Ever-Growing Metropolitan Area Home to Nearly One Million People

Little Rock is the capital of Arkansas and a metropolitan statistical area with a population of 666,401. The 11-county Metro Little Rock Alliance (MLRA) population, representing a 50-mile radius surrounding Little Rock, has a population of 967,789. Residents within the MLRA live within an hour’s drive of Little Rock, where major industry sectors include the medical, service, government and advanced manufacturing industries.

Little Rock got its name from the famed La Salle Expedition in 1682, when the party landed at “La Petite Roche” on the southern banks of the Arkansas River. It became the seat of Arkansas’ new territorial government in 1821 and was incorporated as a city in 1831. In 1836, Little Rock was named capital of the newly admitted State of Arkansas.

Centrally located, Little Rock is where the Southeast meets the Southwest, and the delta becomes the mountains. The city is 286 feet above sea level, with residential areas ranging from 300 to 630 feet. The City of Little Rock is 119.5 square miles, while North Little Rock is 49.3. Pulaski County covers 781 square miles. Distances by highway to major nearby cities, include: Dallas – 307 miles; Houston – 443 miles; Oklahoma City – 348 miles; Tulsa – 288 miles; Kansas City – 405 miles; St. Louis - 360 miles; Louisville – 522 miles; Nashville – 360 miles; Atlanta – 523 miles; Memphis – 139 miles; and New Orleans – 437 miles.

In the six-county Metropolitan Statistical Area of Little Rock, as of October 2008, 23,800 residents were employed in manufacturing, 43,200 in professional and business services, and 304,800 in service producing jobs. A strong growth indicator is evident at the Little Rock National Airport. Through October of 2008, the airport enplaned 1,017,587 passengers and deplaned 999,559 passengers. This represents the 15th consecutive year with over one million boardings.