Northwest Arkansas is a vast region with many towns. And I will map out each one today with significant landmarks and attractions. Continue reading this article for an immersive guide, and who knows? You may fall in love with this area like I have.
Northwest Arkansas Tour
Implied by its name, Northwest Arkansas is a north-west region in Arkansas (a US state). It is growing so fast in population because people see all the area has to offer with its multiple opportunities & advantages.
Based on the desktop map version Google provides, I’ll begin the tour from the north (top) of Northwest Arkansas to the south (bottom).
So let’s go:
Video:
Highway 49
Highway 49 is the major highway in Northwest Arkansas that connects all the towns.
It starts around Joplin (the most northern town), heading south through the region, then down to Fort Smith. I believe it follows a different direction, leading to another route.
Also, a new bypass has existed since the 2021 summer to detour Bella Vista. Unlike before, you must pass through the city to reach further south of the region.
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Bella Vista
Bella Vista is a very mountainous, hilly area.
There are a lot of homes around here and it is a homeowners association, but it isn’t a huge one. There aren’t a lot of restrictions per se, typical to those associations here, but it’s more like a general HOA to ensure things are running smoothly.
There are about seven or eight golf courses around Bella Vista and four significant lakes out of seven.
The mountainous city also has a lovely waterfall over Lake Ann and has many trails that almost every house has one passing through.
So if you’re looking for a place with no cookie-cutter homes but unique ones altogether, Bella Vista is perfect.
However, if you need some acres of free land, you can find them on the town’s far east and west sides because most spaces in the core area have been taken.
Bella Vista doesn’t have a significant downtown area, but there are a couple restaurants here and there. The city uses Bentonville as a primary hub for groceries, food restaurants, and other urban and commercial activities. In turn, Bentonville residents will enjoy Bella Vista’s trail system.
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Also, I have a 3-day itinerary that can help you decide what activities to do if you’re overwhelmed by everything Northwest Arkansas has to offer.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a foodie, a sports person, a sightseer, or want to spend quality time with your kids; I have something for you. Check out the link below to learn more:
https://www.allthingsnwa.com/3-day-itinerary-northwest-arkansas
Bentonville
Southern to Bella Vista, this town generally has a flatter landscape with fewer yet excellent trails.
It is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, ranked around number 16 in population growth among the thousands in the US.
Its exponential increase is credited to:
- Walmart’s interest and investment in the area.
- A 35-acre (14 ha) campus that’s still under construction.
- Ledger, which is the world’s first bikeable building.
- New startups are springing up every day, renting out all sorts of buildings, etc.
I have many articles about Bentonville, including how to spend your perfect weekend in the beautiful city. Check the article out here if you’re still debating where to go for your next staycation.
In general, it is a charming, quaint town that’s becoming more modernized and more architecturally diverse. It’s so fascinating to believe it can turn into a metropolis for bikers, hikers, and runners sooner than later.
That balance between work and play life embodied here will become even more impressive in the next couple of years.
Bentonville is expensive to live in compared to other cities in Northwest Arkansas because of its proximity to the town’s commercial hub and Walmart’s headquarters. So, it’s a bit more challenging to get houses here based on the price structure, but the town next door to it, which is Centerton, is more affordable.
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Centerton
Centerton is also a relatively flat-landscaped town closer to Oklahoma and has become an alternative to Bentonville, cost-wise.
There are many apartments like three bedroom and two bath homes, with a lot of up-and-coming construction. So, if you’re looking to enter the Bentonville area, Centerton is a great place to invest.
However, the only side note about Centerton is that getting from here over to Highway 49 can be a little challenging just because there’s one central obstructing hub. So, it’s mostly only considered a good option when working for Walmart or other companies in the area.
Pea Ridge
Pea Ridge is northeast of Bentonville, about 15 minutes away.
Many new constructions are underway in Pea Ridge, and I really like the town.
Interestingly, when Walmart was experimenting with drone home delivery, Pea Ridge was one of the first testing places. So definitely check that out if you’re in the area. It’s entertaining to see drones fly over the homes to drop packages down.
The town is a little flatter than other areas of Northwest Arkansas, with many older homes. So, if you want more affordable or smaller homes newly constructed, definitely check out Pea Ridge.
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Little Flock
Little Flock is a bit north of Rogers, and unlike Pea Ridge, there aren’t too many new constructions here but bare lands. So, there’s the potential for more buildings.
It’s like a little subset city of Rogers that isn’t well known but definitely worth checking out for some land.
Gateway & Eureka Springs
This region is more like the tourism side of Northwest Arkansas because Eureka Springs is very, very tourist heavy and close to Branson. Other famous attractions here include:
- Beaver Lake
- Table Rock Lake
- Dogwood Canyon Nature Park
- State parks
- Numerous mountains, etc.
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Rogers
This city, located in main Northwest Arkansas, is a major up-and-coming one with two parts that I most appreciate:
- The downtown section: It is located on the far east side of the town, with new businesses coming there daily. There are great coffee shops, a kid’s recreational center, a bike park, a lake, a dog park, and many trail systems.
- Pinnacle Hills: Pinnacle Hills is on the far west side of Rogers through Highway 49. There are a lot of great restaurants here, The Walmart AMP, top golf courses, Shadow Valley Country Club, and tall buildings housing Walmart retailers. In general, you can find more higher-end homes here in Rogers.
It is generally flat compared to Bella Vista, but the Hobbs State Park by Beaver Lake here is mountainous.
More to the west side of Rogers is a more underdeveloped area that is definitely not yet up-and-coming. Maybe in the next seven years or so, it’ll become better. Some new construction is ongoing there, but there’s still a lot of land available to be bought out.
