Arkansas Transportation
Arkansas Guide
Arkansas State Transportation
Arkansas Transportation Introduction
To anyone who is about to visit Arkansas, it is essential to have some idea about the transport infrastructure. It is the objective here to do just that – having gone through this article, one should have a clear picture of how to get at different places in Arkansas during a visit to this state. Listed below are the main means of transportation and other transport-related issues in the state of Arkansas.
Airports
The roads are very well developed in Arkansas. This makes automobiles the most preferred means of transport. However, there are many airports in Arkansas and air travel is a very convenient way of getting around. The Little Rock Arkansas airport is the international airport of the state. It has seven big airlines transporting millions of people to different destinations every year. The other airports are the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport close to Bentonville, the Texarkana Regional Airport and the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport.
List of Airports in Arkansas
| City Served | FAA | IATA | ICAO | Airport Name | Role | Enpl. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Service - Primary Airports | ||||||
| Fayetteville | XNA | XNA | KXNA | Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport | P-S | 547,871 |
| Fort Smith | FSM | FSM | KFSM | Fort Smith Regional Airport | P-N | 85,095 |
| Little Rock | LIT | LIT | KLIT | Little Rock National Airport (Adams Field) | P-S | 1,181,846 |
| Texarkana | TXK | TXK | KTXK | Texarkana Regional Airport (Webb Field) | P-N | 29,820 |
| Reliever Airports | ||||||
| North Little Rock | ORK | KORK | North Little Rock Municipal Airport | R | 4 | |
| West Memphis | AWM | AWM | KAWM | West Memphis Municipal Airport | R | 44 |
| General Aviation Airports | ||||||
| Almyra | M73 | Almyra Municipal Airport | GA | |||
| Arkadelphia | M89 | Dexter B. Florence Memorial Field | GA | |||
| Ash Flat | CVK | KCVK | Sharp County Regional Airport | GA | ||
| Augusta | M60 | Woodruff County Airport | GA | |||
| Batesville | BVX | BVX | KBVX | Batesville Regional Airport | GA | 4 |
| Benton | SUZ | KSUZ | Saline County Regional Airport | GA | ||
| Bentonville | VBT | KVBT | Bentonville Municipal Airport (Louise M. Thaden Field) | GA | 12 | |
| Berryville | 4M1 | Carroll County Airport | GA | |||
| Blytheville | BYH | BYH | KBYH | Arkansas International Airport (formerly Blytheville AFB) | GA | 23 |
| Blytheville | HKA | HKA | KHKA | Blytheville Municipal Airport | GA | 1 |
| Brinkley | M36 | Frank Federer Memorial Airport | GA | |||
| Calico Rock | 37T | Calico Rock - Izard County Airport | GA | |||
| Camden | CDH | CDH | KCDH | Harrell Field | GA | |
| Carlisle | 4M3 | Carlisle Municipal Airport | GA | |||
| Clarendon | 4M8 | Clarendon Municipal Airport | GA | |||
| Clarksville | H35 | Clarksville Municipal Airport | GA | |||
| Clinton | CCA | KCCA | Clinton Municipal Airport | GA | ||
| Conway | CWS | KCWS | Dennis F. Cantrell Field | GA | 5 | |
| Corning | 4M9 | Corning Municipal Airport | GA | |||
| Crossett | CRT | CRT | KCRT | Z. M. Jack Stell Field | GA | |
| Danville | 32A | Danville Municipal Airport | GA | |||
| De Queen | DEQ | KDEQ | J. Lynn Helms Sevier County Airport | GA | ||
| De Witt | 5M1 | De Witt Municipal Airport | GA | |||
| Dumas | 0M0 | Billy Free Municipal Airport | GA | |||
| El Dorado | ELD | ELD | KELD | South Arkansas Regional Airport at Goodwin Field | GA | 511 |
| Fayetteville | FYV | FYV | KFYV | Fayetteville Executive Airport (Drake Field) | GA | 1,480 |
| Flippin | FLP | FLP | KFLP | Marion County Regional Airport | GA | 2 |
| Fordyce | 5M4 | H. L. Hopkins - Fordyce Municipal Airport | GA | |||
| Forrest City | FCY | FCY | KFCY | Forrest City Municipal Airport | GA | |
| Harrison | HRO | HRO | KHRO | Boone County Airport | GA | 1,903 |
| Heber Springs | HBZ | KHBZ | Heber Springs Municipal Airport | GA | ||
| Helena-West Helena | HEE | HEE | KHEE | Thompson-Robbins Airport | GA | 25 |
| Hope | M18 | Hope Municipal Airport | GA | |||
| Horseshoe Bend | 6M2 | Horseshoe Bend Airport | GA | |||
