Fort Smith, AR is a small city in the northwest corner of Arkansas. It has a population of around 87,000 and is home to the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. The city is known for its historical sites such as Fort Smith National Historic Site, Miss Laura's Social Club, and Belle Grove Historic District. The town also boasts a number of outdoor activities such as hiking trails, parks, riverside trails, and fishing spots. There are also plenty of restaurants serving up local flavors including traditional Southern cuisine and barbeque.
Reviews for Fort Smith generally reflect its friendly charm and scenic beauty. Visitors often remark on the historic attractions, beautiful natural settings, great food choices and friendly locals. Many people enjoy exploring the nearby forests and wildlife preserves while others prefer simply strolling through downtown to take in the sights and sounds. People who come to visit are often impressed by how easy it is to find things to do in this small city while still feeling like they have really experienced something special.
based on 28 ReviewsGet to know Fort Smith with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Fort Smith
Relieved - 11/29/2011
I'm VERY relieved that some people don't like it here. This city is just the right size as it is...don't need more people, more crowds, or more traffic.
Born and raised in Madison, WI, lived in St. Paul,MN, Seattle, San Antonio, and Omaha. Wife lived in Westchester County, NY until 8 years ago. We LOVE it here in Fort Smith. More Western than Southern. Yes, it's conservative (and we're not) and yes it's religious (and we're not) and yes, good restaurants are rare. It's still a good place to live and we're glad we retired here. Great for history buffs, mild spring, winter and fall. Summer is hot and humid. Not paradise, but paradise is no good if you can't afford to live there. People are very friendly - and by the way, they are from all
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Awful place to live. - 11/5/2011
The people of Fort Smith are nosey,rude and confrontational...If you are having a private conversation with another person,they butt in and offer their opinion even though they were not asked...They are also a city full of deceptive liars and if you are looking for a great place to live,move somewhere
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Fort Smith - 8/26/2011
Fort Smith’s pluses are low crime, low cost of living, and mild winters. The person who said we have “cold winters” must be from southern Florida. Compare the average Fort Smith winter to one in Minnesota and you’ll see what a cold winter truly is.
That said, the downsides outweigh the benefits. This is a very Republican and religiously conservative area. If you don’t fit into that mold, you might not feel like you fit in. This is the South. “Good ol’ boy-ism” is still fairly strong, and it might turn up in places that would surprise and annoy you.
Chain stores (Walmart is everywhere!) and chain restaurants dominate, and aside from the mom & pop Asian and Tex-Mex places, the local restaurants are really mediocre. Central Mall, the shopping area that everyone abandoned a formerly thriving downtown for in the early 70s, is clean but doesn’t seem very busy, nor does it have much to offer. Your bookstore options are limited, and I hope you like buying your music
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You Think You Want To Move Here, But You Don't---I - 7/24/2011
In today's economy, nearly any town has it's problems with unemployment, etc. However, Fort Smith, Arkansas has ALWAYS had high unemployment. This skews the statistics and enable bogus comments such as, "Fort Smith's unemployment figures haven't changed much because of the economy." It's true---the figures haven't changed much because unemployment here is still above the national average. But to make it seem that Fort Smith is a stable place is deceptive. The large manufacturing firms that relocated here many years ago to escape states that allowed labor unions have decided that even Ft. Smith is too much trouble and they're all heading down to Mexico. Everyone that worked in these plants was from Oklahoma, anyway. Anyone living in Fort Smith is generally shunned by the firms---not sure why. In fact nearly ALL jobs in Fort Smith are held by people from rural Oklahoma. Ask anyone you meet at the dentist office, the schools, retail---you name it. They're ALL from Oklahoma. I think a
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Ft smith - 2/14/2011
Ft. Smith sucks big hairy monkey balls..... I just moved here, winters are cold, there are NO JOBS here wirlpool and riverside shut down and the others have lay-offs, the summers are sticky and the people r not nice like my next door neighbors they r old and don't like Lil kids, there r no deed restrictions so anyone can do anything to their yards or should I say do nothing to their yards better yet! I would think twice about moving here! And good luck if u r trying to lease and the schools suck too! I have have nothing nice to say about it. The schools would have u drive in ice so they can make their money for the day, plus good luck on getting a school bus to run. So...stay away from ballman ele school and 37th street (beware of the hateful neighbors)
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Ft smith - 2/14/2011
Ft. Smith sucks big hairy monkey balls..... I just moved here, winters are cold, there are NO JOBS here wirlpool and riverside shut down and the others have lay-offs, the summers are sticky and the people r not nice like my next door neighbors they r old and don't like Lil kids, there r no deed restrictions so anyone can do anything to their yards or should I say do nothing to their yards better yet! I would think twice about moving here! And good luck if u r trying to lease and the schools suck too! I have nothing nice to say about it. The schools would have u drive in ice so they can make their money for the day, plus good luck on getting a school bus to run. So...stay away from ballman ele school and 37th street (beware of the hateful neighbors)
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I thought it was a cute town - 10/30/2010
I just came back to FL from Fort Smith, had a job interview at a medical center over there. Everyone I met was as nice as could be, gas was cheaper there than my hometown, and the rates on apt rentals are awesome!! I can certainly get ahead in this town and be able to save money. Fort Smith is about to gain a new member of their little
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Ft. Smith,Arkansas....Well, it sucks!! - 9/8/2010
Yes there is crime in Ft. Smith.It's not the stuff of big city life, but it's here.That's not you should be worried about though, be worried about the economy here.Jobs in this area are very scarce.Here, it's not what you know, it's who you know.This city is all about the "good ol' buddy" system.You could work in a poultry plant, but those jobs are taken by immigrants, legal and illegal.As far as attractions go...not much.Once a year there is a traveling fair that comes through.It's has a very generic feel to it.If you rent here, the northside of town is cheap, and you'll see why.You'll find out first hand just how much crime does happen here.If it's the southside, way overpriced.The schools here are at best,lacking.Don't take my word for it, just look up how Arkansas schools rank nationally.In most categories, we rank bottom, or pretty damn close.This town is controlled by the same 20 or 30 people that has been in control for 60 years.Very behind the times!!I've lived here for 36
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I love Fort Smith! - 1/9/2010
We moved here in 1978 and it has been a wonderful experience. The town is large enough to have everything I need but it isn't so large that I am afraid to get out in it.
Fort Smith is a friendly family oriented town. It has been a wonderful area in which to raise a family.
Many summers are hot and humid but not as bad as many southern states. The winter consists of only 2-3 months. Usually it doesn't even get cold enough to wear a coat. I will take heat in the summer if I can usually have mild winters and little to no
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It's not bad - 8/4/2009
Fort Smith is ok. The people are fairly nice. It would be better if they used their turn signals when driving. Being a transplant from the Northwest I kinda feel out of place. We have a mall and most of the big chain stores. We're not near the ocean, so fresh seafood is hard to find. The taxes are high compared to Oregon which has no sales tax, but the cost of living is less. Good Chinese food or a proper pizza is nonexistent. The BBQ is good. The climate is super hot (air conditioning is mandatory) in summer and super cold in winter. Best time of year is Fall which lasts about a week. Spring time is high winds, hail and tornados. As long as you have a bomb shelter in your backyard you'll be safe. Also, we're in the Bible Belt so be prepared if you were raised
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