Rogers is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. Located in the

Ozarks The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, as well as a small area in the southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover ...

, it is part of the

Northwest Arkansas Northwest Arkansas (NWA) is a metropolitan area and region in Arkansas within the Ozarks. It includes four of the ten largest cities in the state: Fayetteville, Arkansas, Fayetteville, Springdale, Arkansas, Springdale, Rogers, Arkansas, Rogers, ...

region, one of the fastest growing metro areas in the country. Rogers was the location of the first

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...

store, whose corporate headquarters is located in neighboring Bentonville. Daisy Outdoor Products, known for its air rifles, has both its headquarters and its Airgun Museum in Rogers. The city houses a popular shopping center, the Pinnacle Hills Promenade, and a music venue, the Walmart AMP, that has housed performances by big-name artists and local performers. As of the 2020 US Census, the city had a population of 69,908. In 2022, the estimated population was 72,999 making it the sixth-most populous city in the state. Northwest Arkansas is the 98th biggest metropolitan area by population in the United States, with 576,403 inhabitants as of the 2022 U.S. Census Estimate.

History

Rogers was named after Captain Charles W. Rogers, who was vice-president and general manager of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway, also known as the Frisco. The town was established in 1881, the year the Frisco line arrived; it was at this time the area residents honored Captain Rogers by naming it for him. The community was incorporated on June 6, 1881. In 1883, Rogers became the starting point of the Bentonville Railroad, which linked the town with Bentonville, about six miles. That line, under its subsequent owner the Arkansas and Oklahoma Railroad, later extended as far as

Grove, Oklahoma Grove is a city in Delaware County, Oklahoma, Delaware County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 6,623 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, an increase of 27.6 percent over the figure of 5,131 recorded in 2000. Grove Oklaho ...

. Today, only the Rogers-to-Bentonville segment remains in use.

Historic commerce

The first retail business owned by the Stroud family was a store in Pea Ridge, Arkansas, which was co-owned by Allen Bryant Stroud (1831–1914) and his son Harlan Lafayette (H.L.) Stroud (1858–1950). That business was established prior to 1879 and Allen Stroud also served as postmaster at Pea Ridge for a time. In 1884, H.L. Stroud sold his interest in the Stroud store in Pea Ridge and purchased a dry goods store at the corner of First and Walnut Streets in Rogers which he named Stroud's Mercantile. In 1887 he brought in his brother Evan Giesen (1868–1952) to serve as manager of his new business. In 1891 H.L. Stroud moved his business into a storefront on the north side of the 100 block of Walnut Street. Stroud's continued to prosper, and in 1899 H.L. built the brick building at 114–116 West Walnut Street. Stroud's continued to be the leading retail business in Rogers up into the 1960s, when in 1962 Sam Walton opened the first location of what would become the retail giant Walmart just seven blocks away. Walton's new store combined with the nationwide movement of retail centers from aged downtowns to malls and shopping centers slowly eroded Stroud's customer base, leading the locally beloved retailer to permanently close in 1993 after 109 years in business. In 1912 the city council formed a commission of local businessmen to facilitate the paving of downtown Rogers. Despite the constant complaints of dusty and muddy streets, and the enthusiastic support of prominent citizens such as Coin Harvey, bickering over the cost and method of paving delayed the start of the project until July 1924. The downtown area was paved with

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...

and overlaid with bricks in rows, changing to a basket weave pattern at the intersections of streets. The work was completed in December 1924, and the brick pavement remains today, with renovations done to the streets in 2010.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.15%) is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by warm, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Rogers has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 69,908 people, 24,297 households, and 16,517 families residing in the city.

2010 census

Rogers had a population of 55,964. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 62.0% non-Hispanic white, 1.3% non-Hispanic black, 1.0% Native American, 2.5% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanics of some other race, 3.0% from two or more races and 31.5% Hispanic or Latino.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 38,829 people, 14,005 households, and 10,209 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 14,836 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.75%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.47%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 1.05% Native American, 1.43% Asian, 0.07%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 9.43% from other races, and 1.80% from two or more races. 19.29% of the population are

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. There were 14,005 households, out of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.21. In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.4% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $40,474, and the median income for a family was $45,876. Males had a median income of $30,911 versus $22,020 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $19,761. About 9.4% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 17.6% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

In addition to the Rogers Commercial Historic District, Rogers has numerous properties listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

, with the oldest being the Pea Ridge National Military Park. Rogers has two

shopping mall A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a large indoor shopping center, usually Anchor tenant, anchored by department stores. The term ''mall'' originally meant pedestrian zone, a pedestrian promenade with shops along it, but in the late 1960s, i ...

s: the Frisco Station Mall and the Pinnacle Hills Promenade.

Annual cultural events

Since

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

, Rogers has hosted the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, a women's professional

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...

tournament on the

LPGA Tour The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly ...

. The 54-hole event is held annually at the Pinnacle Country Club in late June. Rogers is also host to a Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, the most widely known, largest and best-funded

breast cancer Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...

organization in the United States.

