The city was named for DeWitt Clinton, the New York governor who built the Erie Canal; he had also been a U.S.

Clinton is situated on the shore of the Archey Fork, a tributary of the Upper Little Red River which flows into Greers Ferry Lake.

A channelization project in 1982[5] following a major flood event has recently been re-engineered by The Nature Conservancy in cooperation with city officials and corporate sponsors.

The multi-phase restoration project has witnessed the installation of a cantilevered stream bed, bank stabilization, and habitat regeneration.

The National Championship Chuckwagon Races are held annually at the Bar of Ranch in Clinton.

The event is a major tourist attraction drawing many thousands to the area each Labor Day weekend with rodeo and futurity events, auctions, live music performances, and the grand finale Snowy River race.

[11] The Van Buren County Courthouse in Clinton is listed on the state historic registry.