Arkansas: Difference between revisions

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2020 Arkansas Code Title 1 - General Provisions Chapter 4 - State Symbols, Motto, Etc. § 1-4-117. Official language  |website=[[Justia|Justia US Law]] |access-date=April 27, 2023}}</ref>

| area_total_sq_mi = 53,179<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/AR/PST045224|accessdate=January 9, 2025|title= United States Census Quick Facts Arkansas}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/acsbr-023.pdf|title=Household Income in States and Metropolitan Areas: 2023|accessdate=January 12, 2025}}</ref>

| population_as_of = 2025

| 2020Pop = {{IncreaseNeutral}} 3,114,791<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/AR/PST045224|accessdate=January 9, 2025|title= United States Census Quick Facts Arkansas}}</ref>

'''Arkansas''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɑːr|k|ən|s|ɔː|audio=En-us-Arkansas3.ogg}}, {{Respell|AR|kən|saw}}<ref name="Arkansas" group = "lower-alpha"/>) is a landlocked [[U.S. state|state]] in the [[West South Central region]] of the [[Southern United States]].<ref>Jones, Daniel (1997) ''English Pronouncing Dictionary'', 15th ed. Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|0-521-45272-4}}.</ref><ref name="wsc">{{cite web|title=Census Regions and Divisions of the United States |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/us_regdiv.pdf |publisher=Geography Division, United States Census Bureau |access-date=June 23, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120131930/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/us_regdiv.pdf |archive-date=January 20, 2013 }}</ref> It borders [[Missouri]] to the north, [[Tennessee]] and [[Mississippi]] to the east, [[Louisiana]] to the south, [[Texas]] to the southwest, and [[Oklahoma]] to the west. Its name derives from the [[Osage language]], and refers to their relatives, the [[Quapaw]] people.<ref>{{cite journal |last= Lyon | first= Owen | title= The Trail of the Quapaw |journal= Arkansas Historical Quarterly | volume= 9 |date=Autumn 1950 | issue= 3 | pages= 206–7| doi= 10.2307/40017228 | jstor= 40017228 |issn = 0004-1823 }}</ref> The state's diverse geography ranges from the mountainous regions of the [[The Ozarks|Ozark]] and [[Ouachita Mountains]], which make up the [[U.S. Interior Highlands]], to the densely forested land in the south known as the [[Arkansas Timberlands]], to the eastern lowlands along the [[Mississippi River]] and the [[Arkansas Delta]].

Previously part of [[French Louisiana]] and the [[Louisiana Purchase]], the [[Territory of Arkansas]] was [[admitted to the Union]] as the 25th state on June 15, 1836.<ref>{{cite journal |last= Cash |first= Marie |title= Arkansas Achieves Statehood |journal= Arkansas Historical Quarterly |volume= 2 | date= December 1943 |issue= 4 |pages= 292–308 |doi= 10.2307/40018776 |jstor= 40018776 }}</ref> Much of the Delta had been developed for cotton plantations, and landowners there largely depended on [[Slavery in the United States|enslaved African Americans]]' labor. In 1861, Arkansas seceded from the United States and joined the [[Confederate States of America]] during the [[American Civil War]]. On returning to the Union in 1868, Arkansas continued to suffer economically, due to its overreliance on the large-scale [[plantation 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 various [[Jim Crow laws]] to disenfranchise and segregate the African-American population. During the [[civil rights movement]] of the 1950s and 1960s, Arkansas and particularly [[Little Rock]] were major battlegrounds for efforts to integrate schools. Following [[World War II]] in the 1940s, Arkansas began to diversify its economy and see prosperity. During the 1960s, the state became the base of the [[Walmart]] corporation, the [[List of largest companies by revenue|world's largest company by revenue]], headquartered in [[Bentonville, Arkansas|Bentonville]].

Arkansas is the [[List of U.S. states and territories by area|29th largest by area]] and the [[List of U.S. states and territories by population|33rd most populous]] state, with a population of just over three million at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Bureau 2021">{{cite web | title=2020 Census Apportionment Results | website=The United States Census Bureau | date=April 26, 2021 | url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2020/dec/2020-apportionment-data.html | access-date=April 27, 2021}}</ref> The [[List of capitals in the United States|capital]] and [[List of municipalities in Arkansas|most populous city]] is [[Little Rock, Arkansas|Little Rock]], in the central part of the state, a hub for transportation, business, culture, and government. The northwestern corner of the state, namely the [[Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers Metropolitan Area]], is a population, education, cultural, and economic center. The [[Fort Smith metropolitan area|Fort Smith Metropolitan Area]] is also an economic center and is known for its historic sites related to western expansion and the persecution of Native Americans.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Mailing Address: 301 Parker Ave Fort |last2=Us |first2=AR 72901 Phone: 479 783-3961 Contact |title=Judge Isaac C. Parker - Fort Smith National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/fosm/learn/historyculture/judge-parker.htm |access-date=January 14, 2025 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}</ref>  

The name ''Arkansas'' initially applied to the [[Arkansas River]]. It derives from a [[French language|French]] term, {{lang|fr|Arcansas}}, their plural term for their transliteration of {{lang|alg|akansa}}, an [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian]] term for the [[Quapaw]] people,<ref name="bright">{{cite book |last1=Bright |first1=William |title=Native American Placenames of the United States |date=2007 |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |location=Norman |isbn=978-0-806135984 |page=47 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5XfxzCm1qa4C&q=Akancea%2C%20Acansea%2C%20Acansa%20(Dickinson%2C%201995)&pg=PA47}}</ref> which is believed to translate to "south wind people".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Arkansas Secretary of State |url=https://www.sos.arkansas.gov/education/arkansas-history/how-did-arkansas-get-its-name |access-date=July 9, 2024 |website=www.sos.arkansas.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Origin of Names of US States |url=https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/origin-names-us-states |access-date=July 9, 2024 |website=Bureau of Indian Affairs |language=en}}</ref> These were a [[Dhegiha Siouan]]-speaking people who settled in Arkansas around the 13th century. ''Kansa'' is likely also the root term for [[Kansas]], which was named after the related [[Kaw people]].<ref name=bright/>

