Fort Smith, Arkansas

Fort Smith: The second most populous city in Sebastian County, Arkansas. It is located on the Arkansas River in western Arkansas. Fort Smith is known for its many parks and green spaces, its many historical sites, and its many attractions, such as the Fort Smith National Historic Site and the Fort Smith Museum of History.

About

Fort Smith is a city located in the county of Sebastian in the U.S. state of Arkansas. Its population at the 2010 census was 86,209. After 10 years in 2020 city had an estimated population of 87,764 inhabitants.

The city was created 207 years ago in 1816.

Fort Smith is located along the Arkansas River in western Arkansas. It was established as a frontier military post in 1817. The city developed into a major hub for river trade and transportation by the late 1800s.

Key Facts About Fort Smith

Population: Approximately 88,000 as of 2019

Economy: Major employers in Fort Smith include ArcBest Corporation, Baldor Electric Company, and Mercy Hospital. Manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare are top industries.

Geography: Fort Smith spans over 75 square miles along the Oklahoma border. The Arkansas River runs through it. The climate is humid subtropical.

Things to Do in Fort Smith

Top attractions and activities in Fort Smith include:

  • Judge Parker's Gallows Exhibit - Commemorates the famous "hanging judge" Isaac Parker who oversaw the federal court.
  • Fort Smith National Historic Site - Loaded with 19th century military history along with exhibits and programs.
  • Miss Laura's Social Club - Landmark blues juke joint featuring live music and Southern food.
  • Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center - Nature center focused on education and wildlife native to the river valley.
  • Fort Smith Museum of History - Traces the city's history from a frontier fort to a major industrial hub.

In summary, Fort Smith provides loads of historic Old West charm combined with family-friendly museums and outdoor attractions.

Fort Smith locator map
Location of Fort Smith on Arkansas map.

Quick Facts about Fort Smith

Population : 87,764 (2020)
Country : United States of America
State : Arkansas (United States)
County : Sebastian County
Postal code : 72902
Phone Area Codes : 479
Water as percent of area : 5.88%
Land as percent of area : 94.12%
Altitude : 4,629 feet / 1411 meters
Capital city : Fort Smith is capital of Sebastian County
Establishment : January 01, 1817 (207 years ago)
Time Zone : America/Chicago
Local time : 22:28:27 (3rd November 2024)
Population growth : 1.77% (2010-2020)
GarrisonFSM image
GarrisonFSM
GarrisonFSM image

Geography

Fort Smith is located at 35°23'9"N 94°23'55"W (35.3859200, -94.3985500).

Fort Smith map

Demographics

The population of Fort Smith increased by 1.77% in 10 years.

Year Population % Change Method
2010 86,209 - census
2011 87,205 1.14% estimation process
2012 87,624 0.48% estimation process
2013 87,385 -0.27% estimation process
2014 87,131 -0.29% estimation process
2015 87,677 0.62% estimation process
2016 87,561 -0.13% estimation process
2017 87,834 0.31% estimation process
2018 87,720 -0.13% estimation process
2019 87,891 0.19% estimation process
2020 87,764 -0.14% estimation process

Demographic Facts

Estimated population as of July 1, 2019 : 35,483
Based on demographic estimates as of April 1, 2010 : 33,230
Based on demographic estimates as of 1 April 2010 : 6.8%
April 1, 2020 Population : 35,726
April 1, 2010 Population : 33,248
People under 5 years old, percentage : 6.3%
People under 18 years old, percentage : 24.5%
People over 65 (%) : 15.3%
Female persons, % : 52.6%
White only, percent : 81.4%
Black or African American alone, percent : 11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native only, % : 0.1%
Asians alone % : 3.2%
Only Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders, % : 0.1%
% of people who have participated in two or more races : 2.3%
% of Hispanic or Latino : 3.0%
White people, not Hispanic or Latino people, make up the majority of the population. : 79.5%
2015-2019 Veterans : 1,984
Percentage of foreign-born people, 2015-2019 : 4.5%
Rate of owner-occupied housing units, 2015-2019 : 73.8%

