Arkansas

35°N92°W / 35°N 92°W /35; -92 (State of Arkansas)

Arkansas
State
Flag Seal
Nicknames: The Natural State (current) Land of Opportunity (former)
Motto: Regnat populus( Latin: The People Rule)
Anthem:"Arkansas", "Arkansas (You Run Deep in Me)", "Oh, Arkansas", and "The Arkansas Traveler"
Map of the United States with Arkansas highlighted
Country	United States
Before statehood	Arkansas Territory
Admitted to the Union	June 15, 1836 (25th)
Capital (and largest city)	Little Rock
Largest county or equivalent	Pulaski
Largest metroandurbanareas	Central Arkansas
Government
•Governor	Sarah Huckabee Sanders(R)
•Lieutenant Governor	Leslie Rutledge(R)
Legislature	Arkansas General Assembly
•Upper house	Senate
•Lower house	House of Representatives
Judiciary	Arkansas Supreme Court
U.S. senators	John Boozman(R) Tom Cotton(R)
U.S. House delegation	4 Republicans (list)
Area
• Total	53,179 sq mi (137,732 km2)
• Land	52,035 sq mi (134,771 km2)
• Water	1,143 sq mi (2,961 km2) 2.15%
• Rank	29th
Dimensions
• Length	240 mi (386 km)
• Width	270 mi (435 km)
Elevation	650 ft (200 m)
Highest elevation ( Mount Magazine [1] [2] [a] [b])	2,753 ft (839 m)
Lowest elevation ( Ouachita Riverat Louisianaborder [2] [a])	55 ft (17 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	3,011,524[5]
• Rank	34th
• Density	57.9/sq mi (22.4/km2)
• Rank	34th
•Median household income	$49,500[6]
• Income rank	48th
Demonym	Arkansan Arkansawyer Arkanite[7]
Language
•Official language	English[8]
Time zone	UTC−06:00(Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−05:00(CDT)
USPS abbreviation	AR
ISO 3166 code	US-AR
Traditional abbreviation	Ark.
Latitude	33° 00′ N to 36° 30′ N
Longitude	89° 39′ W to 94° 37′ W
Website	arkansas.gov

State symbols of Arkansas

List of state symbols
Flag of Arkansas
Seal of Arkansas
Living insignia
Bird	Mockingbird
Butterfly	Diana fritillary
Flower	Appleblossom
Insect	Western honeybee
Mammal	White-tailed deer
Tree	Pine tree
Vegetable	South Arkansas vine ripe pink tomato
Inanimate insignia
Beverage	Milk
Dance	Square dance
Food	Pecan
Gemstone	Diamond
Mineral	Quartz
Rock	Bauxite
Soil	Stuttgart
State route marker
State quarter
Released in 2003
Lists of United States state symbols

Arkansas(/ˈɑːrkənsɔː/^ⓘAR-kən-saw^[c]) is a landlockedstatein theWest South Central regionof theSouthern United States.^[9][10]It bordersMissourito the north,TennesseeandMississippito the east,Louisianato the south,Texasto the southwest, andOklahomato the west. Its name derives from theOsage language, and refers to their relatives, theQuapawpeople.^[11]The state's diverse geography ranges from the mountainous regions of theOzarkandOuachita Mountains, which make up theU.S. Interior Highlands, to the densely forested land in the south known as theArkansas Timberlands, to the eastern lowlands along theMississippi Riverand theArkansas Delta.

Previously part ofFrench Louisianaand theLouisiana Purchase, theTerritory of Arkansaswasadmitted to the Unionas the 25th state on June 15, 1836.^[12]Much of the Delta had been developed for cotton plantations, and landowners there largely depended onenslaved African Americans' labor. In 1861, Arkansas seceded from the United States and joined theConfederate States of Americaduring theAmerican Civil War. On returning to the Union in 1868, Arkansas continued to suffer economically, due to its overreliance on the large-scaleplantation economy. Cotton remained the leading commodity crop, and the cotton market declined. Because farmers and businessmen did not diversify and there was little industrial investment, the state fell behind in economic opportunity. In the late 19th century, the state instituted variousJim Crow lawsto disenfranchise and segregate the African-American population.Whiteinterests dominated Arkansas's politics, with disenfranchisement of African Americans and refusal to reapportion the legislature; only after the federal legislation passed were more African Americans able to vote. During thecivil rights movementof the 1950s and 1960s, Arkansas and particularly Little Rock were major battlegrounds for efforts to integrate schools. FollowingWorld War IIin the 1940s, Arkansas began to diversify its economy and see prosperity. During the 1960s, the state became the base of theWalmartcorporation, theworld's largest company by revenue, headquartered inBentonville.

Arkansas is the29th largest by areaand the34th most populousstate, with a population of just over three million at the2020 census.^[5]Thecapitalandmost populous cityisLittle Rock, in the central part of the state, a hub for transportation, business, culture, and government. The northwestern corner of the state, including theFayetteville–Springdale–Rogers Metropolitan AreaandFort Smith metropolitan area, is a population, education, and economic center. The largest city in the state's eastern part isJonesboro. The largest city in the state's southeastern part isPine Bluff.

In the 21st century, Arkansas's economy is based on service industries, aircraft, poultry, steel, and tourism, along with important commodity crops of cotton,soybeansandrice. The state supports a network of publicuniversitiesand colleges, including two major university systems:Arkansas State University SystemandUniversity of Arkansas System.Arkansas's cultureis observable in museums, theaters, novels, television shows, restaurants, and athletic venues across the state.

The nameArkansasinitially applied to theArkansas River. It derives from aFrenchterm,Arcansas, their plural term for their transliteration ofakansa, anAlgonquianterm for theQuapawpeople,^[13]which is believed to translate to "south wind people."^[14][15]These were aDhegiha Siouan-speaking people who settled in Arkansas around the 13th century.Kansais likely also the root term forKansas, which was named after the relatedKaw people.^[13]

The name has been pronounced and spelled in a variety of ways.^[c]In 1881, the state legislature defined the official pronunciation of Arkansas as having the final "s" be silent (as it would be in French). A dispute had arisen between the state's two senators over the pronunciation issue. One favored/ˈɑːrkənsɔː/(AR-kən-saw), the other/ɑːrˈkænzəs/(ar-KAN-zəs).^[c]

In 2007, the state legislature passed a non-binding resolution declaring that the possessive form of the state's name isArkansas's, which the state government has increasingly followed.^[17][18]

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Before European settlement of North America, Arkansas, was inhabited by indigenous peoples for thousands of years. TheCaddo,Osage, andQuapawpeoples encountered European explorers. The first of these Europeans was Spanish explorerHernando de Sotoin 1541, who crossed the Mississippi and marched across central Arkansas and the Ozark Mountains. After finding nothing he considered of value and encountering native resistance the entire way, he and his men returned to the Mississippi River where de Soto fell ill. From his deathbed he ordered his men to massacre all the men of the nearby village of Anilco, who he feared had been plotting with a powerful polity down the Mississippi River,Quigualtam. His men obeyed and did not stop with the men, but were said to have massacred women and children as well. He died the following day in what is believed to be the vicinity of modern-dayMcArthur, Arkansas, in May 1542. His body was weighted down with sand and he was consigned to a watery grave in the Mississippi River under cover of darkness by his men. De Soto had attempted to deceive the native population into thinking he was an immortal deity, sun of the sun, in order to forestall attack by outraged Native Americans on his by then weakened and bedraggled army. In order to keep the ruse up, his men informed the locals that de Soto had ascended into the sky. His will at the time of his death listed "four Indian slaves, three horses and 700 hogs" which were auctioned off. The starving men, who had been living off maize stolen from natives, immediately started butchering the hogs and later, commanded by formeraide-de-campMoscoso, attempted an overland return to Mexico. They made it as far as Texas before running into territory too dry for maize farming and too thinly populated to sustain themselves by stealing food from the locals. The expedition promptly backtracked to Arkansas. After building a small fleet of boats they then headed down the Mississippi River and eventually on to Mexico by water.^[19][20]

