Fort Smith

In 1817 Fort Smith was established as a military fort next to Indian territory in Oklahoma to keep the peace between the native Osage tribes and the recently relocated Cherokee groups. It is at the junction of the Arkansas river and the Poteau river at a place that early French explorers called Belle Point. The military fort was named after General Thomas A. Smith, the military's district commander. The military later relocated to nearby Fort Chaffee but the civilian settlers remained keeping the name of the fort and establishing a western frontier town that was often the last genteel layover for people from all walks of life before excursions into Indian Oklahoma including soldiers en route to the Mexican War in the Southwest.
Later Fort Smith became a popular stop for westward expansionists, gold rush diggers, and those seeking better opportunities due to the Great Depression and Dust Bowl of the 20th century.
Today as the second largest city in the state, the municipality and surrounding area is a major economic hub for the state of Arkansas with many major corporations with roots in the city still in operation and employing thousands. The downtown area and commercial zones are usually busy with voluminous traffic most days but beyond that you will find quiet residential zones and woods. Due to economic trends in the U.S. economy, some major factories and plants have closed and/or moved resulting in a swelling of the unemployed population and an uptick in local taxes.

By plane

• Fort Smith Regional AirportService by American Eagle from Dallas/Fort Worth, and Delta Connection from Atlanta.

• Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) near Bentonville, is about an hour and a half from Fort Smith.
• Tulsa International Airport (TUL) (in Oklahoma) and Little Rock International Airport (LIT) are both about a two-hour drive away.

By train

Fort Smith does not have passenger rail service. The nearest cities with Amtrak stations are Oklahoma City, which is the northern terminus of the Heartland Flyer to Fort Worth; and Little Rock, which is served by the Texas Eagle San Antonio - Chicago route.

By car

Fort Smith is at the intersection of Interstate 40, Interstate 540, and US Route 71. Approximate driving times are: 2 hours and 30 minutes west of Little Rock, 1 hour south of Fayetteville, and 3 hours east of Oklahoma City.

By bus

The Jefferson Lines provides bus service to the east, west and north.

The best way to get around and see Fort Smith is by car. Also, public transport is provided by Fort Smith Transit. Although Fort Smith is Arkansas' second largest city, it is relatively compact and getting around shouldn't be much of a problem.

• Miss Laura's Social Club and Visitor Center, 2 N "B" St., +1 479 783-8888, A house of ill-repute from Fort Smith's past, now a visitor center. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This is a good starting point for any visit to Fort Smith.
• Fort Smith National Historic Site, South of Garrison Ave., near the Arkansas river. Parking and Park entrance near 3rd St. and Garland Ave. This site includes the original Fort sites and the reconstructed gallows of Hanging Judge Issac Parker.

• Trolley Museum

  address: 100 S. 4th
  Take a ride on the trolley past the Judge Parker court and the National Historic Site.
• Belle Grove Historic District, 22 square block area north of downtown, On the National Register of Historic Places and has 25 restored historical homes.
• Fort Chaffee and Chaffee Crossing, Hwy 22 (east of Fort Smith) Former military fort with a rich history. Was built in 1941 and includes 22,000 acres. Elvis Presley was inducted into the military and started basic training there. The movies Biloxi Blues, and A Soldier's Story were filmed there.

• The Park at West End

  - located in Fort Smith

• Bowling World

  address: 6100 South 36th Street
  Arkansas' largest bowling facility, with a whopping 72 lanes.

• Jack's Skateland

  address: 1413 Phoenix Avenue
  An ordinary roller skating rink, but with a unique distinction: it has the only artistic roller skating club in Arkansas.

Festivals

• Fort Smith Air ShowThe largest free air show in the United States held every October.

• Riverfront Blues FestivalAnnual in August each year. Free.

• Old Fort Days RodeoAnnual event in late May/Early June.

• University of Arkansas—Fort Smith, 5210 Grand Ave., +1 479 788-7000 Fort Smith's local university branch.

There are several major employers in Fort Smith, including Baldor Electric, Whirlpool Corporation, Rheem, Golden Ventures and Arkansas Best Corporation (ABF).

• Central Mall

  address: 5111 Rogers Ave
  (Exit 8, I-540) This mall is the primary shopping mall in Fort Smith with shops, restaurants and movies.

• Solemates On The Avenue

  address: 505 Garrison Ave
  Women's clothing.

• T's Boutique

  address: 507 N. Greenwood Ave
  Ladies' boutique.

• Stringtown Yarn & Fiber

  address: 11 North 3rd Street
  Supplies for knitting, crochet, and handspinning.

You will find the standard chain restaurants spread out for 2 miles on Rogers Ave. to the east of Interstate 540. They include Friday's, Applebees, Chili's, Outback Steak House, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Arby's, Chick-fil-A, KFC, Wendy's, Schlotzsky's Deli, IHOP and Village Inn.

• Bella Italia Restaurant, 407. N. 8th St., +1 479 785-1550

• Calico Country

  address: 2401 South 56th
  Family style restaurant with great cinnamon rolls.

• Catfish Cove Restaurant

  address: 1615 S. Phoenix Av
  Catfish, seafood and frog legs on a all you can buffet.