Siloam Springs, a little southern, is definitely in high growth. Right now, there’s John Brown University (JBU), a Christian community receiving lots of attention. There are also new constructions there.
Gravette, Decatur, and Gentry, however, aren’t growing yet. So, it is still easy to buy homes there, but it’ll take about seven years to see massive growth.
All these regions are 25 to 30 minutes away from Northwest Arkansas. Hence I won’t recommend you stay there if you’re working in Bentonville, Fayetteville, or Rogers.
Cave Springs & Elm Springs
These areas are more southern than most of the Northwest Arkansas towns.
They’re fun places that are really hilly and mountainous. So it’s really gorgeous to see rolling hills and the cows out there.
They’re also not quite developed yet, with many custom homes. So it’s an excellent place to travel and just see fantastic architecturally striking homes.
Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA)
The airport is Northwest Arkansas’ major one that is expanding rapidly every day, with a second tarmac and more flights added.
XNA has direct flights to everywhere all across America. So you’ll never be stuck in Northwest Arkansas or have to drive to every destination.
There are direct flights to:
- Dallas
- Chicago
- Los Angeles (LA)
- Florida
- New York, and
- Anywhere in America
Lowell
Lowell is a growing, quaint little town south of Rogers. Like other areas, it has reasonably-priced homes you can check out.
One thing that’s kind of slowing down Lowell’s development is an intersected route impeding access to highway 49. Once it is expanded and made much more accessible to 49 and through, it’ll attract much more attention.
Sometimes, people must go through the Pleasant Grove exit or potentially down to the Apple Blossom Avenue exit.
Heading south of Rogers, you’ll start seeing bigger roads, like 612, and a major highway (a four lane one) still under construction. Eventually, the growth there will be massive for new homes and businesses when they start developing.
Bethel Heights & Springdale
These towns kind of come together like Lowell-Rogers. Houses here have already been built out, and you may only find either teardowns or flips today.
Some lands are available eastward of these towns, but it’s becoming too far for those desiring to work in the major cities linked by 49 because there are no direct roads out here yet.
However, if you want that kind of farm lifestyle, definitely check out any property in this area. There will be some affordable land, but you just have to take route 412 into town and then into highway 49 or wherever you’re gonna be working.
Tiny Town leads into Springdale and is just on the west side of 49.
I believe the westward side along the route will experience massive growth soon because many deals have been signed between Oklahoma and Arkansas to make it a manufacturing area. And I’m so excited to see that happen in the next five years or so.
Lake Wedington
The area is excellent for outdoor activities like bike riding, running, and hiking in its hilly landscape.
North of the lake also has various tracks and hiking paths. So if you’re looking to be close to the city, check out some homes along this area or potentially along Lake Weddington Road.
Fayetteville, Farmington & Johnson
Further south of Northwest Arkansas is this area, kind of fused by three towns. The growth rate is also high, with large constructions ongoing, especially in the Farmington area.
Fayetteville is a very mountainous area with many ups and downs.
Farmington used to be a little town, but it’s grown quite a bit over the last two years I’ve been here, but it’s been expanding for over five years or so now. So if you’re looking for affordable housing and want the proximity to 49, check out this region. It’s a great place to live.
I live at the base of Mount Kessler in the Fayetteville-Farmington area. When I moved here, I wanted to live in Oaks at the foot of Mount Sequoyah, Centennial Park, or Kessler Mountain. So I bought a house at Mount Kessler. And I’m enjoying it.
Fayetteville and the area as a whole are experiencing tremendous growth currently. And their 2040 growth plan focuses on improving the Wheeler area. So, if you’re looking to move down to Northwest Arkansas and buy in Fayetteville, you will likely find outstanding growth there.
There are a lot of Walmarts down here close to Sam’s Club, too. And the Weddington Road here leads to various hiking routes.
The eastern side is a perfect area to potentially move into because you can easily access 49 and Prairie Grove, a subset of Farmington.
The only caveat I’d share if you’re looking to move to the far east side of Fayetteville is to expect about a 10 to 15-minute drive from the Harris & Elkins areas to 49 plus extra to wherever you’re going. You’d move this distance twice daily if you work in the Bentonville area.
You can access 49 from Farmington more quickly than in more northern or southern areas. So, please keep that in mind if you’re looking for homes over here.
Greenland
Farther south of 49 is Greenland, which is somewhat attached to Fayetteville.
There isn’t as much growth as in other areas, but I believe that significant expansion will happen soon.
There’s a major airport here, but it’s more for military and private flights. A lot of warehousing is also all around.
West Fork
Like others, I expect West Fork to be growing in the next few years. It is just south of Fayetteville on 49. So if you’re looking to get into an area and don’t mind being a little farther south on 49, it’s a great place, mainly if you work in Fayetteville, Springdale, or Tyson.
You’ll see West Fork needs a little more growth when you go there. But if you buy a house there, you will not be disappointed because you’re close to 49.
Mountains & Other Areas
Far south of West Fork becomes the Winslow area, Devil’s Den area, and Lake Fort Smith, with major tall mountains.
Ozark mountains, also mostly southward, are great for hiking, biking, and running on gravel roads.
Further south is the Ouachita Mountains, with other real, tall ones up to a thousand feet in elevation. They include Pinnacle Mountain and Mount Nebo in the Russellville area.
There are also areas a little farther out of Northwest Arkansas that may eventually grow or not, but it’s not any anticipation.
Conclusion
The core areas of Northwest Arkansas are:
- Bella Vista
- Bentonville
- Rogers
- Springdale
- Fayetteville
Some parts are hilly, others are flat. Some are more developed, while others are projected to have massive expansions soon.
So, I hope this article helps you better understand the area and how things work to help you choose where to stay if you plan to visit here.