Parks and recreation

Rogers has five large sports parks, 14 neighborhood parks, an aquatic center known as Rogers Aquatic Center, a skateboard and splash park, 26 athletic fields, an activity center, a YMCA, two lakes, five golf courses, and a trail system totaling over . The NWA Razorback Regional Greenway is a primarily off-road shared-use trail that connects the region's trail systems to various community attractions. Foerster Park is home to the largest soccer program in the state. Other recreational attractions in the surrounding area include Beaver Lake, Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area and War Eagle Mill & Cavern to the east of Rogers, as well as historical Civil War battlefield, Pea Ridge National Military Park, about 10 miles outside of Rogers.

Media

Rogers is served by the television market of Fort Smith and

Fayetteville, Arkansas Fayetteville ( ) is the List of cities and towns in Arkansas, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Washington County, Arkansas, Washington County, and the most populous city in Northwest Arkansas. The city ...

. The four major television stations are KFSM (CBS), KFTA (Fox), KHOG (ABC), and KNWA (NBC). Radio stations in the city include: * KAMO 94.3 FM * KDUA 96.5 FM * KHEL 97.3 FM * KURM 790 AM & FM 100.3 * KXNA 104.9 FM * KFFK 1390 AM The daily newspaper in Rogers is the ''Rogers Morning News'', with a special "A section" dedicated to news just for Rogers and surrounding cities. The rest of the newspaper is the '' Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette'', the Northwest Arkansas edition of the ''

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette The ''Arkansas Democrat-Gazette'' is the newspaper of record in the U.S. state of Arkansas, printed in Little Rock with a northwest edition published in Lowell. It is distributed for sale in all 75 of Arkansas's counties. By virtue of one ...

'' (the "B section" is the regular ''Democrat-Gazette'' "A section," complete with front page and masthead).

Sports

On July 12, 2023, the

United Soccer League The United Soccer League (USL) is an organizer of various professional and amateur soccer leagues in the United States league system. It currently organizes its Championship, League One, and League Two for men, its Super League and W Leag ...

announced it had entered into a partnership with USL Arkansas to bring pro men's and women's soccer teams to Northwest Arkansas. Led by co-founders Chris Martinovic and Warren Smith, USL Arkansas plans to build a 5,000-seat multi-use stadium in Rogers, just north of the Pinnacle Hills Promenade. The men's team is projected to begin play in the

USL Championship The USL Championship (USLC) is a men's professional association football, soccer league in the second tier of the United States soccer league system#Men's leagues, United States league system. It is organized by the United Soccer League (USL) a ...

before the

2026 FIFA World Cup The 2026 FIFA World Cup, marketed as FIFA World Cup 26, will be the 23rd FIFA World Cup, the Anniversary#Latin-derived numerical names, quadrennial international men's Association football, soccer championship contested by the List of men's n ...

, while the women's team will begin play in the USL Super League in fall of 2026. The team will be called Ozark United FC.

Government

Rogers operates within the mayor-city council form of government. The mayor is elected by a citywide election to serve as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the city by presiding over all city functions, policies, and ordinances. Once elected, the mayor also allocates duties to city employees. The Rogers mayoral election takes place during the

United States presidential election The election of the president of the United States, president and Vice President of the United States, vice president of the United States is an indirect election in which citizens of the United States who are Voter registration in the United ...

. Mayors serve four-year terms and can serve unlimited terms. The city council is the

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...

legislative of the City, consisting of eight city council members. Also included in the council's duties is balancing the city's budget and passing ordinances. Two city council members are elected from each of the city's four wards. Since 2011, the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

of Rogers has been Republican Greg Hines.

Law enforcement

The Rogers Police Department was established in 1881. , it employs 120 sworn officers and 41

civilian A civilian is a person who is not a member of an armed force. It is war crime, illegal under the law of armed conflict to target civilians with military attacks, along with numerous other considerations for civilians during times of war. If a civi ...

employees.

Public safety

The Rogers Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency in the city. The Rogers Fire Department is a career fire service; the Community Risk Reduction Division within RFD reviews development plans, conducts investigations, and provides fire safety education.

Politics

The previous mayor, Republican

Steve Womack Stephen Allen Womack ( ; born February 18, 1957) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2011. The district, which was once represented by former Senator J. William Fulbright, covers much of northwestern Arkans ...

, won

election An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative d ...

to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

in 2010 for the seat vacated by Republican John Boozman, now a U.S. senator.

