Life in Fayetteville

• U of A
• School of Law
• Future Students
• New Student Guide
• Life in Fayetteville

The University of Arkansas is located in Fayetteville in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. Fayetteville and the Northwest Arkansas region are often recognized for the visual and performing arts and entertainment scene, local food movement, outdoor recreation activities, innovative business climate and natural beauty.

This fast-growing area continues to get noticed on “best of” lists for its beauty, resources and opportunities.

• Fayetteville has been recognized among the best places to live in America by U.S. News (ranked 5th in 2017)
• top 10 best college towns by Livability.com
• top 100 places to live by Livability.com
• “Best Places for Business and Careers” by Forbes

Housing

Off Campus Housing

The University of Arkansas has an off-campus housing department with resources that allow you to search for housing, compare prices, proximity to campus, and help finding used furniture. You can also find information on roommates, utilities, landlord contracts, and related information. In order to use the site you will first need to sign up for a guest account.

The School of Law is located on the north side of campus, as shown on the UA Campus map.

There are a lot of apartment options and a fair number of houses and duplexes. If you plan to drive, keep in mind that typically, the further you are from campus, the less expensive the housing becomes. There can be, however, difficulties associated with parking on campus. See Transportation, below.

On Campus Housing

The University of Arkansas has a number of on-campus housing options that can include a meal plan. Visit UA Housing website for more information.

Transportation

If you are planning to fly into Arkansas, please note that our closest airport is the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport located near Bentonville, Arkansas, about 30 miles north of Fayetteville. They also have links to shuttles, taxi information, and bus routes under the "travel planning" link.

The UA bus line is good, and it is free.

Parking on campus can be difficult unless you buy a permit. You can find information on permit costs at the UA Parking website.

If you plan to be on foot or bike, Fayetteville has a large number of beautifully maintained walking/biking trails. The city of Fayetteville parks and recreation department has a nice listing of the trails with a great interactive map. It may seem a bit overwhelming at first, but as you start to identify housing, you will find that most housing sites will mention which trails are accessed nearest to the property, and then you can use the interactive map to see how long of a walk/bike ride it would be for you.

Food

The Northwest Arkansas Local Food Guide is a great resource for restaurants, farmers markets, CSAs, and farms that support and utilize local food. The farmers market in Fayetteville should be on your must-do list.

On campus, there are ao many food options, all of which are outlined on the dining services website which lists all of our eateries and includes a pricing guide. The School of Law is very close to the Student Union building, which houses a number of options. Arsaga's Espresso Cafe, which serves drinks, pastries, and sandwiches, is located in The Young Law Library within the School of Law.

Outdoor Activities

Arkansas is the "Natural State," so campers, hikers, kayakers, and nature enthusiasts will find an abundance of things to do. Some highlights include Devils Den State Park, Big Bluff/Goat Trail in Ponca, and Mount Magazine. You can find a good listing of state parks the State of Arkansas' state parks website. If you do one outdoor excursion, make it a float trip down a portion of the Buffalo National River. You will not be disappointed! The Botanical Garden of the Ozarks is small, but has a nice garden and is home to the Fayetteville Farmers Market on Sundays. Wilson Park is one of the more popular parks and has a pool, a walking path, tennis courts, basketball courts and a sand volleyball court, and it is within walking distance of the School of Law.

Recognitions

Best Places for Minority-Owned Businesses in 2016

Northwest Arkansas comes out ahead when it comes to assessing the climate for minority-owned businesses. In 2016, NWA was ranked second nationally, according to Fast Company and Nerdwallet.

Best in the U.S.

In February of 2016, Northwest Arkansas received recognition from Lonely Planet, the world’s largest publisher of travel-related books and guides, ranking as the seventh on the “Best in the U.S.”

Most Economic Growth in 2016

Northwest Arkansas is seventh among 18 regions that will see the most economic growth in 2016, according to research by the U.S. Conference of Mayors in June 2015.

Fastest Growing Economy through 2020

The Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers Metropolitan Statistical Area (Northwest Arkansas) is growing. Its economy, according to a report delivered to the U.S. Conference of Mayors in 2014, grew 3.8 percent in 2013. It is projected to grow at 4.2 percent annually between 2013-20, making it one of the top metropolitan areas in the nation. The region's gross metropolitan product ranked No. 3 for the 2013-20 projection period, behind Austin, Texas at 4.4 percent and Raleigh, N.C. at 4.3 percent. The full report includes an excellent review of the nation's future economic hot spots.

Best Cities for Job Growth

New Geography in 2014 put Northwest Arkansas at No. 10 in its list of Best Cities for Job Growth for medium-sized cities. Rankings are based on recent growth trends, mid-term growth and long-term growth, momentum, and current year growth.

Best-Performing Cities

The Milken Institute, which published a new report in December 2015, put the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers Metropolitan Statistical Area's economy at No. 24 among 200 large metropolitan areas. The region ranked No. 49 overall among those best-performing cities in 2014. The region was especially strong in job and wage growth.

Fayetteville

The University of Arkansas System, which has the flagship University of Arkansas located in Fayetteville, was ranked at No. 65 in a list of the world's 100 top utility patent producing universities. The list was published in June 2015 by the National Academy of Investors.

Ranked in its Top 100 Best Places to Live in the U.S., Livability.com identified the college town's medical centers as one of its strengths.

Ranked by Southern Living at No. 10 in its list of The South’s Best College Towns, Fayetteville was cited for “a slew of music venues and bars” but also noted that Dickson Street is the “town’s life force on the weekends” and connects the University of Arkansas to “the revitalized downtown, where streets are blocked off on Saturdays for the 60-stall Fayetteville Farmers Market.”

Best Hubs for Tech Startups

Entrepreneur Magazine in 2012 identified Northwest Arkansas as one of the nine U.S. cities that are great for tech startups. Citing the high concentration of billionaires as well as the proximity of Walmart, Tyson Foods and J.B. Hunt, the region is supportive of startups as demonstrated by the availability of angel investors and networking organizations.

Best Places for Business and Careers

Forbes ranked Northwest Arkansas at No. 37 in its list of Best Places for Business and Careers in 2014. Criteria included labor supply, quality of life, college attainment, crime statistics, local college quality, and cultural and recreational opportunities. In the ranking, Northwest Arkansas was ahead of larger metropolitan areas, including Baltimore, Boston, Tampa and Washington, D.C. Ranked No. 27 in job growth, Northwest Arkansas finished ahead of cities such as Denver, Indianapolis and New York in that category.