Fort Smith - city in and county seat of Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States

Fort Smith is in northwest Arkansas and borders Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Sebastian County. The city has a population of 80,286 which makes it the second largest city in Arkansas behind Little Rock. It is located in the River Valley of Arkansas between the Ouachita mountains in the south and the Boston and Ozark mountains of the north and a gateway city to the Ozarks.

Understand

In 1817 Fort Smith was established as a military fort next to Indian territory in Oklahoma to keep the peace between the native Osage tribes and the recently relocated Cherokee groups. It is at the junction of the Arkansas river and the Poteau river at a place that early French explorers called Belle Point. The military fort was named after General Thomas A. Smith, the military's district commander. The military later relocated to nearby Fort Chaffee but the civilian settlers remained keeping the name of the fort and establishing a western frontier town that was often the last genteel layover for people from all walks of life before excursions into Indian Oklahoma including soldiers en route to the Mexican War in the Southwest.

Later Fort Smith became a popular stop for westward expansionists, gold rush diggers, and those seeking better opportunities due to the Great Depression and Dust Bowl of the 20th century.

Today as the second largest city in the state, the municipality and surrounding area is a major economic hub for the state of Arkansas with many major corporations with roots in the city still in operation and employing thousands. The downtown area and commercial zones are usually busy with voluminous traffic most days but beyond that you will find quiet residential zones and woods. Due to economic trends in the U.S. economy, some major factories and plants have closed and/or moved resulting in a swelling of the unemployed population and an uptick in local taxes.

Get in

By plane

• Fort Smith Regional Airport (IATA: FSM), 35.336667°, -94.3675°. Service by American Eagle from Dallas/Fort Worth, and Delta Connection from Atlanta. 2020-04-18
• Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (dead link: December 2020) (IATA: XNA) near Bentonville, is about an hour and a half from Fort Smith.
• Tulsa International Airport (IATA: TUL) (in Oklahoma) and Little Rock International Airport (IATA: LIT) are both about a two-hour drive away.

By train

Fort Smith does not have passenger rail service. The nearest cities with Amtrak stations are Oklahoma City, which is the northern terminus of the Heartland Flyer to Fort Worth; and Little Rock, which is served by the Texas Eagle San Antonio - Chicago route.

By car

Fort Smith is at the intersection of Interstate 40, Interstate 540, and US Route 71. Approximate driving times are: 2 hours and 30 minutes west of Little Rock, 1 hour south of Fayetteville, and 3 hours east of Oklahoma City.

By bus

The Jefferson Lines provides bus service to the east, west and north.

Get around

The best way to get around and see Fort Smith is by car. Also, public transport is provided by Fort Smith Transit. Although Fort Smith is Arkansas' second largest city, it is relatively compact and getting around shouldn't be much of a problem.

See

The Hanging Judge

The Fort Smith National Historic Site contains the former courthouse of Issac Parker (1838-1896), who became known as "The Hanging Judge". Parker served 21 years on the bench, during which he sentenced 160 criminals to death by hanging, of which 79 were hanged. Today, the phrase hanging judge has entered American law jargon as a term for a judge who frequently implements the death penalty or seeks swift and firm justice.

• Miss Laura's Social Club and Visitor Center, 2 N "B" St., +1 479 783-8888, A house of ill-repute from Fort Smith's past, now a visitor center. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This is a good starting point for any visit to Fort Smith.
• Fort Smith National Historic Site, South of Garrison Ave., near the Arkansas river. Parking and Park entrance near 3rd St. and Garland Ave. This site includes the original Fort sites and the reconstructed gallows of Hanging Judge Issac Parker.
• Trolley Museum, 100 S. 4th, +1 479 783-0205. Take a ride on the trolley past the Judge Parker court and the National Historic Site.
• Belle Grove Historic District, 22 square block area north of downtown, On the National Register of Historic Places and has 25 restored historical homes.
• Fort Chaffee and Chaffee Crossing, Hwy 22 (east of Fort Smith) Former military fort with a rich history. Was built in 1941 and includes 22,000 acres. Elvis Presley was inducted into the military and started basic training there. The movies Biloxi Blues, and A Soldier's Story were filmed there.

Do

• The Park at West End, 35.3903°, -94.4286°. - located in Fort Smith
• Bowling World, 6100 South 36th Street, +1 479 646-5050. Arkansas' largest bowling facility, with a whopping 72 lanes.
• Jack's Skateland, 1413 Phoenix Avenue, +1 479 646-2538. An ordinary roller skating rink, but with a unique distinction: it has the only artistic roller skating club in Arkansas.

Festivals

• Riverfront Blues Festival. Annual in August each year. Free.
• Old Fort Days Rodeo. Annual event in late May/Early June.

Learn

• University of Arkansas—Fort Smith, 5210 Grand Ave., +1 479 788-7000 Fort Smith's local university branch.

Work

There are several major employers in Fort Smith, including Baldor Electric, Whirlpool Corporation, Rheem, Golden Ventures and Arkansas Best Corporation (ABF).

Buy

• Central Mall, 5111 Rogers Ave. (Exit 8, I-540) This mall is the primary shopping mall in Fort Smith with shops, restaurants and movies.

