Why visit Ozark
Townapedia lists 7 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 3 places to eat and 2 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Bristow Hotel and Franklin County Courthouse.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 92°F; January lows average 28°F.
Weather in Ozark
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Ozark
Ozark is a city in Franklin County, Arkansas, United States and one of the county's two seats of government. The community is located along the Arkansas River in the Arkansas River Valley on the southern edge of the Ozark Mountains. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 3,542.
From the Wikipedia article Ozark, Arkansas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks7
Bristow Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Hotel and restaurant in Arkansas, United States
Franklin County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Courthouse in Ozark, Arkansas, United States
Franklin County Jail
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Listed on the NRHP in Arkansas
Merle Whitman Tourist Cabin
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Ozark, Arkansas, NRHP-listed in Franklin County
Missouri-Pacific Depot-Ozark
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Railway station in Ozark, the United States of America
Ozark Courthouse Square Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Historic district in Arkansas, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Restaurants and cafes3
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Where to stay2
The Oxford Inn
Motel and hotel · 0.8 mi
305 North 18th Street, Ozark
History
Native Americans roamed the area freely before Arkansas was a territory. The Cherokee and Osage lived in this area that would later become attractive to settlers. The Ozark area was frequented by French fur trappers and served as a landmark during European exploration of the area. It was these adventurous souls who gave the area and the rolling mountains that rise there their name, Aux Arcs.
Included in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, the vicinity became a stopping and crossing point along the Arkansas River. The modern settlement of Ozark was established here in the 1830s, and an important road grew connecting Ozark to Fayetteville, Arkansas, following the route of today's Pig Trail Scenic Byway to connect Northwest Arkansas with the river.
Ozark played a role on the Trail of Tears. Steamboats would often stop here in times of low water and Native Americans camped in Ozark before moving to Oklahoma on foot. The waterfront is a designated stop on the Trail of Tears route.
From the History section of Ozark, Arkansas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship3
First Methodist Episcopal Church, South
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries10
Healthcare2
Map of Ozark
40 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°F | 28°F | 3.5 in |
| Feb | 54°F | 32°F | 3.3 in |
| Mar | 62°F | 39°F | 4.8 in |
| Apr | 71°F | 48°F | 5.0 in |
| May | 79°F | 57°F | 5.8 in |
| Jun | 87°F | 66°F | 4.9 in |
| Jul | 92°F | 70°F | 3.5 in |
| Aug | 91°F | 69°F | 4.2 in |
| Sep | 84°F | 62°F | 4.0 in |
| Oct | 73°F | 50°F | 4.7 in |
| Nov | 61°F | 39°F | 4.7 in |
| Dec | 50°F | 32°F | 3.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ozark 2 Hcn (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Franklin County has had 23 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2025-04-05: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-08-27: Hurricane Laura (Hurricane)
- 2020-04-03: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-06-08: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 31 miles away.
- Mulberry 13 mi west, about 21 min by car
- Dyer 16 mi west, about 26 min by car
- Charleston 18 mi southwest, about 29 min by car
- Booneville 25 mi south, about 41 min by car
- Lamar 26 mi east, about 42 min by car
- Barling 27 mi southwest, about 43 min by car
- Van Buren 29 mi west, about 46 min by car
- Fort Smith 31 mi west, about 50 min by car
- Arkoma 36 mi west, about 58 min by car
- Fayetteville 43 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Ozark collage, Brandonrush, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Franklin County Courthouse, Ozark (backside), Brandonrush, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ozark Depot, Ozark, AR, Brandonrush, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Greetings from The Ozarks - Large Letter Postcard (5356989486), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Sunset over the River - Ozark, Arkansas, Edgar Pierce, CC BY 2.0
- First Methodist Episcopal Church, South, David A Brooks, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Franklin County Courthouse, Ozark, AR 002, Brandonrush, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Franklin County Jail, Ozark, AR, Brandonrush, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Downtown Ozark, AR 001, Brandonrush, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ozark Area Depot Museum, David A Brooks, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tugboat Charles Southern, Doug Wertman from Rogers, AR, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Bristow Hotel, Main Entrance Detail, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bristow Hotel, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bristow Hotel, Cornerstone, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Merle Whitman Tourist Cabin, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
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