The region was organized as the [[Territory of Arkansaw]] on July&nbsp;4, 1819, but the territory was admitted to the United States as the state of Arkansas on June&nbsp;15, 1836. The name was historically pronounced {{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɑr|k|ən|s|ɔː}}, {{IPAc-en|ɑr|ˈ|k|æ|n|z|ə|s}}, and several other variants. The residents of Arkansas have called themselves either "Arkansans" or "Arkansawyers". In 1881, the [[Arkansas General Assembly]] passed the following concurrent resolution, now Arkansas Code April&nbsp;1&nbsp;105:<ref>{{Cite journal |url=http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/ArkansasCode/0/1-4-105.htm |format=official text |title=Code |place=AR, [[United States|US]] |publisher=Assembly |issue=1–4–105 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924223556/http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/ArkansasCode/0/1-4-105.htm |archive-date=September 24, 2011 |website=Arkansas State Legislature }}</ref>

{{Blockquote|

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.

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 discouraged by Arkansans.

}}

Despite this, the state's name is still frequently mispronounced, especially by non-Americans; in fact, it is spelled in [[Cyrillic alphabet|Cyrillic]] with the {{respell|ar|KAN|zəs}} pronunciation.{{cn|date=December 2025}}{{example needed|date=December 2025|reason=What's the spelling? "Арканзас"?}}

 

In 2007, the state legislature passed a non-binding resolution declaring that the possessive form of the state's name is ''Arkansas's'', which the state government has increasingly followed.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/004291.html |title=Arkansas apostrophism |website=Language Log |date=March 10, 2007 |first=Mark |last=Liberman |access-date=April 17, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite act |type=House Concurrent Resolution |date=March 14, 2007 |legislature=[[Arkansas House of Representatives]] |title=Declaring "Arkansas's" as the correct spelling of the possessive form of the name of our state |url=https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2007%2FPublic%2FHCR1016.pdf}}</ref>

Settlers, such as fur trappers, moved to Arkansas in the early 18th century. These people used Arkansas Post as a home base and [[entrepôt]].<ref name="ce" /> During the colonial period, Arkansas changed hands between [[France]] and [[Spain]] following the [[Seven Years' War]], although neither showed interest in the remote settlement of Arkansas Post.<ref>Arnold et al. 2002, p. 82.</ref> In April 1783, Arkansas saw its only battle of the [[American Revolutionary War]], a brief [[Battle of Arkansas Post (American Revolutionary War)|siege]] of the post by British Captain James Colbert with the assistance of the [[Choctaw]] and [[Chickasaw]].<ref>{{cite journal |last= Din |first= Gilbert C. |title= Arkansas Post in the American Revolution |journal= The Arkansas Historical Quarterly |date=Spring 1981 |volume= 40 |issue= 1 |pages= 17–28 |doi= 10.2307/40023280 |jstor= 40023280 }}</ref>

[[Slavery in the United States|Slavery]] became a wedge issue in Arkansas, forming a geographic divide that remained for decades. Owners and operators of the cotton [[plantation economy]] in southeast Arkansas firmly supported slavery, as they perceived [[Slavery|slave labor]] as the best or "only" economically viable method of harvesting their commodity crops.<ref>{{cite journal |last= Bolton |first= S. Charles |title= Slavery and the Defining of Arkansas |journal= The Arkansas Historical Quarterly |date=Spring 1999 |volume= 58 |issue= 1 |page= 9 |doi= 10.2307/40026271 |jstor= 40026271 }}</ref> The "hill country" of northwest Arkansas was unable to grow cotton and relied on a cash-scarce, [[subsistence farming]] economy.<ref>Scroggs 1961, pp. 231–232.</ref>

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.<ref>White 1962, p. 197.</ref> The capital was relocated from Arkansas Post to [[Little Rock, Arkansas|Little Rock]] in 1821, during the territorial period.<ref>{{cite journal |title= Territorial Governors of Arkansas |last= Eno |first= Clara B. |journal= Arkansas Historical Quarterly |date=Winter 1945 |volume= 4 |issue= 4 |page= 278 |doi= 10.2307/40018362 |jstor= 40018362 }}</ref>

Many politicians were elected to office from [[The Family (Arkansas politics)|the Family]], the dominant [[Democratic party (United States)|Democratic]] 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.<ref name="bol" /> Arkansas did not secede until [[Abraham Lincoln]] demanded Arkansas troops be sent to [[Fort Sumter]] to quell [[Battle of Fort Sumter|the rebellion there]] and Governor [[Henry Rector]] refused. 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 the [[Confederate States of America]].<ref name="bol" />

Under the [[Reconstruction era#Military Reconstruction|Military Reconstruction Act]], Congress declared Arkansas restored to the Union in June 1868, after the Legislature accepted the 14th Amendment. Republican-dominated reconstruction legislatures expanded civil rights by establishing universal male suffrage, regardless of race, and creating the South's first comprehensive, state-funded public education systems. These conventions and governments enacted these reforms—alongside extensive infrastructural and social welfare programs—while temporarily disenfranchising former Confederate officials. The State soon came under control of the [[Radical Republicans]] and Unionists, and led by Governor [[Powell Clayton]], they presided over a time of great upheaval as Confederate sympathizers and the [[Ku Klux Klan]] fought the new developments, particularly voting rights for African Americans.

