Quick Facts

The city of Fordyce, Arkansas, often called South Arkansas' best located city, is located in South Central Arkansas, 68 miles south of Little Rock. We are at the intersection of U. S. Highways 79/167 and state Highway 8. Our population is 4,779 by 2000 U.S. Census.

City government is Mayor-Council, with six aldermen composing the city council. There are several commissions and committees that are appointed by the Mayor and approved by the Council who do volunteer work. The water company is city-owned and the Fordyce Fire Department is second to none!

The Hopkins-Fordyce Municipal Airport offers all incoming and outgoing planes a 3,200 ft. paved and lighted runway. MIRL and a rotating beacon are available from dusk to dawn. The airport's identifier is 5M4.

Currently Georgia-Pacific Corporation is the largest industry in Fordyce, with the world's first southern pine plywood plant and an oriented strand board plant (OSB).

We have the main line of the Union Pacific ("Cotton Belt") running through our town, as well as the Fordyce and Princeton Railroad, owned by Georgia-Pacific Corporation for transporting and switching.

Fordyce offers civic and social clubs, the Dallas County Library, over 30 places on the National Register, including the Charlotte Street Historic District. Several houses are Craftsman Houses and were designed by noted architect, Charles Thompson. Recreational opportunities include a City Park and Civic Center which offers a gymnasium, racket ball court, tennis courts, swimming pool, softball fields, small and large banquet rooms, and many other facilities. Fordyce also has the Wynne-Phillips House, a bed and breakfast Inn, historical monuments, and the Dallas County Museum, which contains artifacts of native son, Paul "Bear" Bryant.

One of south Arkansas' largest springtime events is held on the fourth Saturday in April. The "Fordyce on the Cotton Belt Festival" includes the Rex Raney Memorial Top Gun Bull Challenge, local beauty pageants and talent shows, the Redbug Reunion Rally (which welcomes everyone who has attended and/or graduated from Fordyce High School), scale model railroad exhibits, a quilt show, a 5-K run, handmade arts and crafts, and various family entertainment.

Fordyce is a favorite destination for deer hunters. The area also offers the Tri-County Lake, the first Game and Fish Commission lake in Arkansas, for fishing. Quail, turkey, squirrel, and rabbit hunting are also very popular.

Fordyce began as a dream of Civil War Colonel Samuel Fordyce, the same Colonel Fordyce who was a major builder and developer in the railroad industry during the late 1800s and early 1900s and built the Fordyce Bath House in Hot Springs. The "Cotton Belt," was a familiar phrase to many railroad workers during the era. The railroad, whose corporate name is now "Union Pacific", originated in Texas in 1877, and arrived in Dallas County in 1882. The city began as a result of the railroad.

Fordyce is the only town in the nation to have the "Redbug" as their mascot.

The Fordyce "Redbugs" were the winnest football team in Arkansas from 1956-1989, with 38 wins and no losses. They were coached by Coach Jimmy "Red" Parker from 1953-1960. The school mascot is the Redbug because of their tenacity, like the redbugs that plagued the workers while clearing the first football field.

Fordyce is the birthplace of Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Coach Bryant was the winningest college football coach in the nation until 1989. He played on the famous Redbug team of 1929.

John Ed Anthony, of Fordyce, is the owner of successful thoroughbred race horses including Temperance Hill, Cox's Ridge, and Pine Bluff, names for locations around this area.

The first direct dial long distance telephone call in the U.S. was made from Allied Telephone Company of Fordyce in 1960. Allied was the parent company of today's Alltel.

Fordyce is the home of the world's first southern pine plywood mill, The Georgia-Pacific. Southern Pine Plywood Mill is our largest employer.

The maiden voyage of the 819 Steam Engine in April, 1986, was made from Pine Bluff to Fordyce as an event of the Fordyce on the Cotton Belt Festival.

Fordyce is the home of World War II Admiral John H. Thach, legendary figure of naval aviation, and inventor of the "Thach Weave."

The first AME Church was started in Holly Springs by Robert Singleton.

The City of Fordyce
101 S. Main Street
Fordyce, AR 71742
(870) 352-2198
(870) 352-8610 ( fax)
E-mail: cityoffordyce@alltel.net