Community Profile

Salem is located in North Central Arkansas on the east-west U.S. Highway 62/412. It is the county seat of Fulton County and has a Mayor-City Council form of government. According to the 2000 Census the population is 1,591 with 679 households and 412 families residing in the city.

Climate

• Salem and Fulton County has a temperate climate with mild winters, experiencing little snowfall. May normally brings the highest precipitation with 5.1 inches. The average annual rainfall is 45 inches. The average Low is 51 degrees and the average High is 71 degrees. The average humidity (midday) is 79%

Health Care

• Fulton County Hospital is an acute hospital certified by CMS and licensed by the state as a 25 bed Critical Access Hospital. The hospital provides 24 hour emergency service and general diagnostic testing including clinical laboratory testing, general x-ray and CT. Ultrasound and MRI are provided on a scheduled basis. Fulton County Hospital has an active (admitting) staff of six physicians. Four of the physicians specialize in family practice and two are internists. The consulting staff consists of 18 physicians in the specialties of Diagnostic Radiology, Caridology, ENT and Pathology.

• Five Family Medical Clinics serve Salem with one clinic in  Mammoth Spring in the north east section of Fulton County. Salem has four Pharmacies. Four agencies offer Home Health Services. The community has one Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and one Assisted Living Facility.

• Fulton County Hospital operates a Paramedic Ambulance Service and an Air Ambulance Service is based in an adjoining county.

Telecommunications

• Local Telephone Service is provided by Centurytel and can be reached at 800-225-2594. Centurytel also provides Internet Service with high speed DSL and dial up service available. Serveral companies provide long distance service.

• CellularTelephone Service is provided by several companies with two local cellular sales outlets.

Utilities

• Electricity is provided by North Arkansas Electric Cooperative, a member owned electric cooperative. The corporate headquarters are located in Salem. Service crews are located in Salem and in two adjoining counties to provide fast service for weather related power outages.

• TV Cable is provided by Salem Cablevision.  Local Access television is also available.

Media

• The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette provides Daily Newspaper Service to Salem. Areawide Media publishes a weekly newspaper, The News.

• KSAR 92.5 FM is a 50,000 watt station providing top country music, local news and events and sports coverage.

• K-Kountry 95  FM is located at  Mammoth Spring and serves the Salem area with classic hit country music, local news and event coverage.

Tourism and Recreation

• Salem and Fulton County are a sportsman=s paradise. Lake Norfork is less than 25 miles away, and it  offers water skiing, swimming, fishing, and boating opportunities. The lake offers excellent striped bass fishing, with some of these monster fish weighing over 50 pounds! The lake is also good for largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky bass fishing and the bays and backwaters are loaded with fast-biting bream and other panfish.           

• Smallmouth bass fishing and canoeing are tops in the nearby South Fork River where you can fish leisurely and enjoy the spectacular scenery. It=s also not far to White River, nationally known for its big rainbow and brown trout, or to Spring River and the Strawberry River.  Both the Spring and Strawberry are good float streams, with the added bonus of rainbow trout and walleye in Spring River, and the smallmouth bass, crappie and bream in the Strawberry River.

• Wildlife abounds and the area is a popular Deer and Turkey Hunting area. If you don’t  want to hunt, bring your camera for some great Wildlife Photography.

• Salem City Park has a walking trail, picnic pavilions, children’s play area, and a lake that is stocked with fish for the anglers.

Education

• Salem Schools have two campuses---K-6 and 7-12 with 700 plus enrollment total enrollment. The school was rated #3 in the top ten schools in the state of Arkansas in 2005.

• Three colleges are located in adjoining counties. Ozarka College is located at Melbourne in Izard County with a satellite campus at Ash Flat in Sharp County.  Arkansas State University at Mountain Home is in Baxter County and Missouri State University is located at West Plains, Missouri.

Airport

• The Salem Municipal Airport has a asphalt runway that is 3500 feet long and 50 feet wide with medium intensity lights. 

• Major commercial airports are located at Little Rock, Arkansas (147 miles) , Spring/Branson, Missouri (140 miles), and Memphis Tennessee (165 miles).