Van Buren, AR

Van Buren is the county seat of Crawford County and the second-largest city in the Fort Smith metro area. It sits just northeast of Fort Smith at the I-40 and I-540 junction, with the Arkansas River and old transportation routes shaping its history. The city has an industrial side, including employment around its port and industrial park, but its old downtown gives it a more historic face. The King Opera House, a late-19th-century Victorian performance hall, is one of the best local landmarks.