Hot Springs is a spa and resort town at the base of the Ouachita Mountains southwest of Little Rock. The area boasts 47 natural hot springs as well as the boyhood home of Bill Clinton. Surrounding the unusual Hot Springs National Park are several resorts, some tacky tourist sprawl, and a few historic sites. Downtown is clean with a substantial historic district containing the historic Bathhouse Row preserved and repurposed by the National Park Service.
The area is touristy with some minor performing arts and lots to do for everyone, but may be more of a place to visit than a place to live. Those looking beyond tourist attractions for something to do will find themselves enjoying outdoor recreation in the national forest or nearby lakes. Most employment is related to the tourist, hospitality and convention industry. For a tourist destination, cost of living is reasonable.
Hot Springs is in a hilly, wooded area at the base of the large Ouachita National Forest and mountain range of the same name. The setting is attractive and known for beautiful spring and autumn seasons. But the climate, while continental, becomes more humid subtropical in summer, giving warm and sticky days. Winters are fairly mild with outbreaks of cold, snow and occasional ice storms. Precipitation is evenly distributed through the year, coming mainly as thunderstorms in summer. Most winter precipitation is rain, but as mentioned, cold air can take over. First freeze is early November, last is late March.