McGehee and the Delta Lowlands of Desha County
McGehee lies in Desha County in the southeastern corner of Arkansas, deep in the Mississippi Delta region. The city has a population around 3,900 and serves as a stop along U.S. Highway 65, which runs north-south through the flat agricultural bottomlands. Rice, soybeans, and cotton dominate the surrounding fields, and the local economy depends heavily on farming and related services.
A few miles north of McGehee, the Rohwer Japanese American Relocation Center operated during World War II. Between 1942 and 1945, over 8,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated to this camp in the Arkansas swampland. The site is now a National Historic Landmark, though little physical infrastructure remains beyond a cemetery and memorial markers. The history of Rohwer adds a difficult but important chapter to the region's story.
Desha County has experienced significant population decline over recent decades, dropping from over 19,000 in 1980 to roughly 11,000 today. Job opportunities outside agriculture are scarce, and younger residents often leave for Pine Bluff, Little Rock, or Memphis. The Arkansas River forms the county's western boundary, and seasonal flooding remains a recurring concern for low-lying communities.
Show more
McGehee lies in Desha County in the southeastern corner of Arkansas, deep in the Mississippi Delta region. The city has a population around 3,900 and serves as a stop along U.S. Highway 65, which runs north-south through the flat agricultural bottomlands. Rice, soybeans, and cotton dominate the surrounding fields, and the local economy depends heavily on farming and related services.
A few miles north of McGehee, the Rohwer Japanese American Relocation Center operated during World War II. Between 1942 and 1945, over 8,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated to this camp in the Arkansas swampland. The site is now a National Historic Landmark, though little physical infrastructure remains beyond a cemetery and memorial markers. The history of Rohwer adds a difficult but important chapter to the region's story.
Desha County has experienced significant population decline over recent decades, dropping from over 19,000 in 1980 to roughly 11,000 today. Job opportunities outside agriculture are scarce, and younger residents often leave for Pine Bluff, Little Rock, or Memphis. The Arkansas River forms the county's western boundary, and seasonal flooding remains a recurring concern for low-lying communities.
Country selected
Region selected
City selected
