Regardless of how long you have lived in Northwest Arkansas, it can be easy to fall into a bad case of familiarity, forgetting that the region is home to some of the world’s best, across food, outdoors, education, and more.

Read more below on where Northwest Arkansas tops national and global charts.

*updated July 2026

Onyx Coffee Lab was named the #1 Best Coffee Shop in the World.

Walmart Inc. in Bentonville was #1 on the Fortune 500 list for 13 years in a row.

Bentonville has been acclaimed as the Mountain Biking Capital of the World.

7Brew was ranked America’s No. 1 Fastest Growing Brand in 2026, surpassing well-known restaurants like CAVA, Longhorn Steakhouse, and Jimmy John’s to take the top spot.

The University of Arkansas’s supply chain program in Fayetteville is the #1 supply chain program in the nation.

The Buffalo National River in Ponca was named the United States’ first-ever national river.

The City of Fayetteville was voted the Best Place to Live in the SEC by U.S. News in 2026.

Wright’s BBQ, with its headquarters and multiple locations in Northwest Arkansas, was voted the #1 BBQ Restaurant on Yelp’s Top 100 Barbecue Spots in 2024.

Big Bluff on the Buffalo National River is the largest bluff between the Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky Mountains.

The University of Arkansas Medical Sciences is now home to the number one Doctor of Physical Therapy Program in the nation.

Tyson Foods, headquartered in Springdale, is the world’s largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork.

Cotter, Arkansas is commonly regarded as the Trout Fishing Capital of the United States. It’s just a 2-ish hour drive from Northwest Arkansas.

Hemmed-in-Hollow, located on the Buffalo National River, is the tallest waterfall between the Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky Mountains.

Commonly regarded as the largest fitness center in the United States, at more than 360,000 sqft and serving more than 30,000 people.

👋 Did we miss any? Shoot us an email at [email protected] and we’ll add it to the list!