[5] It is nestled between the Arkansas River and the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, and Interstate 40 and US Highway 64 intersect within the city limits.

Clarksville-Johnson County is widely known for its peaches, scenic byways and abundance of natural outdoor recreational activities.

A federal Indian trading factory under Matthew Lyon was established at Spadra in 1818,[7][8] now at the west end of Lake Dardanelle on the Arkansas River, a Clarksville location now occupied by Spadra Marina.

However, when stagecoach and train transportation became more common, land routes from Little Rock to Fort Smith were directed along higher elevations through Clarksville.

[6] As Clarksville grew, it became the de facto location for the county seat circa 1833,[10] probably due to severe flooding at Spadra.

[3] As of the 2020 United States census, there were 9,381 people, 3,456 households, and 2,116 families residing in the city.

In 2011, Clarksville became the first school district in the state of Arkansas to issue every student in the 7th through 12th grades their own take home laptop computer.

It is a nearly week long event (starts on a Tuesday and ends on Saturday) and attracts visitors from all over the country.

Activities and events include Barbershop chorus, gospel music, good ol' home cookin, handmade arts and crafts, street dance, frog jumping contest, terrapin derby, greased pig chase, a 4-mile run, parade, jam and jelly bake-off and of course peach and peach cobbler eating contests.

The Clarksville post office contains a mural, How Happy was the Occasion, painted in 1941 by Mary May Purser.

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.

[19] The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in Clarksville, in alphabetical order by last name.