Benton, AR

Benton is the Saline County seat and a Little Rock suburb southwest of the capital. It was established in 1837 and has older industrial roots in salt works, kaolin clay, pottery, logging, and furniture making. Today Benton is more of a practical county-seat suburb, with schools, courthouse functions, local employers, and access to the broader Little Rock metro. It has grown into one of Arkansas's larger cities, but the place still carries a small-city Arkansas rhythm rather than feeling like an extension of downtown Little Rock.