| Hot Springs | HOT | HOT | KHOT | Hot Springs Memorial Field Airport | GA | 1,382 |
| Jonesboro | JBR | JBR | KJBR | Jonesboro Municipal Airport | GA | 1,339 |
| Lake Village | M32 | Lake Village Municipal Airport | GA | |||
| Magnolia | AGO | AGO | KAGO | Magnolia Municipal Airport | GA | |
| Malvern | M78 | Malvern Municipal Airport | GA | |||
| Manila | MXA | MXA | KMXA | Manila Municipal Airport | GA | |
| Marianna | 6M7 | Marianna/Lee County Airport (Steve Edwards Field) | GA | |||
| Marked Tree | 6M8 | Marked Tree Municipal Airport | GA | |||
| Marshall | 4A5 | Searcy County Airport | GA | |||
| McGehee | 7M1 | McGehee Municipal Airport | GA | |||
| Melbourne | 42A | Melbourne Municipal Airport (John E. Miller Field) | GA | |||
| Mena | MEZ | KMEZ | Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport | GA | 25 | |
| Monticello | LLQ | KLLQ | Monticello Municipal Airport (Ellis Field) | GA | ||
| Morrilton | BDQ | KBDQ | Morrilton Municipal Airport | GA | ||
| Morrilton | MPJ | MPJ | KMPJ | Petit Jean Park Airport | GA | |
| Mount Ida | 7M3 | Bearce Airport | GA | |||
| Mountain Home | BPK | WMH | KBPK | Ozark Regional Airport (was Baxter County Regional) | GA | 46 |
| Nashville | M77 | Howard County Airport | GA | |||
| Newport | M19 | Newport Municipal Airport | GA | 28 | ||
| Osceola | 7M4 | Osceola Municipal Airport | GA | |||
| Ozark | 7M5 | Ozark - Franklin County Airport | GA | |||
| Paragould | PGR | PGR | KPGR | Kirk Field | GA | 29 |
| Paris / Subiaco | 7M6 | Paris Municipal Airport | GA | |||
| Piggott | 7M7 | Piggott Municipal Airport | GA | |||
| Pine Bluff | PBF | PBF | KPBF | Grider Field | GA | 35 |
| Pocahontas | M70 | Pocahontas Municipal Airport (Nick Wilson Field) | GA | |||
| Rogers | ROG | ROG | KROG | Rogers Municipal Airport (Carter Field) | GA | 119 |
| Russellville | RUE | KRUE | Russellville Regional Airport (was Russellville Municipal) | GA | 54 | |
| Searcy | SRC | SRC | KSRC | Searcy Municipal Airport | GA | 24 |
| Sheridan | 9M8 | Sheridan Municipal Airport | GA | |||
| Siloam Springs | SLG | SLG | KSLG | Smith Field | GA | 1 |
| Springdale | ASG | SPZ | KASG | Springdale Municipal Airport | GA | 5 |
| Stuttgart | SGT | SGT | KSGT | Stuttgart Municipal Airport | GA | 14 |
| Waldron | M27 | Waldron Municipal Airport | GA | |||
| Walnut Ridge | ARG | ARG | KARG | Walnut Ridge Regional Airport | GA | |
| Warren | 3M9 | Warren Municipal Airport | GA | |||
| Wynne | M65 | Wynne Municipal Airport | GA | |||
| Other Public-Use Airports (not listed in NPIAS) | ||||||
| Bald Knob | M74 | Bald Knob Municipal Airport | ||||
| Booneville | 4M2 | Booneville Municipal Airport | 1 | |||
| Clinton | 2A2 | Holley Mountain Airpark | 4 | |||
| Decatur | 5M5 | Crystal Lake Airport | ||||
| Dermott | 4M5 | Dermott Municipal Airport | ||||
| El Dorado | F43 | Downtown Airport | ||||
| Eureka Springs | 5A5 | Silver Wings Field | ||||
| Garfield | 4A8 | Lost Bridge Village Airport | ||||
| Gurdon | 5M8 | Gurdon Airport (Lowe Field) | ||||
| Hampton | 0R6 | Hampton Municipal Airport | ||||
| Hazen | 6M0 | Hazen Municipal Airport | ||||
| Holly Grove | 2A6 | Holly Grove Municipal Airport | ||||
| Huntsville | H34 | Huntsville Municipal Airport | ||||
| Lakeview | 3M0 | Gastons Airport | ||||
| McCrory | 7M0 | McCrory / Morton Airport | ||||
| Mountain View | 7M2 | Mountain View Airport (Harry E. Wilcox Memorial Field) | ||||
| Prescott | 4F7 | Kizer Field | ||||
| Rector | 7M8 | Rector Airport | ||||
| Salem | 7M9 | Salem Airport | ||||
| Sherrill | 99A | Smith's International Airport | ||||
| Star City | 55M | Star City Municipal Airport | ||||
| Stephens | 4F8 | Wilson Airport | ||||
| Weiner | 8M2 | Sally Wofford Airport | ||||
| Other Military Airports | ||||||
| Camp Robinson / Little Rock | RBM | KRBM | Robinson Army Airfield | |||
| Fort Chaffee | AZU | KAZU | Arrowhead Assault Strip | |||
| Jacksonville | LRF | LRF | KLRF | Little Rock Air Force Base | 622 | |
| Notable Former Airports | ||||||
| Benton | M99 | Saline County Airport (Watts Field) | ||||
Bike paths in Arkansas
