Little Rock, Arkansas

About Little Rock, Arkansas

Little Rock is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Pulaski County. The city's population was estimated at 184,422 in 2005 estimates. Little Rock, North Little Rock and Conway are co-principal cities of the six-county Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area, an area with a population of 666,401 people, according to 2007 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 841,325 in the 2007 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.

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 first explored by Europeans in 1541 when Hernando de Soto of Spain traveled through the area.