Based on the order of President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] given shortly after the [[Empire of Japan]]'s [[attack on Pearl Harbor]], nearly 16,000 [[Japanese Americans]] were forcibly removed from the [[West Coast of the United States]] and incarcerated in two internment camps in the [[Arkansas Delta]].<ref name="encyclopedia">{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=2273|title=Japanese American Relocation Camps—Encyclopedia of Arkansas|website=encyclopediaofarkansas.net}}</ref> The [[Rohwer War Relocation Center|Rohwer Camp]] in [[Desha County]] operated from September 1942 to November 1945 and at its peak interned 8,475 prisoners.<ref name="encyclopedia"/> The [[Jerome War Relocation Center]] in [[Drew County]] operated from October 1942 to June 1944 and held about 8,000.<ref name="encyclopedia"/>

Arkansas borders [[Louisiana]] to the south, [[Texas]] to the southwest, [[Oklahoma]] to the west, [[Missouri]] to the north, and [[Tennessee]] and [[Mississippi]] to the east. The [[United States Census Bureau]] classifies Arkansas as a [[Southern United States|southern]] state, sub-categorized among the [[West South Central States]].<ref name="wsc"/> The [[Mississippi River]] forms most of its eastern border, except in [[Clay County, Arkansas|Clay]] and [[Greene County, Arkansas|Greene]] counties, where the [[St. Francis River]] forms the western boundary of the [[Missouri 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|date=January 2022}}

Northwest Arkansas is part of the [[Ozark Plateau]] including the [[Ozark Mountains]], to the south are the [[Ouachita Mountains]], and these regions are divided by the [[Arkansas River]]; the southern and eastern parts of Arkansas are called the Lowlands.<ref>Federal Writers' Project 1987, p. 6.</ref> These mountain ranges are part of the [[U.S. Interior Highlands]] region, the only major mountainous region between the [[Rocky Mountains]] and the [[Appalachian Mountains]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title= Ozark Mountains |encyclopedia= Encyclopædia Britannica |url= https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/437144/Ozark-Mountains |access-date= January 2, 2013 }}</ref> The state's highest point is [[Mount Magazine]] in the [[Ouachita Mountains]],<ref>{{cite web |title= Arkansas's Highpoint Information |url= http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/!userfiles/pdfs/MM%20Highpoint%20bro%2005.pdf |publisher= [[Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism]] |access-date= January 2, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130306172243/http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/!userfiles/pdfs/MM%20Highpoint%20bro%2005.pdf |archive-date= March 6, 2013 |url-status= dead |df= mdy-all }}</ref> which is {{convert|2753|ft|m}} above sea level.<ref name="sh"/>

Arkansas has many rivers, lakes, and reservoirs within or along its borders. Major tributaries to the Mississippi River include the [[Arkansas River]], the [[White River (Arkansas)|White River]], and the [[St. Francis River]].<ref name="Federal Writers 1987, p. 8">Federal Writers' Project 1987, p. 8.</ref> The Arkansas is fed by the [[Mulberry River (Arkansas)|Mulberry]] and [[Fourche La Fave River]]s in the Arkansas River Valley, which is also home to [[Lake Dardanelle]]. The [[Buffalo National River|Buffalo]], [[Little Red River (Arkansas)|Little Red]], [[Black River (Arkansas)|Black]] and [[Cache River (Arkansas)|Cache Rivers]] are all tributaries to the [[White River (Arkansas)|White River]], which also empties into the Mississippi. [[Bayou Bartholomew]] and the [[Saline River (Ouachita River)|Saline]], [[Little Missouri River (Arkansas)|Little Missouri]], and [[Caddo River]]s are all tributaries to the [[Ouachita River]] in south Arkansas, [[Old River Control Structure|which empties into the Mississippi]] in Louisiana. The [[Red River of the South|Red River]] briefly forms the state's boundary with Texas.<ref>Smith 1989, p. 24.</ref> Arkansas has few natural lakes and many reservoirs,{{Quantify|date=August 2016}} such as [[Bull Shoals Lake]], [[Lake Ouachita]], [[Greers Ferry Lake]], [[Millwood Lake]], [[Beaver Lake (Arkansas)|Beaver Lake]], [[Norfork Lake]], [[DeGray Lake]], and [[Lake Conway]].<ref>Smith 1989, p. 25.</ref>

Arkansas's mix of warm temperate moist forest and subtropical bottomland is divided into three broad ecoregions: the ''Ozark, Ouachita-Appalachian Forests'', the ''Mississippi Alluvial and Southeast USA Coastal Plains'', and the ''Southeastern USA Plains''.<ref>{{cite map |title= Ecological Regions of North America |scale= 1:10000000 |url= ftp://ftp.epa.gov/wed/ecoregions/cec_na/NA_LEVEL_II.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170525200330/ftp://ftp.epa.gov/wed/ecoregions/cec_na/NA_LEVEL_II.pdf |url-status= dead |archive-date= May 25, 2017 |type= PDF |publisher= United States Environmental Protection Agency |access-date= July 5, 2012 }}</ref> The state is further divided into seven subregions: the Arkansas Valley, [[Boston Mountains]], [[Mississippi Alluvial Plain]], [[Crowley's Ridge|Mississippi Valley Loess Plain]], Ozark Highlands, Ouachita Mountains, and the South Central Plains.<ref>{{cite map |title= Ecoregions of Arkansas |url= ftp://ftp.epa.gov/wed/ecoregions/ar/ar_eco_pg.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170525200416/ftp://ftp.epa.gov/wed/ecoregions/ar/ar_eco_pg.pdf |url-status= dead |archive-date= May 25, 2017 |type= PDF |publisher= United States Environmental Protection Agency |access-date= July 5, 2012 }}</ref> A 2010 [[United States Forest Service]] survey determined {{convert|18720000|acre|ha}} of Arkansas's land is forestland, or 56% of the state's total area.<ref>{{cite web |title= Forest Inventory and Analysis |url= http://srsfia2.fs.fed.us/states/ar/tables/AR_2010-FS_FIADB_22JUNE2011.xls |format= XLS |year= 2010 |publisher= United States Forest Service, Southern Research Station |access-date= July 5, 2012 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121201151653/http://srsfia2.fs.fed.us/states/ar/tables/AR_2010-FS_FIADB_22JUNE2011.xls |archive-date= December 1, 2012 |df= mdy-all }}</ref> Dominant species in Arkansas's forests include ''[[Oak|Quercus]]'' (oak), ''[[Hickory|Carya]]'' (hickory), ''[[Pinus echinata]]'' (shortleaf pine) and ''[[Pinus taeda]]'' (loblolly pine).<ref>{{cite journal |title= Proceedings of the Symposium on Arkansas Forests: A Conference on the Results of the Recent Forest Survey of Arkansas |url=http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/2793 |publisher= [[United States Forest Service]] |date= May 30–31, 1997 |page= 74 |doi=10.2737/SRS-GTR-41 |last1=Guldin |first1=James M. |last2=Technical Compiler |journal=Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-41. Asheville, Nc: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 125 P |volume=041 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1= Dale |first1= Edward E. Jr. |last2= Ware |first2= Stewart |title= Distribution of Wetland Tree Species in Relation to a Flooding Gradient and Backwater versus Streamside Location in Arkansas, U.S.A |date= April–June 2004 |journal= Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society |volume= 131 |issue= 2 |pages= 177–186 |doi= 10.2307/4126919 |jstor= 4126919 }}</ref>

