Conway

Conway: University of Central Arkansas

Conway, city, seat of Faulkner county, central Arkansas, U.S., 25 miles (40 km) north of Little Rock. Primarily a community of educational institutions, it is the home of the University of Central Arkansas (1907), Hendrix College (which moved there from Altus in 1890), and Central Baptist College (1952). Arkansas Children’s Colony (1959), for the mentally handicapped, is also in the city.

Founded in 1871 and incorporated in 1875, Conway was named for a family who moved to Arkansas in the early 1800s. Its economy was long based on the schools and regional agriculture. Manufacturing began after World War II, fostered by the establishment (1962) of an industrial park. Data processing and the manufacture of motor vehicles, automotive equipment, and furniture are now important components of the economy.

Lake Conway, built by the state Game and Fish Commission, is a popular recreational area to the south. Woolly Hollow State Park, 12 miles (19 km) to the north, is the site of the area’s first settlers. Country music star Conway Twitty based his stage name on Conway, Arkansas (and Twitty, Texas). Pop. (2000) 43,167; Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metro Area, 610,518; (2010) 58,908; Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metro Area, 699,757.