Education

Primary and secondary education

Rogers is home to several public and private school districts and schools including: * Rogers School District, which serves the majority of the municipality - In 2012, 2013, & 2014, both Rogers and Rogers Heritage high schools were recognized with Silver awards from ''U.S. News & World Report Top 1,000 High Schools in America'' and were ranked among the top schools in the state. Additionally, for many years, Rogers High School has been ranked by Newsweek magazine among the top 1,300 schools in the country. ** Rogers High School (RHS), slogan "Home of the Mountaineers", is Rogers' first high school, established in 1922. RHS, with about 2,000 students, is in the state's largest classification (7A). ** Rogers Heritage High School (RHHS), slogan "Home of the War Eagles", is Rogers' second high school, opening in August 2008. RHHS, with about 2,000 students, is in the state's largest classification (7A). Both RHS and RHHS offer the same courses and athletic opportunities. ** Rogers New Technology High School (RNTHS) opened in 2013 and is part of the New Tech Network. Like more than 120 New Tech schools around the country, the Rogers school features an instructional approach centered on project-based learning and integrated technology in the classroom. * Portions of Rogers to the west are within the boundary of Bentonville Public Schools * Arkansas Arts Academy High School is a public charter school supported by the Arkansas Arts Academy district. * St. Vincent de Paul is a private Catholic school of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Little Rock, the largest private school in Rogers. The nearest Catholic high school is Ozark Catholic Academy in Tontitown.

Higher education

Postsecondary education within the cities' boundaries include the campuses of the

University of Phoenix University of Phoenix (UoPX) is a Private university, private For-profit higher education in the United States, for-profit university headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1976, the university confers certificates and degrees at the Ac ...

, Bryan College, Harding University, and John Brown University. Other nearby schools and campuses include the

University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States. It is the Flagship campus, flagship campus of the University of Arkan ...

( Fayetteville), Northwest Arkansas Community College ( Bentonville), and John Brown University (a Christian school in Siloam Springs).

Infrastructure

Aviation

Rogers Municipal Airport (ROG), also known as Carter Field, is home to

's air fleet. All commercial aviation, however, goes through the Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA), located about 15 miles west of Rogers in Highfill.

Transit

Ozark Regional Transit provides fixed-route and dial-a-ride transit services in Rogers. The nearest intercity bus service is provided by

Jefferson Lines Jefferson Lines (JL or JLI) is a regional intercity bus company operating in 14 states in the Midwest and the West of the United States. History The company is operated by Jefferson Partners L.P., located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jefferson P ...

in nearby Fayetteville.

Highways

Interstate 49 Interstate 49 (I-49) is a north–south Interstate Highway with multiple segments. The original portion is entirely within Louisiana with an additional signed portion extending from Interstate 220 (Louisiana), I-220 in Shreveport, Louisian ...

* U.S. Route 62 * US 71B

U.S. Route 71 Business * U.S. Route 71 * Arkansas 12

Arkansas Highway 12 * Arkansas 94

Arkansas Highway 94

Utilities

The City of Rogers' public water distribution and

sanitary sewer A sanitary sewer is an underground pipe or tunnel system for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings (but not stormwater) to a sewage treatment plant or disposal. Sanitary sewers are a type of gravity sewer and are part of ...

collection systems are owned and operated by Rogers Water Utilities (RWU), which is overseen by the Rogers Water Utilities Commission. RWU purchases treated potable water from Beaver Water District, whose source is Beaver Lake. RWU served a retail population of 70878 as of 2019, making it one of the largest water utilities in the state. Wastewater is collected and treated at the Rogers Pollution Control Facility on the west side of the city.

Notable people

* Sarah Austin (entrepreneur) (born 1986), author, tech entrepreneur and

YouTuber A YouTuber is a content creator and social media influencer who uploads or creates videos on the online video-sharing website YouTube, typically posting to their personal YouTube channel. The term was first used in the English language in 2006 ...

* Cecile Bledsoe (born 1944), Arkansas state senator from Rogers * John Boozman (born 1950), U.S. Senator * Jim R. Caldwell (born 1936), the first Republican member of the Arkansas State Senate in the 20th century * Craig Colorusso (born 1970), an artist currently living in Rogers * Matt Cornett (born 1998), actor born in Rogers * Ryan Hale (born 1975), American football player * Britt McKenzie, member of the Arkansas House of Representatives * Thomas P. Morgan (1864–1928), humorist * James C. Nance, Oklahoma community newspaper publisher and

Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives The Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives is the speaker (politics), presiding officer of the lower house of the Oklahoma Legislature, the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The speaker exercises administrative and procedural function ...

* Joe Nichols (born 1976),

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

artist born in Rogers * Vernon Oxford (1941–2023), country singer born in Rogers * Titanic Thompson (1892–1974), gambler and golfer, grew up in Rogers. * Sam Walton (1918–1992), founder of

Wal-Mart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...

, established the first Wal-Mart in Rogers in 1962. *

of Rogers and U.S. Representative for

Arkansas's 3rd congressional district Arkansas's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The district covers Northwest Arkansas and takes in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Fort Smith, Fayetteville, Arkansas, Fayetteville, Springdale, Arkansas, Sp ...

References

External links

City of Rogers official website

Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce

Rogers Convention & Visitors Bureau
* Encyclopedia of Arkansas: History & Culture entry
Rogers (Benton County)

Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Rogers {{authority control Cities in Benton County, Arkansas Cities in Arkansas Northwest Arkansas Populated places established in 1881 1881 establishments in Arkansas