Little Rock

Little Rock, Arkansas 

The capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas is Little Rock. The city had 204,405 residents as of 2022, according to the US Census Bureau. The city, which serves as Pulaski County's county seat, was established on November 7, 1831, not far from the geographic center of the state on the south bank of the Arkansas River. The "Little Rock" (Le Petit Rocher) was a rock structure along the river that was given that name by the French explorer Jean-Baptiste Bénard de la Harpe in 1722. In 1821, the Arkansas Territory's capital was transferred from Arkansas Post to Little Rock. According to the 2020 estimate by the United States Census Bureau, the six-county Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) of Arkansas is home to 748,031 people, ranking it 81st in terms of population in the US. 

Little Rock is a major center for culture, commerce, politics, and transportation in both Arkansas and the South. Along with hiking, boating, and other outdoor activities, Little Rock is home to a number of cultural organizations, including the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, and the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. Little Rock's historical landmarks, such as Little Rock Central High School, historic neighborhoods like the Quapaw Quarter, and history museums all provide access to the city's past. Dillard's, Windstream Communications, Stephens Inc., the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Heifer International, Winrock International, the Clinton Foundation, and the Rose Law Firm all have their corporate headquarters in this city. 

Geography 

The city has a total area of 116.8 square miles (303 km2), of which 116.2 square miles (301 km2) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2) (0.52%) is water, according to the United States Census Bureau. 

In Central Arkansas, Little Rock is located on the south bank of the Arkansas River. The city is traversed by the rivers, the Fourche Creek and the Rock Creek. The Ouachita Mountains' foothills are in the city's western section. Pinnacle Peak and Lake Maumelle, which supply Little Rock's drinking water, are located to the northwest of the city boundaries. 

North Little Rock is a separate city that is located right over the river from Little Rock. The eighth ward of Little Rock used to be North Little Rock. The award was able to amalgamate with the neighboring town of North Little Rock according to a judgement rendered by the Arkansas Supreme Court on February 6, 1904. The combined town adopted the local moniker for the previous 8th Ward, Argenta, but in October 1917 it changed back to its original name. 

Climate 

Little Rock has hot, humid summers and cool, typically snow-free winters because it is located in the humid subtropical climatic zone (Cfa). It has seen lows of 12 °F (24 °C), which occurred on February 12, 1899, and highs of 114 °F (46 °C), which occurred on August 3, 2011. 

Economy 

Little Rock is home to the corporate offices of Dillard's Department Stores, Windstream Communications, Acxiom, Simmons Bank, Bank of the Ozarks, Rose Law Firm, Central Air Service, and large stockbroker Stephens Inc. Dassault Falcon Jet, Fidelity National Information Services, and Welspun Corp. are big corporations with headquarters outside of Little Rock but a sizable presence there. Dassault Falcon Jet is located close to Little Rock National Airport in the eastern portion of the city (in Southeast Little Rock). Large nonprofit organizations like Winrock International, Heifer International, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, the Clinton Foundation, Lions World Services for the Blind, the Clinton Presidential Center, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, FamilyLife, Audubon Arkansas, and The Nature Conservancy have their headquarters in Little Rock and the surrounding area. The American Taekwondo Association and the Arkansas Hospital Association are both based in Little Rock. There are several employers in Little Rock, including Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield, Baptist Health Medical Center, Entergy, Dassault Falcon Jet, Siemens, AT&T Mobility, Kroger, Euronet Worldwide, L'Oréal, Timex, and UAMS. With more than 10,552 employees, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is one of the state's largest public employers. Together with its healthcare partners, Arkansas Children's Hospital and the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, UAMS has an estimated $5 billion in annual economic impact on Arkansas. Less than 11% of UAMS's revenue comes from the state; instead, 64% comes from payments for clinical services, 18% from grants and contracts, 5% from charity, and 2% comes from tuition and fees. The Little Rock port is a big industrial business complex and an intermodal river port. Foreign Trade Zone 14 is the designation for it. Foreign businesses have built new facilities close to the port, including the Danish producer LM Glasfiber.  

The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis maintains branches in Louisville, Memphis, and Little Rock. 

