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Little Rock is the capital and the most populous city of the State of Arkansas. It is also the county seat of Pulaski County and had a city population of 204,370 in the 2006 census estimates. It and North Little Rock, Arkansas are co-principal cities of the six-county Little Rock-North Little Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area, an area with a population of 652,834 people, according to 2006 census estimates. The MSA is in turn included in the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff Combined Statistical Area, which had a population of 829,032 in the 2006 census estimates.

Located near the geographic center of Arkansas, Little Rock derives its name from a small rock formation on the south bank of the Arkansas River called La Petite Roche (the "little rock"). The "little rock" was used by early river traffic as a landmark and became a well-known river crossing.

History

Origins
Many artifacts have been found that suggest Native Americans inhabited Central Arkansas thousands of years before European settlers arrived. These original inhabitants may have included the Folsom people, Bluff Dwellers, Mound Builders, Caddo, Quapaw, Osage, Choctaw and Cherokee. Arkansas was left untouched by European hands until 1541 when Hernando de Soto of Spain traveled through the area.

Little Rock was actually named for a little rock. Early travelers used a stone outcropping on the bank of the Arkansas River as a landmark. "La Petite Roche" marked the transition from the flat Mississippi Delta region to the Ouachita Mountain foothills. Travelers would refer to the area as "the little rock" and the name stuck.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 302.5 km² (116.8 mi²). 301.0 km² (116.2 mi²) of it is land and 1.6 km² (0.6 mi²) of it (0.52%) is water.

Little Rock is located on the south bank of the Arkansas River in Central Arkansas. Fourche Creek and Rock Creek run through the city and flow into the river. The western part of the city is located in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. Just northwest of the city limits is Pinnacle Mountain and Lake Maumelle, which provides Little Rock's drinking water. The city of North Little Rock is located just across the river from Little Rock, but it is a separate city.

Government
The city operates under a city manager form of government, although voters in 2007 voted to convert the Mayor's position to a full-time position with veto power. The city employs over 2500 individuals in 14 different departments including the Police department, the Fire department, Parks and Recreation and the Zoo.

Most Pulaski County government offices are located in the city of Little Rock and include among others the Quorum, Circuit, District, Juvenile Courts and the Assessor, County Judge, County Attorney and Public Defenders offices.

The U.S. Federal District Court (Eastern District) of the St. Louis 8th District and also the Circuit Federal Court of Appeals are located in Little Rock.

Demographics

Old State House MuseumAs of the 2000 census, there were 183,133 people, 77,352 households, and 46,488 families residing in the city. The population density was 608.5/km² (1,576.0/mi²). There were 84,793 housing units at an average density of 281.7/km² (729.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 40.01% White, 55.07% Black, 0.27% Native American, 1.66% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.28% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. 2.67% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.

There were 77,352 households, out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,572, and the median income for a family was $47,446. Males had a median income of $35,689 versus $26,802 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,209. 14.3% of the population is below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 20.9% of those under the age of 18 and 9.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Metropolitan statistical area
The 2006 U.S. Census population estimate for the Metropolitan Statistical Area of Little Rock-North Little Rock was 652,834. The MSA includes the following counties: Pulaski, Faulkner, Grant, Lonoke, Perry, and Saline. The largest cities include Little Rock, North Little Rock, Conway, Jacksonville, Benton, Sherwood, Cabot, Maumelle, and Bryant.

The 2006 U.S. Census population estimate for the Combined Statistical Area (CSA) of Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff was 829,032.

• Large companies headquartered in Little Rock: Metropolitan National Bank, Rose Law Firm, Nuvell Financial Services, Central Flying Service and Stephens Inc.
• Large companies headquartered in other cities but with a large presence in Little Rock: Dassault Falcon Jet, Raytheon Aircraft Company and Fidelity National Information Services.
• Non-profit organizations include Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, Heifer International, Lions World Services for the Blind, William J. Clinton Foundation,Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, and Winrock International.
• Associations include the American Taekwondo Association, Arkansas Hospital Association, and the Quapaw Quarter Association.
• Major employers in Little Rock include Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Entergy, Raytheon, The Sharper Image, Siemens, and Timex.
• One of the largest public employers in the state with over 9,400 employees, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and its affiliates — Arkansas Children's Hospital and the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System — have a total economic impact in Arkansas of about $4.1 billion per year. UAMS receives less than 11% of its funding from the state. Its operation is funded by payments for clinical services (64%), grants and contracts (18%), philanthropy and other (5%), and tuition and fees (2%).
• The Little Rock port is an intermodal river port with a large industrial business complex. It is designated as Foreign Trade Zone 14.
• Little Rock was named 22nd out of 361 metropolitan areas as best places for business in 2005 by Forbes Magazine.
• Moody's Investor Services ranks Little Rock as the second most diverse economy in the nation.
• Little Rock along with Louisville and Memphis are branches of the St. Louis Federal Reserve district.

Libraries
The Central Arkansas Library System includes the main building downtown and numerous branches throughout the city as well as branches in Sherwood, Maumelle and Jacksonville. The Pulaski County Law Library is located at the William H. Bowen School of Law.

Miscellaneous facts
Citizens of Little Rock are commonly referred to by the appellation, "Little Rockers."

The city of North Little Rock was once the 8th ward of Little Rock. An Arkansas Supreme Court decision on February 6, 1904, allowed the ward to merge with the neighboring town of North Little Rock. The merged town quickly renamed itself Argenta (the local name for the former 8th Ward), but returned to its original name in October 1917.

Federal Express was founded in 1971 by Frederick W. Smith in Little Rock, Arkansas, but moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1973 after Little Rock National Airport officials would not agree to provide facilities for the fledgling airline. The company is now known as FedEx Corporation.