Eat

You will find the standard chain restaurants spread out for 2 miles on Rogers Ave. to the east of Interstate 540. They include Friday's, Applebees, Chili's, Outback Steak House, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Arby's, Chick-fil-A, KFC, Wendy's, Schlotzsky's Deli, IHOP and Village Inn.

• Calico Country, 2401 South 56th, +1 479 452-3299. Family style restaurant with great cinnamon rolls.
• Doe's Steak House, 422 N. 3rd Street, +1 479 784-9111. Great steaks and tamales.
• Diamond Head 2, 1901 Midland Blvd, +1 479-782-2093. A great Chinese dine-in restaurant.
• Jerry Neel's BBQ, 1823 S Phoenix Av, +1 479 646-8085. Very good BBQ.
• Art's BBQ, 8203 Rogers Ave. +1 479-452-2550. Even better BBQ.
• Taliano's, 201 North 14th Street, +1 479 785-2292. Very good Italian food.
• Gusano's Pizzeria, 5505 Phoenix Ave, +1 479 434 6444, info@gusanospizza.com. 11AM-11PM on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 11AM-10PM every other day. Chicago-style pizzeria and sports bar with the self-proclaimed "best Chicago-style pizza in the world". Part of a tiny chain of 8 restaurants in and around Arkansas. 2020-09-08

Drink

• Kinkead's, 1004 1/2 Garrison Ave. (In downtown next to the main post office.), +1 479 494-7477. Tu-Su 7PM to 2AM. Fort Smith's only gay bar. Good renovations but the uninitiated may be surprised at its scant floor space, especially on a busy weekend. Smoking allowed. Drag shows on Friday and Saturday. "Cougar Cabaret" drag show (no songs performed after the year 1989) once a month.
• Rooster's Blues Bar, 801 Garrison Ave, +1 479 783-2625.
• Sweet Bay Coffee Co., 3400 Rogers Ave, +1 479 452-6050.
• Tassanee's Thai Cuisine, 1611 Dodson Avenue, +1 479 7852-7750. 11AM-9PM. Good Thai food.

Sleep

• Best Western Aspen Hotel, 2900 S. 68th St, +1 479 452-9000.
• Beland Manor Bed and Breakfast, 1320 S. Albert Pike, +1 479 782-3300.

• Wyndham Fort Smith City Center, 700 Rogers Ave, +1 479 783-1000.
• Holiday Inn Express, 7111 Phoenix Ave, +1 479 452-7500.
• Residence Inn Fort Smith, 3005 South 74th Street, +1 479 478-8300.

• Hampton Inn, 6201-C Rogers Ave, +1 479 452-2000, fsmar_hampton@hilton.com.
• Baymont Inn & Suites, 2123 Burnham Rd, +1 479 484-5770.

Respect

• Being so close to a number of military installations and bases the area boasts a large number of military families.
• The city is in a very GOP concentrated district as opposed to the rest of the state, though changing political trends for both parties have caught up to the area.
• Church attendance is very high and religious expression often encouraged but residents are often respectful if one politely declines their invitations to services. There are also small nonreligious secular social groups nearby, notably in Fayetteville, if that's one's preference.
• Being near many rural communities and woodlands one may come across, though rare, wildlife especially the nearer one is on the outskirts of the city. It is best advised to leave the wildlife be.
• Local county liquor laws prohibit the sale of alcohol on Sundays.
• Due to nation-wide economic changes several large scale employers have had to close or move. These events have hit the local residents very hard and as a result several have had to swallow their pride and accept public assistance.

Connect

The area code for Fort Smith is 479.

• Panera Bread, 2917 S 74th St. Free Internet.
• Fort Smith Library, The Main Library at 3201 Rogers Avenue and three branches have computer terminals with internet access; free Wi-Fi is also available at all library locations.
• University of Arkansas—Fort Smith, 5402 Kinkead Ave. Free WiFi available for guests and students on campus.

Stay safe

Check the Tornado safety page if you are visiting Fort Smith. A tornado ripped through downtown Fort Smith on April 21, 1996 killing two people.

Fort Smith is the 6th-most hit city by tornados in the US

Go next

• Talimena Drive from Talihina, Oklahoma to Mena, Arkansas 54-mile scenic drive in Oklahoma and Arkansas along the ridge of the Ouachita Mountains and the Ouachita National Forest. The drive has frequent turnouts so you can enjoy the scenery.
• Hot Springs Visit the national park and Oaklawn Park horse racing. Enjoy a thermal bath in the bath house of your choice.
• Eureka Springs 2-1/2 hours of Ozarks driving from Fort Smith. Take the guided tram tour of the historic area. Visit Christ of the Ozarks monument and Passion Play grounds. Enjoy the Little Switzerland of the Ozarks.
• Branson is a 3-hour drive and in the heart of the Ozarks. Visit some of the craft shops, see a show, shop the outlet malls and take a ride on the Branson Scenic Railway. Be sure and visit the Veteran Memorial Museum.
• Altus, a wine-producing town, is a short drive east from Fort Smith on Interstate 40 or US Route 64. It is known best as the setting of The Simple Life. Don't forget to visit the wineries, though, and while you're at it, wine tasting is also a great idea. While in Altus, it worth stopping to see the interior of St. Mary's Catholic Church. The church is decorated with elaborate frescos that were painted by a German artist who was stranded in the United States following the outbreak of World War I.
• Buffalo National River, about three hours from Fort Smith, is a popular place for boating and fishing.