The county is named for Chester Ashley, a prominent lawyer in the Arkansas Territory and U.S. senator from the state from 1844 to 1848.

Other historical features such as log cabins, one-room school houses, community centers, and museums describe the history and culture of Ashley County.

Ashley County is also served by one public owned/public use general aviation airport, Z. M. Jack Stell Field, one electric cooperative (Ashley-Chicot Electric Cooperative), and ten community water systems provide potable water to customers in the county.

He bought furs and skins from hunters and trappers and ran a general store for pioneer settlers.

[4] The home of Isaac Denson in Fountain Hill served as the temporary county seat until a new centrally located town could be established in 1849.

It was named "Hamburg" in honor of "fine deer hams" enjoyed by the county commissioners making the selection in the vicinity.

The last lynching in Ashley County occurred on August 26, 1927, Winston Pounds was "taken from a posse of deputy sheriffs" and hanged to a tree one and a half miles from Wilmot, charged with having "attacked a young married woman".

West of the Ouachita, Ashley County is characterized by forests of shortleaf pine and hardwoods typical of the Gulf Coastal Plain.

[Note 1] Water is an extremely important part of Ashley County's geography, history, economy, and culture.

The many rivers, streams, and ditches crossing the county have featured prominently since prehistoric times, and many archaeological sites, including the Lake Enterprise Mound from the Archaic period,[8] are along waterways.

[13] The Casey Jones Leased Lands WMA is a common name for five fragmented parcels in Ashley and Drew counties established in 1988.

The former agricultural area was replanted with bottomland and upland hardwoods, short-leaf pines, and native warm season grasses in the 1990s.

A small area in eastern Ashley County is served by the Lakeside School District, which is based in Lake Village.

The seven incorporated municipalities and two census-designated places each provide fire protection, in some cases extending beyond corporate limits.

[38] Ashley County has several facilities, monuments, and museums dedicated to preserving the history and culture of the area.

Four properties related to the history of forestry are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Crossroads Fire Tower, installed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935.

[40] Other cultural points of interest in Ashley County include: Hamburg hosts the World Famous Armadillo Festival annually during the first weekend in May.

Ashley County is within the Monroe, Louisiana-El Dorado designated market area with the following local TV stations: KNOE (dual ABC/CBS and The CW), KARD (Fox), KTVE (NBC), and two PBS affiliates: KLTM-TV (Louisiana) and KETZ (Arkansas).

[56][57] Since the mid-20th century, Ashley County has transitioned from reliably Democratic to steady Republican in national, state and local elections.

Ashley County was part of the Solid South, a period of Democratic hegemony which began after Reconstruction following the Civil War.

The Solid South started to dissolve following the Civil Rights Act in 1964, which is when Ashley County's streak of supporting Democratic candidates ended.

Republican presidential candidate support continued to grow after 1964, though Ashley County strongly supported fellow Southerners in Presidential elections: Alabama Governor George Wallace in 1968, Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter in 1976, fellow Arkansan Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996, and Al Gore in 2000.

[58] In Congress, Arkansas has been represented by two Republican senators, John Boozman and Tom Cotton, since January 3, 2015, ending a long history of Democratic hegemony.

This tax is collected by the Ashley County Collector between the first business day of March of each year through October 15 without penalty.

The four remaining cities are all located along US 165 in the eastern part of the county, and have populations below 1,000 people: Montrose, Parkdale, Portland, and Wilmot.

This is due to early settlers in Arkansas tending to settle in small clusters rather than incorporated towns, especially along bayous or river landings in Ashley County.

However, the United States census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "minor civil divisions").

This highway runs across South Arkansas, providing access to population centers including El Dorado, Magnolia, and Texarkana.

Entergy Arkansas provides electricity for the cities of Hamburg and Crossett and nearby populated outlying areas, and to the small communities along US 165.

[70] The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) is responsible for the regulation and oversight of public water systems throughout the state.