Alma, Arkansas
22 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1890 and the latest in 1987. It stands in District 8. It lies in ZIP code area 72921. The Survey maps it on the Alma quadrangle. 5,825 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 436 feet above sea level.
Population over time
15 figuresAlma grew from 504 to 5,825 between 1880 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 504 | |
| 1890 | 486 | -18 (-4%) |
| 1900 | 440 | -46 (-9%) |
| 1910 | 565 | +125 (+28%) |
| 1920 | 779 | +214 (+38%) |
| 1930 | 731 | -48 (-6%) |
| 1940 | 774 | +43 (+6%) |
| 1950 | 1,228 | +454 (+59%) |
| 1960 | 1,370 | +142 (+12%) |
| 1970 | 1,613 | +243 (+18%) |
| 1980 | 2,755 | +1,142 (+71%) |
| 1990 | 2,959 | +204 (+7%) |
| 2000 | 4,160 | +1,201 (+41%) |
| 2010 | 5,419 | +1,259 (+30%) |
| 2020 | 5,825 | +406 (+7%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
13 surveys from 22 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1890 USGS Fort Smith quadrangle1:125000, 7 printings
- 1906 USGS Lavaca quadrangle1:62500
- 1943 USGS Fort Smith quadrangle1:125000
- 1946 USGS Fort Smith quadrangle1:250000
- 1947 USGS Lavaca quadrangle1:62500
- 1948 USGS Alma quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1951 USGS Alma quadrangle1:24000
- 1965 USGS Fort Smith quadrangle1:250000
- 1967 USGS Fort Smith quadrangle1:250000
- 1976 USGS Alma quadrangle1:24000
- 1978 USGS Fort Smith quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1978 USGS Fort Smith quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1987 USGS Alma quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
120 since 1997Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 120 fires within 5 miles of Alma between 1997 and 2020, burning about 729 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 11 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 61 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 25 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 16 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 11 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 3 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Natural | 1 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 1999 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 4 September 2005 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 3 September 2000 | Arson/incendiarism | 2.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 3 September 1999 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 29 September 2000 | Natural | 5.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 28 September 2016 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 20 September 2000 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 1 September 2000 | Equipment and vehicle use | 3.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
1 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Alma: 1 past producer. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Flagstone. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkhola Sand & Gravel Co Quarry | Flagstone | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 86 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Alma in 86 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 45 thunderstorm wind, 36 hail, 2 lightning, 1 tornado. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 1999 | Hail | Alma | 1 hurt, $800,000 | There were several reports of extremely large hail from Alma. The largest report was of giant softball-sized hail, while there were also reports of quarter and golfball-sized hail just north of Alma.Such enormous hail caused widespread damage in Alma. Many cars sustained windshield and body damage. Just one auto body shop reported that it had written estimates from hail damage totaling $140,000. Many roofs also sustained major damage. At the Eagle Crest Golf Course, the hail left small craters on the greens, closing the course for several days while the crater marks were filled. A photo in the Alma Journal newspaper showed a softball-sized pock mark on the golf greens.A child was treated for injuries at a local hospital after being struck by the hail. |
| April 2023 | Hail | Alma | $100,000 | Tennis ball size hail damaged homes, businesses, and vehicles. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | $100,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour caused roof damage to numerous homes. A tree was blown down onto a home and several highway signs were blown down. A large billboard was also damaged. |
| June 1999 | Lightning | Alma | $50,000 | A nursing home in Alma caught fire and was destroyed when lightning struck the home. All of the residents were evacuated safely, and none were injured. |
| May 1999 | Lightning | Alma | $50,000 | A bolt of lightning knocked the door and several bricks off of a house north of Alma. The bolt ultimately lit fire to and destroyed the house. The house was located in the 7500 block of Mote Road off of US Hwy 71 north of Alma. |
| January 1994 | Hail | Alma | $50,000 | Golf ball-size hail damaged some cars and street lights in Alma. |
| November 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | $25,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind uprooted trees and damaged the roofs of homes. |
| March 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | $25,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 80 miles an hour blew the roof off of a restaurant. |
| September 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | $25,000 | Thunderstorm wind blew a tree down onto a tractor trailer. In addition, power lines were blown down and a billboard blew down and blocked Interstate 40. |
| April 2016 | Hail | Alma | $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Hail | Alma | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | $20,000 | Brief downburst winds from a decaying thunderstorm caused damage to a barn. |
| September 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | $15,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind damaged outbuildings and mobile homes, and blew down large tree limbs and power lines in and around town. |
| April 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | $5,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind destroyed an outbuilding north of town. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down a tree. The tree fell on a house. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew down a barn and knocked down some power lines. |
