Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had a population of 717,666 people in the 2012 census estimate. The MSA is included in the Little Rock−North Little Rock, AR Combined Statistical Area, which had a population of 893,610 in the 2012 census estimate. As of the 2010 US Census, Little Rock had a city proper population of 193,524.^[1]^[2] It is the county seat of Pulaski County.

Located near the geographic center of Arkansas, Little Rock derives its name from a small rock formation on the south bank of the Arkansas River called la Petite Roche (French: "the little rock"). The "little rock" was used by early river traffic as a landmark and became a well-known river crossing. The "little rock" is across the river from "big rock," a large bluff at the edge of the river, which was once used as a rock quarry.

There have been two ships of the United States Navy named after the city, including USS Little Rock (LCS-9).^[3]

[show]

[edit] History

[edit] Origins

Archeological artifacts provide evidence of Native Americans inhabiting Central Arkansas for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. The early inhabitants may have included the Folsom people, Bluff Dwellers, and Mississippian culture peoples who built earthwork mounds recorded in 1541 by Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto. Historical tribes of the area included the Caddo, Quapaw, Osage, Choctaw, and Cherokee.

Little Rock was named for a stone outcropping on the bank of the Arkansas River used by early travelers as a landmark. La Petite Roche (French for "the Little Rock"), named in 1721 by French explorer and trader Jean-Baptiste Bénard de la Harpe, marked the transition from the flat Mississippi Delta region to the Ouachita Mountain foothills. Travelers referred to the area as "the Little Rock," and the landmark name stuck.

The skyline of Little Rock, viewed from the north bank of the Arkansas River

[edit] Timeline

1722 – French explorer Jean-Baptiste Benard de la Harpe lands near a small rock formation on the south bank of the Arkansas River, which he reputedly names la Petite Roche (the little rock). La Harpe builds a trading post near the little rock. The Quapaw Indians reside nearby.
1812 – William Lewis, a fur trapper, builds a home near the little rock.
1820 – Little Rock is surveyed.
1820 – Robert Crittenden, born 1797, and Chester Ashley, born 1791, enter into an agreement for a "Partnership in the Practice of Law" which lays the groundwork for the Rose Law Firm, the oldest law firm west of the Mississippi River.
1821 – Little Rock becomes the capital of the Arkansas Territory formed in 1819.
1831 – Little Rock is incorporated as a city.
1833 – The Territorial Capitol (now the Old State House) is built. Completed in 1842, it serves as the State Capitol until 1911.
1836 – Arkansas becomes the 25th State, and Little Rock became the official capital city.
1861 – Arkansas joins the Confederacy.
1863 – Union forces occupy Little Rock.
1864 – 17-year old David Owen Dodd is hanged on January 6 for being a Confederate spy.
1874 – The Brooks-Baxter War takes place in Little Rock.

1871 bird's eye illustration of Little Rock.

1880 – General Douglas MacArthur born on January 26 in The Tower Building of the Little Rock Arsenal. The building is now the home of the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, and the surrounding area is called MacArthur Park.
1911 – The current State Capitol building is completed. It is the second building constructed to house the state government, after the Old State House.
1916 – Pulaski Heights, one of Little Rock's earliest western suburbs, is annexed into the city, setting the stage for further westward expansion.
1957 – The Little Rock Nine are enrolled at Little Rock Central High School after public protests, and the Arkansas National Guard under the direction of Governor Orval Faubus, prevents their first attempt at enrollment. At the time, Arkansas was the third most segregated state in the country (behind Mississippi and Alabama respectively). President Dwight Eisenhower dispatches federal troops to ensure the students' safety and enforce their right to attend school. These events are collectively referred to as the Crisis at Central High.
1958 – All three public high schools in Little Rock are closed for one year by Governor Faubus.
1968 – Construction booms downtown, Worthen Bank Building at 375 feet (114 m) and Union National Bank at 330 feet (100 m) are under construction and replace The Tower Building as the city's tallest buildings. Union National Bank subsequently merged into Worthen, which eventually would become part of Bank of America.
1974 – First National Bank building is under construction and becomes the city's tallest building at 454 feet (138 m) and 30 stories. The building currently is Arkansas headquarters for Regions Bank.
1986 – The Capitol Tower is completed, and at 40 stories and 547 feet (167 m) tall, is the tallest building in Arkansas. The skyscraper's name changed to the TCBY Tower later, and became the Metropolitan Tower as of October 2004. The Stephens Building is also completed, and is 25 stories and 365 feet (111 m) tall when finished. It was first known as the First South building, and then the Rogers building.
1992 – Bill Clinton is elected President of the United States. He delivers an election night acceptance speech from the front steps of the historic Old State House in downtown Little Rock. He is the first person from the State of Arkansas to be elected President. He was elected to a second term in 1996.
1997 – The 40th anniversary of the Crisis at Central High is marked by the opening of a new National Park Service visitor center.
2003 – First Little Rock Marathon is held. Counting the relays, 1,615 runners participate in the 42.195-kilometre (26.219 mi) race, making it one of the top 25 races in the nation for 2003.
2003 – Little Rock resident Wesley Kanne Clark, a retired four-star general in the U.S. Army and former Supreme Allied Commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), announces his intention to run in the presidential primary election for the Democratic Party nomination.
2004 – William J. Clinton Presidential Center opens with a host of dignitaries and celebrities, including then-Governor Mike Huckabee, then-President George W. Bush, and former presidents George H. W. Bush and Jimmy Carter.
2006 – The international charitable organization Heifer International dedicates a $17.5 million world headquarters in downtown Little Rock. The organization announces plans to further develop the 33-acre (130,000 m²) location into the Heifer International Center campus.
2006 – The Pulaski County Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge, better known as the Big Dam Bridge, opens to the public. It extends 3,463 feet (1,056 m) across the Arkansas River, and is currently the world’s longest bridge specifically built for pedestrians/bicycles.^[4]
2006 – The five-year construction boom of mixed-use, high-rise buildings in downtown's historic River Market district began construction on over 60 stories of residential and retail property and 240 additional hotel rooms. Among the major residential projects completed during this period are the Capital Commerce Center (2002), First Security Center (2004), 300 Third Tower (2006), and River Market Tower (2009).
2007 – Dickey-Stephens Park, home to the Arkansas Travelers minor league baseball team, opens. The newly constructed ballpark has a capacity of 7,000, and is situated on the Arkansas River in North Little Rock, Arkansas, opposite downtown Little Rock.
2011 – Little Rock's record high temperature of 114 degrees Fahrenheit is recorded by the National Weather Service in August.

