1976 Map of Van Buren

About this map

The Arkansas River dominates this mid-1970s orthophotoquad, carving a wide path through the landscape of the Arkansas River Valley. This aerial perspective, captured in early 1976, reveals the dense urban development of Van Buren as it spreads north from the river banks, contrasted with the northern tip of Fort Smith visible across the water. The imagery highlights the transition from industrial and residential clusters to the agricultural patterns of the surrounding countryside. A complex network of highways and interchanges serves the area, including the prominent route leading toward the community of Concord in the northeast. The orthophoto format provides a clear record of land use and river morphology during a period of significant regional growth.