Later explorers included the FrenchJacques MarquetteandLouis Jollietin 1673, and FrenchmenRobert La SalleandHenri de Tontiin 1681.^[21][22]Tonti establishedArkansas Postat a Quapaw village in 1686, making it the first European settlement in the territory.^[23]The early Spanish or French explorers of the state gave it its name, which is probably a phonetic spelling of theIllinoistribe's name for theQuapawpeople, who lived downriver from them.^[24][c]The name Arkansas has been pronounced and spelled in a variety of fashions. The region was organized as theTerritory of Arkansawon July 4, 1819, with the territory admitted to the United States as the state of Arkansas on June 15, 1836. The name was historically/ˈɑːrkənsɔː/,/ɑːrˈkænzəs/, and several other variants. Historically and modernly, the people of Arkansas call themselves either "Arkansans" or "Arkansawyers". In 1881, theArkansas General Assemblypassed Arkansas Code 1-4-105 (official text):

Whereas, confusion of practice has arisen in the pronunciation of the name of our state and it is deemed important that the true pronunciation should be determined for use in oral official proceedings.

And, whereas, the matter has been thoroughly investigated by the State Historical Society and the Eclectic Society of Little Rock, which have agreed upon the correct pronunciation as derived from history, and the early usage of the American immigrants.

Be it therefore resolved by both houses of the General Assembly, that the only true pronunciation of the name of the state, in the opinion of this body, is that received by the French from the native Indians and committed to writing in the French word representing the sound. It should be pronounced in three (3) syllables, with the final "s" silent, the "a" in each syllable with the Italian sound, and the accent on the first and last syllables. The pronunciation with the accent on the second syllable with the sound of "a" in "man" and the sounding of the terminal "s" is an innovation to be discouraged.

Citizens of thestate of Kansasoften pronounce theArkansas Riveras/ɑːrˈkænzəs/, in a manner similar to the common pronunciation of the name of their state.

Settlers, such as fur trappers, moved to Arkansas in the early 18th century. These people used Arkansas Post as a home base andentrepôt.^[23]During the colonial period, Arkansas changed hands betweenFranceandSpainfollowing theSeven Years' War, although neither showed interest in the remote settlement of Arkansas Post.^[25]In April 1783, Arkansas saw its only battle of theAmerican Revolutionary War, a briefsiegeof the post by British Captain James Colbert with the assistance of theChoctawandChickasaw.^[26]

Napoleon BonapartesoldFrench Louisianato the United States in 1803, including all of Arkansas, in a transaction known today as theLouisiana Purchase. French soldiers remained as a garrison atArkansas Post. Following the purchase, the balanced give-and-take relationship between settlers and Native Americans began to change all along the frontier, including in Arkansas.^[27]Followinga controversy over allowing slavery in the territory, theTerritory of Arkansaswas organized on July 4, 1819.^[c]Gradual emancipation in Arkansas was struck down by one vote, theSpeaker of the HouseHenry Clay, allowing Arkansas to organize as a slave territory.^[28]

Slaverybecame a wedge issue in Arkansas, forming a geographic divide that remained for decades. Owners and operators of the cottonplantation economyin southeast Arkansas firmly supported slavery, as they perceivedslave laboras the best or "only" economically viable method of harvesting their commodity crops.^[29]The "hill country" of northwest Arkansas was unable to grow cotton and relied on a cash-scarce,subsistence farmingeconomy.^[30]

As European Americans settled throughout the East Coast and into the Midwest, in the 1830s the United States government forced theremovalof manyNative Americantribes to Arkansas andIndian Territorywest of theMississippi River.

Additional Native American removals began in earnest during the territorial period, with final Quapaw removal complete by 1833 as they were pushed into Indian Territory.^[32]The capital was relocated from Arkansas Post toLittle Rockin 1821, during the territorial period.^[33]

When Arkansas applied for statehood, the slavery issue was again raised inWashington, D.C.Congress eventually approved theArkansas Constitutionafter a 25-hour session, admitting Arkansas on June 15, 1836, as the 25th state and the 13thslave state, having a population of about 60,000.^[34]Arkansas struggled with taxation to support its new state government, a problem made worse bya state banking scandaland worse yet by thePanic of 1837.

In early antebellum Arkansas, the southeast Arkansas slave-based economy developed rapidly. On the eve of the American Civil War in 1860, enslaved African Americans numbered 111,115 people, just over 25% of the state's population.^[35]A plantation system based largely on cotton agriculture developed that, after the war, kept the state and region behind the nation for decades.^[36]The wealth developed among planters of southeast Arkansas caused a political rift between the northwest and southeast.^[37]

Many politicians were elected to office fromthe Family, the Southern rights political force in antebellum Arkansas. Residents generally wanted to avoid a civil war. When the Gulf states seceded in early 1861, delegates to a convention called to determine whether Arkansas should secede referred the question back to the voters for a referendum to be held in August.^[37]Arkansas did not secede untilAbraham Lincolndemanded Arkansas troops be sent toFort Sumterto quellthe rebellion there. On May 6, the members of the state convention, having been recalled by the convention president, voted to terminate Arkansas's membership in the Union and join theConfederate States of America.^[37]

Arkansas held a very important position for the Rebels, maintaining control of theMississippi Riverand surrounding Southern states. The bloodyBattle of Wilson's Creekjust across the border in Missouri shocked many Arkansans who thought the war would be a quick and decisive Southern victory. Battles early in the war took place in northwest Arkansas, including theBattle of Cane Hill,Battle of Pea Ridge, andBattle of Prairie Grove. Union generalSamuel Curtisswept across the state toHelenain the Delta in 1862. Little Rock was captured the following year. The government shifted the state Confederate capital toHot Springs, and then again toWashingtonfrom 1863 to 1865, for the remainder of the war. Throughout the state,guerrillawarfare ravaged the countryside and destroyed cities.^[38]Passion for the Confederate cause waned after implementation of programs such as the draft, high taxes, and martial law.

Under theMilitary Reconstruction Act, Congress declared Arkansas restored to the Union in June 1868, after the Legislature accepted the 14th Amendment. The Republican-controlled reconstruction legislature established universal male suffrage (though temporarily disfranchising former Confederate Army officers, who were all Democrats), a public education system for blacks and whites, and passed general issues to improve the state and help more of the population. The State soon came under control of theRadical Republicansand Unionists, and led by GovernorPowell Clayton, they presided over a time of great upheaval as Confederate sympathizers and theKu Klux Klanfought the new developments, particularly voting rights for African Americans.

In 1874, theBrooks-Baxter War, a political struggle between factions of theRepublican Partyshook Little Rock and the state governorship. It was settled only when PresidentUlysses S. GrantorderedJoseph Brooksto disperse his militant supporters.^[39]

Following the Brooks-Baxter War, a new state constitution was ratified, re-enfranchising former Confederates and effectively bringing an end to Reconstruction.