This is a unique feature of Arkansas. Bicycling vacations are very popular and it is one of the best ways to enjoy the natural beauty of this state. The Northwest bike trails are some of the most popular trails, located in the back roads of the Ozarks. There are several state parks, three national forests and city parks which provide a labyrinth of biking paths for a bicycle enthusiast. In fact the Syllamo and Womble Trails have international recognition from the International Mountain Biking Association. Other well-known biking trails are the Arkansas River Trail and the Mississippi River Trail.
Public Transport in Arkansas:
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Bus Transport: There is a well-established bus system which transports tourists and commuters all over the state for most of the year, but it may be restricted during certain times of the year due to snow and extreme weather in the winter months. However what one must keep in mind is that there are different lines demarcated by different colors. Much information is available online and if one is to travel by bus, it would do well to have some previous knowledge of the services and routes available. The buses are very comfortable and certain buses have bicycle racks for storing bicycles. There are also lifts fitted in the buses for handicapped people.
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Rail Transport: Most of the state is well connected with the railways today, and it is a viable alternative to air or road transport. Rail travel is favored by tourists, because it gives an opportunity to see a lot of scenic beauty of the Arkansan countryside in a leisurely way. The Arkansas Railway is one of the main railways of the state. The lines literally criss-cross all over the state and connect all major cities and towns. The railway system is very well-developed and is used by locals and tourists alike. Some of the major cities linked by railways are Little Rock, Hardy, Arkadelphia, Forest City, and so on. The railway service operates all the year round and there are online timetables available for easy travel. Some of the other major railways are the Missouri Railroad, the Northern Arkansas Railroad, Arkansas Midland Railroad and Arkansas Oklahoma Railroad, just to name a few.
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Roads and Car Rentals: The roads and highways network is very well developed in Arkansas. There are several national highways and scenic roads which makes traveling by road in this state a worthwhile experience. As the old adage goes, “you get what you pay for”. So if you are looking for a bit of comfort and an exclusive traveling experience, then you need to spend a little extra and rent a car for traveling around by road. There is a wide range of car rentals to choose from with an equally wide range of choices to suit every pocket. There is a lot of information on the internet regarding car rentals and all the tourist offices also provide a lot of information. Some of the car rental companies which operate in Arkansas are Hertz, Alamo, Budget, and Avis.
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Overlanding: This is an aspect to transportation rarely considered, but however quite a relevant one. Overlanding means using your own vehicle. If you live in a neighboring state, you can just put your bags into your car, pickup and cross over the border. While in Arkansas, you will see several vehicles with out-of-state number plates, and this is what most of them are doing. The advantages are many – the main one being accessibility to remote areas without the hassle having to make elaborate travel arrangements. However, if one is going to travel in this way, it calls for lots of preparation, but the resulting experience can be quite rewarding.
So it is a fact that anyone who visits the state of Arkansas will be able to get around easily. What one has to keep in mind is the location, and hence a sensible choice has to be made as to which means of transport will be the most convenient and suitable for traveling to that location. What is very clear is that, the transport system of Arkansas is very well developed and one can expect a comfortable and leisurely stay while traveling around in this state.
