| Official Name: | West Fork, Arkansas |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Motto: | "Where the best begins!"[1] |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Coordinates: | 35.9356°N -94.18°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Arkansas |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Washington |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1848 |
| Established Title2: | Incorporated |
| Established Date2: | May 18, 1885 |
| Area Total Km2: | 9.67 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 3.73 |
| Area Land Km2: | 9.50 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 3.67 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.17 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.07 |
| Elevation Ft: | 1362 |
| Population Total: | 2331 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Density Km2: | 245.47 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 635.84 |
| Timezone: | Central (CST) |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 72774 |
| Area Code: | 479 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 05-74360 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 2405707 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [2] |
West Fork is a city in Washington County, Arkansas, United States. The population is 2,331 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Northwest Arkansas region.
West Fork was incorporated as a city in 1885.[3]
West Fork is located at 35.9356°N -94.18°W (35.9356771, -94.1801038) at an elevation of . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.3sqmi, all land.[4]
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 2,042 people, 750 households, and 600 families residing in the city. The population density was 612.8sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 800 housing units at an average density of 240.1sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the city was 94.56% White or European American, 0.44% Black or African American, 0.93% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 1.71% from other races, and 1.81% from two or more races. 3.13% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 750 households, out of which 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.3% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.9% were non-families. 16.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.72 and the average family size was 4.04.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.0% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.
Economically one of the poorer regions of the Northwest Arkansas region, the median income for a household in the city was $31,356, and the median income for a family was $34,818. Males had a median income of $28,037 versus $20,091 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,976. About 34.6% of families and 25.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.3% of those under age 18 and 19.7% of those age 65 or over.
The West Fork of the White River flows through the east side of the town. The town sits on the West Fork of the White River, hence the name. Alongside the river is Riverside Park, a common spot for recreational activities such as parties and reunions. The park features playground equipment, several pavilions, many benches, and a walking path. The town is flanked by mountains on both the east and west with Bloyd Mountain on the east has an elevation of .[6]
West Fork Public Schools[7] serves the city, and includes:
All of the West Fork schools are co-located on School Avenue, west of the White River. West Fork's official school mascot is a tiger.
West Fork is the home of the Washington County Observer newspaper.[8]
As of 2023, there is no fixed route transit service in West Fork. Ozark Regional Transit operates demand-response service in the city.[9] The nearest intercity bus service is provided by Jefferson Lines in nearby Fayetteville.[10]