In 1881, the Arkansas state legislature enacted a bill that adopted an official pronunciation of the state's name, to combat a controversy then simmering. (See Law and Government below.)

After Reconstruction, the state began to receive moreimmigrantsandmigrants. Chinese,Italian, andSyrianmen were recruited for farm labor in the developing Delta region. None of these nationalities stayed long at farm labor; the Chinese especially, as they quickly became small merchants in towns around the Delta. Many Chinese became such successful merchants in small towns that they were able to educate their children at college.^[40]

Construction of railroads enabled more farmers to get their products to market. It also brought new development into different parts of the state, including the Ozarks, where some areas were developed as resorts. In a few years at the end of the 19th century, for instance,Eureka SpringsinCarroll Countygrew to 10,000 people, rapidly becoming a tourist destination and the fourth-largest city of the state. It featured newly constructed, elegant resort hotels and spas planned around its natural springs, considered to have healthful properties. The town's attractions included horse racing and other entertainment. It appealed to a wide variety of classes, becoming almost as popular asHot Springs.

In the late 1880s, the worsening agricultural depression catalyzed Populist and third party movements, leading to interracial coalitions. Struggling to stay in power, in the 1890s the Democrats in Arkansas followed other Southern states in passing legislation and constitutional amendments thatdisfranchisedblacks and poor whites. In 1891 state legislators passed a requirement for aliteracy test, knowing it would exclude many blacks and whites. At the time, more than 25% of the population could neither read nor write. In 1892, they amended the state constitution to require apoll taxand more complex residency requirements, both of which adversely affected poor people and sharecroppers, forcing most blacks and many poor whites from voter rolls.

By 1900 the Democratic Party expanded use of thewhite primaryin county and state elections, further denying blacks a part in the political process. Only in the primary was there any competition among candidates, as Democrats held all the power. The state was a Democratic one-party state for decades, until after passage of the federalCivil Rights Act of 1964andVoting Rights Act of 1965to enforce constitutional rights.^[41]

Between 1905 and 1911, Arkansas began to receive a small immigration ofGerman,Slovak, and Scots-Irish from Europe. The German and Slovak peoples settled in the eastern part of the state known as thePrairie, and the Irish founded small communities in the southeast part of the state. The Germans were mostly Lutheran and the Slovaks were primarily Catholic. The Irish were mostly Protestant fromUlster, of Scots and Northern Borders descent. Some early 20th-century immigration included people from eastern Europe. Together, these immigrants made the Delta more diverse than the rest of the state. In the same years, some black migrants moved into the area because of opportunities to develop the bottomlands and own their own property.

Black sharecroppers began to try to organize a farmers' union after World WarI. They were seeking better conditions of payment and accounting from white landowners of the area cotton plantations. Whites resisted any change and often tried to break up their meetings. On September 30, 1919, two white men, including a local deputy, tried to break up a meeting of black sharecroppers who were trying to organize a farmers' union. After a white deputy was killed in a confrontation with guards at the meeting, word spread to town and around the area.^{[citation needed]}Hundreds of whites from Phillips and neighboring areas rushed to suppress the blacks, and started attacking blacks at large.GovernorCharles Hillman Broughrequested federal troops to stop what was called theElaine massacre. White mobs spread throughout the county, killing an estimated 237 blacks before most of the violence was suppressed after October 1.^[42]Five whites also died in the incident. The governor accompanied the troops to the scene; PresidentWoodrow Wilsonhad approved their use.

TheGreat Mississippi Flood of 1927flooded the areas along the Ouachita Rivers along with many other rivers.

Based on the order of PresidentFranklin D. Rooseveltgiven shortly afterImperial Japan'sattack on Pearl Harbor, nearly 16,000Japanese Americanswere forcibly removed from theWest Coast of the United Statesand incarcerated in two internment camps in theArkansas Delta.^[43]TheRohwer CampinDesha Countyoperated from September 1942 to November 1945 and at its peak interned 8,475 prisoners.^[43]TheJerome War Relocation CenterinDrew Countyoperated from October 1942 to June 1944 and held about 8,000.^[43]

After theSupreme Courtruled segregation in public schools unconstitutional inBrownv.Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas(1954), some students worked to integrate schools in the state. TheLittle Rock Ninebrought Arkansas to national attention in 1957 when the federal government had to intervene to protect African-American students trying to integrate a high school in the capital. GovernorOrval Faubushad ordered theArkansas National Guardto help segregationists prevent nine African-American students from enrolling at Little Rock's Central High School. After attempting three times to contact Faubus, PresidentDwight D. Eisenhowersent 1,000 troops from the active-duty 101st Airborne Division to escort and protect the African-American students as they entered school on September 25, 1957. In defiance of federal court orders to integrate, the governor and city of Little Rock decided to close the high schools for the remainder of the school year. By the fall of 1959, the Little Rock high schools were completely integrated.^[44]

Arkansas bordersLouisianato the south,Texasto the southwest,Oklahomato the west,Missourito the north, andTennesseeandMississippito the east. TheUnited States Census Bureauclassifies Arkansas as asouthernstate, sub-categorized among theWest South Central States.^[10]TheMississippi Riverforms most of its eastern border, except inClayandGreenecounties, where theSt. Francis Riverforms the western boundary of theMissouri Bootheel, and in many places where the channel of the Mississippi has meandered (or been straightened by man) from its original 1836 course.^{[citation needed]}

Arkansas can generally be split into two halves, the highlands in the northwest and the lowlands of the southeast.^[45]The highlands are part of the Southern Interior Highlands, includingThe Ozarksand theOuachita Mountains. The southern lowlands include theGulf Coastal Plainand theArkansas Delta.^[46]This split can yield to a regional division into northwest, southwest, northeast, southeast, and central Arkansas. These regions are broad and not defined along county lines. Arkansas has seven distinct natural regions: the Ozark Mountains, Ouachita Mountains,Arkansas River Valley, Gulf Coastal Plain,Crowley's Ridge, and the Arkansas Delta, withCentral Arkansassometimes included as a blend of multiple regions.^[47]

The southeastern part of Arkansas along theMississippi Alluvial Plainis sometimes called the Arkansas Delta. This region is a flat landscape ofrich alluvial soils formed by repeated floodingof the adjacent Mississippi. Farther from the river, in the southeastern part of the state, the Grand Prairie has a more undulating landscape. Both are fertile agricultural areas. The Delta region is bisected by a geological formation known asCrowley's Ridge. A narrow band of rolling hills, Crowley's Ridge rises 250 to 500 feet (76 to 152 m) above the surrounding alluvial plain and underlies many of eastern Arkansas's major towns.^[48]

Northwest Arkansas is part of theOzark Plateauincluding theOzark Mountains, to the south are theOuachita Mountains, and these regions are divided by theArkansas River; the southern and eastern parts of Arkansas are called the Lowlands.^[49]These mountain ranges are part of theU.S. Interior Highlandsregion, the only major mountainous region between theRocky Mountainsand theAppalachian Mountains.^[50]The state's highest point isMount Magazinein theOuachita Mountains,^[51]which is 2,753 feet (839 m) above sea level.^[4]

