Hot Springs, city, seat of Garland County, central Arkansas, on three lakes of the Ouachita River system, in the foothills of the Ozark and Ouachita mountains; incorporated 1886. It is a popular resort and health spa with thermal springs. Products include aluminum items and bottled water. A junior college is here, and the national park of the same name is nearby. The springs were probably visited by Hernando de Soto in 1541. In 1804 an expedition sent by Thomas Jefferson analyzed the waters and mapped the area. The site was settled permanently in 1807, and the community was platted in 1876. Population 35,781 (1980); 32,462 (1990); 35,750 (2000).
