert; CodeRed; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Contact county OEM; Clarendon community facilities
FEMA Region: Region 6
Notes: East Arkansas Delta county; Clarendon is county seat on the White River; White River and Cache River (significant flooding – Clarendon is surrounded by rivers); tornado corridor; one of Arkansas’s most economically distressed counties; site of Clarendon v. Board of Education (1948 – the case that preceded Brown v. Board; first significant school desegregation legal challenge in the South)
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Monroe County Road Department – (870) 747-3616
Public Transit: Very limited; auto-dependent; rural Delta county
Road Conditions: ARDOT – idrivearkansas.com
Notes: US-49 and US-70 cross at Clarendon (significant geographic junction); White River bridge at Clarendon is critical infrastructure; very rural; Little Rock and Memphis are the nearest significant cities; extremely flat Delta terrain
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Monroe County – (870) 747-3616
Services: Basic building permits; Clarendon, Brinkley, Holly Grove, Roe separate
Notes: Very limited development; one of Arkansas’s most economically distressed counties; agricultural county; Brinkley is largest town
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Monroe County Veterans Service Office – (870) 747-3616
VA Medical: Central Arkansas VA (Little Rock); Memphis VAMC
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment
Notes: Rural Delta county; VA access from either direction requires significant travel; telehealth critical
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Monroe County Library – Clarendon: (870) 747-3491; Brinkley Branch
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs; Civil Rights history materials
Notes: Two-branch system; Clarendon’s role in the early school desegregation movement (Clarendon v. Board of Education 1948) is historically significant; library holds community heritage materials
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: White River NWR (one of the largest bottomland hardwood NWRs in the US – exceptional waterfowl and wildlife; duck hunting; White River fishing); Cache River NWR (waterfowl – Cache River is critical for duck hunting in Arkansas); Dagmar WMA; Clarendon White River access; Delta agricultural landscape
Notes: Monroe County sits at the heart of Arkansas’s legendary duck hunting country – the White River and Cache River bottomlands are among the most important waterfowl wintering areas in North America; the White River NWR protects some of the last large bottomland hardwood forests remaining in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley; duck hunting is both a cultural tradition and economic driver in this area
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Very limited; Arkansas GIS – gis.arkansas.gov
Notes: Poor rural county; state GIS primary; White River and Cache River flood mapping (Army Corps)
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Monroe County Animal Control – (870) 747-3616
Services: Very basic animal control
Notes: Extremely limited resources
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Monroe County – (870) 747-3616
Environmental: Arkansas DEQ; White River NWR (USFWS); Cache River NWR; Army Corps flood management; agricultural chemical runoff
Notes: White River and Cache River bottomland forest protection is the primary environmental conservation priority; USFWS manages the vast NWR system; Army Corps manages flood control; agricultural chemical runoff from Delta row crops affects water quality; bottomland deforestation continues to be a concern; Monroe County’s wetlands are critical for migratory waterfowl – any degradation directly affects waterfowl populations along the Mississippi Flyway
About Monroe County County
Monroe County is central Arkansas’s White River bottomland and waterfowl hunting county – the flooded timber and oxbow lake landscape that draws millions of wintering mallards and the proximity to Arkansas Post’s 350-year French colonial heritage define a Delta community where Clarendon serves the surrounding agricultural and hunting communities.
Clarendon (the county seat, population ~1,500) is Monroe County’s governmental hub on US 79, a central Arkansas Delta community whose White River access, duck hunting economy, and courthouse anchor its identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Local DHS office: Clarendon or Brinkley (confirm via dhs.arkansas.gov)
Note: High poverty rate; significant DHS/Medicaid utilization
Recommended
Search Monroe County public records for Clarendon and Monroe County residents.
Courts & Legal
Monroe County Circuit Court at 123 Madison Street, Clarendon, AR 72029, phone 870-747-3847, handles probate.
Senior Services
Area Agency on Aging: East Arkansas Area Agency on Aging (EAAAA) — serves Monroe 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
123 Madison St., Clarendon, AR 72029
(870) 747-3451
CIRCUIT CLERK (Deeds, Court Records)
123 Madison St., Clarendon, AR 72029
(870) 747-3451
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Monroe County Circuit Clerk (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Monroe County Historical and Cemetery Association, 804 Walker Street, Clarendon, AR 72029
Tri-County Genealogical Society (Monroe-Phillips-Lee Counties), P.O. Box 580, Marvell, AR 72366, (870) 829-2971
Central Delta Historical Society (Central Delta Depot Museum), 100 West Cypress Street, Brinkley, AR 72021, (870) 589-2124 – nearby regional resource covering the surrounding Delta area.
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
Monroe County Circuit Clerk – Probate Division 123 Madison Street, Clarendon, AR 72029 (870) 747-3615 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
Clarendon, AR 72029
(870) 747-3411
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Unit
(870) 747-3412
DHS / SNAP / Medicaid
(800) 482-8988
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Monroe County Health Unit – Clarendon: (870) 747-3511; Brinkley: (870) 734-1650
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records
Hospital: Helena Regional Medical Center (accessible – Phillips County); Brinkley Medical Center (very small); primarily uses Little Rock or Helena hospitals
Notes: Very limited local healthcare; severe health disparities in this Delta county; WIC and prenatal care critically important; transportation barriers to healthcare are extreme
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Clarendon
Population: 6,799
Area: 607 sq mi
Established: 1829
Public Records
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