Conway

Conway is a city in Faulkner County, Arkansas. It is located in the state's most populous Metropolitan Statistical Area, Central Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the city proper had a total population of 58,908, making Conway the eighth-largest city in Arkansas. Conway is home to three post-secondary educational institutions, earning it the nickname "The City of Colleges" It is part of the larger Little RockNorth Little Rock, AR Combined Statistical Area. In 2016, the CSA had a population of 905,847, and ranked the country's 60th largest CSA. Conway's growth can be attributed to its jobs in technology and higher education; among its largest employers being Acxiom, the University of Central Arkansas, Hendrix College, Insight Enterprises, and many technology start-up companies. The city was founded by Asa P. Robinson, the chief engineer for the Little Rock-Fort Smith Railroad (now the Union Pacific) in 1878. In 1889, over 100 German families had settled in Conway, giving the town many of its distinctively German street and business names. On April 10, 1965, an F4 tornado struck Conway, causing six deaths and 200 injuries. Despite being founded as a railroad town, there is currently no passenger service; this is attributed to the increasing emphasis placed on cars. In 1878, Father Joseph Strub, a priest in the Roman Catholic Holy Ghost Fathers, arrived in Arkansas to found the St. Joseph Colony. He moved to the United States, settling in Pittsburgh, where he founded Duquesne University.

History

Conway was founded by Asa P. Robinson, chief engineer for the Little Rock-Fort Smith Railroad. Father Joseph Strub, a priest in the Roman Catholic Holy Ghost Fathers, arrived in Arkansas in 1878. In 1879, Strub convinced the railroad to deed 200,000 acres (810 km²) along the northern side of the Arkansas River. This included land on which Father Strub founded and built St. Joseph Catholic Church of Conway. By 1889, over 100 German families had settled in Conway, giving the town many of its distinctively German street and business names. On April 10, 1965, an F4 tornado struck Conway, causing six deaths and 200 injuries. Despite being founded as a railroad town, there is currently no passenger service; this is attributed to the increasing emphasis placed on cars. The city is now home to the University of Arkansas at Conway, which was founded in 1876. The university is located on the campus of the College of St. Benedict, which opened in 1877. The town's name is derived from the name of a famous Arkansas family, the Conway family, who moved to the area after the Civil War. It is the only city in Arkansas to have been named after a family of that name. It was also the first city in the state to have a post office, opening in 1881. It has been the site of the U.S. National Museum of Natural History, which is located in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Geography

Conway is located in southwestern Faulkner County. Interstate 40 passes through the north and east sides of the city. Little Rock is 30 miles (48 km) to the south, and Russellville is 47 miles (76 km) west. West (307 km) of Oklahoma City. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Conway has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. The city has a total area of 45.6 square miles (118.1 km²), of which 45.3 sq miles (117.4 km²) is land and 0.2sq miles (0.6km²), or 0.54%, is water. The town has a population of 1,071. It is located on the U.S. Interstate 40, with access from Exits 124 through 132, and is located south of Little Rock and north of Russellville. It has a temperature of °C (°F) (°C) (°C) in the summer, and °F in the winter. The area has a high school graduation rate of 8.2%. It has an unemployment rate of 3.7%. It is the second-largest city in the state, after Little Rock, with a population of 1,069. It was founded in 1881.

Demographics

As of the 2020 U.S. census, there were 64,134 people, 26,319 households, and 14,609 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 77.4% White, 15.6% Black or African American, 1.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.2% from two or more races, and 2.3% Hispanic or Latino of any race. 44.5% of people in Conway who describe themselves as having a religion are Baptist (21.7% of city's total population) The proportions of Methodists and Pentecostals are higher than the national average. The median income for a household in theCity was $42,640, and the median incomes for a family was $63,860. The per capita income for the City was $ 42,582. About 15.0% of those under age 18 and 10.8%. of those age 65 or over were below the poverty line, including 9.3%. of families and 16.3 per cent of the population. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.01. The city has a population of 58,908 people, with 24,402 housing units at an average density of 538.2 per square mile (207.8/km²). The median age in Conway was 27.3 years. There were 51.7 per cent females and 48.3 percent males.

Economy

Conway was home to one of the world's largest school bus manufacturers, IC Corporation. Hewlett-Packard announced it would be opening a 150,000 sq ft (14,000 m2) facility with 1,200 employees in 2009. The building, built by Nabholz Construction and located in the Meadows Office and Technology Park, has since been abandoned by HP and is now leased to Gainwell Technologies. Conway Corporation handles the local utilities (cable TV, Internet, and telephone services, in addition to electricity and water) for the city of Conway.Acxiom Corporation, an interactive marketing services company, was founded in 1969 in Conway. Westrock Coffee announced the planned opening of a new plant in Conway on December 16, 2021. The company purchased a 524,000sq ft facility that is expected to create 250 jobs. The city is home to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has been based in Conway since the 1950s. It is also the home of the University of Arkansas at Conway, which was established in the 1960s. The town is also home to Conway High School, which opened in the 1970s and was the site of the state's first high school. The school was closed in the 1990s and replaced with a new high school, which is now located in a different part of the city. It has a population of around 2,000 people. It currently employs over 800 people and has been listed by Engineering News-Record (ENR) magazine every year since 1986.