Arkansas is home to manycaves, such asBlanchard Springs Caverns. The State Archeologist has catalogued more than 43,000 Native American living, hunting and tool-making sites, many of them Pre-Columbian burial mounds and rock shelters.Crater of Diamonds State ParknearMurfreesborois the world's only diamond-bearing site accessible to the public for digging.^[52][53]Arkansas is home to a dozen Wilderness Areas totaling 158,444 acres (641.20 km²).^[54]These areas are set aside for outdoor recreation and are open to hunting, fishing, hiking, and primitive camping. No mechanized vehicles nor developed campgrounds are allowed in these areas.^[55]

Arkansas has many rivers, lakes, and reservoirs within or along its borders. Major tributaries to the Mississippi River include theArkansas River, theWhite River, and theSt. Francis River.^[56]The Arkansas is fed by theMulberryandFourche LaFave Riversin the Arkansas River Valley, which is also home toLake Dardanelle. TheBuffalo,Little Red,BlackandCache Riversare all tributaries to theWhite River, which also empties into the Mississippi.Bayou Bartholomewand theSaline,Little Missouri, andCaddo Riversare all tributaries to theOuachita Riverin south Arkansas,which empties into the Mississippiin Louisiana. TheRed Riverbriefly forms the state's boundary with Texas.^[57]Arkansas has few natural lakes and many reservoirs,^[quantify]such asBull Shoals Lake,Lake Ouachita,Greers Ferry Lake,Millwood Lake,Beaver Lake,Norfork Lake,DeGray Lake, andLake Conway.^[58]

Arkansas's temperate deciduous forest is divided into three broad ecoregions: theOzark, Ouachita-Appalachian Forests, theMississippi Alluvial and Southeast USA Coastal Plains, and theSoutheastern USA Plains.^[59]The state is further divided into seven subregions: the Arkansas Valley,Boston Mountains,Mississippi Alluvial Plain,Mississippi Valley Loess Plain, Ozark Highlands, Ouachita Mountains, and the South Central Plains.^[60]A 2010United States Forest Servicesurvey determined 18,720,000 acres (7,580,000 ha) of Arkansas's land is forestland, or 56% of the state's total area.^[61]Dominant species in Arkansas's forests includeQuercus(oak),Carya(hickory),Pinus echinata(shortleaf pine) andPinus taeda(loblolly pine).^[62][63]

Arkansas's plant life varies with its climate and elevation. Thepine beltstretching from the Arkansas delta to Texas consists of dense oak-hickory-pine growth. Lumbering and paper milling activity is active throughout the region.^[64]In eastern Arkansas, one can findTaxodium(cypress),Quercus nigra(water oaks), and hickories with their roots submerged in the Mississippi Valley bayous indicative of the deep south.^[65]Nearby Crowley's Ridge is the only home of thetulip treein the state, and generally hosts more northeastern plant life such as thebeechtree.^[66]The northwestern highlands are covered in an oak-hickory mixture, withOzark white cedars,cornus(dogwoods), andCercis canadensis(redbuds) also present. The higher peaks in the Arkansas River Valley play host to scores of ferns, including thePhysematium scopulinumandAdiantum(maidenhair fern) on Mount Magazine.^[67]Arkansas wildlife is famous for the white-tailed deer, elk, and bald eagle. The white-tailed deer is the official state mammal.^[68]

Arkansas generally has ahumid subtropical climate. While not bordering theGulf of Mexico, Arkansas, is still close enough to the warm, large body of water for it to influence the weather in the state. Generally, Arkansas, has hot, humid summers and slightly drier, mild to cool winters. InLittle Rock, the daily high temperatures average around 93 °F (34 °C) with lows around 73 °F (23 °C) in July. In January highs average around 51 °F (11 °C) and lows around 32 °F (0 °C). InSiloam Springsin the northwest part of the state, the average high and low temperatures in July are 89 and 67 °F (32 and 19 °C) and in January the average high and low are 44 and 23 °F (7 and −5 °C). Annual precipitation throughout the state averages between about 40 and 60 inches (1,000 and 1,500 mm); it is somewhat wetter in the south and drier in the northern part of the state.^[69]Snowfall is infrequent but most common in the northern half of the state.^[56]The half of the state south of Little Rock is apter to see ice storms. Arkansas's record high is 120 °F (49 °C) atOzarkon August 10, 1936; the record low is −29 °F (−34 °C) atGravette, on February 13, 1905.^[70]

Arkansas is known for extreme weather and frequent storms. A typical year brings thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail, snow and ice storms. Between both theGreat Plainsand theGulf States, Arkansas, receives around 60 days of thunderstorms. Arkansas is located inTornado Alley, and as a result, a few of the most destructive tornadoes in U.S. history have struck the state. While sufficiently far from the coast to avoid a direct hit from a hurricane, Arkansas can often get the remnants of atropical system, which dumps tremendous amounts of rain in a short time and often spawns smaller tornadoes.^{[citation needed]}

Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For Various Arkansas Cities
City	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Avg
Fayetteville[71]	44/24 (7/-4)	51/29 (10/-2)	59/38 (15/3)	69/46 (20/8)	76/55 (24/13)	84/64 (29/18)	89/69 (32/20)	89/67 (32/19)	81/59 (27/15)	70/47 (21/9)	57/37 (14/3)	48/28 (9/-2)	68/47 (20/8)
Jonesboro[72]	45/26 (7/-3)	51/30 (11/-1)	61/40 (16/4)	71/49 (22/9)	80/58 (26/15)	88/67 (31/19)	92/71 (34/22)	91/69 (33/20)	84/61 (29/16)	74/49 (23/9)	60/39 (15/4)	49/30 (10/-1)	71/49 (21/9)
Little Rock[73]	51/31 (11/-1)	55/35 (13/2)	64/43 (18/6)	73/51 (23/11)	81/61 (27/16)	89/69 (32/21)	93/73 (34/23)	93/72 (34/22)	86/65 (30/18)	75/53 (24/12)	63/42 (17/6)	52/34 (11/1)	73/51 (23/11)
Texarkana[74]	53/31 (11/-1)	58/34 (15/1)	67/42 (19/5)	75/50 (24/10)	82/60 (28/16)	89/68 (32/20)	93/72 (34/22)	93/71 (34/21)	86/64 (30/18)	76/52 (25/11)	64/41 (18/5)	55/33 (13/1)	74/52 (23/11)
Monticello[75]	52/30 (11/-1)	58/34 (14/1)	66/43 (19/6)	74/49 (23/10)	82/59 (28/15)	89/66 (32/19)	92/70 (34/21)	92/68 (33/20)	86/62 (30/17)	76/50 (25/10)	64/41 (18/5)	55/34 (13/1)	74/51 (23/10)
Fort Smith[76]	48/27 (8/-2)	54/32 (12/0)	64/40 (17/4)	73/49 (22/9)	80/58 (26/14)	87/67 (30/19)	92/71 (33/21)	92/70 (33/21)	84/62 (29/17)	75/50 (23/10)	61/39 (16/4)	50/31 (10/0)	72/50 (22/10)
Average high °F/average low °F (average high °C/average low°C)

Little Rockhas been Arkansas'scapital citysince 1821 when it replacedArkansas Postas the capital of theTerritory of Arkansas.^[77]The state capitol was moved toHot Springsand laterWashingtonduring theAmerican Civil Warwhen the Union armies threatened the city in 1862, and state government did not return to Little Rock until after the war ended. Today, theLittle Rock–North Little Rock–Conway metropolitan areais the largest in the state, with a population of 724,385 in 2013.^[78]

