Ola, Arkansas

For other uses, see Ola (disambiguation).

Ola, Arkansas
City
Looking east down Highway 10 in Ola
Location of Ola in Yell County, Arkansas.
Coordinates: 35°01′52″N93°13′28″W / 35.03111°N 93.22444°W / 35.03111; -93.22444
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
County	Yell
Area [1]
• Total	1.83 sq mi (4.75 km2)
• Land	1.70 sq mi (4.41 km2)
• Water	0.13 sq mi (0.35 km2)
Elevation [2]	348 ft (106 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	934
• Density	549.09/sq mi (211.98/km2)
Time zone	UTC−06:00 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−05:00 (CDT)
ZIP Code	72853
Area code	479
FIPS code	05-51560
GNIS feature ID	2404426 [2]

Ola is a city in Yell County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,281 at the 2010 census. It is roughly 15 miles south of the Russellville Metropolitan area.

As of 2004 ^[update] it serves as a commercial center in Yell County. ^[3]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km²), of which 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) (6.53%) is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Ola has a humid subtropical climate, classified "Cfa" on climate maps. ^[4]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1910	516		—
1920	655		26.9%
1930	648		−1.1%
1940	839		29.5%
1950	880		4.9%
1960	805		−8.5%
1970	1,029		27.8%
1980	1,121		8.9%
1990	1,090		−2.8%
2000	1,204		10.5%
2010	1,281		6.4%
2020	934		−27.1%
U.S. Decennial Census [5]

2020 census

Ola racial composition ^[6]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	664	71.09%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	7	0.75%
Native American	5	0.54%
Asian	6	0.64%
Other/Mixed	36	3.85%
Hispanic or Latino	216	23.13%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 934 people, 481 households, and 278 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census ^[7] of 2000, there were 1,204 people, 464 households, and 283 families residing in the city. The population density was 648.4 inhabitants per square mile (250.3/km²). There were 556 housing units at an average density of 299.4 per square mile (115.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.89% White, 0.42% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 12.96% from other races, and 2.08% from two or more races. 16.86% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 464 households, out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.6% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.3% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $19,375, and the median income for a family was $24,125. Males had a median income of $21,250 versus $16,100 for females. The per capita income for the city was $10,117. About 20.1% of families and 27.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.9% of those under age 18 and 29.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public education is administered by the Two Rivers School District, ^[8] which supports :

• Two Rivers High School—Serves students in grades 7–12.
• Two Rivers Elementary School—Serves students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

It was previously in the Ola School District until July 1, 2004, when it merged into the Two Rivers School District. ^[9] The merged district formerly operated Ola Elementary School and Ola High School. ^[10] Ola Elementary School had four buildings; the main building and gymnasium were made of natural rock and opened in 1941. Circa 2001 it had 320 students. ^[11]

In 2010 Ola High closed as Two Rivers High opened. ^[12] In 2012 Ola Elementary closed as Two Rivers Elementary opened. ^[13]

Notable person

• Babe Ellison, Major League Baseball player, member of Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Ola, Arkansas
3. Richard, Alan (November 24, 2004). "Arranged Marriage: Newly Merged Districts Work to Make Combination Succeed". Education Week . Retrieved January 5, 2019. Its headquarters is in Ola, the largest town in the district, where people in this part of Yell County travel to do their shopping.
4. Climate Summary for Ola, Arkansas
5. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
6. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
7. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
8. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Yell County, AR" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved March 16, 2024. - Text list
9. "ConsolidationAnnex_from_1983.xls Archived 2015-09-12 at the Wayback Machine ." Arkansas Department of Education. Retrieved on October 21, 2017.
10. "District Information." Two Rivers School District. January 1, 2011. Retrieved on October 24, 2017.
11. "Ola Elementary School." Ola School District. January 24, 2001. Retrieved on May 25, 2018.
12. Zilk, Caroline (February 7, 2010). "Two become one: Two Rivers High School still set To open in fall". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette . Retrieved October 16, 2012.
13. "State Required Information." Plainview-Rover School District. April 14, 2013. Retrieved on October 24, 2017. See the "ACSIP Plans " section, note the years