Arkansas Economic Development Commission — Arkansas: The Natural State

Arkansas is known as “The Natural State.” It is also known for being “a natural for business” because of its excellent location to population and market centers, transportation, and work force.

Arkansas is headquarters to the largest retail company in the world, Wal-Mart, as well as Dillard’s, Inc.; Tyson Foods, Inc.; ALLTEL; and Murphy Oil. Nearly 60 Fortune 500 companies have operations in Arkansas.

More than 100 foreign-owned companies have businesses in Arkansas, employing nearly 27,000 people. Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates all have a presence in the state.

Location
Arkansas is located in the central-southern United States. Its borders adjoin Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, and Oklahoma. The Mississippi River forms the state’s eastern border. It is very near the geographic and population centers of the United States.

Market
Because of its excellent geographic location, more than 42 percent of the population of the United States (more than 103 million people) is within an 880-kilometer (550-mile) radius of Arkansas. Major market centers in the region include Memphis, Tennessee; Chicago, Illinois; Atlanta, Georgia; Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston, Texas; New Orleans, Louisiana; and St. Louis, Missouri.

Transportation
In addition to location, transportation capability is a key asset for economic development in Arkansas. Some of the largest truck lines in the United States are headquartered here, including JB Hunt, ABF, and others. There are more than 1,800 regulated motor freight carriers in Arkansas.

Highways
Arkansas offers excellent highway transport, with interstate highways crisscrossing the state: I-30 from the south, I-40 east and west, I-55 from the north, in addition to an extensive network of four-lane and two-lane highways across the state.

Rail
Of the 24 railroad companies in Arkansas, three are Class I, offering national service, with the remainder being Class III, offering local and regional service. Of the Class I, two are among the largest: Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe.

Air
Air freight and passenger service is provided by nine airlines servicing the state. Arkansas has approximately 100 public use airports, with the principal airports located at El Dorado, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Harrison, Highfill, Hot Springs, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Mountain Home, Pine Bluff, and Texarkana.

Water
Arkansas has one of the largest inventories of navigable waterways in the nation, with 1,099 kilometers (more than 1,000 miles) along five rivers. A navigable river is within 65 miles of every county in the state. The Arkansas River allows access to the Mississippi River, which then allows movement to the Gulf of Mexico.

Work Force
Right-to-work law forbids compulsory union membership for employment. We have the work force, the educational facilities, and the programs to help you find the employees you need.

For more information, visit our website or contact us by phone, e-mail, or mail.