TheFayetteville–Springdale–Rogers Metropolitan Areais the second-largest metropolitan area in Arkansas, growing at the fastest rate due to the influx of businesses and the growth of theUniversity of ArkansasandWalmart.^[79]

The state has eight cities with populations above 50,000 (based on 2010 census). In descending order of size, they areLittle Rock,Fort Smith,Fayetteville,Springdale,Jonesboro,North Little Rock,Conway, andRogers. Of these, only Fort Smith and Jonesboro are outside the two largest metropolitan areas. Other cities in Arkansas includePine Bluff,Crossett,Bryant,Lake Village,Hot Springs,Bentonville,Texarkana,Sherwood,Jacksonville,Russellville,Bella Vista,West Memphis,Paragould,Cabot,Searcy,Van Buren,El Dorado,Blytheville,Harrison,Dumas,Rison,Warren, andMountain Home.^[80]

TheUnited States Census Bureauestimated that the population of Arkansas was 3,017,804 on July 1, 2019, a 3.49% increase since the2010 United States census.^[82]At the2020 U.S. census, Arkansas had a resident population of 3,011,524.

From fewer than 15,000 in 1820, Arkansas's population grew to 52,240 during a special census in 1835, far exceeding the 40,000 required to apply for statehood.^[83]Following statehood in 1836, the population doubled each decade until the1870 censusconducted following the American Civil War. The state recorded growth in each successive decade, although it gradually slowed in the 20th century.

It recorded population losses in the1950and1960 censuses. This outmigration was a result of multiple factors, including farm mechanization, decreasing labor demand, and young educated people leaving the state due to a lack of non-farming industry in the state.^[84]Arkansas again began to grow, recording positive growth rates ever since and exceeding two million by the1980 census.^[85]Arkansas's rate of change, age distributions, and gender distributions mirror national averages.Minority groupdata also approximates national averages. There are fewer people in Arkansas of Hispanic or Latino origin than the national average.^[86]Thecenter of populationof Arkansas for 2000 was located inPerry County, near Nogal.^[87]

According toHUD's 2022Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 2,459homelesspeople in Arkansas.^[88][89]

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1810	1,062		—
1820	14,273		1,244.0%
1830	30,388		112.9%
1840	97,574		221.1%
1850	209,897		115.1%
1860	435,450		107.5%
1870	484,471		11.3%
1880	802,525		65.6%
1890	1,128,211		40.6%
1900	1,311,564		16.3%
1910	1,574,449		20.0%
1920	1,752,204		11.3%
1930	1,854,482		5.8%
1940	1,949,387		5.1%
1950	1,909,511		−2.0%
1960	1,786,272		−6.5%
1970	1,923,295		7.7%
1980	2,286,435		18.9%
1990	2,350,725		2.8%
2000	2,673,400		13.7%
2010	2,915,918		9.1%
2020	3,011,524		3.3%
2023 (est.)	3,067,732	[90]	1.9%
Source: 1910–2020[91]

Per the 2019 census estimates, Arkansas was 72.0% non-Hispanic white, 15.4% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% Asian, 0.4% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 0.1% some other race, 2.4% two or more races, and 7.7% Hispanic or Latin American of any race.^[92]In 2011, the state was 80.1% white (74.2%non-Hispanic white), 15.6% Black orAfrican American, 0.9%American IndianandAlaska Native, 1.3%Asian, and 1.8% from two or more races.Hispanicsor Latinos of any race made up 6.6% of the population.^[93]As of 2011, 39.0% of Arkansas's population younger than age1 were minorities.^[94]

Ethnic composition as of the 2020 census

Race and ethnicity[95]	Alone		Total
White (non-Hispanic)	68.5%	68.5	73.2%	73.2
African American (non-Hispanic)	14.9%	14.9	16.2%	16.2
Hispanic or Latino[d]	—		8.5%	8.5
Asian	1.7%	1.7	2.2%	2.2
Native American	0.7%	0.7	3.4%	3.4
Pacific Islander	0.5%	0.5	0.6%	0.6
Other	0.3%	0.3	1.1%	1.1

Arkansas Racial Breakdown of Population

Racial composition	1990[96]	2000[97]	2010[98]	2020[99]
White	82.7%	80.0%	77.0%	70.2%
African American	15.9%	15.7%	15.4%	15.1%
Asian	0.5%	0.8%	1.2%	1.7%
Native	0.5%	0.7%	0.8%	0.9%
Native Hawaiianand other Pacific Islander	–	0.1%	0.2%	0.5%
Other race	0.3%	1.5%	3.4%	4.5%
Two or more races	–	1.3%	2.0%	7.1%

European Americans have a strong presence in the northwesternOzarksand the central part of the state. African Americans live mainly in the southern and eastern parts of the state. Arkansans of Irish, English and German ancestry are mostly found in the far northwestern Ozarks near the Missouri border. Ancestors of the Irish in the Ozarks were chieflyScots-Irish, Protestants fromNorthern Ireland, theScottishlowlands and northern England part of the largest group of immigrants fromGreat BritainandIrelandbefore the American Revolution.EnglishandScots-Irishimmigrants settled throughout the back country of the South and in the more mountainous areas. Americans ofEnglishstock are found throughout the state.^[100]

A 2010 survey of the principal ancestries of Arkansas's residents revealed the following:^[101]15.5%African American, 12.3%Irish, 11.5%German, 11.0%American, 10.1%English, 4.7%Mexican, 2.1%French, 1.7%Scottish, 1.7%Dutch, 1.6%Italian, and 1.4%Scots-Irish.

Most people identifying as "American" are of English descent or Scots-Irish descent. Their families have been in the state so long, in many cases since before statehood, that they choose to identify simply as having American ancestry or do not in fact know their ancestry. Their ancestry primarily goes back to the original 13 colonies and for this reason many of them today simply claim American ancestry. Many people who identify as of Irish descent are in fact of Scots-Irish descent.^{[102][103][104][105]}

According to the American Immigration Council, in 2015, the top countries of origin for Arkansas' immigrants were Mexico, El Salvador, India, Vietnam, and Guatemala.^[106]

According to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey, 93.8% of Arkansas's population (over the age of five) spoke only English at home. About 4.5% of the state's population spoke Spanish at home. About 0.7% of the state's population spoke anotherIndo-European language. About 0.8% of the state's population spoke anAsian language, and 0.2% spoke other languages.^{[clarification neededdubious]}

Like most other Southern states, Arkansas is part of theBible Beltand predominantlyProtestant. The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2010 were theSouthern Baptist Conventionwith 661,382; theUnited Methodist Churchwith 158,574; non-denominational Evangelical Protestants with 129,638; theCatholic Churchwith 122,662; andthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintswith 31,254. Some residents of the state have other religions, such asIslam,Judaism,Wicca/Paganism,Hinduism,Buddhism, and some have no religious affiliation.^[108]

In 2014, thePew Research Centerdetermined that 79% of the population was Christian, dominated by evangelicals in the Southern Baptist and independent Baptist churches. In contrast with many other states, the Catholic Church as of 2014 was not the largest Christian denomination in Arkansas. Of the unaffiliated population, 2% wereatheistin 2014.^[109]By 2020, thePublic Religion Research Institutedetermined 71% of the population was Christian.^[110]Arkansas continued to be dominated by evangelicals, followed bymainline Protestantsandhistorically black or African American churches.

