Benton County is a county within the Northwest Arkansas region with a culture, economy, and history that have transitioned from rural and agricultural to suburban and white collar since the growth of Walmart, which is headquartered in Benton County. Created as Arkansas's 35th county on September 30, 1836, Benton County contains thirteen incorporated municipalities, including Bentonville, the county seat, and Rogers, the most populous city. The county was named after Thomas Hart Benton, a U.S. Senator from Missouri influential in Arkansas statehood.
Bella Vista is a city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. First established in 1917 as a summer resort destination, Bella Vista has evolved and redesigned itself over the succeeding years. Bella Vista became a retirement community in 1965, and, after much contention and a 2006 vote of its property owners, became an incorporated city.
Bentonville is the ninth-most populous city in Arkansas, United States, and the county seat of Benton County. The city is centrally located in the county with Rogers adjacent to the east. The city is the birthplace and world headquarters location of Walmart, the world's largest retailer. It is one of the four main cities in the three-county Northwest Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is ranked 105th in terms of population in the United States with 546,725 residents in 2020, according to the United States Census Bureau. The city itself had a population of 54,164 at the 2020 Census, an increase of 53% from the 2010 Census. Bentonville is considered to be one of the fastest growing cities in the state and consistently ranks amongst the safest cities in Arkansas. It is included in the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Centerton is a city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. Located west of Bentonville on Highway 102, Centerton has grown from a railroad stop and fruit orchard community in the early 20th century into a suburban bedroom community within the rapidly growing Northwest Arkansas (NWA) region. The city's population has grown from 491 in 1990 to 16,244 in 2019. Centerton is considered to be one of the fastest growing cities in Arkansas and consistently ranks amongst the safest cities in the state.
Gravette is a city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 3,547 as of the 2020 census. It is part of the Northwest Arkansas region.
Rogers is a city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. Located in the Ozarks, it is part of the Northwest Arkansas region, one of the fastest growing metro areas in the country. Rogers was the location of the first Walmart store, whose corporate headquarters is located in neighboring Bentonville. Daisy Outdoor Products, known for its air rifles, has both its headquarters and its Airgun Museum in Rogers. The city houses a popular shopping center, the Pinnacle Hills Promenade, and a music venue, the Walmart AMP, that has housed performances by big-name artists and local performers alike.
Springdale is the fourth-most populous city in Arkansas, United States. It is located in both Washington and Benton counties in Northwest Arkansas. Located on the Springfield Plateau deep in the Ozark Mountains, Springdale has long been an important industrial city for the region. In addition to several trucking companies, the city is home to the world headquarters of Tyson Foods, the world's largest meat producing company. Originally named Shiloh, the city changed its name to Springdale when applying for a post office in 1872. It is included in the four-county Northwest Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is ranked 102nd in terms of population in the United States with 546,725 in 2020 according to the United States Census Bureau. The city had a population of 84,161 at the 2020 Census.
Bentonville High School (BHS) is a public high school in Bentonville, Arkansas, United States. Founded in 1910, the school provides education for students in grades nine through twelve. It is one of two high schools of the Bentonville School District.
Highway 72 is a designation for two east–west state highways in Benton County, Arkansas. A western route of 26.32 miles (42.36 km) runs east from Highway 43 at Maysville to U.S. Route 71B (US 71B) in Bentonville. A second route of 12.67 miles (20.39 km) begins at Interstate 49/US Route 71 (I-49/US 71) in Bentonville and runs northeast to US 62 near Avoca. The route is one of the original Arkansas state highways.
Bentonville Schools is a comprehensive community school district serving students in kindergarten through 12th grade from Bentonville, Arkansas, in Benton County. Bentonville Schools encompasses 141.54 square miles (366.6 km2) of land, including most of Bentonville, and portions of Bella Vista, Cave Springs, Centerton, Gravette, Highfill, Little Flock, Rogers, and Springdale.