[edit] Geography

Little Rock is located at

34°44′10″N 92°19′52″W / 34.73611°N 92.33111°W (34.736009, −92.331122).^[5]

Astronaut photograph of Little Rock, Arkansas taken from the International Space Station (ISS)

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 116.8 square miles (303 km²), of which, 116.2 square miles (301 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (0.52%) is water.

Little Rock is located on the south bank of the Arkansas River in Central Arkansas. Fourche Creek and Rock Creek run through the city, and flow into the river. The western part of the city is located in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. Just northwest of the city limits are Pinnacle Mountain and Lake Maumelle, which provides Little Rock's drinking water.

The city of North Little Rock is located just across the river from Little Rock, but it is a separate city. North Little Rock was once the 8th ward of Little Rock. An Arkansas Supreme Court decision on February 6, 1904, allowed the ward to merge with the neighboring town of North Little Rock. The merged town quickly renamed itself Argenta (the local name for the former 8th Ward), but returned to its original name in October 1917.^[6]

Government

The city operated under a city manager form of government until 2007. Voters elected to convert the city to a strong-mayor form of government, making the mayor's position a full-time position with veto power. The city also retains the city manager position. The city employs over 2,500 individuals in 14 different departments, including the Police Department, the Fire Department, Parks and Recreation, and the Zoo.

Most Pulaski County government offices are located in the city of Little Rock, including the Quorum, Circuit, District, and Juvenile Courts; and the Assessor, County Judge, County Attorney, and Public Defenders offices.

Both the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit have judicial facilities in Little Rock. The city is served by the Little Rock Police Department.

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	2,167	—
1860	3,727	72.0%
1870	12,380	232.2%
1880	13,138	6.1%
1890	25,874	96.9%
1900	38,307	48.1%
1910	45,941	19.9%
1920	65,142	41.8%
1930	81,679	25.4%
1940	88,039	7.8%
1950	102,213	16.1%
1960	107,813	5.5%
1970	132,483	22.9%
1980	159,151	20.1%
1990	175,795	10.5%
2000	183,133	4.2%
2010	193,524	5.7%
source:^[13]

As of the 2005–2007 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, White Americans made up 52.7% of Little Rock's population; of which 49.4% were non-Hispanic whites, down from 74.1% in 1970.^[14] Blacks or African Americans made up 42.1% of Little Rock's population; of which 42.0% were non-Hispanic blacks. American Indians made up 0.4% of Little Rock's population while Asian Americans made up 2.1% of the city's population. Pacific Islander Americans made up less than 0.1% of the city's population. Individuals from some other race made up 1.2% of the city's population; of which 0.2% were non-Hispanic. Individuals from two or more races made up 1.4% of the city's population; of which 1.1% were non-Hispanic. In addition, Hispanics and Latinos made up 4.7% of Little Rock's population.^[15]^[16]

As of the 2000 census, there were 183,133 people, 77,352 households, and 46,488 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,576.0 people per square mile (608.5/km²). There were 84,793 housing units at an average density of 729.7 per square mile (281.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 55.1% White, 40.4% Black, 0.3% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.28% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. 2.7% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.