Once a state with a cashless society in the uplands andplantationagriculture in the lowlands, Arkansas's economy has evolved and diversified. The state's gross domestic product (GDP) was $176.24billion in 2023.^[111]SixFortune 500companies are based in Arkansas, including the world's #1 retailer,Walmart;Tyson Foods,J.B. Hunt,Dillard's,Murphy USA, andWindstreamare also headquartered in the state.^[112]Theper capita personal incomein 2023 was $54,347, ranking 46th in the nation, and themedian household incomewas $55,432, which ranked 47th.^[113][114]The state's agriculture outputs are poultry and eggs, soybeans, sorghum, cattle, cotton, rice, hogs, and milk. Its industrial outputs are food processing, electric equipment, fabricated metal products, machinery, and paper products. Arkansas's mines produce natural gas, oil, crushed stone, bromine, and vanadium.^[115]According toCNBC, Arkansas is the 20th-best state for business, with the 2nd-lowest cost of doing business, 5th-lowest cost of living, 11th-best workforce, 20th-best economic climate, 28th-best-educated workforce, 31st-best infrastructure and the 32nd-friendliest regulatory environment.^{[citation needed]}Arkansas gained 12 spots in the best state for business rankings since 2011.^[116]As of 2014, it was the most affordable state to live in.^{[citation needed]}

As of July 2023, the state's unemployment rate was 2.6%; the preliminary rate for December 2023 is 3.4%.^[117]

Arkansas's earliest industries werefur tradingand agriculture, with development of cottonplantationsin the areas near the Mississippi River. They were dependent on slave labor through theAmerican Civil War.^[118]

Today only about three percent of the population are employed in the agricultural sector,^[119]it remains a major part of the state's economy, ranking 13th in the nation in the value of products sold.^[120]Arkansas is the nation's largest producer of rice,broilers, and turkeys,^[121]and ranks in the top three forcotton,pullets, and aquaculture (catfish).^[120]Forestry remains strong in theArkansas Timberlands, and the state ranks fourth nationally and first in the South in softwood lumber production.^[122]Automobile parts manufacturers have opened factories in eastern Arkansas to support auto plants in other states.Bauxitewas formerly a large part of the state's economy, mined mostly aroundSaline County.^[123]

Tourism is also very important to the Arkansas economy; the official state nickname "The Natural State" was created for state tourism advertising in the 1970s, and is still used to this day. The state maintains52 state parksand theNational Park Servicemaintains seven properties in Arkansas. The completion of theWilliam Jefferson Clinton Presidential Libraryin Little Rock has drawn many visitors to the city and revitalized the nearbyRiver Market District. Many cities also hold festivals, which draw tourists to Arkansas culture, such as The Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival in Warren,King Biscuit Blues Festival,Ozark Folk Festival,Toad Suck Daze, andTontitown Grape Festival.^{[citation needed]}

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Transportation in Arkansas is overseen by theArkansas Department of Transportation(ArDOT), headquartered inLittle Rock. Several main corridors pass through Little Rock, includingInterstate30(I-30) andI-40(the nation's 3rd-busiest trucking corridor).^[124]Arkansas first designated a state highway system in 1924, and first numbered its roads in 1926. Arkansas had one of the first paved roads, theDollarway Road, and one of the first members of theInterstate Highway System. The state maintains a large system ofstate highwaystoday, in addition to eightInterstatesand 20U.S. Routes.

In northeast Arkansas,I-55travels north fromMemphistoMissouri, with a new spur toJonesboro(I-555). Northwest Arkansas is served by the segment ofI-49from Fort Smith to the beginning of theBella Vista Bypass. This segment of I-49 currently follows mostly the same route as theformer section of I-540that extended north of I-40.^[125]The state also has the 13th largeststate highway systemin the nation.^[126]

Arkansas is served by 2,750 miles (4,430 km) of railroad track divided among twenty-six railroad companies including threeClass I railroads.^[127]Freight railroads are concentrated in southeast Arkansas to serve the industries in the region. TheTexas Eagle, an Amtrak passenger train, serves five stations in the stateWalnut Ridge,Little Rock,Malvern,Arkadelphia, andTexarkana.

Arkansas also benefits from the use of its rivers for commerce. TheMississippi RiverandArkansas Riverare both major rivers. TheUnited States Army Corps of Engineersmaintains theMcClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, allowing barge traffic up the Arkansas River to thePort of CatoosainTulsa, Oklahoma.

There are four airports with commercial service:Clinton National Airport(formerly Little Rock National Airport or Adams Field),Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport,Fort Smith Regional Airport, andTexarkana Regional Airport, withdozens of smaller airports in the state.

Intercity bus services across the state are provided byFlixbus,Greyhound Lines, andJefferson Lines.^[128][129]

Public transit and community transport services for the elderly or those with developmental disabilities are provided by agencies such as theCentral Arkansas Transit Authorityand theOzark Regional Transit, organizations that are part of theArkansas Transit Association.

Local transit map
Fort Smith Transit Pine Bluff Transit Intracity Transit Jonesboro Economical Transit Texarkana Urban Transit District Rock Region Metro Ozark Regional Transit Razorback Transit Memphis Area Transit Authority class=notpageimage| Local Transit Systems (Only systems with fixed-route services are shown)

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As with the federal government of the United States, political power in Arkansas is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. Each officer's term is four years long. Office holders areterm-limitedto two full terms plus any partial terms before the first full term.^[130]

The governor of Arkansas isSarah Huckabee Sanders, aRepublican, who was inaugurated on January 10, 2023.^[131][132]The six other elected executive positions in Arkansas arelieutenant governor,secretary of state,attorney general,treasurer,auditor, andland commissioner.^[133]The governor also appoints the leaders of various state boards, committees, and departments. Arkansas governors served two-year terms until a referendum lengthened the term to four years, effective with the 1986 election. Individuals elected to these offices are limited to a lifetime total of two four-year terms per office.

In Arkansas, the lieutenant governor is elected separately from the governor and thus can be from a different political party.^[134]

TheArkansas General Assemblyis the state'sbicameralbodies of legislators, composed of theSenateandHouse of Representatives. The Senate contains 35 members from districts of approximately equal population. These districts are redrawn decennially with each US census, and in election years ending in "2", the entire body is put up for reelection. Following the election, half of the seats are designated as two-year seats and are up for reelection again in two years, these "half-terms" do not count against a legislator's term limits. The remaining half serve a full four-year term. This staggers elections such that half the body is up for reelection every two years and allows for complete body turnover following redistricting.^[135]Arkansas voters elected a 21–14 Republican majority in the Senate in 2012. Arkansas House members can serve a maximum of three two-year terms. House districts are redistricted by the Arkansas Board of Apportionment. In the 2012 elections, Republicans gained a 51–49 majority in the House of Representatives.^[136]

The Republican Partymajoritystatus in the Arkansas State House of Representatives after the 2012 elections, is the party's first since 1874. Arkansas was the last state of the old Confederacy to not have Republican control of either chamber of its house since the American Civil War.^[137]

Following the term limits changes, studies have shown that lobbyists have become less influential in state politics. Legislative staff, not subject to term limits, have acquired additional power and influence due to the high rate of elected official turnover.^[138]

Arkansas's judicial branch has five court systems:Arkansas Supreme Court,Arkansas Court of Appeals, Circuit Courts, District Courts and City Courts.

