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Arkansas County
Yell County, Arkansas
Dardanelle Rock and the Arkansas River navigation lock - from Dardanelle Rock (the distinctive limestone bluff rising from the Arkansas River at Dardanelle - a navigation landmark for river travelers since the earliest settlement of the territory, and now the centerpiece of Lake Dardanelle State Park's scenic recreation area) to Yell County's Arkansas River Valley agriculture and the Dardanelle Lock and Dam's role in the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System connecting the Arkansas River to the Mississippi.
County SeatDanville
Population20,263
Founded1840
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Office: Yell County Office of Emergency Management
Address: 205 W 4th St, Danville, AR 72833
Phone: (479) 495-2986
Alert System: AR Alert; CodeRed; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Contact county OEM; Danville and Dardanelle community facilities
FEMA Region: Region 6
Notes: West-central Arkansas; two county seats (Danville and Dardanelle); Arkansas River runs through county (significant flooding – Dardanelle sits on the river); tornado corridor; Lake Dardanelle; Arkansas Nuclear One (Pope County – nuclear plant’s emergency planning zone extends into Yell County); Petit Jean Mountain partially in Yell County; winter weather; Ouachita Mountain foothills
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Yell County Road Department – (479) 495-2986
Public Transit: Very limited; demand-response; rural county
Road Conditions: ARDOT – idrivearkansas.com
Notes: US-64 runs east-west through Dardanelle and Russellville (Pope County); US-22 goes to Danville; two county seats divided by the Arkansas River valley; Lake Dardanelle drives tourism traffic; nuclear plant creates specialized transportation considerations; I-40 accessible via Pope County (Russellville)
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Yell County – (479) 495-2986
Services: Building permits; Danville and Dardanelle have separate permits; Ola, Belleville, Havana, Havana, Plainview separate
Notes: Lake Dardanelle waterfront development significant; rural residential growth; nuclear plant maintenance permits through NRC/federal; two county seats require coordination
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Yell County Veterans Service Office – (479) 495-2986
VA Medical: Fort Smith VA Clinic; Fayetteville VAMC – accessible via I-40
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment
Notes: Fort Smith VA clinic is accessible; I-40 via Pope County to Russellville then east/west to VA facilities; rural county with limited local veteran services
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs; nuclear heritage and Lake Dardanelle materials
Notes: Two-branch library system; Dardanelle branch serves the Arkansas River valley community; Danville branch serves the county seat
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Lake Dardanelle State Park – arkansasstateparks.com | (479) 229-3655 (Dardanelle unit – excellent bass fishing; marina; camping; Arkansas River overlooks); Petit Jean State Park (Mount Petit Jean – partly in Yell County; Cedar Falls waterfall; Arkansas River valley views; one of Arkansas’s most beloved parks; Lodge); Holla Bend NWR (Yell County – outstanding bald eagle viewing November-February; dozens of eagles; also excellent waterfowl hunting; one of Arkansas’s finest wildlife refuges); Buck Pool/Ferry Landing recreation area; hunting on WMAs and private lands
Notes: Holla Bend NWR is one of the greatest wildlife viewing areas in Arkansas – dozens of bald eagles congregate here November through February making it one of the premier eagle viewing spots in the mid-South; Petit Jean State Park is arguably Arkansas’s most beloved state park – the Cedar Falls waterfall, mountain views, and lodge create an incomparable Ozark experience; Lake Dardanelle provides excellent water recreation; Yell County has remarkable outdoor assets for a rural county its size
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Yell County GIS; Arkansas GIS – gis.arkansas.gov
Notes: County GIS; Army Corps Lake Dardanelle mapping; Holla Bend NWR wildlife mapping (USFWS); Arkansas Nuclear One emergency planning zone mapping (NRC-required)
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Yell County Animal Control – (479) 495-2986; Danville and Dardanelle area services
Services: Basic animal control; two county seat coordination
Notes: Rural county with limited resources; Holla Bend NWR eagle and wildlife management through USFWS; AGFC manages game animals
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Yell County – (479) 495-2986; Danville and Dardanelle manage separately
Environmental: Arkansas DEQ; Army Corps (Lake Dardanelle – Arkansas River navigation and Lake management); Holla Bend NWR (USFWS); Arkansas Nuclear One emergency planning zone (NRC oversight in Pope County but extends to Yell County); Petit Jean River watershed; Arkansas River water quality
Notes: Lake Dardanelle water quality management by Army Corps includes monitoring for temperature effects from Arkansas Nuclear One’s thermal discharge (Pope County side) – warm water from the plant’s cooling affects Lake Dardanelle ecology; Holla Bend NWR requires clean Arkansas River water for its fish and waterfowl; Petit Jean Mountain’s unique ecosystem requires protection; Arkansas River water quality monitoring important for downstream communities; NRC nuclear emergency planning for Arkansas Nuclear One extends emergency planning zones into Yell County – regular emergency drills involve Yell County emergency management
About Yell County
Yell County is central Arkansas’s Arkansas River Valley and Dardanelle Rock county – the distinctive limestone bluff that guided river travelers for centuries now anchors Lake Dardanelle State Park in the scenic valley between the Boston Mountains and Ouachitas.
Dardanelle (population ~4,200) on the Arkansas River is the county’s largest community and the site of Dardanelle Rock – the landmark bluff that early river travelers used for navigation. Lake Dardanelle State Park provides boating, fishing, and camping on the Arkansas River impoundment.
Danville (the county seat, population ~2,400) serves the county’s governmental needs in the valley interior.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Local DHS offices: Danville and/or Dardanelle (confirm via dhs.arkansas.gov)
Recommended
Search Yell County public records for Danville, Dardanelle, and Yell County residents.
Courts & Legal
Yell County Circuit Clerk at 1 Courthouse Square, Danville, AR 72833, phone 479-495-4850, handles probate.
Senior Services
Area Agency on Aging: Area Agency on Aging of West Central Arkansas — serves Yell 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
101 W. 4th St., Danville, AR 72833
(479) 495-4850
CIRCUIT CLERK (Deeds, Court Records)
101 W. 4th St., Danville, AR 72833
(479) 495-4850
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Yell County Circuit/County Clerk, both districts (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Yell County Historical & Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 622, Dardanelle, AR 72834
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
Yell County has two districts, each with its own courthouse – file in whichever is more convenient.
Danville District – 101 E. 5th Street, Danville, AR 72833. (479) 495-4850. Dardanelle District – 101 Union Street, Dardanelle, AR 72834. (479) 229-4404. 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
Danville, AR 72833
(479) 229-1717
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Unit
(479) 229-3131
DHS / SNAP / Medicaid
(800) 482-8988
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Yell County Health Unit – Danville: (479) 495-2916; Dardanelle: (479) 229-4161
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records; nuclear emergency health planning
Hospital: Chambers Memorial Hospital (Danville) – (479) 495-2241; primarily uses Russellville (Pope County) hospitals for Dardanelle area
Notes: Small hospital in Danville; Dardanelle area uses Saint Mary’s Regional (Russellville); two health units for two county seats; nuclear emergency preparedness includes medical readiness planning; rural health challenges
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