City comparison
Fort Smith, AR is about 225 miles (375 km) from Monroe, LA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 300 miles, or about 5 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 Fort Smith, AR to Monroe, LA takes about 28 min, covering roughly 225 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 47,631 in Monroe — about 1.9× larger by population. By land area, Fort Smith covers about 64 sq mi vs 30 sq mi for Monroe.
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 | Fort Smith | Monroe | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $798/mo | $790/mo | 1.0% higher in Fort Smith |
| Median home value | $155,600 | $158,200 | 1.7% higher in Monroe |
| Median household income | $50,799 | $36,550 | 39.0% higher in Fort Smith |
| Groceries index | 94.1 | 94.1 | ≈ equal (Monroe slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 75.7 | 74.3 | 1.9% higher in Fort Smith |
| Transportation index | 95.8 | 96.1 | ≈ equal (Monroe slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 95.3 | 95.6 | ≈ equal (Monroe 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 Fort Smith, you'd need $94,585 in Monroe to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Monroe, LA is about 5.4% cheaper overall than Fort Smith, AR, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 22% higher in Fort Smith than in Monroe. If you earn $80,000 in Fort Smith, you'd need about $75,668 in Monroe to keep the same standard of living.