Transportation
Arkansas's transportation network and central U.S. location define the state as a strategic distribution center.
| Truck transit time from Central Arkansas |
| Destination City | Average Transit Days |
| Atlanta |
2 |
| Chicago |
2 |
| Dallas |
1 |
| Houston |
2 |
| Kansas City |
1 |
| Los Angeles |
4 |
| Memphis |
1 |
| Montreal |
3 |
| Mexico City |
3 |
| New Orleans |
1 |
| New York City |
3 |
| St. Louis |
1 |
Arkansas's intermodal transportation network of highways, railways, air routes, waterways and pipelines is ideally suited to meet the needs of business. These facilities provide easy access to U.S. markets and the world. Midway between Mexico City and Montreal, Arkansas offers a valuable distribution advantage.
Arkansas is home to two of the nation's largest trucking companies: J.B. Hunt and ABF Freight Systems. J.B. Hunt is the nation's leading transportation provider and the nation's largest publicly traded truckload carrier. ABF serves all 50 states and has international operations offering service to 230 ports in 130 countries. FedEx Freight East, a less-than-truckload market leader, is based in Harrison, Ark.
More than 1,600 for-hire motor carriers with interstate operations are based in Arkansas. And more than 93,000 Arkansans are employed in trucking and distribution.
The state's comprehensive transportation system can easily move bulk commodities and consumer goods. Many of Arkansas's port locations have railway connections that provide a smooth transition for various modes of transportation and quick delivery.
Highways
A $1-billion reconstruction of the state's interstate system was completed in 2005.
Interstate 40, a highly traveled interstate highway, is a major thoroughfare from coast to coast, providing access to markets from North Carolina to California.
Interstate 55 intersects I-40 in eastern Arkansas, offering distribution opportunities from New Orleans in the south to St. Louis and Chicago in the north.
I-30 also connects Arkansas with markets in the southwest, including Texas and Mexico.
The planned Interstate 69 will run through south Arkansas, connecting Canada and Mexico.
The weight limit for trucks in Arkansas is 80,000 pounds, the national standard. Arkansas's abundance of truck lines provides competitively priced single carrier service to all areas of the nation.
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Air Service
Many major airlines and commuter lines provide reliable air service in Arkansas.
Little Rock National Airport (LIT) provides direct flights to the following major cities: Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Memphis, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York/Newark, Orlando, Phoenix, Salt Lake City and St. Louis. Little Rock is also served by numerous charter, private and corporate aircraft.
Little Rock National has three runways and can accommodate large aircraft, including the Boeing 747. Eight freight carriers serve the airport, and UPS Air Cargo maintains a large regional freight hub at the airport.
In addition to commercial aircraft, Little Rock National serves general aviation/private aircraft, with two fixed base operators (FBOs) on the field, Central Flying Service and Omni Air. With 19 hangars on 63 acres, Central is one of the nation's largest fixed base operations and offers a huge paint and interior refurbishing shop, non-destructive testing and sheet metal fabrication.
The Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA), which opened in 1998, is the state's second busiest airport. XNA offers 12 nonstop flights, including Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Memphis, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Newark, New York and St. Louis.
Regional airports in El Dorado, Fort Smith, Harrison, Northwest Arkansas, Hot Springs, Jonesboro and Texarkana provide commercial service to several national airports. 
Of Arkansas's 100 airports, more than 35 have runways that will accommodate most business jets. These airports provide both day and night services, and most have instrument approach capability.
The Arkansas Aeroplex at Blytheville, formerly Eaker Air Force Base, is the state's second-largest industrial complex and one of the largest commercial airstrips in the central United States. Situated in a campus-like setting, the facility offers fiber-optic technology, 1.5 million square feet of available facilities, and space for new construction.
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Waterways
More than 1,000 miles of navigable waterways link Arkansas with ports worldwide. Arkansas's rivers remain ice-free throughout the year, allowing continuous movement of goods at the many public ports, private terminals and riverfront industrial sites.
There are four active commercially navigable waterways in the state: the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System and the Mississippi, Ouachita and White Rivers.
The Mississippi River forms the entire eastern boundary of the state and is accessed through public ports at Osceola, West Memphis, Helena, and Yellow Bend.
The McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System runs through the center of the state and allows barge traffic between Catoosa, Oklahoma, (near Tulsa) and the Mississippi River. This system serves public ports at Fort Smith, Little Rock and Pine Bluff, as well as many private terminals and numerous large industrial sites.
The Ouachita River has public ports at Crossett and Camden in south Arkansas. Barges are loaded at privately owned terminals and riverfront industrial sites in these cities and at other locations along the river.
The White River serves businesses in the eastern part of the state from Newport to the Mississippi River.
The Foreign Trade Zone at the Little Rock Port is located in a new 104,000 square-foot building. Three Foreign Trade Sub-Zones are located in El Dorado, Forrest City, and West Helena.
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Rail Service
There are 26 freight railroad companies in Arkansas. Three are Class I railroads: Union Pacific, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, and Kansas City Southern Railway. The remainder are Class III railroads. The state's railroad system connects shippers to any major destination in the U.S.
Arkansas's rail system also ties into the state's other transportation systems of river, highway, and pipeline modes.
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Intermodal Facilities
Intermodal freight facilities in Arkansas include the riverports at Little Rock, Pine Bluff and Van Buren.
The pipeline/refinery/fuel storage complexes are the Lion Oil refinery/fuel storage complex in El Dorado, the Truman Arnold fuel storage terminal in West Memphis, and the Central Arkansas pipeline/fuel storage terminal in North Little Rock.
Union Pacific Railroad has a $70 million state-of-the-art intermodal facility on 600 acres at Marion, just north of where Interstates 40 and 55 converge. Nearby is the Burlington Northern Santa Fe's Harvard Yard, plus close access to three other rail carriers.
The Marion site is across the Mississippi River - the nation's most traveled river - from Memphis, with its international airport and Fed Ex Superhub. The convergence of all of these transportation factors were important considerations when the Marion site was runner-up in Toyota's recent search for a site for its new truck plant. Marion has been named one of the best sites in the South for an automobile manufacturer.
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Pipeline Transportation
The state's flowable bulk system consists of natural gas, oil, and product pipelines. Several large fuel storage terminals are linked to refineries by pipelines.
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