The Little Rock region has been named a top logistics hub in the United States.

In the May/June 2023 issue of Business Facilities, the publication profiled the top logistics centers in the nation. Business Facilities recognized the Little Rock metropolitan area as a logistics hub, highlighting the advantages that the area provides to companies.

A major advantage that the Little Rock metro area offers companies is the wide range of transportation routes that flow through the region. The Little Rock area offers robust road, water, rail, and air options.

The metro area is served by five interstate highways, six U.S. highways and 20 Arkansas state highways. The Arkansas River flows through the metro area, and the Port of Little Rock offers barge access and handles approximately 12 million tons of cargo annually. Little Rock is also home to a national airport – the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, which hosts six airlines, offers direct flights to 15 major U.S. markets, and services nearly two million passengers per year.

There is significant rail infrastructure in the Little Rock area. Union Pacific operates major railyards in Little Rock, as well as Pine Bluff, and there is a locomotive overhaul and maintenance facility in North Little Rock.

Little Rock’s transportation corridor enables swift delivery of goods and materials. In 2022, Tractor Supply Company announced it would invest $100 million to build a new distribution center in Maumelle that would create 450 new jobs. The distribution center will service approximately 250 Tractor Supply stores when it is at full capacity.

Arkansas has a long history as a hub for transportation and distribution companies. More than 6,800 transportation, logistics, and distribution companies call Arkansas home. The state is home to a Fortune 500 transportation company, J.B. Hunt Transportation Co., as well as Fortune 1000 transportation company, ArcBest.

To learn more about Arkansas’ industries and infrastructure, download the Arkansas Executive Overview.