Government and politics

Conway operates within the mayorcity council form of government. The mayor is elected by a citywide election. Mayors serve four-year terms and can serve unlimited terms. The city council is the unicameral legislative of the City, consisting of two members from each of the city's four wards. The body also controls the representatives of specialized city commissions underneath their jurisdiction. Also included in the council's duties is balancing the city’s budget and passing ordinances. The Conway mayoral election coincides with the election of the President of the United States. It is the only city in the state to have a mayor who also serves as the city council's chief executive officer (CEO) The mayor also allocates duties to city employees. Once elected, the mayor is the chief executive of all city functions, policies, rules, and laws. He or she is also responsible for all city employees' salaries and benefits. The council also has the power to pass ordinances and balance the city budget. It also has a power to veto the mayor's appointees to certain city commissions, such as the Police and Fire Chiefs' Departments, and the City Council's appointments to specific city boards and committees. It has a maximum of four members, with two members per ward, and can only be removed by the mayor if the council votes to remove a member from the council for more than one term. It was the first city to hold a mayoral election that coincided with the U.S. President's election.

Arts and culture

Conway is home to the largest man-made Game and Fish Commission lake in the United States. The Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, based in Conway, is the state's only professional Shakespeare theater. The city held its first-ever EcoFest on September 12, 2009, in Laurel Park. The Faulkner-Van Buren Regional Library System serves the city, a two-county library system formed in 1954. The Conway Library serves as the headquarters for the eight-library regional system. In addition to this, the students of the University of Central Arkansas and Hendrix College have free access to both the Torreyson Library at UCA and the Bailey Library at Hendrix by showing a current student ID from their respective college. It is a popular sport-fishing destination and the Arkansas Crappie Masters state tournament is held here every year. It also holds an annual open house that showcases interactive demonstrations and various crafts. There are also art, music, and theater opportunities provided by Conway's three colleges, including The Lantern Theatre, which offers a wide variety of plays and musicals year-round. The City of Conway is located on the Arkansas River, which runs through the town of Conway. It has a population of around 4,000. The town is located in the central part of Faulkners County, which is the largest county in the state. It was once the site of the county seat, and is now the location of the city's mayor's office and state capitol.

Parks and recreation

There are 15 parks located within Conway. The town has a population of 2,000. Conway is located on the Arkansas Turnpike, which runs through the town. The city is home to the Conway River, which flows through the center of the city. The Conway River is a tributary of the Arkansas River. It is also known as the Little River River, and runs through Conway's downtown area. There are no beaches in the town, but there are a number of scenic overlooks. There is also a lake, which is used for picnics and other outdoor activities.

Education

Conway is home to three institutions of higher learning, earning it the nickname City of Colleges. Over 40 percent of Conway's adult workforce has a bachelor's degree or higher. The Conway Public School District enrolls approximately 10,000 students, making it the eighth largest in the state. Conway is also served by two private religious schools, Conway Christian School and St. Joseph Catholic School. Conway previously had a Catholic grade school for black children, Good Shepherd School; it closed in 1965. Over 65 percent of teachers in Conway Public Schools hold a master's degree, and 67 are National Board Certified. The city is also home to one of the first and most-modeled-after honor colleges in the United States, Hendrix College, with an enrollment of just over 1,300 students. It also has a pre-school, 9 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 1 junior high school, and 1 high school. It is also the home of the University of Central Arkansas, a public research university with anrollment of approximately 12,000Students. It has a high school with an average composite ACT score of 29, which is the highest of any college in theState. The school district has a $88 million budget, and it is overseen by the Conway Board of Education, composed of seven citizens elected every third Tuesday in September annually in a citywide vote. The district consists of 16 schools: 1 pre- school, 9 Elementary Schools, 4 Middle Schools, 1 Junior High School and 1 High School.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Conway, Faulkner County, Arkansas = 62.4. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 80. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 98. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Conway = 4.9 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 64,134 individuals with a median age of 29.1 age the population grows by 34.28% in Conway, Faulkner County, Arkansas population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,386.38 residents per square mile of area (535.28/km²). There are average 2.42 people per household in the 21,279 households with an average household income of $45,319 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 5.30% of the available work force and has dropped -1.70% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 31.30%. The number of physicians in Conway per 100,000 population = 133.1.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Conway = 49 inches and the annual snowfall = 5.6 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 94. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 221. 94 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 30.3 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 32, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Conway, Faulkner County, Arkansas which are owned by the occupant = 51.18%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 15 years with median home cost = $71,970 and home appreciation of 0.78%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $6.70 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,907 per student. There are 13.5 students for each teacher in the school, 468 students for each Librarian and 386 students for each Counselor. 4.05% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 23.61% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 13.26% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).