History of Fayetteville, Arkansas in Timeline

Fayetteville, Arkansas, is the second-most populous city in the state and the county seat of Washington County. As of 2023, its estimated population is 101,680. Located in Northwest Arkansas, on the edge of the Ozarks, it's part of the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers metropolitan area, which had a population of 576,403 in 2020. The city was incorporated in 1836 and named after Fayetteville, Tennessee, reflecting its settlers' origins.

1908: Lewis Brothers Building Constructed

The Lewis Brothers Building was constructed in 1908.

1911: Post Office Built

In 1911, the original Fayetteville post office was built.

1913: First wastewater treatment in Fayetteville

In 1913, Fayetteville's first wastewater treatment was established in the form of an Imhoff tank on the West Fork of the White River.

1916: Library Founding

The Fayetteville Public Library was founded in 1916.

1927: George's Majestic Lounge Opening

George's Majestic Lounge, the oldest live music venue in Arkansas, was opened by George Pappas in 1927.

1946: Annexations

In 1946, Fayette Junction and McNair were incorporated into the city of Fayetteville.

July 14, 1954: Highest Temperature Recorded

On July 14, 1954, the highest temperature recorded in Fayetteville was 111 °F (43.9 °C).

1954: School Integration

In 1954, Fayetteville was the second school district in the southern United States to integrate schools after the Supreme Court of the United States decision.

1967: Annexations

In 1967, Baldwin, Barbara and Ruckers Grove were annexed into the city of Fayetteville.

1968: Construction of City of Fayetteville Water Pollution Control Facility

In 1968, the City of Fayetteville Water Pollution Control Facility was built downstream of Lake Sequoyah.

1974: Farmers' Market Start

The Fayetteville farmers' market began in 1974 and runs from the first Saturday in April through the last Saturday before Thanksgiving in the Fayetteville Historic Square.

1981: Castle constructed in Wilson Park

In 1981, a castle was constructed in Wilson Park.

1982: Annexation

In 1982, White Rock was added to the city limits of Fayetteville.

1993: Bud Walton Arena Built

Bud Walton Arena was built in 1993 with a capacity of 19,368.

1993: Botanical Garden of the Ozarks envisioned

In 1993, the idea for the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks was first envisioned.

1997: Library Items Checked Out

In 2005, twice as many items were checked out in the Fayetteville Public Library than in 1997.

1998: Northwest Arkansas National Airport opened

In 1998, the Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) opened for commercial flights.

2000: Population Growth

From 2000 to 2010, Fayetteville grew by 26.8 percent.

2002: American Sports Builders Association names John McDonnell Field "Top Outdoor Track and Field Facility of the Year"

In 2002, the American Sports Builders Association named the outdoor track and field facility at John McDonnell Field as the "Top Outdoor Track and Field Facility of the Year".

2003: Construction begins on Botanical Garden of the Ozarks

In 2003, construction began on the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks after the Botanical Garden Society of the Ozarks raised funds.

October 2004: Library Relocation

In October 2004, the Fayetteville Public Library was moved into a $23 million building.

2004: Haas Hall Academy established

In 2004, Haas Hall Academy was established as the first open-enrollment public charter high school in Arkansas.

2005: Library Award

In 2005, The Blair Library was awarded the 2005 Thomson Gale Library Journal Honorable Mention Library of the Year award.

2006: Fayetteville section in Springdale district divided between Har-Ber and Springdale high schools

In 2006, the portion of Fayetteville within the Springdale district was divided between the zones of Har-Ber and Springdale high schools.

2008: West Side WWTP built

In 2008, the West Side WWTP was built due to development on the city's west side and the expense of pumping wastewater over East Mountain.

2010: 2010 Census Data

As of the census of 2010, there were 73,580 people, 33,661 households, and 14,574 families residing in the city.

2010: Baum Stadium Recognition

In 2010, Rivals.com named Baum Stadium, home of the Hogs baseball team, one of the top college baseball facilities in the South.

2010: Solar energy integrated into solids dewatering process

In 2010, solar energy became the main component of the solids dewatering process after the installation of six solar dryers.

2010: J.B. Hunt Center for Academic Excellence Completion

In 2010, the J.B. Hunt Center for Academic Excellence was completed, funded by a $10 million donation from J. B. Hunt.

2010: Education Levels

In the 2010 Census, Fayetteville was the third best educated city in Arkansas with 40.5% of adults age 25 or older holding an associate degree or higher.

2010: University of Arkansas Fall Semester Enrollment

In the fall semester of 2010, the University of Arkansas had a total enrollment of 21,406 students.

2010: Fayetteville named a Bicycle Friendly Community

Since 2010, Fayetteville has been named a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists.

2011: Fayetteville Market Ranked 127th Nationally

As of Spring 2011, the Fayetteville market (Washington and Benton Counties) was ranked 127th in the nation by Arbitron, with a listening/viewing population (age 12+) of 356,900.

2011: DataRank Founded

In 2011, DataRank, a company providing businesses with tools for analyzing brand conversations, was founded in Fayetteville.

2011: Carnegie Foundation Classification

In 2011, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching recognized the University of Arkansas with classification in the category of "R1, Highest Research Activity."

2011: TheatreSquared Recognition

In 2011, TheatreSquared was recognized by the American Theatre Wing as one of the nation's ten most promising emerging theatres.

2011: EBT and Food Stamps Accepted

Upon receiving a grant in 2011, the Fayetteville Farmers' Market began accepting electronic benefit transfer (EBT) and food stamps.

March 28, 2014: Interstate 540 re-designated as Interstate 49

On March 28, 2014, the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration granted the re-designation of Interstate 540 as Interstate 49.

2016: "The Startup City of the South" Announcement

In 2016, the City of Fayetteville announced its intention to become "The Startup City of the South".

2017: Washington County District Court becomes a state district court

As of 2017, the Washington County District Court became a state district court and is presided over by a full-time judge.

2017: University of Arkansas Enrollment

In Fall 2017, 55% of U of A students were from Arkansas, 42% from out of state, and 3% from foreign countries.

2018: Student Population

As of Spring 2018, nearly 40% of the University of Arkansas student population was made up of students from outside of Arkansas.

2020: 2020 Census

As of the 2020 United States census, Fayetteville had 93,949 people, 36,705 households, and 16,703 families residing in the city.

2021: Bike City Designation

In 2021, Fayetteville was the first city in America to be awarded the designation of "Bike City" by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).

2022: UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships held in Fayetteville

In 2022, Fayetteville hosted the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships.

2023: Population Estimate

By 2023, the population of Fayetteville was estimated to have increased to 101,680.

2024: Molly Rawn elected mayor of Fayetteville

In 2024, Molly Rawn was elected mayor of Fayetteville, defeating the incumbent Lioneld Jordan.

2025: Ozark United FC launch expected

In 2025, the Ozark United FC, a professional football club located in nearby Rogers, is expected to officially launch.

2026: Ozark United FC inaugural season

In 2026, the Ozark United FC is expected to have its inaugural season.

Mentioned in this timeline

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A tank is an armored fighting vehicle designed for front-line...

Football is a family of team sports primarily involving kicking...

Music is a cultural universal involving the arrangement of sound...

The Ozarks also known as the Ozark Mountains Ozark Highlands...

Jordan officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a country...