Pea Ridge offers small-town charm with growing amenities
Located on the outskirts of Rogers and Bentonville, Pea Ridge is quickly outgrowing its rural reputation and becoming a sought-after bedroom community where folks can escape the hurry-scurry of the neighboring Arkansas cities. "Pea Ridge is a smaller community, but it's growing," says Amy Rollins, a longtime Pea Ridge resident and senior vice president of Lindsey & Associates. "When I moved here 23 years ago, there was only one mom-and-pop grocery store. Now, a Walmart Neighborhood Market has moved in. So, we have nice grocery shopping and a lot of new restaurants. But the traffic is much better here than in the larger towns, and the home prices are a little less."
Most homes have three to four bedrooms and spacious lots
With Pea Ridge's significant growth in recent years, there are several newly-built subdivisions of New Traditional and Modern Farmhouse-style single-family homes. Most homes throughout the area tend to have three or four bedrooms, range in size from 1,100 to 3,000 square feet and sell for $200,000 to $700,000, depending on size, condition and the amount of acreage included with the home.
Smaller school sizes create a tight-knit learning environment
Children attend Pea Ridge Public Schools district, where teachers earn a B-plus rating from Niche. Students attend Pea Ridge Primary, followed by Pea Ridge Intermediate for pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Sixth through eighth graders find themselves at Pea Ridge Middle, while older students spend ninth through 12th grades at Pea Ridge High School. "In my opinion, the Pea Ridge Schools are great," Rollins says. "I've got two grandkids who are in the schools here, and I like that the schools are smaller. It's an everybody-knows-everybody kind of atmosphere. And all of the school facilities are really fairly new."
Outdoor fun includes playgrounds, biking and walking paths
Head to Pea Ridge City Park for some outdoor time, where the kids can climb and slide on the playground equipment or soar to new heights on the swings. There's also a basketball court for practicing jump shots and a walking trail for a peaceful stroll. For outdoor adventure, mountain bikers head to Pea Ridge's Barker Hayes urban trail system, winding through an 8-acre system of wooded trails with ranging difficulty levels and creative names like Chicken Spur and On Ya Left. History buffs may be interested in visiting Pea Ridge National Military Park, the site of the pivotal Civil War battle of Pea Ridge, fought by 23,000 soldiers in March of 1862.
Coffee, comfort food and cocktails in locally owned spots
After an active day outdoors, refuel with a salted toffee cold brew at Ember Mountain Coffee or head to the quaint, locally-owned Cannonball Cafe, where patrons can replenish those spent calories with a lunch of tasty chicken fried steak and a scrumptious homemade gooseberry fried pie. For a fun night out with friends, check out the Sound Garden Café, where customers can enjoy a signature cocktail while listening to live music from local artists. The nearby Walmart Neighborhood Market is convenient for picking up ingredients for home cooking.
Photography Contributed By
Michael Denison
