9 Things You Didn’t Know About Little Rock, AR
Breweries, history, presidents... Rock City has something for everyone.
The capital city of Arkansas, Little Rock is near the state’s geographic center and known as a major shipping hub on the Arkansas River. The city is home to the William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum and a gateway to some of America’s best outdoor escapes, and Little Rock is attractive to families, young professionals and retirees.
In This Article
1. Where Chelsea Was Born
Both Bill and Hillary Clinton are former residents of Little Rock, and daughter Chelsea was born here in 1980. Other famous past residents of Little Rock include World War II Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Baltimore Orioles third baseman Brooks Robinson, and Walmart founder Sam Walton.
2. Propose a Toast
Little Rock has developed into a major microbrew player and is now one of the South’s leading beer destinations. Popular hotspots include Blue Canoe Brewing, Diamond Bear Brewing, Rebel Kettle Brewing and Stone’s Throw Brewing.
3. Its Heartbeat
Every city needs a heart, that place where everyone gathers for a great meal, some live music or a little bit of shopping. The Little Rock River Market district offers all that and more, including a farmers market, artisan boutiques, an amphitheater and a fabulous park situated on the banks of the Arkansas River.
4. Windows of Opportunity
Looking for a nice house? Little Rock has more than 50 individual neighborhoods, with names like Broadmoor, Brodie Creek, East End, MacArthur Park, Quapaw Quarter and Woodlands Edge. The median home price in the city is a reasonable $153,500.
5. Multiple Choices
Students here have access to a number of top-notch higher education institutions, including the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Arkansas Baptist College, Philander Smith College and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
6. Just Plane Busy
For air travelers, the Clinton National Airport in Little Rock is the largest commercial airport in Arkansas, with more than 100 flights each day and nonstop jet service to 18 cities.
7. Strokes of Genius
Paintings by Van Gogh, O’Keeffe and Rembrandt have a home in Little Rock’s Arkansas Art Center, a popular interactive museum. The Art Center features an ever-changing collection, an art school, children’s museum and roving art mobile.
8. Wealth of Health
The medical industry here is in good shape, led by a 356-bed Arkansas Children’s hospital that has more than 500 physicians and 4,500 staffers. Arkansas Children’s has a Level I trauma center and serves children from birth to age 21. Also in Little Rock are Arkansas State Hospital-Psychiatric Division, Arkansas Heart Hospital, Baptist Health Medical Center, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, CHI St. Vincent, Pinnacle Pointe Hospital and UAMS Medical Center.
9. Several Sister Cities
Most large cities in the U.S. have one or two sister cities they befriend in the world, but Little Rock has six. Their sister city correspondences are in Belgium, China, Italy, Mexico, South Korea and Taiwan.