36 Facts About Arkansas: Here Was the World’s 1st Walmart

by Petr Novák, ? The accuracy of the information provided in this article was last verified on this date. If you spot any errors, please let us know in the comments. Thank you. :-) Updated 01/08/2024 Arkansas, Trivia About the US states

Arkansas is a state in the southern region of the USA. It’s home to the annual World Duck-Plucking Championships, former President Bill Clinton, and a small town obsessed with spinach, and Popeye the sailor.

36 Interesting Facts About the State of Arkansas

1. Sam Walton opened the first of the iconic Walmart stores in Bentonville, Arkansas.
2. Arkansas became the 25th state of the USA on June 15, 1836.
3. Some of Arkansas’ most famous natives include singer Johnny Cash (born in Kingsland), the aforementioned founder of Walmart, Sam Walton, former USA President Bill Clinton, and Senator William Fulbright.
4. Arkansas has about 934 mi2 of lakes and ponds and about 6,027 mi2 of rivers and streams.
5. Since 1987, the city of Alma, Arkansas, has been nicknamed the “Spinach Capital of the World” because it produces half of the canned spinach in the USA. There are also several statues of Popeye the Sailor erected in the town. The same spinach title is also claimed by Crystal City in Texas.
6. The Little River County Courthouse is known throughout the USA for its Christmas lights, which are unexpected for a courthouse.
7. One of the world’s largest city parks is located in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
8. The geographic center of Arkansas is situated in the town of Pulaski, 11.81 mi northwest of Little Rock.
9. The lowest elevation in Arkansas is 56 ft above sea level, found on the Ouachita River.
10. Conversely, the highest point in Arkansas is Mount Magazine, which has an elevation of 2,753 ft.
11. An Arkansas resident is referred to as an “Arkansan” in English.
12. Known as “America’s Folk Capital,” the town of Mountain View preserves its original lifestyle. Visitors can see exhibits at the Ozark Folk Center State Park from March through October.
13. The city of Stuttgart (the American one, not the German one) hosts the annual World Duck Plucking Championships.
14. Pine Bluff, Arkansas, is recognized as one of the world’s centers for bowhunting.
15. The University of Central Arkansas has been a traditional college in Conway since 1907.
16. The area of Clark Bluff on the St. Francis River produces school chalk for the entire country.
17. The Ouachita National Forest is one of the oldest forests in the southern USA.
18. Bill Clinton began his journey to The White House in Hope, Arkansas, followed by Hot Springs, Fayetteville, and Little Rock.
19. The name “Arkansas” comes from the French interpretation of the Sioux word “acansa,” which means a place located downstream of a river.
20. Mount Ida is known as the silicon capital of the world due to its rich deposits.
21. In Arkansas, there’s Hot Springs National Park, 3,906 mi2 of national forest, seven national and three state scenic byways, and fifty state parks.
22. Forty-seven hot springs emerge from the southwest face of Hot Springs Mountain. Their average temperature is 144°F.
23. The Quapaw Quarter Historic District in Little Rock contains several restored old statues, Victorian-style homes, and examples of antebellum architecture, popular between the American Revolution and the American Civil War.
24. Army General and statesman Douglas MacArthur, who became especially famous during World War II in the Pacific Theater, was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1880.
25. The Magnet Cove region contains approximately 102 different types of minerals.
26. The Buffalo River is one of the last free-flowing and unpolluted rivers in the lower 48 states of the USA.
27. The first white settlement in the state was Arkansas Post, established in 1686 along the Arkansas River.
28. The Battle of Arkansas Post, also known as Colbert Raid or Colbert Incident, occurred in the settlement in 1783. It was the only battle fought in Arkansas during the American War of Independence.
29. Mountain View is one of the world’s largest producers of the handmade musical instrument known as the dulcimer.
30. The Ozark National Forest, covering an area of 1,563 mi2, is also located in Arkansas.
31. Greers Ferry Lake, one of the cleanest lakes in the USA, spans an area of 100 mi in the town of Fairfield Bay.
32. Hot Springs National Park is famous for its therapeutic springs, which have been frequented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, baseball player Babe Ruth, and even mobster Al Capone. The entire park is surrounded by the town of Hot Springs, where Bill Clinton spent his childhood.
33. The Arkansas River, which is 2,334 km long, is the longest river among all those that flow into the Mississippi-Missouri river system.
34. Crater of Diamonds State Park near Murfreesboro allows enthusiasts to search for precious stones including diamonds, amethysts, garnets, agates, and quartz.
35. The largest free-standing rock formation in Arkansas is located in Eureka Springs. While the base of the rock is only 25 cm in diameter, the top measures slightly over 9.84 ft wide.
36. The average temperature in Arkansas in July is 81°F and 39°F in January. The average annual temperature is 62°F. The annual rainfall measures 123 cm and the annual snowfall is 13.20 cm.