Rison, Arkansas
12 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 1989. It stands in Rison Township. It lies in ZIP code area 71665. The Survey maps it on the Rison quadrangle. 967 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 269 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Rison
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 8 records
Cleveland County Clerk's Buildinglisted 1976
Cleveland County Courthouselisted 1977
Mount Olivet Methodist Churchlisted 1975
Rison Cities Service Stationlisted 2001
Rison Texaco Service Stationlisted 2002- Cherry Cemeterylisted 2024
- Phoenix Hotellisted 2002
- Rison Overpasslisted 2021
Population over time
2 figuresRison fell from 1,344 to 967 between 2010 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1,344 | |
| 2020 | 967 | -377 (-28%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
7 surveys from 12 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.
- 1953 USGS El Dorado quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1957 USGS El Dorado quadrangle1:250000
- 1958 USGS El Dorado quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1960 USGS El Dorado quadrangle1:250000
- 1970 USGS Rison quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1986 USGS Camden quadrangle1:100000
- 1989 USGS El Dorado quadrangle1:250000
Fires near this place
58 since 2001Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 58 fires within 5 miles of Rison between 2001 and 2020, burning about 226 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 2 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 |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 29 |
| Debris and open burning | 19 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 2 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 2 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 2 |
| Natural | 1 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
| Smoking | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 September 2013 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 22 September 2015 | Debris and open burning | 3.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 21 September 2015 | Debris and open burning | 10 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 21 September 2007 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 1.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 2 September 2013 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 15 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 12 September 2006 | Debris and open burning | 10 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 8 August 2011 | Natural | 4.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 7 August 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 32 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 32 workings within 5 miles of Rison: 29 past producers, 2 producers, 1 unknown. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Iron. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rison | Iron | Unknown | ||
| Cleveland County Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Cleveland County Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Frank & Grady Wilson Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unk | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unk | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unk | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unk | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unk | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unk | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 72 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Rison in 72 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 41 thunderstorm wind, 26 hail, 4 flash flood, 1 lightning. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | $200,000 | Numerous chicken houses were damaged in the Rison area. |
| October 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | $150,000 | Trees and power lines were down. Several houses in the area sustained roof damage, and several chicken houses had their roofs torn off. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | $100,000 | Over 100 reports of trees and power lines down near Rison and across Cleveland County. |
| April 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | $50,000 | Several trees fell on a mobile home, resulting in one fatality. |
| March 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | $50,000 | On U.S. 79, much of the tin roof was torn off the waste transfer station. On Niven Road, about three dozen large trees were blown down. Four mobile homes were damaged by the falling trees. One trailer, which was vacant, had a tree slice all the way through it. Two of the trailers were occupied, but there were no injuries. Power lines were knocked down by the falling trees. On Adams Road, a porch roof was blown off and a pine tree about 20 inches in diameter fell, taking down a power line. |
| November 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | $50,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed some trees. A tree also fell onto a house causing roof damage. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | $25,000 | Trees and power lines were blown down onto roads around Rison. |
| May 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | $25,000 | Trees blocked roadways and knocked down power lines in the area. An oak tree fell across Arkansas Highway 35 South at Rison blocking both lanes of traffic. A large pine tree fell in a resident's yard on Arkansas Highway 133 north of Rison, breaking an underground water line. |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | $20,000 | Many power lines were reported down in Rison. This caused many people to lose power throughout the town. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | $20,000 | Trees and power lines were blown down. |
| July 2007 | Flash Flood | Rison | $20,000 | Flooding was reported on several city streets. County roads and Arkansas Highway 35 South were flooded. Major damage was reported to Brushy Creek Road, Jack White Road and Tom Taylor Road. |
| July 2010 | Lightning | Rison | $15,000 | Lightning struck a transformer in Rison, knocking out power to the downtown area and much of the city. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | $15,000 | Trees and power lines were down in Rison. |
| March 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | $7,000 | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | $5,000 | Trees were blown down. |
| March 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | $3,000 | no account filed |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | - | Multiple trees were blow over and roof damage occurred in the community of Rison. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | - | Multiple trees were blown down in Rison along with roof damage to several buildings within the town. |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | - | A metal outbuilding was destroyed. |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | - | Numerous large trees were blown down southwest of Rison. |
| March 2023 | Hail | Rison | - | A carport was also reported blown over. The report was received through social media. |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | - | The NWS storm damage survey revealed 85 mph thunderstorm winds produced damage in a swath across the city of Rison Wednesday evening. The time is radar estimated. |
| April 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | - | Widespread damage occurred across the county with numerous trees and power lines down. Some roads in the county were blocked due to the extent of the downed trees. |
| May 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | - | A tree was blown down. |
| August 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | - | Trees and power lines were blown down at multiple locations across the county. |
| June 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | - | A large tree was blown down onto a power line. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | - | Thunderstorm winds downed numerous trees within a 10 mile radius of Rison. |
| April 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | - | Several trees were knocked down. |
| June 2003 | Flash Flood | Rison | - | Street flooding was reported in Rison. |
| June 2003 | Flash Flood | Rison | - | Heavy rains resulted in flash flooding near Rison. Several streets were impassible for a few hours due to high water. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | - | A large tree was blown down. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | - | Several large trees were knocked down. |
| May 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down some trees. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | - | Thunderstorm winds damaged the roofs of several buildings in Rison. |
| May 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | - | Trees and power lines were knocked down. |
| November 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | - | Trees and power lines were downed. |
| February 2024 | Hail | Rison | - | no account filed |
| April 2015 | Hail | Rison | - | no account filed |
| March 2014 | Hail | Rison | - | no account filed |
| February 2013 | Hail | Rison | - | no account filed |
| April 2013 | Hail | Rison | - | no account filed |
| March 2011 | Hail | Rison | - | no account filed |
| May 2011 | Hail | Rison | - | no account filed |
| February 2009 | Hail | Rison | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Rison | - | no account filed |
| May 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | - | no account filed |
| June 2004 | Hail | Rison | - | no account filed |
| June 2004 | Hail | Rison | - | no account filed |
| June 2004 | Hail | Rison | - | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | Rison | - | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Hail | Rison | - | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Hail | Rison | - | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Hail | Rison | - | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Hail | Rison | - | no account filed |
| February 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | - | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | - | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | - | no account filed |
| July 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rison | - | no account filed |
| February 1999 | Hail | Rison | - | no account filed |
| May 1999 | Hail | Rison | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unionville (historical) | 1.3 miles | 12 | |
| Toledo | 2.7 miles | 12 | |
| Dwight (historical) | 2.7 miles | 12 | |
| Canoe Landing | 4.1 miles | 12 | |
| Peace (historical) | 4.1 miles | 9 | |
| Gum Springs | 4.7 miles | 12 | |
| Pool (historical) | 4.8 miles | 12 | |
| Cabool (historical) | 5.6 miles | 9 |
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 Rison | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q79335 | 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 58495. 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.






