Van Buren, Arkansas

Van Buren, Arkansas
City of Van Buren
Clockwise, from top: US 64/US 71B bridge over the Arkansas River, Van Buren Old Frisco Depot, Crawford County Bank Building, Main Street in the Van Buren Historic District, Crawford County Courthouse
Location of Van Buren in Crawford County, Arkansas
Van Buren
Coordinates: 35°26′54″N 94°21′10″W / 35.44833°N 94.35278°W / 35.44833; -94.35278
CountryUnited States
StateArkansas
CountyCrawford
Township(s)Dora, Van Buren
IncorporatedJanuary 4, 1845
Named afterMartin Van Buren
Government
  TypeMayor–Council
  MayorJoe Hurst (I)
  Council
Members
  • Madison Simmons
  • Matt Dodson
  • Tyler Wood
  • Tonia Fry
  • Michael Kneeland
  • Shannon Newerth-Henson
Area
  City
16.10 sq mi (41.70 km2)
  Land15.42 sq mi (39.94 km2)
  Water0.68 sq mi (1.76 km2)
Elevation
650 ft (200 m)
Population
 (2020)
  City
23,218
  Density1,505.61/sq mi (581.34/km2)
  Metro
227,213 (Fort Smith metropolitan area)
Time zoneUTC−6 (CST)
  Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP code(s)
72956
Area code(s)479
FIPS code05-71480
GNIS feature ID2405637
Major airportFSM
Websitevanburencity.org

Van Buren (/væn ˈbjʊərən/ van BURE-ən) is the second-largest city in the Fort Smith, Arkansas–Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area and the county seat of Crawford County, Arkansas, United States. The city is located directly northeast of Fort Smith at the Interstate 40  Interstate 540 junction. The city was incorporated in 1845 and as of the 2020 census had a population of 23,218, ranking it as the state's 21st largest city. According to 2023 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, Van Buren’s population is 24,138. With a 4% growth rate from 2020 to 2023, Van Buren is Arkansas’s eighth-fastest growing city.