Arkansas is known for extreme weather and frequent storms. A typical year brings thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hail. Occasional cold snaps stand to bring varying amounts of snow, as well as ice storms. Between both the [[Great Plains]] and the [[Gulf Coast of the United States|Gulf States]], Arkansas, receives around 60 days of thunderstorms. Arkansas is located in [[Dixie alley]], and very near [[tornado alley]]. As a result, a few of the most destructive tornadoes in U.S. history have struck the state.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tornadoes |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/tornadoes-2377/ |access-date=2026-05-15 |website=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |language=en-US}}</ref> While sufficiently far from the coast to avoid a direct hit from a hurricane, Arkansas can often get the remnants of a [[tropical cyclone|tropical system]], which dumps tremendous amounts of rain in a short time and often spawns smaller tornadoes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tropical Cyclones |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/tropical-cyclones-7531/ |access-date=2026-05-15 |website=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |language=en-US}}</ref>

! style="background:#c5dfe1; color:Black; height:16px;"| [[Jonesboro, Arkansas|Jonesboro]]<ref>{{cite web |title= Climate—Jonesboro—Arkansas |publisher= U.S. Climate Data |url= http://usclimatedata.com/climate.php?location=USAR0304 |access-date= September 2, 2025 |archive-date= April 26, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130426202642/http://usclimatedata.com/climate.php?location=USAR0304 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

{{See also|List of cities and towns in Arkansas|Arkansas statistical areas|List of townships in Arkansas}}

The [[Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers Metropolitan Area]] is the second-largest metropolitan area in Arkansas, growing at the fastest rate due to the influx of businesses and the growth of the [[University of Arkansas]] and [[Walmart]].<ref>{{cite web |title= Estimates of Population Change for Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Rankings |url= https://www.census.gov/popest/data/metro/totals/2011/tables/CBSA-EST2011-05.xls |date= July 1, 2011 |publisher= United States Census Bureau |format= XLS |access-date= July 8, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120707055911/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/metro/totals/2011/tables/CBSA-EST2011-05.xls |archive-date= July 7, 2012 |url-status= dead |df= mdy-all }}</ref>

The state has eight cities with populations above 50,000 (based on 2020 census). In descending order of size, they are [[Little Rock, Arkansas|Little Rock]], [[Fayetteville, Arkansas|Fayetteville]], [[Fort Smith, Arkansas|Fort Smith]], [[Springdale, Arkansas|Springdale]], [[Jonesboro, Arkansas|Jonesboro]], [[Rogers, Arkansas|Rogers]], [[North Little Rock, Arkansas|North Little Rock]], [[Conway, Arkansas|Conway]], and [[Bentonville, Arkansas|Bentonville]]. Of these, only Fort Smith and Jonesboro are outside the two largest metropolitan areas. Other cities in Arkansas include [[Pine Bluff, Arkansas|Pine Bluff]], [[Crossett, Arkansas|Crossett]], [[Bryant, Arkansas|Bryant]], [[Lake Village, Arkansas|Lake Village]], [[Hot Springs, Arkansas|Hot Springs]], [[Bentonville, Arkansas|Bentonville]], [[Texarkana, Arkansas|Texarkana]], [[Sherwood, Arkansas|Sherwood]], [[Jacksonville, Arkansas|Jacksonville]], [[Russellville, Arkansas|Russellville]], [[Bella Vista, Arkansas|Bella Vista]], [[West Memphis, Arkansas|West Memphis]], [[Paragould, Arkansas|Paragould]], [[Cabot, Arkansas|Cabot]], [[Searcy, Arkansas|Searcy]], [[Van Buren, Arkansas|Van Buren]], [[El Dorado, Arkansas|El Dorado]], [[Blytheville, Arkansas|Blytheville]], [[Harrison, Arkansas|Harrison]], [[Dumas, Arkansas|Dumas]], [[Rison, Arkansas|Rison]], [[Warren, Arkansas|Warren]], and [[Mountain Home, Arkansas|Mountain Home]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Arkansas Cities by Population |url=https://www.arkansas-demographics.com/cities_by_population |access-date=March 26, 2024 |website=www.arkansas-demographics.com}}</ref>

| stat_ref = Source:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_municipalities_in_Arkansas|title=List of Municipalities in Arkansas|access-date=March 31, 2026|publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>

| pop_1 = 202,591

 