Fort Smith zip code is 72901. County name: Sebastian, County fips: 05131

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Economic Facts

Rate of owner-occupied housing units, 2015-2019 : 73.8%
Owner-occupied housing unit median value, 2015-2019 : $216,100
From 2015 to 2019, the median selected monthly owner costs - with a mortgage : $1,680
Monthly owner costs, without a mortgage, at the median, 2015-2019 : $699
2015-2019 median gross rent : $1,076
2015-2019 Households : 13,506
Population per household, 2015-2019 : 2.60
Living in the same house a year ago, percentage of people aged one year and up, 2015-2019 : 85.9%
Languages other than English spoken at home, as a percentage of people aged 5 and up, 2015-2019 : 5.2%
Households with computers, %, 2015-2019 : 96.5%
Percentage of households with a broadband Internet subscription, 2015-2019 : 94.2%
Percentage of people aged 25 and up with a high school diploma or higher, 2015-2019 : 96.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher, proportion of people aged 25 and up, 2015-2019 : 48.5%
Percentage of people under the age of 65 who have a disability, 2015-2019 : 6.6%
Persons under the age of 65 who do not have health insurance, as a percentage : 4.4%
Total civilian labor force, percent of population aged 16 and up, 2015-2019 : 70.6%
Female labor force participation in the civilian labor force, as a percentage of the population aged 16 and up, 2015-2019 : 65.6%
Total sales of lodging and food services in 2012 ($1,000) : 89,364
Total receipts/revenue for health care and social assistance in 2012 ($1,000) : 276,545
Manufacturers' total shipments in 2012 ($1,000) : 234,985
2012 total retail sales ($1,000) : 475,205
2012 total retail sales per capita : $14,048
Mean commute time to work (in minutes), workers aged 16 and up, 2015-2019 : 21.5
2015-2019 median household income (in 2019 dollars) : $88,475
Income per capita in the previous 12 months (in 2019 dollars), 2015-2019 : $41,038
Percentage of people living in poverty : 5.1%
Total number of businesses in 2012 : 3,531
Men-owned businesses in 2012 : 1,945
Women-owned businesses in 2012 : 1,264
Minority-owned businesses in 2012 : 512
Non-minority-owned businesses in 2012 : 2,833
Veteran-owned businesses in 2012 : 238
Nonveteran-owned businesses in 2012 : 3,001
2010 population per square mile : 2,675.4
2010 land area in square miles : 12.43
Rate of owner-occupied housing units, 2015-2019 : 68.5%
Owner-occupied housing unit median value, 2015-2019 : $204,500
From 2015 to 2019, the median selected monthly owner costs - with a mortgage : $1,406
Monthly owner costs, without a mortgage, at the median, 2015-2019 : $439
2015-2019 median gross rent : $881
2015-2019 Households : 10,719
Population per household, 2015-2019 : 2.53
Living in the same house a year ago, percentage of people aged one year and up, 2015-2019 : 88.0%
Languages other than English spoken at home, as a percentage of people aged 5 and up, 2015-2019 : 5.0%
Households with computers, %, 2015-2019 : 90.9%
Percentage of households with a broadband Internet subscription, 2015-2019 : 84.3%
Percentage of people aged 25 and up with a high school diploma or higher, 2015-2019 : 92.4%
Bachelor's degree or higher, proportion of people aged 25 and up, 2015-2019 : 34.6%
Percentage of people under the age of 65 who have a disability, 2015-2019 : 8.4%
Persons under the age of 65 who do not have health insurance, as a percentage : 7.9%
Total civilian labor force, percent of population aged 16 and up, 2015-2019 : 56.8%
Female labor force participation in the civilian labor force, as a percentage of the population aged 16 and up, 2015-2019 : 52.5%
Total sales of lodging and food services in 2012 ($1,000) : 75,494
Total receipts/revenue for health care and social assistance in 2012 ($1,000) : 422,791
Manufacturers' total shipments in 2012 ($1,000) : 2,235,050
2012 total retail sales ($1,000) : 605,778
2012 total retail sales per capita : $21,702
Mean commute time to work (in minutes), workers aged 16 and up, 2015-2019 : 20.7
2015-2019 median household income (in 2019 dollars) : $61,384
Income per capita in the previous 12 months (in 2019 dollars), 2015-2019 : $30,727
Percentage of people living in poverty : 11.4%
Total number of businesses in 2012 : 3,283
Men-owned businesses in 2012 : 1,787
Women-owned businesses in 2012 : 1,049
Minority-owned businesses in 2012 : 121
Non-minority-owned businesses in 2012 : 2,969
Veteran-owned businesses in 2012 : 299
Nonveteran-owned businesses in 2012 : 2,759
2010 population per square mile : 1,634.6
2010 land area in square miles : 16.80
Rate of owner-occupied housing units, 2015-2019 : 45.7%
Owner-occupied housing unit median value, 2015-2019 : $142,200
From 2015 to 2019, the median selected monthly owner costs - with a mortgage : $1,258
Monthly owner costs, without a mortgage, at the median, 2015-2019 : $511
2015-2019 median gross rent : $834
2015-2019 Households : 2,009
Population per household, 2015-2019 : 2.93
Living in the same house a year ago, percentage of people aged one year and up, 2015-2019 : 84.0%
Languages other than English spoken at home, as a percentage of people aged 5 and up, 2015-2019 : 29.6%
Households with computers, %, 2015-2019 : 84.8%
Percentage of households with a broadband Internet subscription, 2015-2019 : 80.2%
Percentage of people aged 25 and up with a high school diploma or higher, 2015-2019 : 87.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher, proportion of people aged 25 and up, 2015-2019 : 27.8%
Percentage of people under the age of 65 who have a disability, 2015-2019 : 5.8%
Persons under the age of 65 who do not have health insurance, as a percentage : 27.6%
Total civilian labor force, percent of population aged 16 and up, 2015-2019 : 58.5%
Female labor force participation in the civilian labor force, as a percentage of the population aged 16 and up, 2015-2019 : 49.9%
Total sales of lodging and food services in 2012 ($1,000) : 2,606
Total receipts/revenue for health care and social assistance in 2012 ($1,000) : 13,992
2012 total retail sales ($1,000) : 7,339
2012 total retail sales per capita : $1,208
Mean commute time to work (in minutes), workers aged 16 and up, 2015-2019 : 25.7
2015-2019 median household income (in 2019 dollars) : $47,813
Income per capita in the previous 12 months (in 2019 dollars), 2015-2019 : $20,901
Percentage of people living in poverty : 9.3%
Total number of businesses in 2012 : 401
Men-owned businesses in 2012 : 152
Women-owned businesses in 2012 : 216
Minority-owned businesses in 2012 : 212
Non-minority-owned businesses in 2012 : 178
Veteran-owned businesses in 2012 : 43
Nonveteran-owned businesses in 2012 : 347
2010 population per square mile : 1,239.7
2010 land area in square miles : 4.93