There were 77,352 households, out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city, the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,572, and the median income for a family was $47,446. Males had a median income of $35,689 versus $26,802 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,209. 14.3% of the population is below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 20.9% of those under the age of 18 and 9.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

[edit] Metropolitan statistical area

The 2012 U.S. Census population estimate for the Metropolitan Statistical Area of Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway was 717,666. The MSA includes the following counties: Pulaski, Faulkner, Grant, Lonoke, Perry, and Saline. The largest cities include Little Rock, North Little Rock, Conway, Jacksonville, Benton, Sherwood, Cabot, Maumelle, and Bryant.

The 2012 U.S. Census population estimate for the Combined Statistical Area (CSA) of Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff was 893,610.

[edit] Economy and business

Downtown Little Rock

Major corporations headquartered in Little Rock include Dillard's Department Stores, Windstream Communications and Acxiom.

Additional large companies headquartered in Little Rock include Metropolitan National Bank, Bank of the Ozarks, Rose Law Firm, Nuvell Financial Services, Central Flying Service and large brokerage Stephens Inc..

Large companies headquartered in other cities but with a large presence in Little Rock include Dassault Falcon Jet and Raytheon Aircraft Company near Little Rock National Airport in the eastern part of the city, and Fidelity National Information Services in northwestern Little Rock.

Non-profit organizations include Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, Heifer International, Lions World Services for the Blind, Clinton Presidential Center, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, FamilyLife, Audubon Arkansas, The Nature Conservancy, and Winrock International.

Associations include the American Taekwondo Association, Arkansas Hospital Association, and the Quapaw Quarter Association.

Major employers throughout Little Rock include Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Baptist Health Medical Center, Entergy, Dassault Falcon Jet, Raytheon, Siemens, AT&T Mobility, Kroger, Euronet Worldwide, L'Oréal Paris, Timex, and UAMS.

One of the largest public employers in the state with over 10,552 employees, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and its affiliates—Arkansas Children's Hospital and the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System—have a total economic impact in Arkansas of about $5 billion per year. UAMS receives less than 11% of its funding from the state. Its operation is funded by payments for clinical services (64%), grants and contracts (18%), philanthropy and other (5%), and tuition and fees (2%).

The Little Rock port is an intermodal river port with a large industrial business complex. It is designated as Foreign Trade Zone 14. International corporations such as Danish manufacturer LM Glasfiber have established new facilities adjacent to the port in recent years.

Little Rock was named 22nd out of 361 metropolitan areas as best places for business in 2005 by Forbes magazine.

Moody's Investor Services ranks Little Rock as the second most diverse economy in the nation.

Along with Louisville and Memphis, Little Rock houses one of three branches of the St. Louis Federal Reserve district.

In addition, early in the 20th century, Little Rock was home to brass era automobile maker Climber.^[17]

The Brookings Institution ranks Little Rock as the 7th best metropolitan economy in the United States in 2009 with the second best overall growth from 2008 to 2009 after Des Moines.

Little Rock was named the 2nd cleanest city in America in 2011 by Forbes magazine.^[18]

[edit] Museums

William J. Clinton Presidential Library Photo of the library in downtown Little Rock

The Arkansas Arts Center, the state's largest cultural institution, is a museum of art and an active center for the visual and performing arts.
The Arkansas Museum of Discovery features hands-on exhibits in the fields of science, history and technology.
The William J. Clinton Presidential Center includes the Clinton presidential library and the offices of the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton School of Public Service. The Library facility, designed by architect James Polshek, cantilevers over the Arkansas River, echoing Clinton's famous campaign promise of "building a bridge to the 21st century. The archives and library contains 2 million photographs, 80 million pages of documents, 21 million e-mail messages, and nearly 80,000 artifacts from the Clinton presidency. The museum within the library showcases artifacts from Clinton's term and includes a full-scale replica of the Clinton-era Oval Office. Opened on November 18, 2004, the Clinton Presidential Center cost $165 million to construct and covers 150,000 square feet (14,000 m²) within a 28 acre (113,000 m²) park.
The Historic Arkansas Museum is a regional history museum focusing primarily on the frontier time period.
The MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History opened in 2001, the last remaining structure of the original Little Rock Arsenal and one of the oldest buildings in central Arkansas, it was also the birthplace of General Douglas MacArthur who would go on to be the supreme commander of US forces in the South Pacific during World War II.
The Old State House Museum is a former state capitol building now home to a history museum focusing on Arkansas' recent history.
The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center is a state operated history museum focusing on African American history and culture in Arkansas.

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Little Rock, Arkansas