The Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is a four-county area including three Arkansas counties and one Missouri county. The MSA (most often referred to as Northwest Arkansas) is anchored by the Arkansas cities of Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and Bentonville - the state's third, fourth, ninth, and twelfth largest cities, respectively. The total MSA population in 2000 was 347,045 people. The US Census estimated the population of the MSA to be 420,876 in 2006 (up to 438,000 in 2007). From 1990-2000 the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers MSA was the sixth fastest growing area in the nation. The metropolitan area is the home of Wal-Mart and Tyson Foods — global leaders in retail, and meat and poultry processing, respectively. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., North America's largest publicly owned transportation and logistics company, is also based in the area. Over 1,300 Wal-Mart vendors have added corporate branches or offices in the area as well, including: Procter and Gamble, Unilever, Motorola, Nestle Purina, General Mills, and Kelloggs, among many others.
