We’re putting Rogers and Bentonville in the ring, battling it out on different rounds. It will be sweaty, but who will come out on top? Let’s see who wins.
Bentonville has a very-centric downtown life, with the city an actual trail system in itself. On the other hand, Rogers has two downtown areas with an aquatic center in the city. Both have access to Highway 49, and several businesses are located in both cities.
The reason I bring this up is that a lot of times, clients will come down here asking what Rogers or Bentonville is like. This article will discuss some of their similarities and differences.
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Key Differences Between Rogers and Bentonville
| Area | Bentonville | Rogers |
| Downtown life | Very centric-located but vibrant | Has two locations that show the old-style town and modern area |
| Trail systems | The city is an actual trail in itself, and it also has more trails compared to Rogers | Trails are around Lake Atlanta and the Razorback Regional Greenway |
| Parks and splash pads | A couple of splash pads in the downtown area | Large splash pad in Lake Atlanta, and also an aquatic center in the city |
| Access to Highway 49 | Easy | Easy, but it might take a little drive if you’re coming from the downtown area |
| Businesses | Location of the Walmart headquarters and businesses are usually those who are vendors for Walmart | Location of several businesses and upscale areas |
Downtown Life
The first difference we’ll discuss is Bentonville and Rogers’ downtown life.
I would consider Bentonville’s downtown life as very centric-located. You can see the square, farmer’s markets, and Walmart headquarters. The actual downtown sprawls largely, and you can make your way around the whole area pretty well, but it is a very vibrant downtown section.
If you’re going to do anything in Bentonville, it’s going to be in the downtown section. I wouldn’t consider too much on the scope beyond downtown. There are a lot of things that are growing outside of that, but the downtown section is where it’s at.
People LOVE Bentonville! Why? Read to know more
Please read my other article to learn more about my perfect weekend in Bentonville.
Rogers, technically, has two downtown sections. The first downtown section is actually on the east side near Lake Atlanta. And that’s the more older-style Downtown Rogers, the brick-laid streets downtown section. That’s where we’re going to find different and more interesting restaurants.
You’ll also find the headquarters of Onyx Coffee Lab, The Railyard Bike Yard that includes a big splash yard, and Lake Atlanta. You will find interesting things around the downtown section of actual Rogers, plus they have the live music venue there now.
The other downtown section in Rogers is closer to Highway 49. It includes the Walmart Amphitheater, Topgolf, different restaurants, and amazing shopping in the area.
The two downtown sections of Rogers are like two opposite worlds. One is the more old-style brick. And the other downtown section over on the actual Highway 49 side is very modern, brand new, and built very cool.
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However, Bentonville has a more vibrant downtown life. They are more geared towards pushing more businesses to the downtown. There’s even an actual non-profit business called Downtown Bentonville that organizes all the events in the area.
However, that isn’t to say that downtown Rogers is not pushing it hard for different events, as they have music venues during the summertime on the railway side towards the older downtown and farmers’ markets. I’m just saying that Bentonville probably pushes a little harder.
I love the fact that all the cities compete against each other. They say that they work together because Northwest Arkansas is one large area. However, the cities have to compete to some extent because they’re all looking for our attention on a Saturday morning, Saturday night, or Friday night.
This benefits us as people living here because we get to see the next best thing in Rogers, Springdale, or Fayetteville.
Want to spend a perfect weekend in Bentonville? We’re here to help! : Read here
Trail Systems
Now, let’s talk about the similarities – both Rogers and Bentonville have very good trail systems, specifically around Lake Atlanta, the downtown section of Rogers. And that’s a very well-put-together trail system.
Another trail system is the Razorback Regional Greenway. This stretches from downtown Fayetteville to Missouri through Bella Vista, but it does cut through Rogers.
