[7] Before European settlement the area was inhabited by the Caddo people, whose artifacts are occasionally found.

[3] In the 1870s the land was owned by an African American named Henry Atkinson who sold it to Dr. Algernon Sidney Holderness for $118, who built the first sawmill in town.

[8][3] The Fordyce Lumber Co. was formed in February 1892 by Charles Warner Gates, John Wenzel Watzek and Edward Savage Crossett.

On March 10, 1907, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&PR) connected the town of Crossett to Fordyce.

[8] On July 5, 1975, The Rolling Stones band members Keith Richards and Ron Wood were arrested in Fordyce for reckless driving, carrying an illegal weapon- a hunting knife, and less than two grams of cocaine said to belong to a passenger in the car.

They drank soda pop at the City Hall and called the British Embassy while a crowd gathered outside, but were released some hours later after paying $162.50 in bail and then they forfeited bond- not appearing on their court date.

[12] On June 21, 2024, a mass shooting at the Mad Butcher grocery store in Fordyce left four people dead and nine others injured, including two police officers.

Routes 79 and 167 bypass the city center to the north and west, while Arkansas Highway 8 passes through the downtown area.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Fordyce has a total area of 6.8 square miles (17.5 km2), all land.

[23] The city and surrounding area is served by and elementary, middle and Fordyce High School.

[3] The town of Fordyce and Dallas County have the highest number of inductees into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in the state.