Where to Live in Northwest Arkansas by Employer
Start with where you work. Then pick the town.
Call 479-435-5353See the Commute TableThe Short Answer
Lowell is the only city on our table within about 20 minutes of all five employers on this page, without traffic, per 71B Team estimates using OpenStreetMap routing, November 2026. Bentonville is closest to Walmart, Springdale to Tyson, and Fayetteville to the University of Arkansas.
- Employers covered
- Walmart Home Office, Tyson Foods, J.B. Hunt, Arkansas Children's Northwest, University of Arkansas71B Team
- Only city within about 20 minutes of all five
- Lowell71B Team estimate, OpenStreetMap routing, November 2026
- Walmart to the U of A
- about 30 minutes apart71B Team estimate, OpenStreetMap routing, November 2026
- Walmart to Tyson
- about 25 minutes apart71B Team estimate, OpenStreetMap routing, November 2026
- Method
- City center to employer address, no traffic, rounded to 5 minutes71B Team, November 2026
Drive times
Commute times to five NWA employers
Drive time without traffic, in minutes, from each city's center point to the employer. Rounded to the nearest 5.
| City | Walmart Home Office | Tyson Foods | J.B. Hunt | Arkansas Children's NW | U of A (Old Main) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bentonville | 5 | 30 | 20 | 25 | 30 |
| Rogers | 15 | 25 | 15 | 25 | 30 |
| Centerton | 15 | 35 | 25 | 30 | 40 |
| Bella Vista | 20 | 40 | 30 | 35 | 45 |
| Pea Ridge | 15 | 35 | 30 | 35 | 40 |
| Lowell | 15 | 15 | 5 | 15 | 20 |
| Cave Springs | 20 | 20 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Springdale | 25 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 15 |
| Elm Springs | 25 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 20 |
| Tontitown | 25 | 10 | 20 | 10 | 15 |
| Fayetteville | 35 | 15 | 30 | 20 | 10 |
| Farmington | 35 | 20 | 30 | 20 | 15 |
| Prairie Grove | 45 | 30 | 40 | 30 | 25 |
71B Team estimate using OpenStreetMap routing, November 2026. Times assume no traffic, so a weekday morning will run longer. Drive it at the hour you would actually leave.
Two-job households
If you and your partner work in different places
Walmart and the University of Arkansas. The two are about 30 minutes apart. Springdale (25 to Walmart, 15 to the U of A) and Lowell (15 and 20) split the drive.
Walmart and Tyson. The two are about 25 minutes apart. Lowell is about 15 minutes from both. Cave Springs is about 20 from both.
Tyson and Arkansas Children's Northwest. The two are only about 5 minutes apart. Tontitown is about 10 minutes from both, and Springdale is about 10 from Tyson and 15 from Arkansas Children's.
The employers
The five employers
- Walmart Home Office. 1 Customer Drive, Bentonville, per Walmart's SEC filing. See our Walmart Home Office guide.
- Tyson Foods. World headquarters at 2200 W. Don Tyson Parkway, Springdale, per Tyson.
- J.B. Hunt. 615 J.B. Hunt Corporate Drive, Lowell, per J.B. Hunt.
- Arkansas Children's Northwest. 2601 Gene George Blvd., Springdale, per Arkansas Children's.
- University of Arkansas. Times are measured to Old Main in Fayetteville. Fall 2026 enrollment is 33,990, per the University of Arkansas.
Method
How we measured
We took each city's center point and ran the route to each employer's address with OpenStreetMap routing. The times assume no traffic and are rounded to the nearest 5 minutes. For the University of Arkansas, we measured to Old Main. Our Walmart times are measured to the new campus at 1 Customer Drive, not the old office on 8th Street.
Where to live by employer FAQ
Questions people ask about commuting in NWA
Where should I live in Northwest Arkansas based on where I work?
Start with the column for your employer in the commute table above and pick the towns with the shortest drive that fit your budget and schools. Bentonville is closest to Walmart at about 5 minutes, Springdale to Tyson at about 10, Lowell to J.B. Hunt at about 5, Tontitown to Arkansas Children's Northwest at about 10, and Fayetteville to the U of A at about 10, without traffic, per 71B Team estimates using OpenStreetMap routing, November 2026.
What is the most central city in NWA?
By drive time to these five employers, Lowell. It is about 15 minutes from Walmart's Home Office, Tyson and Arkansas Children's Northwest, about 5 from J.B. Hunt and about 20 from the University of Arkansas, without traffic, per 71B Team estimates using OpenStreetMap routing, November 2026.
Where should we live if one of us works in Bentonville and one in Fayetteville?
If the jobs are Walmart's Home Office and the University of Arkansas, the two are about 30 minutes apart without traffic. Springdale and Lowell split the drive. Springdale is about 25 minutes from Walmart and 15 from the U of A. Lowell is about 15 and 20. These are 71B Team estimates using OpenStreetMap routing, November 2026.
How long does it take to drive across NWA?
From Walmart's Home Office in Bentonville to Old Main at the University of Arkansas is about 30 minutes without traffic. From Bella Vista to Old Main it is about 45 minutes. Both are 71B Team estimates using OpenStreetMap routing, November 2026, and weekday mornings will run longer.
Which NWA cities are cheapest within 20 minutes of my job?
It depends on the job. For Tyson, Springdale is about 10 minutes away and Lowell about 15. The median sale price was about $354,000 in Springdale and about $330,000 in Lowell, per Redfin, for the three months ending September 2026. Both figures cover the whole city. Our Walmart Home Office guide lists the medians for its nearby cities, and more employer pages are coming.
How were these commute times calculated?
We took each city's center point and ran the route to the employer's address with OpenStreetMap routing, in November 2026. The times assume no traffic and are rounded to the nearest 5 minutes. Weekday mornings will run longer, so drive the route at the hour you would leave.
Adam's Take
"Traffic is growing on I-49 during rush hour but generally speaking it is fast to get North/South on I-49 and new bypasses are in the works. Ask us for specifics on East/West traffic flows based on the area you're evaluating."
Adam Flemming, Broker
Your Next Step
Moving to Northwest Arkansas for a job?
Moving to Northwest Arkansas for a job? Call or text the 71B Team at 479-435-5353 and we will help you build a short list.
Call 479-435-5353Call or text 479-435-5353 · adamf@kw.com
Sources: 71B Team commute estimates using OpenStreetMap routing, November 3, 2026; Walmart SEC filings; Tyson Foods contact page; J.B. Hunt contact page; Arkansas Children's Northwest locations page; University of Arkansas quick facts and 11th-day enrollment report, October 14, 2026; Redfin city pages, three months ending September 2026.
Last updated November 3, 2026.