• Doe's Steak House

  address: 422 N. 3rd Street
  Great steaks and tamales.

• Diamond Head Restaurant

  address: 4600 Towson Ave., Suite 59
  A great Chinese dine-in restaurant.

• Hamburger Barn

  address: 317 Garrison Av
  Design your own hamburger.

• Jerry Neel's BBQ

  address: 1823 S Phoenix Av
  Very good BBQ.
• Art's BBQ, +1 479 452-2502, Even better BBQ.

• Leoncia's

  address: 1000 Garrison Ave
  New Orleans sandwiches.

• Lin's Garden Chinese Restaurant

  address: 7308 Rogers Ave
  Good Chinese buffet.

• Ole Feed House

  address: 3801 Planters Rd
  Seafood and BBQ buffet, don't miss out on the homemade cinnamon rolls.

• Rolando's Restaurante

  address: 223 Garrison Avenue
  Nuevo Latino food in a Southern hospitality setting.

• Taliano's

  address: 201 North 14th Street
  Very good Italian food.

• Varsity Sports Grill

  address: 318 Garrison Ave
  TVs with all the games, pool and great homemade potato chips.

• Kinkead's

  address: 1004 1/2 Garrison Ave.
  Fort Smith's only gay bar. Good renovations but the uninitiated may be surprised at its scant floor space, especially on a busy weekend. Smoking allowed. Drag shows on Friday and Saturday. "Cougar Cabaret" drag show (no songs performed after the year 1989) once a month.

• Rooster's Blues Bar

  address: 801 Garrison Ave

• Sweet Bay Coffee Co.

  address: 3400 Rogers Ave

• Tassanee's Thai Cuisine

  phone: +1 479 7852-7750
  address: 1611 Dodson Avenue
  Good Thai food.

• Aspen Hotel & Suites

  address: 2900 S. 68th St

• Beland Manor Bed and Breakfast

  phone: +1 479 782-3300
  address: 1320 S. Albert Pike

• Holiday Inn

  address: 700 Rogers Ave

• Holiday Inn Express

  address: 6813 Phoenix Ave

• Residence Inn Fort Smith

  address: 3005 South 74th Street

• Motel 6

  address: 6001 Rogers Ave

• Hampton Inn

  address: 6201-C Rogers Ave

• Baymont Inn & Suites

  address: 2123 Burnham Rd

• Being so close to a number of military installations and bases the area boasts a large number of military families.
• The city is in a very GOP concentrated district as opposed to the rest of the state, though changing political trends for both parties have caught up to the area.
• Church attendance is very high and religious expression often encouraged but residents are often respectful if one politely declines their invitations to services. There are also small nonreligious secular social groups nearby, notably in Fayetteville, if that's one's preference.
• Being near many rural communities and woodlands one may come across, though rare, wildlife especially the nearer one is on the outskirts of the city. It is best advised to leave the wildlife be.
• Local county liquor laws prohibit the sale of alcohol on Sundays.
• Due to nation-wide economic changes several large scale employers have had to close or move. These events have hit the local residents very hard and as a result several have had to swallow their pride and accept public assistance.

The area code for Fort Smith is 479.

• Panera Bread, 2917 S 74th St. Free Internet.
• Creative Kitchen, 3111 Old Greenwood Rd, Free Internet.
• Fort Smith Library, The Main Library at 3201 Rogers Avenue and three branches have computer terminals with internet access; free Wi-Fi is also available at all library locations.
• University of Arkansas—Fort Smith, 5402 Kinkead Ave. Free WiFi available for guests and students on campus.

Check the Tornado safety page if you are visiting Fort Smith. A tornado ripped through downtown Fort Smith on April 21, 1996 killing two people.
Fort Smith is the 6th-most hit city by tornados in the US

• Talimena Drive from Talihina, Oklahoma to Mena, Arkansas 54-mile scenic drive in Oklahoma and Arkansas along the ridge of the Ouachita Mountains and the Ouachita National Forest. The drive has frequent turnouts so you can enjoy the scenery.
• Hot Springs Visit the national park and Oaklawn Park horse racing. Enjoy a thermal bath in the bath house of your choice.
• Eureka Springs 2-1/2 hours of Ozarks driving from Fort Smith. Take the guided tram tour of the historic area. Visit Christ of the Ozarks monument and Passion Play grounds. Enjoy the Little Switzerland of the Ozarks.
• Branson is a 3-hour drive and in the heart of the Ozarks. Visit some of the craft shops, see a show, shop the outlet malls and take a ride on the Branson Scenic Railway. Be sure and visit the Veteran Memorial Museum.
• Altus, a wine-producing town, is a short drive east from Fort Smith on Interstate 40 or US Route 64. It is known best as the setting of The Simple Life. Don't forget to visit the wineries, though, and while you're at it, wine tasting is also a great idea. While in Altus, it worth stopping to see the interior of St. Mary's Catholic Church. The church is decorated with elaborate frescos that were painted by a German artist who was stranded in the United States following the outbreak of World War I.
• Buffalo National River, about three hours from Fort Smith, is a popular place for boating and fishing.