Most cases begin in district court, which is subdivided into state district court and local district court. State district courts exercise district-wide jurisdiction over the districts created by the General Assembly, and local district courts are presided over by part-time judges who may privately practice law. 25 state district court judges preside over 15 districts, with more districts created in 2013 and 2017. There are 28 judicial circuits of Circuit Court, with each contains five subdivisions: criminal, civil, probate, domestic relations, and juvenile court. The jurisdiction of the Arkansas Court of Appeals is determined by the Arkansas Supreme Court, and there is noright of appealfrom the Court of Appeals to the high court. The Arkansas Supreme Court can review Court of Appeals cases upon application by either a party to the litigation, upon request by the Court of Appeals, or if the Arkansas Supreme Court feels the case should have been initially assigned to it. The twelve judges of the Arkansas Court of Appeals are elected from judicial districts to renewable six-year terms.

The Arkansas Supreme Court is the court of last resort in the state, composed of seven justices elected to eight-year terms. Established by the Arkansas Constitution in 1836, the court's decisions can be appealed to only theSupreme Court of the United States.

Both Arkansas's U.S. senators,John BoozmanandTom Cotton, are Republicans. The state has four seats inU.S. House of Representatives. All four seats are held by Republicans:Rick Crawford(1st district),French Hill(2nd district),Steve Womack(3rd district), andBruce Westerman(4th district).^[139]

Party registration as of May 3, 2024[140][141]
Party		Total voters	Percentage
	Nonpartisan	1,543,863	87.59%
	Republican	131,647	7.47%
	Democratic	86,231	4.89%
	Other	805	0.05%
Total		1,762,546	100.00%

Arkansas governorBill Clintonbrought national attention to the state with a long speech at the1988 Democratic National ConventionendorsingMichael Dukakis. Some journalists suggested the speech was a threat to his ambitions; Clinton defined it "a comedy of error, just one of those fluky things".^[142]He won the Democratic nomination for president in 1992. Presenting himself as a "New Democrat" and using incumbentGeorge H. W. Bush'sbroken promiseagainst him, Clinton won the1992 presidential electionwith 43.0% of the vote to Bush's 37.5% and independent billionaireRoss Perot's 18.9%.

Most Republican strength traditionally lay mainly in the northwestern part of the state, particularlyFort SmithandBentonville, as well as North Central Arkansas around theMountain Homearea. In the latter area, Republicans have been known to get 90% or more of the vote, while the rest of the state was more Democratic. After 2010, Republican strength expanded further to the Northeast and Southwest and into the Little Rock suburbs. The Democrats are mostly concentrated to central Little Rock, the Mississippi Delta, the Pine Bluff area, and the areas around the southern border with Louisiana.

Arkansas has elected only three Republicans to the U.S. Senate sinceReconstruction:Tim Hutchinson, who was defeated after one term byMark Pryor;John Boozman, who defeated incumbentBlanche Lincoln; andTom Cotton, who defeated Pryor in 2014. Before 2013, the General Assembly had not been controlled by the Republican Party since Reconstruction, with the GOP holding a 51-seat majority in the state House and a 21-seat (of 35) in the state Senate following victories in 2012. Arkansas was one of just three states among the states of the formerConfederacythat sent two Democrats to the U.S. Senate (the others being Florida andVirginia) for any period during the first decade of the 21st century.

In 2010, Republicans captured three of the state's four seats in theU.S. House of Representatives. In 2012, they won election to all four House seats. Arkansas held the distinction of having a U.S. House delegation composed entirely of military veterans (Rick Crawford,Army;Tim Griffin,Army Reserve;Steve Womack, ArmyNational Guard;Tom Cotton, Army). When Pryor was defeated in 2014, the entire congressional delegation was in GOP hands for the first time sinceReconstruction.

Reflecting the state's large evangelical population, Arkansas has a strongsocial conservativebent. In the aftermath of the landmark Supreme Court decisionDobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Arkansas became one of nine states whereabortionis banned.^[143]Under theArkansas Constitution, Arkansas is aright to work state. Its voters passed a ban onsame-sex marriagein 2004, with 75% voting yes,^[144]although that ban has been inactive since the Supreme Court protected same-sex marriage inObergefell v. Hodges.

Arkansas retains thedeath penalty. Authorized methods of execution include theelectric chair.^[145]

TheStrategic Air Commandfacility ofLittle Rock Air Force Basewas one of eighteen silos in the command of the308th Strategic Missile Wing(308th SMW), specifically one of the nine silos within its374th Strategic Missile Squadron(374th SMS). The squadron was responsible for Launch Complex 374–7, site of the1980 explosionof aTitanIIIntercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) inDamascus, Arkansas.^[146]

Taxes are collected by theArkansas Department of Finance and Administration.^[147]

As of 2012, Arkansas, as with many Southern states, has a high incidence of premature death, infant mortality, cardiovascular deaths, and occupational fatalities compared to the rest of the United States.^[148]The state is tied for 43rd withNew Yorkin percentage of adults who regularly exercise.^[149]Arkansas is usually ranked as one of the least healthy states due to high obesity, smoking, and sedentary lifestyle rates,^[148]but according to a Gallup poll, Arkansas made the most immediate progress in reducing its number of uninsured residents after theAffordable Care Actpassed. The percentage of uninsured in Arkansas dropped from 22.5 in 2013 to 12.4 in August 2014.^[150]

TheArkansas Clean Indoor Air Act, a statewide smoking ban excluding bars and some restaurants, went into effect in 2006.^[151]

Healthcare in Arkansas is provided by a network of hospitals as members of the Arkansas Hospital Association. Major institutions with multiple branches include Baptist Health,Community Health Systems, andHealthSouth. TheUniversity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences(UAMS) in Little Rock operates theUAMS Medical Center, ateaching hospitalranked as high performing nationally incancerandnephrology.^[152]The pediatric division of UAMS Medical Center is known asArkansas Children's Hospital, nationally ranked in pediatriccardiologyand heart surgery.^[153]Together, these two institutions are the state's onlyLevel I trauma centers.^[154]

Arkansas has 1,064 state-funded kindergartens, elementary, junior and senior high schools.^[155]

The state supports a network of publicuniversitiesand colleges, including two major university systems:Arkansas State University SystemandUniversity of Arkansas System. TheUniversity of Arkansas, flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System in Fayetteville was ranked #63 among public schools in the nation byU.S. News & World Report.^[156]Other public institutions includeUniversity of Arkansas at Pine Bluff,Arkansas Tech University,Henderson State University,Southern Arkansas University, andUniversity of Central Arkansasacross the state. It is also home to 11 private colleges and universities includingHendrix College, one of the nation's top 100liberal artscolleges, according to U.S. News & World Report.^[157]

In the 1920s the state required all children to attend public schools. The school year was set at 131 days, although some areas were unable to meet that requirement.^[158][159]

Generally prohibited in theWestat large,school corporal punishmentis not unusual in Arkansas, with 20,083 public school students^[e]paddledat least one time, according to government data for the 2011–12 school year.^[160]The rate of corporal punishment in public schools is higher only inMississippi.^[160]

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As of 2010 many Arkansas local newspapers are owned byWEHCO Media, Alabama-based Lancaster Management, Kentucky-basedPaxton Media Group, Missouri-basedRust Communications, Nevada-basedStephens Media, and New York-basedGateHouse Media.^[161]

