Saline County Genealogy Records
Saline County genealogy records begin in 1836, when this central Arkansas county was formed from Independence County and Pulaski County. The county seat is Benton, and the courthouse holds marriage registers, probate files, and land records for family history research in this fast-growing county south of Little Rock.
Saline County at a Glance
Saline County Courthouse Genealogy Records
The Saline County Clerk's office is at 200 N. Main Street, Suite 117, Benton, AR 72015. The Clerk holds marriage records from 1836 and probate records from 1836. Saline County was created on November 2, 1835, from Independence County and Pulaski County. The Circuit Court Clerk at the courthouse holds divorce filings, court records, and land records. The clerk's office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Birth and death records at the county level begin in 1914.
Saline County lies just south of Little Rock and has historically been one of the faster-growing counties in Arkansas due to its proximity to the state capital. Benton has been the county seat since the county was organized, and the courthouse records from the 1830s document the early settlers who came to this area of central Arkansas during the early statehood period. The county takes its name from the Saline River, and the early land records reflect settlement along that river and its tributaries.
For research before 1835, the two parent counties provide the record base. Pulaski County records at Little Rock go back to 1820 and cover the northern portion of the Saline County area. Independence County records at Batesville go back to 1821 and cover the eastern portion. Because Pulaski County is the more directly adjacent parent and has the deeper record base, it is usually the first stop for Saline County research before 1835.
Note: Saline County was formed in 1835 from Independence County and Pulaski County. Pre-1835 records for the Saline County area are held in those two parent county courthouses.
Saline County Genealogy on FamilySearch
The FamilySearch Saline County wiki lists available records and links to digitized collections. Marriage records from 1836 are in the statewide Arkansas marriage index on FamilySearch. Probate records are indexed for the county, and census records run from 1840 through 1940.
The 1840 census is the first federal enumeration for Saline County and captures households from five years after the county was formed. The 1850 census names every household member and is the key antebellum document, with birthplace data tracing families back to Tennessee, Virginia, and the Carolinas. For Saline County, the census records from 1840 through 1880 document steady growth as the county became more settled over the decades of the 19th century.
FamilySearch has indexed Civil War pension files for Saline County veterans. Saline County's central Arkansas location put it near the contested zone during the war, and families from the county served on both sides. For African American genealogy, FamilySearch has indexed Slave Schedules from 1850 and 1860, and the Freedmen's Bureau records for central Arkansas cover the Saline County area. These records are held at the National Archives at Fort Worth.
ARGenWeb Saline County Resources
The ARGenWeb Saline County page provides free genealogical resources compiled by volunteers. Cemetery surveys, family history submissions, and historical documents for this central Arkansas county are available on the site.
Saline County cemeteries include historic burial grounds in Benton and across the county's townships. The ARGenWeb transcriptions document graves from the founding period in the 1830s through the modern era.
The ARGenWeb Saline County page provides cemetery records, family history submissions, and genealogical resources for researchers tracing central Arkansas families in the Benton area.
Family histories on the ARGenWeb site for Saline County trace families from the county's founding period through multiple generations. Because Saline County borders Pulaski County to the north, some submitted genealogies document families who moved between Little Rock and Benton over time.
Saline County Clerk Records
The Saline County Clerk's office in Benton handles marriage licenses, probate filings, and county court records. A marriage license search is available online through the county's official website, making Saline County one of the more accessible Arkansas counties for remote genealogical research.
The Saline County Clerk's office at 200 N. Main Street, Suite 117, holds marriage records from 1836 and probate records from 1836. The online marriage search tool is a useful first step before requesting copies.
The city of Benton, the county seat, is the primary research destination for Saline County genealogy. Researchers visiting in person can access the full record base at the clerk's office during regular business hours.
Vital Records and State Archives
The Arkansas Department of Health holds birth and death records for Saline County from 1914. The state marriage index starts in January 1917. For events before those dates, the county courthouse in Benton is the primary official source. Birth certificates cost $12 and death certificates are $10 per copy from the state.
The Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock holds Confederate pension files, military records, and microfilmed county materials for Saline County. Federal records are at the National Archives at Fort Worth, 501 W Felix Street, Fort Worth, TX 76115, phone (817) 831-5620.
Nearby Counties
Saline County borders Pulaski County, Lonoke County, Grant County, Hot Spring County, Garland County, and Perry County. Pulaski County and Independence County are the parent counties. Benton is the county seat and largest city; nearby Benton serves as the main research center for this county.