Interstate 49 (I-49) is an Interstate Highway in the state of Arkansas. There are two main sections of the highway across different sides of the state. The southern section starts at the Louisiana state line, then runs to Texarkana, at the Texas state line. The northern section begins at I-40 and at U.S. Highway 71 (US 71) in Alma and runs north to the Missouri state line, where the freeway continues into Missouri. An additional small section south of Fort Smith is currently designated as Highway 549 until it is extended northward to the I-40 interchange, at which point it will become part of I-49.
Maysville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. It is the westernmost settlement in the state of Arkansas. Per the 2020 census, the population was 117. It is located in the Northwest Arkansas region.
Downtown Bentonville is the historic business district of Bentonville, Arkansas. The region is the location of Walmart Home Office; city and county government facilities; and most of Bentonville's tourist attractions for the city and contains many historically and architecturally significant properties. Downtown measures approximately 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2) and is defined as the region between Tiger Boulevard to the north, Highway 102 (AR 102) to the south, Walton Boulevard to the west and J Street to the east. Similar to other central business districts in the US, Downtown has recently undergone a transformation that included the construction of new condos and lofts, renovation of historic buildings, and arrival of new residents and businesses. Upon opening of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art the increased tourist traffic related to the museum has made Downtown Bentonville one of the state's most popular tourism destinations.
Northwest Arkansas (NWA) is a metropolitan area and region in Arkansas within the Ozark Mountains. It includes four of the ten largest cities in the state: Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and Bentonville, the surrounding towns of Benton and Washington counties, and adjacent rural Madison County, Arkansas. The United States Census Bureau-defined Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers Metropolitan Statistical Area includes 3,213.01 square miles (8,321.7 km2) and 576,403 residents, ranking NWA as the 98th most-populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. and the 13th fastest growing in the United States.
U.S. Highway 71 is a U.S. highway that runs from Krotz Springs, LA to the Fort Frances–International Falls International Bridge at the Canadian border. In Arkansas, the highway runs from the Louisiana state line near Doddridge to the Missouri state line near Bella Vista. In Texarkana, the highway runs along State Line Avenue with US 59 and partially runs in Texas. Other areas served by the highway include Fort Smith and Northwest Arkansas.
The Braithwaite House is a historic house at Bella Vista Drive and Braithwaite Street in Bentonville, Arkansas. Built c. 1855, this single-story brick house may be the oldest house in Benton County, and is the only one of its type in the city. Its form is similar to a saltbox with a side gable roof that has a short front slope and an extended rear slope. An open porch with a shed roof extends across the front. The house was by James Haney, an Irish brick mason, for the Braithwaites, who were major local landowners.
The Linebarger House is a historic house at 606 West Central Avenue in Bentonville, Arkansas, U.S.A. This two-story Craftsman-style house was built in 1920 by C. A. Linebarger, one of the principal developers of the Bella Vista resort area north of Bentonville. As one of the first Craftsman houses built, it played a significant role in popularizing the style in the region, with a deep porch whose roof is supported by stone porch piers, wide eaves with decorative supporting brackets, and exposed rafter tails.
Wonderland Cave is the largest cave in northwestern Arkansas. It is located on Dartmoor Road in Bella Vista, northeast of Bella Vista Lake and east of United States Route 71. The published report of the cave dates to 1868. Purchased in 1917, the cave was developed by Clarence A. Linebarger in 1929, opening it as a nightclub on March 1, 1930. Located 300 feet into the cave was a cavernous space hosting a stage for musicians, a bar, and wood/stone booths. The Arkansas State General Assembly met in the cave in 1931. In 1935, Linebarger started the Linebarger winery in the cave, sold under the brand "Belle of Bella Vista and Wonderland".
The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media is a US non-profit research organization that researches gender representation in media and advocates for equal representation of women.
The Bentonville Film Festival (BFF) is an American film festival held annually in Bentonville, Arkansas that focuses on diversity.
