Conway, Arkansas Relocation Guide
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Population: 43,167 Located in Faulkner County
Conway, Arkansas is a bustling college town and one of the fastest growing communities in the state with more than 50,000 residents, located approximately 30 miles northwest of Little Rock along I-40. According to city records, it was founded in 1875 by A.P. Robinson who came to the area right after the Civil War. Robinson served as engineer for what was then known as the Little Rock-Fort Smith railroad, now Union Pacific. Today, Conway¹s local economy continues to thrive, with the January 2009 unemployment rate at 5.3 percent, which is well under the national average. Hewlett Packard is under construction on a $32 million, 150,000 square feet of office space in the city's technoloy park. The company will create 1,200 new jobs. Plus, after having passed a mileage increase by a large margin, the school district here recently completed more than $50 million in construction projects. Housing is still very affordable in Conway and new home construction ranges from entry-level homes for first-time home buyers to executive level housing. There is also a growing number of options aside from free standing single family homes, such as condos, townhomes and apartments. Conway is currently undergoing the largest expansion of its parks system. More than $30 million is being spent on several projects, including a new girls¹ fast pitch softball complex, a new boys¹ baseball complex, and an expansion of the trail system. The city owns two sports complexes (basketball courts, racquetball courts, elevated jogging trails) that are free for city residents, along with a variety of sports leagues to participate in. Lake Conway was built in 1951 by the Game & Fish Commission for recreational purposes. The lake covers approximately 6,700 acres and is the not only the largest body of water in Faulkner County, but is the largest man-made game and fish lake in the U.S. It has an average depth of six feet with a maximum of 18 feet. It is eight miles long and has 52 miles of shoreline. Because of its large size, central location and excellent fishing, it has been one of the state's favored fishing spots because it was built on Palarm Creek. Conway is definitely not without fun things to do, especially in the spring with its popular Toad Suck Daze, which takes place the first weekend in May each year. The festival brings more than 150,000 people to Conway and its mission is to raise money for scholarships for kids in Faulkner County. To date, the festival has raised more than $1,000,000. Conway has a Class 2 Fire Department and a nationally-accredited police department both helping to contribute to the city¹s low crime rate. Conway also has a not for profit medical center that offers a full range of services, including cancer treatment and heart surgery. The medical center also offers one of the largest hospital-owned fitness centers in the country with more than 70,000 square feet of space. The center is utilized by thousands of citizens. |
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