Geographical elevation refers to a location’s vertical height relative to a fixed reference point, typically mean sea level. Arkansas, often called the Natural State, possesses a wide range of elevations due to its varied physical geography. The state contains everything from rolling mountainous terrain to broad, flat alluvial plains. This diverse landscape results in a significant difference between the highest and lowest points.
Arkansas’s Highest Peak
The highest point in Arkansas is Signal Hill, a summit on the flat-topped mountain known as Mount Magazine. This peak reaches an elevation of 2,753 feet, which is 839 meters, above sea level. The mountain is located in Logan County, nestled within the Arkansas River Valley region, and stands prominently as a mesa-like structure capped by hard rock.
Mount Magazine is the centerpiece of Mount Magazine State Park, which preserves its unique environment and offers public access. This high elevation point serves as the tallest natural feature in the U.S. Interior Highlands.
The Lowest Point in the State
The state’s lowest elevation is found in the extreme southeastern corner, where the Ouachita River crosses the border into Louisiana. This point is recorded at 55 feet, or 17 meters, above sea level.
This area is part of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, a vast, flat expanse of land. The region consists of unconsolidated sediments deposited by rivers like the Mississippi and Ouachita over geological time. The slight gradient allows rivers to flow slowly, creating a landscape of swamps, bayous, and fertile farmland.
Regional Elevation Differences
The difference between the two extremes is explained by Arkansas’s two major elevational regions. The Highlands dominate the western and northwestern parts of the state, encompassing the rugged Ozark Plateau and the Ouachita Mountains. These areas are marked by folded and faulted rocks, featuring high ridges and steep valleys.
The Lowlands cover the eastern and southern portions of the state. This region includes the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (Delta) and the Gulf Coastal Plain. The Lowlands are almost entirely flat, consisting of fertile, river-carved plains of the Mississippi River system.
This contrast results in a wide-ranging topography, giving Arkansas an approximate mean elevation of about 650 feet above sea level. The state’s geography slopes downward from the ancient, resistant rock formations of the west to the young, sedimentary plains of the east. The average elevation serves as a midpoint between the towering mountains and the nearly sea-level river bottoms.