[melissa77gregg]

Hello!
We are a couple from Iowa and might move to Arkansas as soon as we retire. Hopefully we can get some advice in this forum! We are looking for a smaller city in the Northern part of Arkansas. But would like to find a place WITHOUT all those winding roads - if there is such a place. Grateful for any related information!

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by melissa77gregg

Hello!
We are a couple from Iowa and might move to Arkansas as soon as we retire. Hopefully we can get some advice in this forum! We are looking for a smaller city in the Northern part of Arkansas. But would like to find a place WITHOUT all those winding roads - if there is such a place. Grateful for any related information!

well the windy roads are partially what makes NWA so lovely, so you might have a little trouble. I can not speak for eastern AR but I can say, the first town that comes to mind in NWA that is small, but very nice would be Pea Ridge. It is close to Bella Vista and Bentonville, very small and relatively windy road free. I will add there are a heck of a lot of people living here in Bella Vista from Iowa and the upper midwest. But the windy roads are part of Bella Vista. In fact BV might be the windiest of all the small towns. Centerton is relatively curve free as well. The biggest problem with Centerton for retired people it is more young family oriented. That is not a bad thing, just not geared to plus 60 people. Actually Bentonville isn't really all that bad either.

[CraigCreek]

Land around Prairie Grove is flatter than in the Fayetteville area, and as best I recall, the roads are not particularly winding there. It's close to Fayetteville-Rogers if you need medical treatment or larger city amenities.

Pretty little town, with a lot of history.

Just avoid Eureka Springs, if winding roads aren't your thing!

[Hollynla]

Are you looking for rural? What towns in AR have you been to before?

Anything around the ozarks (northern AR) is going to have very winding roads. Getting east of Mountain Home may be better.

[Sarahsez]

What do you mean by Northern part of the state? Some of the cities between Little Rock and Fort Smith located next to I-40 might fit your needs. The Arkansas River Valley is very pretty. You don't have to live up in the mountains with the windy roads unless that is what you choose.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by CraigCreek

Land around Prairie Grove is flatter than in the Fayetteville area, and as best I recall, the roads are not particularly winding there. It's close to Fayetteville-Rogers if you need medical treatment or larger city amenities.

Pretty little town, with a lot of history.

Just avoid Eureka Springs, if winding roads aren't your thing!

good points, I too had thought about Prairie Grove.

[sub]

Originally Posted by Hollynla

Are you looking for rural? What towns in AR have you been to before?

Anything around the ozarks (northern AR) is going to have very winding roads. Getting east of Mountain Home may be better.

Not to dispute, but the winding roads don't stop to the east until you're in the Delta, which begins abruptly at Black Rock or Pocahontas (not a bad town) once you've crossed the Black River.
The towns of Jonesboro and Walnut Ridge are nice enough for someone not bent on living in the Ozarks. Certainly no worse than Mountain Home or all that stuff around Ash Flat-Hardy. Actually a good bit better, I think, especially in terms of built-up areas.

There are straight-ish roads closer to the populated areas of NWA like the previously mentioned Pea Ridge. 62 is a fairly decent 4-lane on over to around Garfield. Staying close to the main thoroughfares is the key.

The areas further south closer to the Arkansas River was a good suggestion. It's one of the more scenic parts of the state. The parts south of it into the Ouachitas are more navigable than the Ozarks.

Southern Missouri will have the exact same culture and attitudes towards things like personal property rights, as well as nearly identical COL, but with significantly better main highways like U.S. 60 and 65, MO highways 37 and portions of 5. Unfortunately, their back roads are just as stomach-churning.

As someone who's days of wanting to zoom-zoom down a winding road in a Miata are long over to the point I want as flat and straight as possible, this thread resonates with me. Our family might retire to a place more like Iowa when that time comes.

[TRex2]

Originally Posted by melissa77gregg

Hello!
We are a couple from Iowa and might move to Arkansas as soon as we retire. Hopefully we can get some advice in this forum! We are looking for a smaller city in the Northern part of Arkansas. But would like to find a place WITHOUT all those winding roads - if there is such a place. Grateful for any related information!

One post by OP, and no follow up.
Logged off before the first reply to the thread.

Melissa, should you return, you might want to tell us what
you DO like about Arkansas, and Northern Arkansas in
particular. Then we could be of more help.

[melissa77gregg]

Thank you so much for all your replies! We love the climate and scenery in Arkansas - so different from Iowa for sure. Plan on escaping the harsh winter and corn fields here. We sure do not have to pick Northern Arkansas, just any nice small town with low crime rate. When it comes to driving, winding roads are not exactly what we are looking for as we are getting older and less flexible. Thanks again for your help! Appreciate it very much.

[melissa77gregg]

We have seen a video of Rogers lately - are the roads very winding there too? Thanks.