Why Jacksonville
Located in Pulaski County, Arkansas, Jacksonville is a city situated within the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway metropolitan region. Covering a total area of approximately 28.2 square miles, the municipality is made up almost entirely of land, complemented by a small expanse of water.
The community developed from a settlement centered around a railroad depot after landowner Nicholas Jackson deeded property to the Cairo & Fulton Railroad in 1870. The town incorporated in 1941, coinciding with the construction of the Arkansas Ordnance Plant, a key manufacturing facility for detonators and fuses during World War II. After the facility closed following the war, its land was transitioned to commercial uses, including the creation of the Little Rock Air Force Base in 1955.
Historical and military attractions remain central to the local community. Preserved structures from the wartime facility include the Arkansas Ordnance Plant Guard House, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors can explore local military heritage at the Jacksonville Museum of Military History or visit Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Heritage Park. Other notable facilities in the city include the Esther Dewitt Nixon Library and the Jacksonville Guitar Center and Museum.
Recreational offerings throughout the area feature eight municipal parks, the Splash Zone aquatic area, and the Jacksonville Farmers Market. Outdoor activities are available via the Bayou Meto Urban Canoe Trail as well as the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Shooting Sports Complex.
Jacksonville has a humid subtropical climate defined by hot, humid summer weather and generally cool to mild winters. Local municipal regulations restrict the retail sale of alcohol in stores, though specific restaurants operate with permits to serve alcoholic beverages.
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