| city_2 = Fayetteville, Arkansas{{!}}Fayetteville

| div_2 = Washington County, Arkansas{{!}}Washington

| pop_2 = 93,949

 

| city_3 = Fort Smith, Arkansas{{!}}Fort Smith

| div_3 = Sebastian County, Arkansas{{!}}Sebastian

| pop_3 = 89,142

 

| pop_4 = 84,161

 

| pop_5 = 78,576

 

| pop_6 = 69,908

 

| pop_7 = 64,591

 

| pop_8 = 64,134

 

| pop_9 = 54,164

 

| pop_10 = 41,253

 

| pop_11 = 37,930

 

| pop_12 = 35,014

 

| pop_13 = 32,731

 

| city_14 = Bella Vista, Arkansas{{!}}Bella Vista

| div_14 = Benton County, Arkansas{{!}}Benton

| pop_14 = 30,104

 

| city_15 = Paragould, Arkansas{{!}}Paragould

| div_15 = Greene County, Arkansas{{!}}Greene

| pop_15 = 29,537

 

| pop_16 = 29,477

 

| city_17 = Texarkana, Arkansas{{!}}Texarkana

| div_17 = Miller County, Arkansas{{!}}Miller

| pop_17 = 29,387

 

| city_18 = Russellville, Arkansas{{!}}Russellville

| div_18 = Pope County, Arkansas{{!}}Pope

| pop_18 = 28,940

 

| pop_19 = 26,569

 

| pop_20 = 24,520

 

It recorded population losses in the [[1950 United States census|1950]] and [[1960 United States census|1960 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.<ref>{{cite journal |last= Holley |first= Donald |title= Leaving the Land of Opportunity: Arkansas and the Great Migration |journal= Arkansas Historical Quarterly |volume= 64 |pages= 247–248 |date=Autumn 2005 |issue= 3 |doi= 10.2307/40028047 |jstor= 40028047 }}</ref> Arkansas again began to grow, recording positive growth rates ever since and exceeding two million by the [[1980 United States census|1980 census]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Resident Population Data |publisher=United States Census Bureau |url=http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/apportionment-pop-text.php |access-date=July 4, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121220045933/http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/apportionment-pop-text.php |archive-date=December 20, 2012 }}</ref> Arkansas's rate of change, age distributions, and gender distributions mirror national averages. [[Minority group]] data also approximates national averages. There are fewer people in Arkansas of Hispanic or Latino origin than the national average.<ref name=census/> The [[center of population]] of Arkansas for 2000 was located in [[Perry County, Arkansas|Perry County]], near Nogal.<ref>{{cite web |title= Arkansas 2000 Census Population Center |url= http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/INFO/COP/ar_links.htm |publisher= NOAA |access-date= July 4, 2012 }}</ref>

|estyear=2025

|estimate=3114791

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.<ref>{{Cite web|title=2019 Census Data for Races and Ethnicities|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0400000US05&tid=ACSDP1Y2019.DP05&hidePreview=true|access-date=June 3, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref> In 2011, the state was 80.1% white (74.2% [[non-Hispanic white]]), 15.6% Black or [[African American]], 0.9% [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]] and [[Alaska Native]], 1.3% [[Asian ethnicity|Asian]], and 1.8% from two or more races. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanics]] or Latinos of any race made up 6.6% of the population.<ref name=census>{{cite web |url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/05000.html |title=Arkansas QuickFacts |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=December 13, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110104031416/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/05000.html |archive-date=January 4, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> As of 2011, 39.0% of Arkansas's population younger than age{{spaces}}1 were minorities.<ref>{{cite news|last=Exner|first=Rich|url=https://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/2012/06/americas_under_age_1_populatio.html|title=Americans under age 1 now mostly minorities, but not in Ohio: Statistical Snapshot|date=June 3, 2012|work=[[The Plain Dealer]]}}</ref>

  |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=August 12, 2021 |website=census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=September 26, 2021}}</ref>

[[File:Ethnic Origins in Arkansas.png|thumb|330x330px|Ethnic origins in Arkansas[[File:Ethnic_origins_in_Arkansas_(2020).jpg|thumb|Largest alone or in any combination ethnic origin by county in Arkansas, per the 2020 census]]]]

[[File:Arkansas counties by race.svg|thumb|210px|Map of counties in Arkansas by racial plurality, per the 2020 U.S. census{{Collapsible list

! Racial composition !! 1990<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/twps0056.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725044857/http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/twps0056.html|url-status=dead|title=Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For The United States, Regions, Divisions, and States|archivedate=July 25, 2008|access-date=April 17, 2021}}</ref> !! 2000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://censusviewer.com/state/AR|title=Population of Arkansas—Census 2010 and 2000 Interactive Map, Demographics, Statistics, Quick Facts—CensusViewer|website=Censusviewer.com|access-date=January 6, 2014|archive-date=January 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140127074230/http://censusviewer.com/state/AR|url-status=usurped}}</ref>!! 2010<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census by Decades|newspaper=Census.gov|access-date=April 17, 2021}}</ref>!! 2020<ref name="2020DP1">{{Cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?g=040XX00US05 |title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2020 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Arkansas |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=April 2, 2024}}</ref>

|title = Religion in Arkansas (2014)<ref name="pew2014">{{Cite web|title=Religion in America: U.S. Religious Data, Demographics and Statistics|url=https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2014, the [[Pew Research Center]] determined 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% were [[Atheism|atheist]] in 2014.<ref name="pew2014"/> By 2020, the [[Public Religion Research Institute]] determined 71% of the population was Christian.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PRRI – American Values Atlas |url=https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-AR |access-date=September 17, 2022 |website=ava.prri.org |archive-date=April 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404161714/https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-AR |url-status=dead }}</ref> Arkansas continued to be dominated by evangelicals, followed by [[mainline Protestant]]s and [[Black church|historically black or African American churches]].

