Cherokee Village was first counted by the census in 2000
More historic than 3% of U.S. towns · #115 of 123 in Arkansas. What drives it
Most of Cherokee Village was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1975. Below: maps from 1962 on and the census since 2000.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Cherokee Village is more historic than 3% of U.S. towns, #115 of 123 in Arkansas. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Cherokee Village’s overall grade.
Arkansas towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Arkansas town has 20.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Cherokee Village’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (11% of Arkansas towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to D. The pre-1940 share (±2.5 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: the first census (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Cherokee Village’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
John Cooper, Sr. purchased 400 acres along the South Fork River in 1948 to create a summer retreat for his family. He soon realized others would also love having a place for their families to retreat, so he began purchasing additional land totaling 2,400 acres. He then began carving out lots for building homes and construction of lakes. In 1954 he founded Cherokee Village Development Company as the first planned recreation community in the state and one of the first of its kind in the nation.
Cherokee Village was dedicated in June 1955 with one lake and an airstrip.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Cherokee Village. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1962Stuart sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Cherokee Village.
People over time
Cherokee Village, census by census
Between 4,648 and 4,780 people in every census since 2000.
3 censuses, 2000–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Cherokee Village’s Wikipedia page.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices and old corners
Another post office, Draft, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Draft
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Stories next door
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Cherokee Village post office opened in 2000, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Cherokee Village rank for history?
Cherokee Village is more historic than 3% of U.S. towns, #115 of 123 in Arkansas. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Cherokee Village?
3% of Cherokee Village’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.5 points), against a typical 3.1% for an Arkansas town; the median home was built in 1975.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2005
