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Metropolitan Little Rock, with a population of over 500,000 is the geographic, cultural, and economic center, as well as the Capital City of Arkansas, the Natural State. Little Rock is located 360 miles south of St. Louis, 340 miles northeast of Dallas, 430 miles north of New Orleans and 130 miles west of Memphis.
As Arkansas's capital and largest city, Little Rock is a natural focal point for much the state has to offer - from the pleasures and opportunities of an urban area to unspoiled scenic grandeur and outdoor recreational pursuits. Centrally located on the Arkansas River, Little Rock is a city with something for all members of the family. Little Rock is located in the center of a vast network of lakes, streams, and forests. Those interested in camping, hiking, fishing, and hunting will find easy access to these pastimes in an environment of clean air and water. Lake Maumelle, covering an area of 14 square miles with a 70-mile shoreline, is located 12 miles northwest of Little Rock. Hot Springs, an hour away, offers water sports and fishing on three lakes, a National Park, hot mineral baths, a three-month thoroughbred horse racing season, and resort restaurants and entertainment. The Ouachita National Forest and Ouachita Mountains are a 30 minute drive west of Little Rock, and the Ozark Mountains and the Buffalo National River are two hours to the northwest. You may visit the magnificent Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs.
Little Rock is a growing health care center, with 15 hospitals and medical centers with a total of more than 5,300 beds, serving more than 2.5 million people in the metropolitan area and state. The city has a population of about 175,000, with nearly 500,000 people within a 50-mile radius that comprises the heart of Arkansas. Little Rock offers a variety of private and parochial schools in addition to public school systems. There are 12 colleges and universities in the area, including the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, attended by more than 10,000 students.
To plan your trip to Little Rock, you can use Mapquest or Yahoo as resources for maps and driving directions should you decide to drive here. Major highways (Interstates 30 and 40 as well as other major roads and beltways) intersect at Little Rock, allowing for easy access by car. If you fly, you will fly into Little Rock National Airport, on the east side of town, from where you can take a shuttle or cab to area hotels. At Little Rock, the state’s geography changes considerably. To the east and south, where the airport is located, you are in the flat, agricultural delta region. As you travel westward to the downtown area, near where the Child Study Center is located, you will begin to see signs of some hills. Just west of town are the foothills of the beautiful Ouachita Mountains, Lake Maumelle, Pinnacle Mountain State Park, and further to the west (about a 45-minute drive) is the Ouachita National Forest with many hiking, camping, canoeing, and mountain biking opportunities.
If you have the time to do so, take a little extra time to see some of the area. Many of the nicer areas for shopping, eating out, or finding local entertainment are either in the west Little Rock area or in the RiverMarket area of downtown Little Rock. The RiverMarket is just north of the main downtown area and to the west of Interstate 30, adjacent to a string of parks along the south banks of the Arkansas River. You’ll find many things to see and do in the RiverMarket area, including the Old Statehouse Museum, Arkansas Arts Center, and Imax. Other local attractions include: concerts at Alltel Arena, the Arkansas Twisters arena football team; the Arkansas Travelers minor league baseball team; the Little Rock Zoo. In general, the cost of living in Little Rock is lower than many metropolitan areas. Nevertheless, we have a number of excellent restaurants. For a sampling of favorite places to eat of the Child Study Center staff, see the dining page.
For those who love the outdoors, Arkansas is a state of exceptional beauty and variety. Within an hour's drive of Little Rock, you can sail, hike, spelunk, rock climb, water ski, camp, fish, hunt, and white-water canoe. Outdoor recreational activities abound in this city and its environs and include tennis, golf, boating, minor league baseball, hiking, fishing, college basketball and football. Also located in the city of Little Rock are the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of David Itken; Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts (a venue for opera, jazz, cabaret, and chamber music); the Broadway Theatre Series; Arkansas Repertory Theatre; Arkansas Ballet Theatre; and Murry’s Dinner Theater. The Decorative Arts Museum (which occupies a classic, columned antebellum residence) and the Arkansas Arts Center together house 13 galleries. The Quapaw Quarter neighborhood of Little Rock, the most historic portion of the city, contains numerous elegant homes of the Victorian era. Notable attractive features in the metro area include nine municipal parks with tennis courts and golf courses, several large shopping malls, a sports stadium seating 55,000 (one of two "home" fields for the University of Arkansas Razorback football team), a convention center complex and the Arkansas Arts Center, a multi-million dollar structure containing a theater, teaching rooms for the visual and performing arts, and exhibition halls. The River Market area downtown by the Arkansas River and Riverfront Park, features art museums, restaurants, bars and musical entertainment. The Clinton Presidential Library is planned for construction in this area, and a modern multipurpose arena across the river from the River Market, the Alltel Arena, features concerts, athletic events, and other activities.
Local Info Summary courtesy of The Child Study Center website, an affiliate of the Little Rock Community Mental Health Center and provides comprehensive mental health services to children and families
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