Government 

Since November 1957, the city has been governed under a city manager system. Voters approved the switch to a democratically elected mayor, seven ward directors, and three at-large directors in 1993, replacing the previous seven at-large city directors who evaluated the job of mayor amongst themselves. Up until August 2007, the mayorcy was a part-time office. Voters then decided to make the mayor's post a full-time role with veto power, with the municipal board members choosing the vice mayor. Frank Scott Jr., a former assistant bank executive, pastor, and state highway commissioner, was chosen as the city's next mayor in November 2018. The longest-serving city manager in Little Rock's history is Bruce T. Moore. Almost 2,500 employees are employed by the city in 14 distinct departments, including the zoo, parks and recreation, fire department, and police department. 

The Quorum, Circuit, District, and Juvenile Courts, as well as the offices of the Assessor, County Judge, County Attorney, and Public Defender, are located downtown Little Rock. 

In Little Rock, there are courts for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. The Little Rock Police Department provides security for the city. 

Sports 

The Arkansas Travelers has their base in Little Rock. They represent the Seattle Mariners' AA professional Minor League Baseball affiliate in the Texas League. On September 3, 2006, the Travelers played their final game at Ray Winder Field in Little Rock before relocating to Dickey-Stephens Park in adjacent North Little Rock in April 2007. 

The debut seasons for the men's and women's teams of the Little Rock Rangers soccer club in the National Premier Soccer League were in 2016 and 2017, respectively. War Memorial Stadium is where home games are held. 

The Arena Football 2 and Indoor Football League's Arkansas Twisters (later Arkansas Diamonds) and the American Basketball Association's Arkansas RimRockers (after NBA Development League) were also based in Little Rock. At North Little Rock, Arkansas, Verizon Arena hosted both of these teams' games. 

The Little Rock Trojans, the athletic team for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, are based in the city. The Jack Stephens Center, was opened in 2005, serves as home to the bulk of the school's athletic teams. The Trojans will compete in the Ohio Valley Conference starting in 2022. 

Every year, at least one University of Arkansas Razorback football game is played at Little Rock's War Memorial Stadium. The location of the stadium in the middle of a golf course is well known. In order to accommodate the approximately 80,000 attendees who attend Razorback football weekends each autumn, the city shutters the golf course. Moreover, War Memorial hosts the Arkansas High School Football State Championships and will begin hosting one game each for the University of Central Arkansas and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff starting in the 2006 fall season. There are occasionally games at the stadium featuring Arkansas State University. 

The 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament's First and Second Rounds were held in Little Rock. Also, it served as the venue for the SEC women's basketball tournament. 

Both minor league hockey teams from Arkansas, the RiverBlades and GlacierCats, were in the Little Rock region. When the RiverBlades of the ECHL played at the Verizon Arena, the GlacierCats of the now-defunct Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL) competed in Little Rock at Barton Coliseum. 

The Grande Maumelle Sailing Club is located in Little Rock. The club, which was founded in 1959, often holds regattas on the Arkansas River and Lake Maumelle. 

The Little Rock Marathon, which has been run on the first Saturday of March every year since 2003, is also located in Little Rock. The marathon offers runners the biggest medal in the entire world. 

Population 

The city of Little Rock is found in Pulaski County, Arkansas. It serves as Pulaski County's County seat as well. It is the largest city in Arkansas and the 123rd largest city in the United States as of 2023, with a population of 205,312. Little Rock's population has grown by 1.34% from the most recent census, which showed a population of 202,591 in 2020, and is now rising at a rate of 0.44% annually. Little Rock has a population density of 1,711 persons per square mile and a total length of nearly 123 miles. 

With an 18.75% poverty rate, Little Rock's average household income is $83,730. The median monthly cost of rent in recent years has been, and the median value of a home is. Little Rock's median age is 36.5 years, with men being on average 33.9 years old and women on average 38.4 years old. 

The state of Arkansas's capital and largest city, Little Rock, is situated quite close to the state's geographic center. Little Rock was established in Pulaski County in 1821. 

The bigger urban area is home to 432,000 people and ranks 88th in the country, while the metropolitan region is home to 726,000 people (75th largest in the country). There are 900.000 people living in the Little Rock-North Little Rock, Arkansas Combined Statistical Area.