City comparison
Fayetteville, AR is about 50 miles (80 km) from Fort Smith, AR in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 60 miles, or about 1 h 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 Fayetteville, AR to Fort Smith, AR takes about 6 min, covering roughly 50 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.
Fayetteville has a population of 95,022, vs 89,315 in Fort Smith — about the same size. By land area, Fort Smith covers about 64 sq mi vs 55 sq mi for Fayetteville.
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 | Fayetteville | Fort Smith | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $944/mo | $798/mo | 18.3% higher in Fayetteville |
| Median home value | $291,300 | $155,600 | 87.2% higher in Fayetteville |
| Median household income | $56,881 | $50,799 | 12.0% higher in Fayetteville |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.1 | ≈ equal (Fort Smith slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 76.9 | 75.7 | 1.6% higher in Fayetteville |
| Transportation index | 95.8 | 95.8 | ≈ equal (Fort Smith slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 95.3 | 95.3 | ≈ equal (Fort Smith 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 Fayetteville, you'd need $88,838 in Fort Smith to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fort Smith, AR is about 11.2% cheaper overall than Fayetteville, AR, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 41% higher in Fayetteville than in Fort Smith. If you earn $80,000 in Fayetteville, you'd need about $71,071 in Fort Smith to keep the same standard of living.