North Little Rock, Arkansas

About North Little Rock, Arkansas

North Little Rock is a city in the central part of the U.S. state of Arkansas across the Arkansas River from Little Rock in Pulaski County. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 58,833 ranking it as the sixth most populous city in the state. North Little Rock, along with Little Rock, anchors the six-county Little Rock-North Little Rock, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area (2007 population — 666,401), which is further included in the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas Combined Statistical Area (2007 population — 841,326).

The city's downtown is home to the Arkansas Twisters of the af2 arena football league and the Arkansas RimRockers of the NBA D-League (both of which play at Alltel Arena). Near the arena is Dickey-Stephens Park, the new home of the Arkansas Travelers minor league baseball team. Burns Park, one of the largest municipal parks in the United States, is located in western North Little Rock.

North Little Rock was once known as Argenta, a name currently applied specifically to downtown North Little Rock. In 1890, Little Rock annexed the unincorporated Argenta community as its Eighth Ward, preempting a competing petition to incorporate Argenta. A neighboring area was incorporated as the Town of North Little Rock in 1901 as part of a plan to reclaim the Eighth Ward from Little Rock. By 1904, the Arkansas Supreme Court allowed the town to annex the Eighth Ward; the modern City of North Little Rock considers this its founding date. The combined city adopted the Argenta name by 1906, but reverted to North Little Rock in October 1917. A remnant of the city's earliest years can be found in North Little Rock City Hall (constructed in 1914), which still contains plaques referring to "Argenta", and contains "C of A" (City of Argenta) ornamental designs. North Little Rock is commonly known as "dog-town" to the residents of the city of Little Rock. This nickname came about due to the fact that, historically, citizens came across the river to "dump" stray dogs in the town. North Little Rock employs mostly 1980's architecture, as some out of towners sometimes feel they have taken a trip back to that decade when they visit.