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The culture of Arkansas includes distinct cuisine, dialect, and traditional festivals. Sports are also very important to the culture, including football, baseball, basketball, hunting, and fishing. Perhaps the best-known aspect of Arkansas's culture is the stereotype that its citizens are shiftless hillbillies.^[162]The reputation began when early explorers characterized the state as a savage wilderness full of outlaws and thieves.^[163]The most enduring icon of Arkansas's hillbilly reputation isThe Arkansas Traveller, a painted depiction of a folk tale from the 1840s.^[164]Though intended to represent the divide between rich southeastern plantation Arkansas planters and the poor northwestern hill country, the meaning was twisted to represent a Northerner lost in the Ozarks on a white horse asking a backwoods Arkansan for directions.^[165]The state also suffers from the racial stigma common to former Confederate states, with historical events such as theLittle Rock Nineadding to Arkansas's enduring image.^[166]

Art and history museums display pieces of cultural value for Arkansans and tourists to enjoy.Crystal Bridges Museum of American ArtinBentonvillewas visited by 604,000 people in 2012, its first year.^[167]The museum includes walking trails and educational opportunities in addition to displaying over 450 works covering five centuries of American art.^[168]Several historic town sites have been restored as Arkansasstate parks, includingHistoric Washington State Park,Powhatan Historic State Park, andDavidsonville Historic State Park.

Arkansas features a variety of native music across the state, ranging from thebluesheritage ofWest Memphis,Pine Bluff,Helena–West Helenatorockabilly,bluegrass, and folk music from the Ozarks. Festivals such as theKing Biscuit Blues FestivalandBikes, Blues, and BBQpay homage to the history of blues in the state. The Ozark Folk Festival inMountain Viewis a celebration of Ozark culture and often features folk and bluegrass musicians. Literature set in Arkansas such asI Know Why the Caged Bird SingsbyMaya AngelouandA Painted HousebyJohn Grishamdescribe the culture at various time periods.

Sports have become an integral part of the culture of Arkansas, and her residents enjoy participating in and spectating various events throughout the year.

Team sports and especially collegiate football are important to Arkansans. College football in Arkansas began from humble beginnings, when theUniversity of Arkansasfirst fielded a team in1894. Over the years, many Arkansans have looked toArkansas Razorbacks footballas the public image of the state.^[169]Although the University of Arkansas is based inFayetteville, the Razorbacks have always played at least one game per season atWar Memorial StadiuminLittle Rockin an effort to keep fan support in central and south Arkansas.

Arkansas State Universitybecame the secondNCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision(FBS) (then known as Division I-A) team in the state in 1992 after playing in lower divisions for nearly two decades. The two schools have never played each other, due to the University of Arkansas's policy of not playing intrastate games.^[170]Two other campuses of theUniversity of Arkansas Systemare Division I members. TheUniversity of Arkansas at Pine Bluffis a member of theSouthwestern Athletic Conference, a league whose members all play football in the second-levelFootball Championship Subdivision(FCS). TheUniversity of Arkansas at Little Rock, known for sports purposes as Little Rock, joined theOhio Valley Conferencein 2022 after playing in theSun Belt Conference; unlike many other OVC members, it does not fielda football program. The state's other DivisionI member is theUniversity of Central Arkansas(UCA), which joined theASUN Conferencein 2021 after leaving the FCSSouthland Conference. Because the ASUN does not plan to start FCS football competition until at least 2022, UCA football is competing in theWestern Athletic Conferenceas part of a formal football partnership between the two leagues. Seven of Arkansas's smaller colleges play inNCAA Division II, with six in theGreat American Conferenceand one in theLone Star Conference. Two other small Arkansas colleges compete inNCAA Division III, in whichathletic scholarshipsare prohibited. High school football also began to grow in Arkansas in the early 20th century.

Baseball runs deep in Arkansas and was popular before the state hostedMajor League Baseball(MLB)spring traininginHot Springsfrom 1886 to the 1920s. Twominor leagueteams are based in the state. TheArkansas Travelersplay atDickey–Stephens ParkinNorth Little Rock, and theNorthwest Arkansas Naturalsplay inArvest BallparkinSpringdale. Both teams compete inDouble-A Central.

Hunting continues in the state. The state created theArkansas Game and Fish Commissionin 1915 to regulate hunting.^[171]Today a significant portion of Arkansas's population participates in huntingduckin theMississippi flywayanddeeracross the state.^[172]Ducks Unlimitedhas calledStuttgart, Arkansas, "the epicenter of the duck universe".^[173]Millions of acres of public land are available for both bow and modern gun hunters.^[172]

Fishing has always been popular in Arkansas,^{[citation needed]}and the sport and the state have benefited from the creation of reservoirs across the state. Following the completion ofNorfork Dam, theNorfork Tailwaterand theWhite Riverhave become a destination fortroutfishers. Several smaller retirement communities such asBull Shoals,Hot Springs Village, andFairfield Bayhave flourished due to their position on a fishing lake. TheNational Park Servicehas preserved theBuffalo National Riverin its natural state and fly fishers visit it annually.

• Arkansas Post National MemorialatGillett
• Blanchard Springs Caverns
• Buffalo National River
• Fort Smith National Historic Site
• Hot Springs National Park
• Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site
• Pea Ridge National Military Park
• President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site
• Arkansas State Capitol Building
• List of Arkansas state parks

• Index of Arkansas-related articles
• Outline of Arkansas
• Spanish Empire
• History of Louisiana
• USSArkansas, 5 ships
• Arkansas portal
• United States portal

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• Johnson, William R. (Spring 1965). "Prelude to the Missouri Compromise: A New York Congressman's Effort to Exclude Slavery from Arkansas Territory".Arkansas Historical Quarterly.24(1): 47–66.doi:10.2307/40023964.JSTOR40023964.
• Scroggs, Jack B (Autumn 1961). "Arkansas Statehood: A Study in State and National Political Schism".Arkansas Historical Quarterly.20(3): 227–244.doi:10.2307/40038048.JSTOR40038048.
• Smith, Richard M. (1989).The Atlas of Arkansas. The University of Arkansas Press.ISBN978-1557280473.
• White, Lonnie J. (Autumn 1962). "Arkansas Territorial Indian Affairs".Arkansas Historical Quarterly.21(3): 193–212.doi:10.2307/40018929.JSTOR40018929.
• Sutherlin, Diann (1996).The Arkansas Handbook(2nd ed.). Little Rock, Arkansas: Fly By Night Press.ISBN978-0-932531-03-2.LCCN95-90761.
• The WPA Guide to 1930s Arkansas.Federal Writers' Project(1st paperback ed.).Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas. 1987 [1941].ISBN978-0700603411.LCCN87-81307.

• Arkansas.gov—Official State Website
• Arkansas State Facts from USDA
• Official State tourism website
• Encyclopedia of Arkansas
• Energy & Environmental Data for Arkansas
• U.S. Census Bureau
• 2000 Census of Population and Housing for Arkansas,U.S. Census Bureau
• USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Arkansas
• Arkansas Summer Camps
• Arkansas Shakespeare TheatreArchivedDecember 19, 2020, at theWayback Machine
• ArkansasatBallotpedia
• ArkansasatCurlie
• Geographic data related toArkansasatOpenStreetMap
• Arkansas State Code (the state statutes of Arkansas)
• Arkansas State Databases—Annotated list of searchable databases produced by Arkansas state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.

Preceded by Missouri

List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union Admitted on June 15, 1836 (25th)

Succeeded by Michigan