When was Jefferson County founded?

Jefferson County was founded in 1830, formed from Arkansas County and Pulaski County, and named after Thomas Jefferson.

What is the county seat of Jefferson County?

The county seat of Jefferson County is Pine Bluff.

Is there an online parcel map for Jefferson County?

Yes. Arkansas GIS Office publishes a parcel map of 54,576 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Jefferson County's boundary or name changed?

Jefferson County was created in 1830 from Arkansas County and Pulaski County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 9 later changes, chiefly involving Arkansas County, Lincoln County and Pulaski County.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

We do not have flood maps for Jefferson County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

County · code 05069

Jefferson CountyArkansas

Jefferson County is in Arkansas with its county seat in Pine Bluff. It was created from Arkansas and Pulaski counties on January 1, 1830, and was named after Thomas Jefferson.

Founded1830
County seatPine Bluff
Named forThomas Jefferson
Land area872 sq mi + 44 sq mi water
Population67,260 2020 Census
Parcels mapped54,576 checked 14 October 2026

Open the free map Click any parcel in Jefferson County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1830 from Arkansas County and Pulaski County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Jefferson County was established by the Arkansas Territory on January 1, 1830, from Arkansas and Pulaski counties. It gained territory from Arkansas and Pulaski counties in November 1831, and then from Pulaski and Saline counties when Arkansas became a state in 1836. Over the following decades, the county lost land to the creation of Grant County in 1869, Lincoln County in 1871, and Dorsey County (now Cleveland) in 1873, with additional boundary changes through 1975.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

1830
Jefferson County created Jefferson created by Arkansas Territory from Arkansas and Pulaski. Act passed 2 November 1829; took effect 1 January 1830.
from Arkansas from Pulaski
1 January 1830 · Ark. Terr. Acts 1829, 6th sess., pp. 66-71 and sec. 4/p. 101
1831
Gained territory Jefferson gained from Arkansas and Pulaski.
from Arkansas from Pulaski
3 November 1831 · Ark. Terr. Acts 1831, 7th sess., pp. 53-54
1836
Became part of Arkansas Jefferson became a county in the state of Arkansas. 15 June 1836 · U.S. Stat., vol. 5, chs. 100, 120 [1836]/pp. 50-52, 58-59; Swindler, 1: 342-344, 354-358; Van Zandt, 119
1836
Gained territory Jefferson gained from Pulaski and Saline, exchanged with Arkansas and Union.
from Pulaski from Saline from Arkansas from Union
7 November 1836 · Ark. Acts 1836, 1st sess., pp. 126-127, 161, 163-164, 186
1869
Lost territory Jefferson lost to creation of Grant.
to Grant
4 February 1869 · Ark. Acts 1868, adj. sess., no. 15/pp. 34-42

Show all 10 changes (5 more)

1830
Jefferson County created Jefferson created by Arkansas Territory from Arkansas and Pulaski. Act passed 2 November 1829; took effect 1 January 1830.
from Arkansas from Pulaski
1 January 1830 · Ark. Terr. Acts 1829, 6th sess., pp. 66-71 and sec. 4/p. 101
1831
Gained territory Jefferson gained from Arkansas and Pulaski.
from Arkansas from Pulaski
3 November 1831 · Ark. Terr. Acts 1831, 7th sess., pp. 53-54
1836
Became part of Arkansas Jefferson became a county in the state of Arkansas. 15 June 1836 · U.S. Stat., vol. 5, chs. 100, 120 [1836]/pp. 50-52, 58-59; Swindler, 1: 342-344, 354-358; Van Zandt, 119
1836
Gained territory Jefferson gained from Pulaski and Saline, exchanged with Arkansas and Union.
from Pulaski from Saline from Arkansas from Union
7 November 1836 · Ark. Acts 1836, 1st sess., pp. 126-127, 161, 163-164, 186
1869
Lost territory Jefferson lost to creation of Grant.
to Grant
4 February 1869 · Ark. Acts 1868, adj. sess., no. 15/pp. 34-42
1871
Lost territory Jefferson lost to creation of Lincoln.
to Lincoln
28 March 1871 · Ark. Acts 1871, 18th sess., no. 68, sec. 1/pp. 332-333
1873
Lost territory Jefferson lost to creation of Dorsey (now Cleveland) and lost small area to Dallas.
to Dorsey to Clevelandto Dallas
17 April 1873 · Ark. Acts 1873, 19th sess., no. 58/pp. 134-140
1879
Lost territory Jefferson lost to Lincoln.
to Lincoln
20 March 1879 · Ark. Acts 1879, 22d sess., no. 79/pp. 126-128
1889
Gained territory Jefferson gained from Arkansas.
from Arkansas
25 February 1889 · Ark. Acts 1889, 27th sess., no. 23/pp. 22-25
1975
Lost territory Jefferson lost Sloan Island area to Lincoln due to shifts in the course of the Arkansas River.
to Lincoln
28 February 1975 · Ark. Acts 1975, 70th sess., no. 273/pp. 449-453

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Jefferson

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 54,576 parcels from Arkansas GIS Office. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 14 October 2026
Address points Official

One point per address, 33,477 in all from Arkansas GIS Office (state GIS office).
checked 13 October 2026
Buildings Reference

Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026

Official: from the office that keeps the record
Good enough: a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback: a guide only; check the official record
Missing: nothing public found yet

People and land

Jefferson by the Census

Population

67,260 2020 Census count

Housing units

30,573 2020 Census count

Land area

872 square miles

Water area

44 square miles

People per sq mi

77 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Jefferson County's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

County government

County government
The official website of Jefferson County.
jeffersoncounty.arkansas.gov

See your own lot on these maps

Open Jefferson County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Jefferson County

When was Jefferson County founded?: Jefferson County was founded in 1830, formed from Arkansas County and Pulaski County, and named after Thomas Jefferson.
What is the county seat of Jefferson County?: The county seat of Jefferson County is Pine Bluff.
Is there an online parcel map for Jefferson County?: Yes. Arkansas GIS Office publishes a parcel map of 54,576 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Jefferson County's boundary or name changed?: Jefferson County was created in 1830 from Arkansas County and Pulaski County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 9 later changes, chiefly involving Arkansas County, Lincoln County and Pulaski County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Jefferson County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby