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Arkansas County
Prairie County County Government Offices
County SeatDeValls Bluff 72041 (Eastern District); Des Arc 72040 (Western District)
Population8,282
Founded1846
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Office: Prairie County Office of Emergency Management
Address: 200 Courthouse Sq, Des Arc, AR 72040
Phone: (870) 256-4434
Alert System: AR Alert; CodeRed; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Contact county OEM; Des Arc and DeValls Bluff community facilities
FEMA Region: Region 6
Notes: Central Arkansas; two county seats (Des Arc and DeValls Bluff); White River runs through county (significant flooding); tornado corridor; agricultural Delta/Grand Prairie county; duck hunting important; home of Toad Suck Ferry (historic crossing, now served by a bridge)
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Prairie County Road Department – (870) 256-4434
Public Transit: Very limited; auto-dependent; rural county
Road Conditions: ARDOT – idrivearkansas.com
Notes: US-70 runs through DeValls Bluff; White River bridge crossings important; two county seats; very rural agricultural county; Des Arc is on the White River; DeValls Bluff is on US-70 and the White River; Pat’s Pie Shop (DeValls Bluff – famous roadside catfish and pie restaurant, a beloved Arkansas institution)
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Prairie County – (870) 256-4434
Services: Basic building permits; Des Arc and DeValls Bluff have separate permits
Notes: Agricultural county; very limited development; two county seat coordination
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Prairie County Veterans Service Office – (870) 256-4434
VA Medical: Central Arkansas VA (Little Rock) – approximately 1 hour west
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment
Notes: Little Rock VA accessible from either county seat via US-70; rural county with limited local veteran services
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Prairie County Library – Des Arc: (870) 256-4686; DeValls Bluff Branch
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs
Notes: Two-branch system; Pat’s Pie Shop tourism generates some library interest from travelers on US-70; Grand Prairie agricultural heritage in collections
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: White River (excellent bass and crappie fishing; duck hunting in the bottomlands); Bayou Meto WMA (accessible); Grand Prairie rice and duck hunting culture; DeValls Bluff – Pat’s (catfish restaurant and pie shop on US-70; beloved Arkansas roadside institution); Des Arc waterfront; Arkansas Game and Fish Commission access areas
Notes: Prairie County sits in the heart of Arkansas’s Grand Prairie rice farming and duck hunting country; the White River provides excellent fishing; duck hunting in the White River bottomlands is world-class; DeValls Bluff’s Pat’s catfish restaurant is a true Arkansas culinary institution – a roadside stop on US-70 famous for catfish and cream pies that has attracted visitors for generations; this is quintessential rural Arkansas
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Very limited; Arkansas GIS – gis.arkansas.gov
Notes: Rural county; state GIS primary; White River flood mapping; agricultural field mapping
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Prairie County Animal Control – (870) 256-4434
Services: Basic animal control; two county seat coordination
Notes: Very limited resources; agricultural rural county
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Prairie County – (870) 256-4434; Des Arc and DeValls Bluff manage separately
Environmental: Arkansas DEQ; White River watershed; Bayou Meto watershed; agricultural chemical runoff from Grand Prairie rice and soybean production; duck hunting habitat management
Notes: White River water quality is important for both the fishing economy and waterfowl habitat in the adjacent NWR; agricultural chemical use (herbicides and pesticides on rice, soybeans, and cotton) is managed through ADEQ and the NRCS; Bayou Meto is a critical duck hunting watershed requiring water quality protection; Grand Prairie rice farming requires managed water impoundments that affect local hydrology
About Prairie County County
Prairie County is central Arkansas’s Grand Prairie rice farming and White River county – the flat clay-pan soils producing some of America’s most productive rice and the White River’s bass fishing and winter duck habitat define a county where Des Arc serves the surrounding rice farming communities in one of Arkansas’s most distinctive agricultural landscapes.
Des Arc (the county seat, population ~1,600) is Prairie County’s governmental hub on the White River, a central Arkansas community whose Grand Prairie rice heritage, White River access, and agricultural economy anchor its identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Local DHS office: Des Arc (confirm via dhs.arkansas.gov)
Recommended
Search Prairie County public records for Des Arc and Prairie County residents.
Courts & Legal
Prairie County Circuit Court at 200 W. Court Street, Des Arc, AR 72040, phone 870-256-4764, handles probate.
Senior Services
Area Agency on Aging: East Arkansas Area Agency on Aging (EAAAA) — serves Prairie 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
207 Court St., Des Arc, AR 72040
(870) 256-4434
CIRCUIT CLERK (Deeds, Court Records)
207 Court St., Des Arc, AR 72040
(870) 256-4434
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Prairie County Circuit/County Clerk, both districts (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
No dedicated Prairie 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
Prairie County has two districts, each with its own courthouse – file in whichever is more convenient.
Des Arc District – 200 Courthouse Square, Suite 104, Des Arc, AR 72040. (870) 256-4434. DeValls Bluff District – (870) 998-2314. 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
Des Arc, AR 72040
(870) 256-3154
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Unit
(870) 256-3317
DHS / SNAP / Medicaid
(800) 482-8988
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Prairie County Health Unit – Des Arc: (870) 256-4463; DeValls Bluff: (870) 998-2714
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records
Hospital: White County Medical Center (Searcy) serves area; Des Arc area uses Little Rock hospitals
Notes: No large local hospital; Little Rock and Searcy hospitals serve county residents; two health units for two county seats; agricultural community health
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: DeValls Bluff 72041 (Eastern District); Des Arc 72040 (Western District)
Population: 8,282
Area: 648 sq mi
Established: 1846
Public Records
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