SR 203 runs through Bearden although US 79 and US 79 BUsiness are nearby and US 79 passes through a very small Northern section of town.

Bearden was another one of the towns established along the Cotton Belt railroad line and its boundaries were drawn by an agency of the Railway Land office around 1882. It had a fortunate geographic position between Camden and Fordyce leading to the success of businesses in town and its selection by the Cotton Belt Lumber Company around 1885 as the location of one of the largest lumber mills in the region. Lumber was a significant part of the economy and several lumber mills were in operation in the area around the town until the early 1930's.