People born in Fort Smith (104)

People born in Fort Smith, including World War II Army colonel William Orlando Darby, trumpeter Abram Wilson, actor, playwright, director, and film and television producer Laurence Luckinbill, .

List

  • Anne W. Patterson (United States Department of State official and diplomat) she was born in 04/10/1949
  • Kimberly Foster (American actress) she was born in 06/07/1961
  • William S. Sessions (American judge (1930-2020)) he was born in 27/05/1930
  • Alphonse Trent (American musician) he was born in 24/08/1905
  • Joan Crawford (American basketball player) she was born in 22/08/1937
  • Marilyn Lloyd (American politician, activist (1929-2018)) she was born in 03/01/1929
  • Ron Brewer (American basketball player) he was born in 16/09/1955
  • Brett Goode (American football player) he was born in 02/11/1984
  • Craig Gentry (American baseball player) he was born in 29/11/1983
  • Charles M. Cooke, Jr. (United States admiral) he was born in 19/12/1886
  • Chuck Mayfield (American musician) he was born in 23/12/1934
  • Clifford S. Gardner (American mathematician) he was born in 14/01/1924
  • Eugene Feenberg (American physicist) he was born in 06/10/1906
  • Jerry Keller (American musician) he was born in 20/06/1937
  • Rudy Ray Moore (American comedian, singer, actor, and film producer, godfather of rap) he was born in 17/03/1927
  • Bryant Reeves (American basketball player) he was born in 08/06/1973
  • Scotty Robertson (American basketball player and coach) he was born in 01/02/1930
  • Brice Jones (American bicycle racer) he was born in 09/01/1979

Schools in Fort Smith

College & universities near Fort Smith, AR

Code Name City ZIP
106360 Arthur's Beauty College Inc-Fort Smith Fort Smith (AR) 72901-3342
107293 Academy of Salon and Spa Fort Smith (AR) 72901
108092 University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Fort Smith (AR) 72913-3649
480921 Designer Barber & Stylist School Ft Smith (AR) 72903-3753
488527 Arkansas Colleges of Health Education Fort Smith (AR) 72916-0366

Post offices near Fort Smith

Post Office Name City ZIP
Downtown Fort Smith Post Office Fort Smith (AR) 72901
Midland Fort Smith Post Office Fort Smith (AR) 72904
Arkoma Post Office Arkoma (OK) 74901
Gmf Fort Smith Post Office Fort Smith (AR) 72903
Downtown Van Buren Post Office Van Buren (AR) 72956

Other cities in Sebastian County

Cities, towns, neighborhoods & other populated places in Sebastian County , AR.

City Name Population Title
Greenwood 8,952 City in Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Barling 5,064 City in Arkansas, USA
Lavaca 2,439 City in Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States of America
Mansfield 1,089 City in Scott and Sabastian counties in Arkansas, United States
Hackett 837 City in Arkansas, USA
Hartford 623 City in Arkansas, USA
Huntington 615 City in Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Bonanza 560 Town in Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Central City 497 Town in Arkansas, USA
Midland 322 Town in Arkansas

Distance to Other Cities

Fort Smith distances to largest Arkansas cities