America's newest hot spot isn't where you'd expect. Forget the big cities. Ignore the coasts. The fastest-growing, most diverse, dynamic and promising piece of real estate in the country is right here at its heart, bordering the lakes and forests of the largest mountain range between the Appalachians and the Rockies.

Respected global companies like Wal-Mart (the world's largest corporation), J. B. Hunt and Tyson Foods are headquartered here. Six universities and colleges inject the region with youthful vitality. More than a dozen modern medical facilities keep it healthy. Bustling entertainment districts dispense a steady diet of great dining, theater, music and shopping. And a growing hispanic community adds a new level of cultural richness. All of this, surrounded by a bounty of outdoor recreational opportunities.

Surrounded, but not isolated. Five cities with metro populations over a million are less than a half-day's drive away. Interstate 540/71 provides an uninterrupted connection between Kansas City in the north and I-40 to the south. One of the nation's high priority corridors, Highway 412, makes Northwest Arkansas the crossroads between Oklahoma City and Tulsa in the west, and the Tennessee border in the east—providing access to Nashville.

Distances From Other Metropolitan Areas to the Northwest Arkansas Region:

For longer trips (or faster getaways), Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport offers 40 daily departures, with direct jet service to New York, Chicago, Charlotte, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Memphis and St. Louis.

Northwest Arkansas at a glance

• Population: 312,000
• The sixth fastest-growing region in America
• 47% population increase in the 90s
• 60% employment growth in the last decade
• Unemployment rate among the lowest in U.S.
• 36th safest metropolitan area in U.S.
• $3.5 billion annual retail sales
• $4.8 billion effective buying income

Northwest Arkansas Council © 2003