Let’s take you on a trip to discover some interesting facts about Little Rock, the Capital of Arkansas.
Little Rock is the most populous city in beautiful Arkansas (AR) and also the state capital. For the city to be officially tagged as the state capital, you can expect it to be a state with some historical events and some amazing attractions.
The city got its name from a set of rocks located along the river. The rock was named by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Bénard de la Harpe as a river landmark in 1722. In 1818, the rock proved to be more significant than earlier thought by the french explorer as it was also utilized as a survey marker.
The City of Little Rock is beautiful, and anyone visiting for the first time will always find something interesting to say about the place. And also proves to be very important for the state of Arkansas as it embraces culture and is also a hub for the economy, transportation, and position of power for the state.
Aside from that, if you are in the city for some sightseeing, you are just going to find a lot out there. Depending on where you want to start, you can look into various museums that tell stories of the past or engage yourself in some outdoor recreational activities like hiking, boating, and fishing.
Little Rock, AR is a lovely place to be and there is so much about the city than meets the eye. However, you will never know if you are yet to take a trip to the state capital of Arkansas.
- Population: 202,591
- Zip Code: 72201-72207, 72209-72212, 72214-72217, 72219, 72221-72223, 72225, 72227, 72231, 72255, 72260, 72295
- Area code: 501
- Popular Celebrities from Little Rock: Chelsea Clinton, Derek Fisher, Lawrence Phillips, Joe Johnson, Bobby Portis, Hunter Henry, and many more.
- Website: www.littlerock.gov
Land area and population
The total area of Little Rock is 123.00 sq mi, land has about 120.05 sq mi, 2.96 sq mi, and the metro 4,090.34 sq mi. By total area occupied, the state capital city is the largest in Arkansas.
It is also the most populous city in Arkansas (AR) with about 202,591 residents. The place consists of mostly white and blacks with about 42% and 40% respectively. There are also others including Asian, Hispanic, and Mixed Individuals.
20 Interesting Facts About Little Rock in Arkansas
1. Little Rock was once briefly renamed “Akropolis” in 1821 because of a land dispute that needed settling. The old name can be found on older maps.
2. The state capital has no demonym for residents. However, “Little Rockian” and “Little Rocker” are often used for the residents or to say where they are from.
3. A circus-trained bear and an abandoned timber wolf were the only animals in Little Rock Zoo when it first opened in 1926.
4. Bill or Hilary Clinton are mostly linked to Little Rock, but none of them was actually born in the Arkansas state capital, only their daughter, Chelsea Clinton was born there.
5. Little Rock is home to Arkansas School for the Deaf and American Taekwondo World Headquarters.
6. Little Rock nicknames are The Rock, Rock Town, and LR. The LR is an abbreviation for Little Rock. Therefore, when you see someone saying, “I am visiting LR”, you have no excuse misunderstanding what they mean.
7. The city of Little Rock was incorporated as a City on November 2, 1835. Before that, it was just a town.
8. General Douglas MacArthur who was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and who also served as General of the Army for the United States was born in Little Rock in 1880.
9. The popular Little Rock’s Arkansas State Capitol was fully constructed in 1915. The capitol has been used for movies by many top producers and directors, among them are 1991’s Stone Cold and Designing Women, a TV series.
10. The name, “Little Rock ” was not decided because it felt cool to the ears, it was given by a group of travelers of which Jean-Baptiste Bénard de la Harpe led the charge. It was he that named a rock formation on the Arkansas River which the name eventually stuck on the town.
11. Little Rock was donned one of the cleanest cities in America in 2011 by Forbes magazine.
12. A climber car was invented in the state capital In the 1920s. Today, only two of the cars are left.
13. Most big US Cities can’t boast of many sister cities, most of them have one or two whereas Little Rock has five. They are Caxias do Sul (Brazil), Newcastle upon Tyne (United Kingdom), Changchun (China), Hanam (South Korea), and Kaohsiung (Taiwan).
14. The Little Rock Nine Monument, in honor of the 9 African American students that bravely fought the social evils in Little Rock Central High School in 1957, is on the grounds of the Arkansas State Capitol. During the period, blacks were not allowed entry into the school, but they changed it through their bravery. They are Thelma Mothershed, Minnijean Brown, Melba Pattillo, Terrence Roberts, Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest Green, Gloria Ray, Carlotta Walls, and Jefferson Thomas.
15. Stephens Inc., Dillard’s department stores, and Heifer International are all in Little Rock; the establishments played a great part in ensuring that the company went public in the early 1970s.
16. The longest pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge in North America called the Big Dam Bridge are all in the beautiful little rock city. The bridge has never been used by vehicles.
17. As said before, it is easy to think of the state capital of Arkansas as where the former president of the United States, Bill Clinton was born. He was not born there, but her daughter was. However, BIll usually referred to the place as his home and you will see many establishments named after him such as the Clinton School of Public Service under the University of Arkansas, Clinton Headquarters, Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, and many more.
18. The Brown n Serve Rolls that were mostly used to impress guests or served at the thanksgiving dinings in the USA were from Arkansas’ State Capital.
19. Little Rock Airforce Base has the largest and most well-equipped facilities for training and aircraft maintenance in America.
20. Majority of Government offices in Arkansas are in downtown Little Rock.
