City comparison
Fort Smith, AR is about 125 miles (200 km) from North Little Rock, AR in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 miles, or about 2 h 45 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 Fort Smith, AR to North Little Rock, AR takes about 15 min, covering roughly 125 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 64,454 in North Little Rock — about 1.4× larger by population. By land area, Fort Smith covers about 64 sq mi vs 53 sq mi for North Little Rock.
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 | North Little Rock | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $798/mo | $995/mo | 24.7% higher in North Little Rock |
| Median home value | $155,600 | $165,600 | 6.4% higher in North Little Rock |
| Median household income | $50,799 | $49,166 | 3.3% higher in Fort Smith |
| Groceries index | 94.1 | 94.0 | ≈ equal (Fort Smith slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 75.7 | 76.5 | 1.0% higher in North Little Rock |
| 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 Fort Smith, you'd need $108,372 in North Little Rock to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fort Smith, AR is about 7.7% cheaper overall than North Little Rock, AR, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 27% higher in North Little Rock than in Fort Smith. If you earn $80,000 in Fort Smith, you'd need about $86,697 in North Little Rock to keep the same standard of living.