Atkins District Court is a state district court in Pope county. For the Western part of Atkins, IS 40 runs along the Northern border and then cuts across the Eastern part of town. US 64, SR 105 and SR 324 also run through town.

At one time the area occupied by Atkins was the stage station for the Butterfield Overland Mail Company. When a Boston, Massachusetts, businessman named money to continue construction of the Little Rock and Fort Smith railroad onward from Perry Station in 1872 when funds ran out; a town was laid out at the next major crossroads and named Atkins. Soon afterwards a general store was opened in town along with a bank run out of the post office. Atkins has been known as the pickle capital of Arkansas for a long time, however the pickle industry is only a part of its heritage now celebrated at the annual Atkins Picklefest. Come to this event held in the middle of May for all things pickle. You can taste fried dill pickles or watch the folks taking part in the pickle juice drinking and pickle eating contests. There is also live music, food vendors, arts and crafts, quilt show, canning contest, bingo games, kids games, tractor pull, rodeo and parade.