In 2025, Arkansas's gross domestic product (GDP) was $198.4 billion and the state's per capita personal income was $61,752.<ref>{{cite web |title=SASUMMARY State annual summary statistics: personal income, GDP, consumer spending, price indexes, and employment |url= https://apps.bea.gov/itable/?ReqID=70&step=1&_gl=1*1xri62j*_ga*MTMwNTU5NTYxMC4xNzc2ODY1NjY1*_ga_J4698JNNFT*czE3NzczMzE3MTEkbzI0JGcxJHQxNzc3MzMxODEyJGo1NCRsMCRoMA..#eyJhcHBpZCI6NzAsInN0ZXBzIjpbMSwyOSwyNSwzMSwyNiwyNywzMF0sImRhdGEiOltbIlRhYmxlSWQiLCI2MDAiXSxbIk1ham9yX0FyZWEiLCIwIl0sWyJTdGF0ZSIsWyIwIl1dLFsiQXJlYSIsWyIwNTAwMCJdXSxbIlN0YXRpc3RpYyIsWyItMSJdXSxbIlVuaXRfb2ZfbWVhc3VyZSIsIkxldmVscyJdLFsiWWVhciIsWyIyMDI1Il1dLFsiWWVhckJlZ2luIiwiLTEiXSxbIlllYXJfRW5kIiwiLTEiXV19 |website=U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) |publisher=U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis |access-date=April 27, 2026}}</ref> The [[median household income]] was $55,432 in 2023, which ranked 47th.<ref name="u858">{{cite web | publisher=United States Census Bureau | title=S1901: Income in the Past 12 Months | website=Explore Census Data | url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2022.S1901 | access-date=May 22, 2024}}</ref>

 

Once a state with a cashless society in the uplands and [[Plantation economy|plantation]] agriculture in the lowlands, Arkansas's economy has evolved and diversified. Six [[Fortune 500]] companies are based in Arkansas, including the #1 company atop the list, the mega-retailer [[Walmart]], founded by [[Sam Walton]] in 1962, and headquartered in [[Bentonville, Arkansas|Bentonville]].<ref name="f500" >{{cite magazine |title= Fortune 500 |magazine= Forbes |url= http://beta.fortune.com/fortune500/list/filtered?hqstate=AR |year= 2017 |access-date= February 19, 2017 |archive-date= February 20, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170220012204/http://beta.fortune.com/fortune500/list/filtered?hqstate=AR |url-status= dead }}</ref> In 2025, 99.3% of businesses in Arkansas were [[Small business|small businesses]], and employed 46.1% of the state's workforce.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2025 Small Business Profile - Arkansas |url=https://advocacy.sba.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Arkansas_2025-State-Profile.pdf |access-date=February 19, 2026 |website=U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy}}</ref>

 

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.<ref>{{cite web |title= The Mineral Industry of Arkansas |website= 2008 Minerals Yearbook |url= http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/state/2008/myb2-2008-ar.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/state/2008/myb2-2008-ar.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |publisher= United States Geological Survey |date= August 2011 |access-date= September 11, 2012 }}</ref> According to [[CNBC]], Arkansas was the 20th-best state for business in 2025, with the 11th-lowest cost of doing business, 12th-lowest cost of living, 36th-best workforce, 30th-best economic climate, 28th in education,41st-best infrastructure and the 31st-friendliest business environment.<ref>{{Cite web |last=staff |first=CNBC com |date=2025-07-10 |title=41. Arkansas |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/10/arkansas-top-states-for-business-ranking.html |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref>

As of May 2025, the state's unemployment rate was 3.7%.<ref>{{Cite web |last=staff |first=CNBC com |date=2025-07-10 |title=41. Arkansas |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/10/arkansas-top-states-for-business-ranking.html |access-date=2026-01-16 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref>

Arkansas's earliest industries were [[fur trading]] and agriculture, with development of cotton [[plantations in the American South|plantations]] in the areas near the Mississippi River. They were dependent on slave labor through the [[American Civil War]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Flagel |first=Thomas R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7dH3lmpMbkgC&dq=arkansas+were+dependent+on+slave+labor+during+civil+war&pg=PA21 |title=The History Buff's Guide to the Civil War: The best, the worst, the largest, and the most lethal top ten rankings of the Civil War |date=September 1, 2010 |publisher=Sourcebooks, Inc. |isbn=978-1-4022-5487-1 |language=en}}</ref>

Today only about three percent of the population are employed in the agricultural sector,<ref>{{cite web |title= Selected Economic Characteristics 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates |publisher= United States Census Bureau |url= http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_10_5YR_DP03&prodType=table |archive-url= https://archive.today/20200212213253/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_10_5YR_DP03&prodType=table |url-status= dead |archive-date= February 12, 2020 |year= 2011 |access-date= October 4, 2012 }}</ref> it remains a major part of the state's economy, ranking 13th in the nation in the value of products sold.<ref name="agcensus">{{cite web |website= Census of Agriculture |title= Arkansas State Profile |publisher= United States Department of Agriculture |url= http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlights/County_Profiles/Arkansas/cp99005.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlights/County_Profiles/Arkansas/cp99005.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=dead |year= 2007 |access-date= October 4, 2012 }}</ref> Arkansas is the nation's largest producer of rice, [[broiler]]s, and turkeys,<ref>U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service, ''Poultry—Production and Value, 2010 Summary'', data indicates Arkansas led the nation in 2008, 2009, and 2010, in both broilers and turkeys.</ref> and ranks in the top three for [[cotton]], [[pullets]], and aquaculture (catfish).<ref name="agcensus" /> Forestry remains strong in the [[Arkansas Timberlands]], and the state ranks fourth nationally and first in the South in softwood lumber production.<ref>{{cite web |first= Matthew H. |last= Pelkki |title= An Economic Assessment of Arkansas's Forest Industries: Challenges and Opportunities for the 21st Century |publisher= University of Arkansas-Monticello School of Forest Resources, Arkansas Forest Resources Center, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture |url= http://arkansasagnews.uark.edu/afrc-007.2.1-20.pdf |access-date= October 4, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120928163327/http://arkansasagnews.uark.edu/afrc-007.2.1-20.pdf |archive-date= September 28, 2012 |url-status= dead |df= mdy-all }}</ref> Automobile parts manufacturers have opened factories in eastern Arkansas to support auto plants in other states. [[Bauxite]] was formerly a large part of the state's economy, mined mostly around [[Saline County, Arkansas|Saline County]].<ref>{{cite web |first= William V. |last= Bush |title= History of Bauxite in Arkansas |url= http://www.geology.arkansas.gov/pdf/pamphlets/Bauxite.pdf |publisher= Arkansas Geological Survey |access-date= October 4, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130117082700/http://www.geology.arkansas.gov/pdf/pamphlets/Bauxite.pdf |archive-date= January 17, 2013 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

