El Dorado, Arkansas
El Dorado is a city of 17,115 people in Union County, Arkansas, founded in 1843.
Why visit El Dorado
Townapedia lists 25 museums and landmarks, 22 parks and trails, 12 places to eat, 9 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Stars Cinema 6, El Dorado Confederate Monument, Charles H. Murphy, Sr., House and El Dorado Golf & Country Club.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 94°F; January lows average 34°F.
Weather in El Dorado
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About El Dorado
El Dorado (locally el durr-AY-doh) is a city in and the county seat of Union County, on the southern border of Arkansas, United States. According to the 2020 census, the population of the city is 17,755. El Dorado's population has an African American majority.
From the Wikipedia article El Dorado, Arkansas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks25
El Dorado Confederate Monument
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Monument in El Dorado, United States of America
Charles H. Murphy, Sr., House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
El Dorado, Arkansas, listed on the NRHP in Union County
El Dorado Apartments
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Listed on the NRHP in Arkansas
El Dorado Commercial Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic district in Union County, Arkansas, USA
Exchange Bank building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic building in El Dorado, Arkansas, USA
Griffin Auto Company Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Department store in El Dorado, United States of America
Henley-Riley Houses
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Pair of Modern Movement houses at 2523 and 2525 Calion Road in El Dorado, Arkansas
Henry Crawford McKinney House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic house in Arkansas, United States
J.H. McWilliams House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
House in El Dorado, Arkansas
Mahony Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Residential area within Arkansas, United States
Masonic Temple
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic place in Arkansas, United States
Municipal Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Rathaus in El Dorado, United States of America
13 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds22
10 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes12
Baskin-Robbins
Ice cream · Ice Cream · 1.5 mi
1735 West Hillsboro Street, El Dorado
Mo-Th 10:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-23:00; Su 11:00-22:00
Oriental Gardens
Restaurant · Chinese · 2.4 mi
3401 North West Avenue
Mo-Sa 11:00-20:00
Burger King
Fast food · Burger · 0.7 mi
1715 North West Avenue, El Dorado
Mo-We 07:00-21:00; Th-Sa 07:00-22:00; Su 07:00-21:00
History
In 1829, the territorial legislature took sections of Hempstead and Clark counties to establish Union County. Matthew Rainey founded and named El Dorado in 1843. El Dorado became the Union County seat that same year and the first Presbyterian church was organized.
From the History section of El Dorado, Arkansas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay9
Hampton Inn El Dorado
Motel and hotel · 2.1 mi
2312 Junction City Road, El Dorado
The Haywood El Dorado, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
Motel and hotel · 0.6 mi
210 South Washington Avenue, El Dorado
Churches and places of worship81
First Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
300 East Main Street, El Dorado
Holy Redeemer Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.5 mi
440 West Main Street, El Dorado
Shopping6
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries35
South Arkansas Community College Technical Center
School · 2.9 mi
3696 E Main Rd, El Dorado
Healthcare5
Brookshire's Pharmacy
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.6 mi
220 South West Avenue, El Dorado
Brookshire's Pharmacy
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.1 mi
2202 North West Avenue, El Dorado
Map of El Dorado
201 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56°F | 34°F | 4.4 in |
| Feb | 60°F | 37°F | 4.5 in |
| Mar | 69°F | 44°F | 5.1 in |
| Apr | 76°F | 51°F | 5.4 in |
| May | 84°F | 60°F | 4.8 in |
| Jun | 90°F | 68°F | 3.9 in |
| Jul | 94°F | 71°F | 3.4 in |
| Aug | 94°F | 70°F | 3.4 in |
| Sep | 88°F | 63°F | 3.2 in |
| Oct | 78°F | 52°F | 4.6 in |
| Nov | 66°F | 42°F | 3.8 in |
| Dec | 58°F | 36°F | 5.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for El Dorado S Ar Rgnl Ap (9 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Union County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-08-21: Pine Tree Road Fire (Fire)
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2025-04-05: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-08-27: Hurricane Laura (Hurricane)
- 2020-04-03: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
South Arkansas Regional Airport at Goodwin Field (ELD) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 8 miles away.
- Norphlet 7 mi north, about 11 min by car
- Smackover 11 mi north, about 17 min by car
- Hampton 25 mi northeast, about 40 min by car
- Camden 26 mi northwest, about 42 min by car
- Stephens 27 mi northwest, about 44 min by car
- East Camden 27 mi north, about 44 min by car
- Magnolia 33 mi west, about 53 min by car
- Farmerville 34 mi southeast, about 55 min by car
- Homer 37 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
- West Crossett 38 mi east, about 1 h by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- ChrisLitherlandElDorado, Chris Litherland, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Municipal Building, El Dorado, AR, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- El Dorado Commercial Historic District, 2 of 5, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- El Dorado Commercial Historic District, 3 of 5, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- El Dorado Commercial Historic District, 4 of 5, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- El Dorado Commercial Historic District, 1 of 5, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- El Dorado Commercial Historic District, 5 of 5, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- El Dorado Junior College Building, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- El Dorado Apartments, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Confederate soldier monument, Union County, AR IMG 2583, Billy Hathorn, Public domain
- Newton House Museum, El Dorado, AR IMG 2615, Billy Hathorn, Public domain
- Rialto Theater, El Dorado, AR IMG 2629, Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Smith-McCurry House, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Masonic Temple, El Dorado, AR IMG 2634, Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Union County Courthouse, El Dorado, AR IMG 2597, Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0
- First Financial Bank, El Dorado, AR IMG 2619, Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0
- First Presbyterian Church, El Dorado, AR IMG 2617, Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Murphy-Hill Historic District, 4 of 4, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Murphy-Hill Historic District, 2 of 4, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Murphy-Hill Historic District, 3 of 4, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Murphy-Hill Historic District, 1 of 4, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Charles H. Murphy Sr. House, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Henry Crawford McKinney House, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Randolph James House, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mahony Historic District, 5 of 5, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mahony Historic District, 3 of 5, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mahony Historic District, 2 of 5, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mahony Historic District, 4 of 5, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mahony Historic District, 1 of 5, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bank of Commerce, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- J.H. McWilliams House, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Griffin Auto Company Building, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ISS045-E-66942 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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