Arkansas is known for its lakes, rivers, and hot springs, extreme weather and frequent storms, rice and poultry production, its rich folk music tradition, and the only active diamond mine in the United States.
Geography & Demographics
| State Abbreviation |
AR |
| State Capital |
Little Rock |
| State Size |
Total (Land + Water): 53,179 sq miles; Land Only: 52,068 sq miles |
| Number of Counties |
75 |
| Time Zone |
Central Time Zone |
| Bordering States |
Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas |
| Highest Point | Mount Magazine, 2,753 feet |
| National Parks | Hot Springs National Park |
| State Population (2020) | 3,011,524 |
| State Population Density | 57.8 people / square mile |
| Area Codes |
327, 479, 501, 870 |
| Top 5 Cities (2020 population) |
Little Rock (197,866)
Fayetteville (89,576)
Fort Smith (87,764)
Springdale (81,115)
Jonesboro (79,859)
|
Government & Legislature
State Symbols
| State American Folk Dance | Square dance |
| State Beverage | Milk |
| State Bird |
Mockingbird |
| State Butterfly | Diana fritillary |
| State Flower |
Apple blossom |
| State Fruit and Vegetable | South Arkansas vine ripe pink tomato |
| State Gem | Diamond |
| State Grain | Rice |
| State Grape | Cynthiana |
| State Historic Cooking Vessel | Dutch oven |
| State Insect | Honeybee |
| State Instrument | Fiddle |
| State Mammal | White tail deer |
| State Motto |
Regnat populus (The people rule) |
| State Mineral | Quartz crystal |
| State Nickname |
The Natural State |
| State Nut | Pecan |
| State Rock | Bauxite |
| State Tree |
Pine tree |
Sports Teams
| Major Sports Teams |
None |
| NCAA Division I Schools |
University of Arkansas (SEC)
University of Arkansas at Little Rock (Sun Belt)
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (Southeastern)
Arkansas State University (Sun Belt)
University of Central Arkansas (Southland)
|
Popular Tourist Attractions
- Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo: Farm in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
- Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts: Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas.
- Big Dam Bridge: Pedestrian bridge in Little Rock, Arkansas.
- Buffalo National River: River in northern Arkansas.
- Clinton Presidential Center: Presidential library in Little Rock, Arkansas.
- Crater of Diamonds State Park: State park in Pike County, Arkansas.
- Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art: Museum of American art in Bentonville, Arkansas.
- Garvan Woodland Gardens: Botanical garden in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
- Hot Springs Mountain Tower: Tower in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
- Hot Springs National Park: National park in central Garland County, Arkansas.
- Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine: Man-made lakes around Hot Springs, Arkansas.
- Lake Ouachita: Reservoir in western Arkansas.
- Little Rock Zoo: Zoo in Little Rock, Arkansas.
- Magic Springs: Amusement park and water park in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
- Ozark Folk Center: State park in Mountain View, Arkansas.
- Pea Ridge National Military Park: Park in Pea Ridge, Arkansas.
- Thorncrown Chapel: Chapel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
- Wild River Country: Water park in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
Popular Iconic Arkansas Foods
Arkansas is famous for the following foods:
- Fried Pickles
- Chocolate Gravy
- Possum Pie
- Fried Catfish
- Cheese Dip
- The Garden Sandwich
- Purple Cow Milkshake
- Fried Hand Pies
- Grapette
- Fried Okra
Famous People Born In Arkansas
United States Presidents
- William J. Clinton (42nd President)
Pro Football Hall Of Fame Members
- Don Hutson (Offensive End, Safety, Kicker . Inducted in 1963)
- Joe Perry (Fullback. Inducted in 1969)
- Lamar Hunt (Team Owner, AFL Co-Founder. Inducted in 1972)
- Bobby Mitchell (Halfback, Flanker. Inducted in 1983)
- Cortez Kennedy (Defensive Tackle. Inducted in 2012)
- Willie Roaf (Offensive Tackle. Inducted in 2012)
- Cliff Harris (Safety. Inducted in 2020)
Baseball Hall Of Fame Players
- Dizzy Dean (Pitcher. Inducted in 1953)
- Travis Jackson (Shortstop. Inducted in 1982)
- George Kell (Third Baseman. Inducted in 1983)
- Brooks Robinson (Third Baseman. Inducted in 1983)
- Lou Brock (Left Fielder. Inducted in 1985)
- Arky Vaughan (Shortstop. Inducted in 1985)
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame Players
- Joan Crawford (Center. Inducted in 1997)
- Scottie Pippen (Forward. Inducted in 2010)
- Goose Tatum (Forward. Inducted in 2011)
- Nat Clifton (Center-Forward. Inducted in 2014)
- Sidney Moncrief (Guard. Inducted in 2019)
Famous Actors And Actresses
- Mika Boorem
- Lynda Carter
- Emma Stone
Famous Singers
- Johnny Cash
- Iris DeMent
- Levon Helm
Arkansas Fun Facts
- The name Arkansas came from the Quapaw Indians, by way of early French explorers. The explorers met a group of Indians, known as the Ugakhpah, which means "people who live downstream.". These
- Native Americans later were called the Quapaw, also called the Arkansaw.
- The World's Championship Duck Calling Contest is held annually in Stuttgart.
- It is illegal for the Arkansas River to rise above the Main Street Bridge in Little Rock. It is unclear how this law can be enforced.
- In November, 1932, Hattie Caraway was elected senator in Arkansas. She became the first woman in the U.S. Senate.
- Arkansas contains over 600,000 acres of lakes and 9,700 miles of streams and rivers.
On July 2, 1962, Sam Walton founded opened the first Wal-Mart store in Rogers, Arkansas.
47 hot springs flow from the southwestern slope of Hot Springs Mountain. About 1,000,000 gallons of 143°F flow from the springs every day.
- Mount Ida is known as the Quartz Crystal Capital of the World.
- Pine Bluff is known as the world center of archery bow production.
- Arkansas is the only state with an official State Cooking Vessel: Dutch oven.
This page was last updated on January 30, 2023.
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