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 maintains [[List of Arkansas state parks|52 state parks]] and the [[National Park Service]] maintains seven properties in Arkansas. The completion of the [[William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library]] in Little Rock has drawn many visitors to the city and revitalized the nearby [[River Market District (Little Rock, Arkansas)|River 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 Center|Ozark Folk Festival]], [[Toad Suck Daze]], and [[Tontitown, Arkansas|Tontitown Grape Festival]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Festival |first=Tontitown Grape |title=Tontitown Grape Festival |url=https://tontitowngrapefestival.com/ |access-date=August 31, 2024 |website=Tontitown Grape Festival |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[File:Arkansas welcome sign on Hernando de Soto Bridge in Memphis.jpg|thumb|The [[Hernando de Soto Bridge]] crosses over the [[Mississippi River]] into [[West Memphis, Arkansas|West Memphis]].]]

In northeast Arkansas, [[Interstate 55 in Arkansas|I-55]] travels north from [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] to [[Missouri]], with a new spur to [[Jonesboro, Arkansas|Jonesboro]] ([[Interstate 555|I-555]]). Northwest Arkansas is served by the segment of [[Interstate 49 in Arkansas|I-49]] from Fort Smith to the beginning of the [[Arkansas Highway 549|Bella Vista Bypass]]. This segment of I-49 currently follows mostly the same route as the [[Interstate 540 (Arkansas)#History|former section of I-540]] that extended north of I-40.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.4029tv.com/article/i-540-becomes-interstate-49/4952011|title=I-540 becomes Interstate 49|date=April 22, 2014|website=KHBS|access-date=November 10, 2019}}</ref> The state also has the 13th largest [[List of Arkansas state highways|state highway system]] in the nation.<ref>{{cite web |title= 19th Annual Report on the Performance of State Highway Systems (1984–2008) |url=http://reason.org/files/19th_annual_highway_report.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://reason.org/files/19th_annual_highway_report.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |date= September 2010 |first1= David T. |last1= Hartgen |first2= M. Gregory |last2= Karanam |last3= Fields |first4= Travis A. |last4= Kerscher |publisher= Reason Foundation |page= 46 |type = PDF }}</ref>

Arkansas is served by {{convert|2750|mi|km}} of railroad track divided among twenty-six railroad companies including three [[Class I railroads]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Arkansas State Rail Plan |page=3 |url=http://www.arkansashighways.com/planning_research/statewide_planning/SRP_2002all.pdf |year=2002 |publisher=Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department |access-date=August 25, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117082700/http://www.arkansashighways.com/planning_research/statewide_planning/SRP_2002all.pdf |archive-date=January 17, 2013 }}</ref> Freight railroads are concentrated in southeast Arkansas to serve the industries in the region. The [[Texas Eagle]], an Amtrak passenger train, serves five stations entirely in the state [[Walnut Ridge (Amtrak station)|Walnut Ridge]], [[Little Rock (Amtrak station)|Little Rock]], [[Malvern (Amtrak station)|Malvern]], [[Arkadelphia (Amtrak station)|Arkadelphia]], and [[Hope station (Arkansas)|Hope]], along with [[Texarkana (Amtrak station)|Texarkana]] on the border with Texas.

 

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 are [[term-limited]] to two full terms plus any partial terms before the first full term.<ref name = "NCSL2013">{{cite web |last1= English |first1= Art |last2= Weberg |first2= Brian |title= Term Limits in the Arkansas General Assembly: A Citizen Legislature Responds |year= 2005 |publisher= National Conference of State Legislatures |website= Joint Project on Term Limits |page= 1 |url= http://www.ncsl.org/Portals/1/documents/jptl/casestudies/Arkansasv2.pdf |access-date= February 3, 2013 |archive-date= June 3, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130603142221/http://www.ncsl.org/Portals/1/documents/jptl/casestudies/Arkansasv2.pdf |url-status= dead }}</ref>

The governor of Arkansas is [[Sarah Huckabee Sanders]]. Sanders is a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] and was inaugurated on January 10, 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.stateline.org/weekly/Stateline.org-Weekly-Original-Content-2006-11-06.pdf |title=Winners in '06 Governors races |access-date=July 30, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728055148/http://archive.stateline.org/weekly/Stateline.org-Weekly-Original-Content-2006-11-06.pdf |archive-date=July 28, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://dwe.arkansas.gov/GenIfo/administration.html |title=Arkansas.gov Administration page for Governor |publisher=Dwe.arkansas.gov |date=March 16, 2007 |access-date=July 30, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060614164225/http://dwe.arkansas.gov/GenIfo/administration.html |archive-date=June 14, 2006 }}</ref> The six other elected executive positions in Arkansas are [[Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas|lieutenant governor]], [[Secretary of State of Arkansas|secretary of state]], [[Arkansas Attorney General|attorney general]], [[Arkansas State Treasurer|treasurer]], [[Arkansas State Auditor|auditor]], and [[Arkansas Land Commissioner|land commissioner]].<ref>Arkansas Code May 7, 806.</ref> 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.