| November 2017 | Hail | Alma | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | $5,000 | no account filed |
| March 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | $4,000 | Barn blown down and utility shed blown down |
| September 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | $2,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down power lines. |
| July 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | $2,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down power lines on Highway 162 near Kibler. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | $2,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down power lines. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | $2,000 | Power lines were blown down by strong thunderstorm winds. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | $2,000 | Roof damage to a building along US Hwy 71 between mile marker 15 and 17 in Crawford County. |
| February 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | $1,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew tin off of a railroad building. |
| March 1999 | Tornado (F0) | Alma | $1,000 | Spotters reported a tornado touchdown 2 miles west of Alma. Spotters had followed a wall cloud and then a funnel cloud most of the way across Crawford County which then continued on into Franklin County after the tornado touchdown. The tornado blew down several trees. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | $500 | Thunderstorm winds downed a large tree. |
| July 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | $100 | Thunderstorm winds blew several large tree limbs down. |
| November 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | $100 | Several 2-inch diameter tree limbs blown down. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | - | Strong thunderstorm wind snapped large tree limbs in Alma. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured to 70 mph. |
| May 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured to 60 mph. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down trees onto Highway 64 in Alma. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | - | Strong thunderstorm wind snapped numerous large tree limbs. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down a tree. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | - | Strong thunderstorm wind snapped large tree limbs. |
| November 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | - | Strong thunderstorm wind snapped large tree limbs. |
| April 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | - | Strong thunderstorm wind uprooted and snapped trees. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | - | A WeatherBug site measured thunderstorm wind gusts to 65 mph. |
| April 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down a tree. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down multiple trees just north of town. |
| April 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down large tree limbs. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down large trees. The trees blocked a road. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | - | A 60 mile an hour wind gust from a thunderstorm was reported by an emergency manager. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down numerous trees and large tree limbs. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down a few trees and large tree limbs. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down large trees. |
| June 1999 | Flash Flood | Alma | - | US Hwy 64 between Alma and Van Buren was closed for a time by high water. Several streets in Alma were also under water. |
| April 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alma | - | Sheriffs vehicle blown off road |
| April 1997 | Hail | Alma | - | Severe thunderstorms moved across northwest Arkansas during the evening of April 20th. The storms produced 1 brief tornado, as well as damaging winds and large hail. The tornado touched down at 1913CST 2 miles north of Pea Ridge in a rural area, produced no structural damage, and was rated F0 in intensity. Strong thunderstorm winds downed several large trees on the north side of Pea Ridge Military Park 5 miles east of Pea Ridge, and several large tree limbs were blown down 1 mile north of Pea Ridge. Golfball size hail fell 5 miles north of Eureka Springs, and dime to quarter size hail fell at several other locations in northwest Arkansas. |
| June 1995 | Hail | Alma | - | Severe thunderstorms moved across northwest Arkansas during the late afternoon of June 23rd and produced dime-size hail near Crescent, at Rudy, and at Alma. |
| October 1995 | Hail | Alma | - | ,,,,,,,,Hail (1.00) Severe thunderstorms moved across northwest Arkansas during the evening of October 26th. Strong thunderstorm winds overturned a small outbuilding and downed trees just west of Bentonville, and strong winds caused roof and side paneling damage to two outbuildings in St. Paul. Several large tree limbs were blown down during two separate storms seven miles north of St. Paul, and thunderstorm winds gusted to 60 mph in Hindsville and eight miles north of Van Buren. Large hail also accompanied the storms. Hail up to four inches in diameter fell at Bentonville, and golf ball-size hail fell five miles north of Rogers and at Pea Ridge. Dime to quarter-size hail fell at numerous other locations in northwest Arkansas. |
| April 2025 | Hail | Alma | - | no account filed |
| August 2025 | Hail | Alma | - | no account filed |
| April 2023 | Hail | Alma | - | no account filed |
| May 2022 | Hail | Alma | - | no account filed |
| April 2022 | Hail | Alma | - | no account filed |
| May 2022 | Hail | Alma | - | no account filed |
| March 2018 | Hail | Alma | - | no account filed |
| March 2018 | Hail | Alma | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concord | 2.0 miles | 28 | |
| Meadows | 2.6 miles | 28 | |
| Kibler | 3.3 miles | 22 | |
| Deans Market | 3.8 miles | 17 | |
| Ball | 3.8 miles | 17 | |
| Yoestown | 4.1 miles | 22 | |
| New Town | 4.1 miles | 22 | |
| Dean Springs | 4.2 miles | 17 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Alma | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q79440 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 76164. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.












