City comparison
Alexandria, LA is about 300 miles (475 km) from Fort Smith, AR in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 375 miles, or about 6 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Alexandria, LA to Fort Smith, AR takes about 36 min, covering roughly 300 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Fort Smith has a population of 89,315, vs 45,133 in Alexandria — about 2.0× larger by population. By land area, Fort Smith covers about 64 sq mi vs 28 sq mi for Alexandria.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Alexandria | Fort Smith | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $928/mo | $798/mo | 16.3% higher in Alexandria |
| Median home value | $179,900 | $155,600 | 15.6% higher in Alexandria |
| Median household income | $49,049 | $50,799 | 3.6% higher in Fort Smith |
| Groceries index | 94.1 | 94.1 | ≈ equal (Alexandria slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 73.2 | 75.7 | 3.4% higher in Fort Smith |
| Transportation index | 96.1 | 95.8 | ≈ equal (Alexandria slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 95.6 | 95.3 | ≈ equal (Alexandria slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Alexandria, you'd need $99,490 in Fort Smith to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Alexandria and Fort Smith have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Alexandria, you'd need about $79,592 in Fort Smith to keep the same standard of living.