Huddleston Store and McKinzie Store · Photo: Valis55 · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Oden, AR: what to set up and who to call
The latest lead test reported by Oden-Pencil Bluff Water Assn, which supplies Oden, came in at 40.0 ppb (Jan 2020–Dec 2022), above the 15 ppb action level. The nearest emergency room is Mena Regional Health System, 25.1 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Oden, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Oden.
Power comes from Entergy Arkansas
Entergy Arkansas (Entergy Arkansas LLC), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Oden. Its homes paid an average of 13.4¢ per kWh in 2025, about $145 a month (its average across Arkansas).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Oden-Pencil Bluff Water Assn
Oden-Pencil Bluff Water Assn supplies almost all of Oden. It buys treated surface water (EPA lists Montgomery Co Regional Pwa as seller) and serves 393 people in all.
9 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: disinfection byproducts (TTHM) ×9, the latest beginning Jan 2026. 77% of the 15,074 systems serving 101–500 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2020–Dec 2022, was 40.0 ppb, above the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 100% of similar systems’ latest results.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. AR0000616.
4 home internet providers serve Oden
65% of 95 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windstream Arkansas | DSL | 99% | 200/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 84% | 300/20 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 28% | 25/3 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 20% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Oden’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Oden.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Oden is in Ouachita River School District.
Test scores and every school: see Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Aug 2015; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Oden is in ZIP code 71961
ZIP codes where Oden residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Oden | ZIP’s residents in Oden |
|---|---|---|---|
| 71961 | Oden, AR | 100% | 21% |
71966 is P.O. box or single-organization ZIP with no homes.
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Oden
Who supplies Oden’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Oden-Pencil Bluff Water Assn (EPA ID AR0000616). It reported 9 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: disinfection byproducts (TTHM) ×9. 77% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 40.0 ppb (Jan 2020–Dec 2022), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Oden?
Entergy Arkansas (Entergy Arkansas LLC), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 13.4¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Oden?
Windstream Arkansas, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Oden?
71961. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Oden in?
Ouachita River School District.
How do I register to vote in Oden?
Arkansas has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before). Elections here are run by the Montgomery County Clerk. Check your registration at voterview.ar-nova.org.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.