City comparison
Fort Smith, AR is about 60 miles (100 km) from Springdale, AR in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 70 miles, or about 1 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 Fort Smith, AR to Springdale, AR takes about 7 min, covering roughly 60 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 86,705 in Springdale — about the same size. By land area, Fort Smith covers about 64 sq mi vs 50 sq mi for Springdale.
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 | Springdale | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $798/mo | $920/mo | 15.3% higher in Springdale |
| Median home value | $155,600 | $206,400 | 32.6% higher in Springdale |
| Median household income | $50,799 | $59,985 | 18.1% higher in Springdale |
| Groceries index | 94.1 | 94.0 | ≈ equal (Fort Smith slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 75.7 | 76.9 | 1.6% higher in Springdale |
| 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 $112,472 in Springdale to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fort Smith, AR is about 11.1% cheaper overall than Springdale, AR, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 41% higher in Springdale than in Fort Smith. If you earn $80,000 in Fort Smith, you'd need about $89,978 in Springdale to keep the same standard of living.