A ward is typically defined as a district of some kind. You know, an area. In the olden days, we’d have called it a ‘territory.’ The cool kids say ‘zone.’
Call it whatever you want, but don’t get caught not knowing which one you live in.
We saw it happen once to a prominent local CEO during a City Council meeting and it was not a pretty sight. “Whatever one the square is,” is not the best answer when addressing the mayor.
It’s not a crime to not know your ward, but c’mon, there’s only four of ‘em. Get with it.
Why should I care?
Besides being able to woo your friends with a seemingly impressive knowledge of local geographically-defined semi-governmental wisdom, your ward is what determines the ballot you’ll receive when voting.
Specifically, you get to help choose two fellow citizens to represent you and your neighbors in front of the mayor. These people make up the City Council and are called aldermen and alderwomen. They help define local laws. Most recently, they voted to approve paid parking in the Dickson Street area.
Want to know more about the City Council and how to run for election? There’s a Flyer Guide for that, too.
How many wards are there?
Fayetteville has four wards.
Ward 1 covers Southeast Fayetteville and includes everything from Walker Park to Lake Sequoyah and from Root Elementary School to Drake Field.
Ward 2 covers the central part of town including the square, Dickson Street, and most of the UA campus. Ward 2 does, however, extend north along Garland Ave. all the way to the city of Johnson.
Ward 3 is primarily made up of Uptown Fayetteville, but extends south as far as Gulley Park. The major dividing lines are Mission Blvd., Township St., and Gregg Ave.
Ward 4 is the west side of town. If it’s west of I-540 it’s in Ward 4, but once you get as far south as Wedington, the boundaries extend east to Garland Ave. and then along the railroad tracks next to Razorback Rd.
What ward do I live in?
We don’t know what your ward is, but there’s an interactive map on the city’s website to help you answer that question.
These citizenship posts are great!
@jcentennial – Thanks. They’re fun to make and we’re glad to see there’s some interest.
Way cool, Todd. Keep up the good work.
Just my opinion. To which their own everyone has the right.
Thanks for posting this! I tried to find my ward a while back, but got frustrated by the city’s website.
Keep up the great work with these resident information posts. I think they are so helpful to people who don’t want to sift through the City site. The added bonus, they’re compelled to stay informed; a win-win in my book.
[...] should, however, consider using the handy map we made to find out which ward you’re in. It’s useful information, particularly when trying to [...]