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.<ref name = "NCSL2013"/>

! colspan = 6 | Party registration as of October 3, 2024<ref>{{cite web |title=VR Statistics Report for June 2021|access-date=June 9, 2021 |url=https://www.sos.arkansas.gov/uploads/VR_Statistics_Report_for_June_2021.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.sos.arkansas.gov/uploads/VR_Statistics_Report_for_June_2021.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://ballot-access.org/2024/05/03/new-arkansas-registration-data-2/ | title=New Arkansas Registration Data &#124; | date=May 3, 2024 }}</ref>

Reflecting the state's large [[Evangelicalism in the United States|evangelical]] population, Arkansas has a strong [[Social conservatism in the United States|social conservative]] bent. In the aftermath of the landmark Supreme Court decision ''[[Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization]]'', Arkansas became one of nine states where [[abortion]] is banned.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 24, 2022 |title=Tracking the States Where Abortion Is Now Banned |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/us/abortion-laws-roe-v-wade.html |access-date=August 15, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Under the [[Arkansas Constitution]], Arkansas is a [[Right-to-work law|right to work state]]. Its voters passed a ban on [[same-sex marriage]] in 2004, with 75% voting yes,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/ballot.measures/|title= Election 2004 - Ballot Measures|website=CNN |access-date=April 17, 2021}}</ref> although that ban has been inactive since the Supreme Court protected same-sex marriage in ''[[Obergefell v. Hodges]]''.

{{Expand section|date=March 2017}}

[[Arkansas State University]] became the second [[NCAA 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.<ref>{{cite news |title= Arkansas matchup is not likely soon |publisher= [[Sun Herald]] |date= July 20, 2003 |page= 9B }}</ref> Two other campuses of the [[University of Arkansas System]] are Division I members. The [[University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff]] is a member of the [[Southwestern Athletic Conference]], a league whose members all play football in the second-level [[Football Championship Subdivision]] (FCS). The [[University of Arkansas at Little Rock]], known for sports purposes as Little Rock, joined the [[Ohio Valley Conference]] in 2022 after playing in the [[Sun Belt Conference]]; unlike many other OVC members, it does not field [[List of NCAA Division I non-football programs|a football program]]. In July 2026, Little Rock will move to the [[Western Athletic Conference|United Athletic Conference]], which is transitioning from a [[United Athletic Conference (football)|football-only league]] to an all-sports conference via a rebranding of the Western Athletic Conference. It will be one of two UAC members without a football program. The state's other Division{{spaces}}I member is the [[University of Central Arkansas]] (UCA), which joined the [[Atlantic Sun Conference]] (then officially the ASUN Conference) in 2021 after leaving the FCS [[Southland Conference]]. UCA, which played in the football-only version of the UAC from 2023–2025, will move from the ASUN to the all-sports UAC in July 2026. Seven of Arkansas's smaller colleges play in [[NCAA Division&nbsp;II]], with six in the [[Great American Conference]] and one in the [[Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association|MIAA]]. Two other small Arkansas colleges compete in [[NCAA Division&nbsp;III]], in which [[athletic scholarship]]s are prohibited. High school football also began to grow in Arkansas in the early 20th century.

Fishing has always been popular in Arkansas,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hanggi |first=Sam |date=March 15, 2024 |title=What I Learned Fishing in Arkansas |url=https://www.wired2fish.com/fishing-tips/what-i-learned-fishing-in-arkansas |access-date=August 31, 2024 |website=Wired2Fish |language=en-US}}</ref> and the sport and the state have benefited from the creation of reservoirs across the state. Following the completion of [[Norfork Dam]], the [[Norfork Tailwater]] and the [[White River (Arkansas)|White River]] have become a destination for [[trout]] fishers. Several smaller retirement communities such as [[Bull Shoals, Arkansas|Bull Shoals]], [[Hot Springs Village, Arkansas|Hot Springs Village]], and [[Fairfield Bay, Arkansas|Fairfield Bay]] have flourished due to their position on a fishing lake. The [[National Park Service]] has preserved the [[Buffalo National River]] in its natural state and fly fishers visit it annually.

 

* {{cite journal | last1= Arnold | first1= Morris S | title= The Significance of the Arkansas Colonial Experience | pages= 69–82 |volume= 51 |date=Spring 1992 |journal = Arkansas Historical Quarterly| issue= 1 | doi= 10.2307/40038202 | jstor= 40038202 }}

* {{cite journal |last= Bolton |first= S. Charles |title= Slavery and the Defining of Arkansas |journal= The Arkansas Historical Quarterly |date=Spring 1999 |volume= 58 |issue= 1 |pages= 1–23 |doi= 10.2307/40026271 |jstor= 40026271 }}

* {{cite journal |last= Johnson |first= William R. |title= Prelude to the Missouri Compromise: A New York Congressman's Effort to Exclude Slavery from Arkansas Territory | journal = Arkansas Historical Quarterly |volume= 24 |date=Spring 1965 |issue= 1 |pages= 47–66|doi= 10.2307/40023964 |jstor= 40023964 }}

* {{cite journal |title= Arkansas Statehood: A Study in State and National Political Schism |first= Jack B | last = Scroggs |pages= 227–244 |volume= 20 |date=Autumn 1961 | journal = Arkansas Historical Quarterly|issue= 3 |doi= 10.2307/40038048 |jstor= 40038048 }}

* {{Cite journal |title= Arkansas Territorial Indian Affairs |first= Lonnie J. |last= White |journal= Arkansas Historical Quarterly |volume= 21 |date=Autumn 1962 |issue= 3 |pages= 193–212 |doi= 10.2307/40018929 |jstor= 40018929 }}