State of Arkansas

Arkansas was deemed “The Natural State” by legislation passed in 1995, but its two previous nicknames (“The Wonder State” and “The Land of Opportunity”) still describe some of the state’s best attributes.

The nation’s 25^th state, by all accounts, is a natural wonder of forests, mountains and lakes crisscrossed by high quality rivers and streams. Those natural features, including the Buffalo National River, put some of the nation’s best hunting, boating, fishing and hiking opportunities within an hour’s drive of the state’s urban centers where big-city economic opportunities abound.

The state’s capital (Little Rock) is also its largest city (193,524 residents, U.S. Census 2010), but four of the state’s 10 largest cities are in Benton and Washington counties in the state’s northwest corner. They are Fayetteville (73,580), Springdale (69,797), Rogers (55,964) and Bentonville (35,301).

The state’s largest companies include some of the nation’s most familiar names. Bentonville-based Walmart Stores Inc., Springdale’s Tyson Foods Inc., and Little Rock’s Baptist Health Inc., Little Rock’s Acxiom Corp., Little Rock’s Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Lowell’s J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. are at the top of the list.

The University of Arkansas, the state’s flagship institution in Fayetteville, is recognized for its educational excellence.

The state’s dynamic tourist and educational amenities are spread far and wide, from the Delta in the eastern and southern parts of the state to the mountainous terrain of the northern and western areas.

The William J. Clinton Presidential Center, honoring the service of Bill Clinton as the nation’s 42^nd president, opened in Little Rock in 2001. It’s credited with helping revive the city’s River Market district, a now-thriving downtown area of restaurants and retail shops.

What many people don’t know is Arkansas is also a place where diamonds are unearthed.Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro is on the only public diamond mine in the world. Since opening as a state park in 1972, visitors have found and taken home 19,000 diamonds (about two dozen are found each day).

Arkansas is also home to one of the nation’s most important horse racing venues, located in Hot Springs near Hot Springs National Park. The winner of the annual Arkansas Derby at historic Oaklawn Park (established in 1904) goes on to compete in the Kentucky Derby each year.

Bentonville lays claim to the state’s newest, big attraction: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Built by Walmart heiress Alice Walton, it opened in 2011 and includes some of the nation’s most important masterpieces.

Arkansans can brag about the long list of people from the state who’ve gone on to influence the nation and the world. The state’s native sons and daughters include former President Bill Clinton, legislator J. William Fulbright, best-selling author John Grisham, country music stars Johnny Cash and Glen Campbell, gospel and soul singer Al Green, football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, baseball Hall of Famers Lou Brock and Brooks Robinson, actress Mary Steenburgen, architect Fay Jones, Tyson Foods founder John Tyson, J.B. Hunt Transport Services founder J.B. Hunt and Walmart founder Sam Walton.

For additional information on the state, visit the Official Arkansas State Tourism Site; Adventure State Parks; or Arkansas History and Heritage.