The county is named for Andrew Jackson, a national hero during the War of 1812.

Historically covered in forest, bayous and swamps, the area was cleared for agriculture by early settlers.

[4] As of the 2020 United States census, there were 16,755 people, 6,137 households, and 3,758 families residing in the county.

The Grimes Unit and the McPherson Unit, prisons of the Arkansas Department of Correction, are located in Newport, off of Arkansas Highway 384, 4 miles (6.4 km) east of central Newport.

[15] The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is the primary county-wide law enforcement agency.

Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries.

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

Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps and publications.