Vilonia, Arkansas
| Vilonia, Arkansas | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 Location in Faulkner County and the state of Arkansas | |
| Coordinates: 35°4′38″N 92°12′45″W / 35.07722°N 92.21250°WCoordinates: 35°4′38″N 92°12′45″W / 35.07722°N 92.21250°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arkansas |
| County | Faulkner |
| Incorporated | 1938 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | James Firestone |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.09 sq mi (18.36 km2) |
| • Land | 7.08 sq mi (18.35 km2) |
| • Water | 0.004 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 308 ft (94 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 3,815 |
| • Density | 538/sq mi (207.9/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 72173 |
| Area code(s) | 501 |
| FIPS code | 05-71960 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0078658 |
| Website |
www |
Vilonia is a city[1] in Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States. Its population was 3,815 at the 2010 census,[2] up from 2,106 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Vilonia incorporated on August 23, 1938.[3]
2011 tornado
A small portion of the town was destroyed in a tornado on the evening of April 25, 2011. The devastated area was a mobile home park. The tornado was confirmed by National Weather Service survey crews, who rated the tornado a high end EF2. Four people were killed in the Vilonia area as a result of the twister.[4][5]
2014 tornado
On April 27, 2014 in the late evening hours, a violent EF4 tornado slammed through Vilonia and neighboring Mayflower just before 8 PM. Sixteen people were killed, several homes in one subdivision were swept clean off their foundations, a 15-ton fertilizer tank was thrown 3/4 of a mile, and several businesses damaged and destroyed. The rating is disputed due to the fact of houses being completely obliterated, but having cut nails as foundation anchors, which gave the tornado a final rating of EF4 with winds at 190 MPH. The NWS office in Little Rock said that if it occurred before the EF-Scale was implemented in 2007, it more than likely would have been rated an F5. There was consideration of upgrading the tornado to EF5 status, but due to the quality of construction, the EF4 rating stands.
Geography
Vilonia is located in southeastern Faulkner County at 35°4′38″N 92°12′45″W / 35.07722°N 92.21250°W (35.077299, −92.212617).[6] It is bypassed to the south by U.S. Route 64, which leads west 13 miles (21 km) to Conway, the county seat, and east 21 miles (34 km) to Beebe.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Vilonia has a total area of 7.1 square miles (18.4 km2), of which 0.004 square miles (0.01 km2), or 0.05%, is water.[2]
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1940 | 259 | — | |
| 1950 | 215 | −17.0% | |
| 1960 | 234 | 8.8% | |
| 1970 | 423 | 80.8% | |
| 1980 | 736 | 74.0% | |
| 1990 | 1,133 | 53.9% | |
| 2000 | 2,106 | 85.9% | |
| 2010 | 3,815 | 81.1% | |
| Est. 2014 | 4,337 | [7] | 13.7% |
As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 2,106 people, 726 households, and 612 families residing in the town. The population density was 327.6 inhabitants per square mile (126.5/km²). There were 785 housing units at an average density of 122.1 per square mile (47.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.39% White, 0.14% Black or African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. 1.28% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 726 households out of which 51.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.7% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.7% were non-families. 13.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the town the population was spread out with 33.0% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 35.4% from 25 to 44, 16.6% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $45,147, and the median income for a family was $50,184. Males had a median income of $33,684 versus $26,563 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,495. About 6.1% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Public education of early childhood, elementary and secondary school students is primarily provided by the Vilonia School District, which leads to graduation from Vilonia High School.
Notable people
- J. B. Chapman (1884-1947), minister, president of Arkansas Holiness and Peniel Colleges, editor of the Herald of Holiness, and general superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene.
References
- ↑ Local.Arkansas.gov – Vilonia, retrieved September 3, 2012
- 1 2 "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Vilonia city, Arkansas". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
- ↑ Vilonia Tourism.
- ↑ "Public Information Statement". National Weather Service, Little Rock AR. NOAA. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
- ↑ Bruce Olson (April 26, 2011). "Five dead in Arkansas as floods, tornadoes hit again". Reuters. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
- ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links
- City of Vilonia official website
- Vilonia Area Chamber of Commerce
- Vilonia Tourism
- Vilonia School District
- Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry: Vilonia (Faulkner County)
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