When was Phillips County founded?

Phillips County was founded in 1820, formed from Arkansas County, and named after Sylvanus Phillips.

What is the county seat of Phillips County?

The county seat of Phillips County is Helena-West Helena.

Is there an online parcel map for Phillips County?

Yes. Arkansas GIS Office publishes a parcel map of 19,590 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Phillips County's boundary or name changed?

Phillips County was created in 1820 from Arkansas County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 9 later changes, chiefly involving Monroe County, Lawrence County and Arkansas County.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

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

County · code 05107

Phillips CountyArkansas

Phillips County is a county in Arkansas, with its seat at Helena-West Helena. The county was created in 1820 from Arkansas Territory and named after Sylvanus Phillips.

Founded1820
County seatHelena-West Helena
Named forSylvanus Phillips
Land area690 sq mi + 37 sq mi water
Population16,568 2020 Census
Parcels mapped19,590 checked 14 October 2026

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

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1820 from Arkansas County

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

Phillips County was created by Arkansas Territory on June 1, 1820, from Arkansas and Non-County Area 1. Over its early decades, Phillips County exchanged land with Arkansas, Independence, and Lawrence counties, and lost territory to the creation of Crittenden, St. Francis, Monroe, and Lee counties. The county became a county of the state of Arkansas on June 15, 1836, and subsequently gained and lost territory through transfers with Monroe County.

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

1820
Phillips County created Phillips created by Arkansas Territory from Arkansas and Non-County Area 1; Non-County Area 1 eliminated. Act passed 1 May 1820; took effect 1 June 1820.
from Arkansas
1 June 1820 · Ark. Terr. Acts 1820, 1st sess., pp. 96-98
1822
Exchanged territory Phillips exchanged with Arkansas. Act passed 23 October 1821; took effect 1 January 1822.
with Arkansas
1 January 1822 · Ark. Terr. Acts 1821, 2d sess., pp. 22-23
1823
Exchanged territory Phillips exchanged with Independence and Lawrence.
with Independence with Lawrence
30 October 1823 · Ark. Terr. Acts 1823, 3d sess., pp. 50-52
1826
Lost territory Phillips lost to creation of Crittenden. Act passed 22 October 1825; took effect 1 January 1826.
to Crittenden
1 January 1826 · Ark. Terr. Acts 1825, 4th sess., pp. 17-20
1836
Became part of Arkansas Phillips 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

Show all 11 changes (6 more)

1820
Phillips County created Phillips created by Arkansas Territory from Arkansas and Non-County Area 1; Non-County Area 1 eliminated. Act passed 1 May 1820; took effect 1 June 1820.
from Arkansas
1 June 1820 · Ark. Terr. Acts 1820, 1st sess., pp. 96-98
1822
Exchanged territory Phillips exchanged with Arkansas. Act passed 23 October 1821; took effect 1 January 1822.
with Arkansas
1 January 1822 · Ark. Terr. Acts 1821, 2d sess., pp. 22-23
1823
Exchanged territory Phillips exchanged with Independence and Lawrence.
with Independence with Lawrence
30 October 1823 · Ark. Terr. Acts 1823, 3d sess., pp. 50-52
1826
Lost territory Phillips lost to creation of Crittenden. Act passed 22 October 1825; took effect 1 January 1826.
to Crittenden
1 January 1826 · Ark. Terr. Acts 1825, 4th sess., pp. 17-20
1827
Lost territory Phillips lost to creation of St. Francis and implicitly lost to Lawrence. Act passed 13 October 1827; took effect 1 December 1827.
to St. Francis to Lawrence
1 December 1827 · Ark. Terr. Acts 1827, 5th sess., pp. 8-10
1829
Boundary clarified Boundary between Phillips and Arkansas was clarified (no change).
with Arkansasno change
21 November 1829 · Ark. Terr. Acts 1829, 6th sess., p. 114
1830
Lost territory Phillips lost to creation of Monroe. Act passed 2 November 1829; took effect 1 January 1830.
to Monroe
1 January 1830 · Ark. Terr. Acts 1829, 6th sess., pp. 60-62
1836
Became part of Arkansas Phillips 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
1840
Gained territory Phillips gained from Monroe.
from Monroe
25 December 1840 · Ark. Acts 1840, 3d sess., p. 78
1873
Gained territory Phillips gained from Monroe, lost to creation of Lee.
from Monroe from Lee.
17 April 1873 · Ark. Acts 1873, 19th sess., no. 60, secs. 1, 22/pp. 143-144, 150
1885
Gained territory Phillips gained from Monroe.
from Monroe
28 March 1885 · Ark. Acts 1885, 25th sess., no. 90/p. 142

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Phillips

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 19,590 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, 12,839 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

Phillips by the Census

Population

16,568 2020 Census count

Housing units

8,315 2020 Census count

Land area

690 square miles

Water area

37 square miles

People per sq mi

24 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

Phillips 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 Phillips County.
phillipscounty.arkansas.gov

See your own lot on these maps

Open Phillips 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 Phillips County

When was Phillips County founded?: Phillips County was founded in 1820, formed from Arkansas County, and named after Sylvanus Phillips.
What is the county seat of Phillips County?: The county seat of Phillips County is Helena-West Helena.
Is there an online parcel map for Phillips County?: Yes. Arkansas GIS Office publishes a parcel map of 19,590 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Phillips County's boundary or name changed?: Phillips County was created in 1820 from Arkansas County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 9 later changes, chiefly involving Monroe County, Lawrence County and Arkansas County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Phillips County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby