Van Buren is a city in Crawford County, Arkansas, home to about 23,763 people across 15 square miles. Its ZIP code is 72956.
Homes sold for a median of $141 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Van Buren; also Kibler and Dora
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Van Buren. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Van Buren’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Tulsa International Airport (TUL)101 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM)8 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Tulsa, OK100 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Dallas, TX231 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Van Buren; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Van Buren had 23,218 residents in the 2020 census, up 22% since 2000.
It’s the 21st largest of 615 towns in Arkansas by population.
Crawford County grew from 21,270 residents in 1900 to 60,133 in 2020.
Crawford County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 94°F in summer, and winter lows average 30°F. About 47.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 3 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Ft Smith Rgnl Ap, AR weather station (9 miles away).
15,230 jobs at 1,130 businesses in Crawford County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
152 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Van Buren.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 21 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 4 |
| Dentists | 12 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 18 |
| Mental health providers | 38 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 48 |
| Optometrists | 6 |
| Chiropractors | 5 |
| Pharmacies | 13 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (8 nearby)
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Pharmacies (3 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums
Theaters and performance venues (2 nearby)
Counts are within about 2.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1831.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Van Buren School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James R. Tate Elementary SchoolVan Buren | Pre-K–5 | 459 | Public | 3.3 mi |
| King Elementary SchoolVan Buren | Pre-K–5 | 437 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| Central Elementary SchoolVan Buren | K–5 | 466 | Public | 0.6 mi |
| Oliver Springs Elementary SchoolVan Buren | K–5 | 441 | Public | 2.0 mi |
| Parkview Elementary SchoolVan Buren | K–5 | 437 | Public | 1.5 mi |
| Rena Elementary SchoolVan Buren | K–5 | 414 | Public | 2.7 mi |
| River Valley Virtual AcademyVan Buren | K–12 | 79 | Charter | 2.3 mi |
| Butterfield Trail Middle SchoolVan Buren | 6–8 | 557 | Public | 1.5 mi |
| Northridge Middle SchoolVan Buren | 6–8 | 713 | Public | 2.4 mi |
| Van Buren Freshman AcademyVan Buren | 9 | 468 | Public | 1.3 mi |
| Van Buren High SchoolVan Buren | 10–12 | 1,232 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joshua AcademyVan Buren | K–5 | 43 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 0.7 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Kibler and Dora.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.