1541Military
=== Early history ===
In the summer of 1541, Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto crossed the Mississippi River into what is now Crittenden County with an army of over 300 conquist...
1673History
The French expedition of Joliet and Marquette in 1673 found none of the towns or people that the Spanish had documented; all that remained were the many mounds that still dot th...
1797Military
In 1797, the Spanish established Campo de la Esperanza, which was a small fort along the Mississippi River.
1802Military
The Spanish abandoned the fort in 1802 and the area took its English translation "Field of Hope", which eventually became known as Hopefield shortly after the United States took...
1825Government
=== Crittenden County ===
Crittenden County is bounded on the east by the Mississippi River and was established in 1825, eleven years before Arkansas became a state.
1830History
Named after Robert Crittenden, the first secretary of the Arkansas Territory, the county had a population of 1,272 in 1830.
1857Infrastructure
Hopefield became the eastern terminal for the Memphis and Little Rock Railroad in 1857.
1861History
Francis River in 1861.
1862Military
=== Civil War and the end of Hopefield ===
During the summer of 1862, Memphis fell into the hands of the Union forces.
1863History
This became such a problem that on February 19, 1863, four companies of Federal forces burned down the entire town.
1892Government
This small settlement, located directly south of the present day Memphis & Arkansas Bridge, never incorporated and died out shortly after ferry traffic ceased due to the complet...
1893Government
Francis Levee District was established in 1893.
1905Government
Francis County since 1905, purchased 300 acres of virgin timber and established a sawmill in 1914.
1912History
In 1912 and 1913, the St.
1913Disaster
The flood of 1913 was the last time the levee broke in Crittenden County.
1914Economy
In 1914, another operation began two miles south of Bragg's Mill when William H.
1917Government
In 1917, highways 70 and 61 were established and clearing began through the future West Memphis.
1920History
In 1920 the population was approximately 132 and by 1928, the population had grown to 350.
1927Government
The community incorporated as a city in 1927 with the name West Memphis.
1930History
In 1930, the population reached 895.
1932Government
Hundhausen, another founder of West Memphis, was elected as its third mayor and served from 1932 to 1944.
1935History
Legal greyhound racing began in the county in 1935.
1949Architecture
Construction in 1949 of a second automobile bridge across the Mississippi, connecting Memphis and West Memphis, created another influx of automobile traffic.
1951Infrastructure
Highway 79
Highway 77
Highway 118
Highway 191
=== Healthcare ===
From 1951 until its closure in 2014, the community was served by Crittenden Regional Hospital, a 152-bed JCAHO...
1956History
However, the business currently known as Southland Park Gaming & Racing on North Ingram Boulevard has been in the same location since 1956 and is now open every day of the week,...
1958Civil Rights
Army at the Coffee Cup on East Broadway on March 24, 1958).
1973Architecture
In 1973, a six-lane highway bridge, known as the Hernando de Soto Bridge and located north of the Harahan, opened as part of I-40.
1980Government
In 1980, Leo Chitman was elected as the city's first African American mayor.
1987Disaster
On December 14, 1987, an F3 tornado struck West Memphis, killing six people and causing approximately $35 million in damage.
1988History
Additionally, 7 to 10 inches (180 to 250 mm) of snow fell on January 6, 1988.
1993Crime
The 1993 murders of three young boys and the subsequent convictions of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley, Jr.
2000History
=== 2000 census ===
As of the census of 2000, there were 27,666 people, 10,051 households, and 7,136 families living in the city.
2002History
By 2002, Southland struggled to survive.
2006Crime
For the year of 2006, the violent crime index was 1989.3 violent crimes committed per 100,000 residents.
2008Crime
For 2008, the total murder risk for the city was over two and a half times the United States average, the same applied when compared to the Arkansas state average.
2010History
=== 2010 census ===
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 26,245 people living in the city.
2011History
Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were released from jail in 2011 after signing an Alford plea, which allowed them to plead guilty while maintaining their innocence.
2018Architecture
Memphis-based Baptist Memorial Health System opened Baptist Memorial Hospital–Crittenden, an 11-bed facility focusing on acute care, in December 2018.
2019Government
Current mayor Marco McClendon, who became the youngest West Memphis Mayor to be sworn into office in 2019, is African American as well.
2020History
== Demographics ==
=== 2020 census ===
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 24,520 people, 9,939 households, and 5,964 families residing in the city.
2021History
They were released with time served and placed on probation until 2021.