Bentonville is the mountain biking capital of the world. I don’t need to talk about Bentonville’s trail system, as the actual city is a trail. Bentonville’s trail system is by far superior to Rogers’. You can practically get anywhere in Bentonville with a bike or alternative vehicle beyond a car, and they’ve built it intentionally for that.
The Walmart headquarters will have trail systems all through there, and this is the big grand plan for Bentonville, including the whole downtown section, trail system, pathways, and bikeways. The city will continue to invest heavily in its trail system, both paved and dirt paths.
Got kids? here are a few things for your kids to do this weekend in Rogers: Read more
Parks and Splash Pads
Both Bentonville and Rogers have amazing splash pads and parks. They do very well when it comes to those community-centric areas. They’re very focused on parks, splash pads, and other different ways to bring the community together in the area.
There’s a large splash pad in the downtown section of Rogers on the east side towards Lake Atlanta. There are a couple of other splash pads around Bentonville and also Rogers. But those are the main ones that people gravitate towards because they aren’t close to the downtown section.
Additionally, Rogers has a big aquatic center called the Rogers Aquatic Center. It’s almost like a borderline mini-Six Flags kind of water park. I wouldn’t consider it a full water park by any stretch of the imagination, but it has plenty of pools, splash pads, and slides. It’s a great place to bring children and have fun.
Access to Highway 49
Both Bentonville and Rogers have very good access to Highway 49. However, if you are in the downtown section of Rogers, it might be a bit more of a drive from the downtown Brick Lake section toward Lake Atlanta.
If you live in Rogers or Bentonville, there is easy access to Highway 49 if you work anywhere in that area. But realistically, if you have a job in the area, you’re probably going to be located in Rogers or Bentonville for obvious reasons. You might be in JB Hunt, Springdale Rogers, or Tyson.
Business
Both Bentonville and Rogers are very heavy in business. Several actual vendors for Walmart are required to come down to Northwest Arkansas and have a business presence here in the area. That’s why many different people come to the area because a lot of times, if you don’t work for Walmart, you work for a vendor. Walmart has its headquarters in Bentonville.
The interesting thing with Rogers is that towards that downtown section, Topgolf, and the Walmart Amphitheater, many large commercial buildings house some of the more prominent brands represented in Walmart. So that’s where many commercial establishments and businesses are based.
Rogers also has the Pinnacle Hills Promenade. I would consider it the more upscale shopping area in Northwest Arkansas. Several businesses and cool coffee shops are located on the Promenade. The area is very modern, exclusive, picturesque, and Instagram-esque.
The section of Rogers between Highway 49 and the actual downtown section is a little more industrial, with a lot more mixed warehousing and mid-sized businesses.
Another point for Rogers is that the place called Shadow Valley is the most coveted area to live in when it comes to upscale housing. Shadow Valley is once again behind the upscale shopping over in Rogers.
But it’s a golf course and a gated community. There are several upscale homes in actual Shadow Valley, ranging from $500,000 to well above $1,000,000.
If you want the more upscale housing, you want to be in a golf course community with trail systems, and Shadow Valley is probably the most well-known and wanted community to be in.
Numerous communities are upscale in little pockets of the area, but by far, Shadow Valley is probably the most desired community in the area.
Bentonville vs. Rogers: Which Is Better?
Is it Bentonville? Is it Rogers? They both have huge pros and some cons. Both offer unique things – and it comes down to what you’re looking for. I don’t think Bentonville or Rogers are bad; they’re both great communities to live in.
Additionally, you don’t necessarily have to live in these cities. Traveling around Northwest Arkansas is a breeze compared to other big cities in America, like New York, Chicago, Austin, or Dallas. It’s easy for someone to live in Fayetteville and then make their way up to Rogers all the time. People live in far reaches of the region and travel to Bentonville every day.
Conclusion
When deciding between these two areas, go through my list again and think about what makes more sense for you. Also, remember that you don’t necessarily have to live in one of these cities to get the full experience. It’s so easy to travel from one city to another in Northwest Arkansas.