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Arkansas County
Montgomery County County Government Offices
County SeatMount Ida
Population9,500
Founded1842
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Office: Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management
Address: 105 Hwy 270 W, Mount Ida, AR 71957
Phone: (870) 867-2521
Alert System: AR Alert; CodeRed; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Contact county OEM; Mount Ida community facilities
FEMA Region: Region 6
Notes: West-central Arkansas Ouachita Mountain county; Mount Ida is county seat; Ouachita River runs through county; Lake Ouachita (part of it) in eastern edge; tornado corridor; flash flooding in mountain terrain; winter weather at elevation; quartz crystal mining (Mount Ida is the “Quartz Crystal Capital of the World” – the most significant quartz crystal mining area in North America); very rural; Ouachita National Forest covers much of the county
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Montgomery County Road Department – (870) 867-2521
Public Transit: None; completely auto-dependent; rural mountain county
Road Conditions: ARDOT – idrivearkansas.com
Notes: US-270 runs east-west through Mount Ida (connecting Hot Springs to Mena); very rural; quartz crystal mining roads; Ouachita National Forest roads; rugged mountain terrain makes road maintenance challenging
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Montgomery County – (870) 867-2521
Services: Basic building permits; Mount Ida separate
Notes: Quartz crystal mining operations; National Forest recreation cabin/lodge development; very limited residential development; rural mountain county
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Montgomery County Veterans Service Office – (870) 867-2521
VA Medical: Central Arkansas VA (Little Rock) – approximately 90 miles east; Ouachita VA clinic (Hot Spring County area)
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment
Notes: Remote mountain county; VA access requires significant travel; Hot Springs VA clinic accessible via US-270
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Montgomery County Library – (870) 867-3956
Notes: Very small library; quartz crystal mining heritage reflected in collections; important internet access point in remote mountain county
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Quartz crystal mining and collecting (Mount Ida – visitors can dig for quartz crystals at commercial mines such as Ron Coleman Mining; Crystal Fox Mining; extraordinary quartz crystal specimens found here); Lake Ouachita (eastern edge of county – 40,000 acres; one of Arkansas’s clearest lakes; excellent bass fishing); Ouachita National Forest (covers most of the county; outstanding hiking, hunting, fishing); Ouachita National Recreation Trail (223-mile trail from Pinnacle Mountain State Park to Talimena State Park, Oklahoma – runs through Montgomery County); Joplin Zinc Mine Historical Area; Mount Ida Quartz Crystal Festival (annual)
Notes: Mount Ida’s quartz crystal heritage is extraordinary and unique – the Ouachita Mountains contain the finest quartz crystal deposits in North America; visitors can actually dig for large, clear quartz crystals at commercial mines; the annual Quartz Crystal Festival draws crystal enthusiasts from across the country; Lake Ouachita’s clarity (gin-clear water) and size make it one of Arkansas’s finest recreational lakes; the Ouachita National Recreation Trail offers an epic multi-day hiking experience through remote mountain wilderness
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Very limited; Arkansas GIS – gis.arkansas.gov
Notes: Very rural mountain county; USFS mapping for Ouachita National Forest (dominant land cover); Army Corps mapping for Lake Ouachita; USGS geological mapping important for quartz crystal mining
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Montgomery County Animal Control – (870) 867-2521
Services: Very basic animal control
Notes: Very limited resources; remote mountain county
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Montgomery County – (870) 867-2521
Environmental: Arkansas DEQ; Ouachita National Forest (USFS); Lake Ouachita water quality (Army Corps); quartz crystal mining environmental management (surface mining reclamation, silica dust); Ouachita River watershed
Notes: Quartz crystal mining (surface mining and underground mining) creates land reclamation requirements and silica dust management needs regulated by ADEQ and OSMRE; Lake Ouachita water quality is critical – it is a drinking water source for Hot Springs and one of Arkansas’s most pristine lakes; protecting Lake Ouachita from sedimentation and nutrient loading requires careful management of the entire watershed (much protected by National Forest); Ouachita National Forest management is the dominant environmental context; the Ouachita River originates in Montgomery County and flows east through a chain of reservoirs to join the Arkansas River
About Montgomery County County
Montgomery County is Arkansas’s quartz crystal capital and Lake Ouachita county – the fee-mining sites where visitors dig their own world-class quartz crystals from the Ouachita Mountains and Arkansas’s largest lake with its exceptional clarity and fishing define a county of extraordinary natural assets where Mount Ida serves as the crystal and outdoor recreation hub of west-central Arkansas.
Mount Ida (the county seat, population ~1,100) is Montgomery County’s governmental hub on US 270, an Ouachita Mountains community whose quartz crystal heritage, Lake Ouachita access, and Ouachita National Forest setting anchor its identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Local DHS office: Mount Ida (confirm via dhs.arkansas.gov)
Recommended
Search Montgomery County public records for Mount Ida and Montgomery County residents.
Courts & Legal
Montgomery County Circuit Court at 105 Highway 270 E, Mount Ida, AR 71957, phone 870-867-3521, handles probate.
Senior Services
Area Agency on Aging: Area Agency on Aging of West Central Arkansas — serves Montgomery 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
105 Hwy. 270 E., Mount Ida, AR 71957
(870) 867-3521
CIRCUIT CLERK (Deeds, Court Records)
105 Hwy. 270 E., Mount Ida, AR 71957
(870) 867-3521
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Montgomery County Circuit Clerk (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Montgomery County Historical Society, P.O. Box 578, Mount Ida, AR 71957
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
Montgomery County Circuit Clerk – Probate Division 105 Highway 270 E., Mount Ida, AR 71957 (870) 867-3521 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
Mount Ida, AR 71957
(870) 867-2221
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Unit
(870) 867-2561
DHS / SNAP / Medicaid
(800) 482-8988
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Montgomery County Health Unit – (870) 867-2351
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records
Hospital: Montgomery County Medical Center (Mount Ida) – (870) 867-4601; very small critical access hospital; Hot Springs hospitals accessible
Notes: Very small critical access hospital; Hot Springs healthcare accessible via US-270; mountain community rural health dynamics; very limited local specialty care
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Mount Ida
Population: 9,500
Area: 779 sq mi
Established: 1842
Public Records
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