Four State Area

The Four State Area is a term used to describe the four corner region of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma with the Tulsa, Oklahoma Joplin, Missouri and Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Arkansas metropolitan areas included within. Notable cities and towns in the area are Tulsa, Oklahoma; Pittsburg, Kansas; Joplin, Missouri; and Fayetteville/Bentonville, Arkansas.

The area is partially located in the Ozarks. Oil and Gas production, as well as Coal mining were and continue to be a large part of the region's industry. Today, a major driver of the region's economy is Wal-Mart, the world's largest retail company, whose headquarters are in Bentonville. Also headquartered nearby in Northwest Arkansas are Tyson Foods, the world's largest processor of chicken, beef, and pork (Springdale); and major trucking and transportation company J. B. Hunt (Lowell). The city of Joplin, Missouri is the most centrally located city in the Four States Area.

Media
Outside of Tulsa, the largest city in the Four States Area by far, the area is covered primarily by two television markets. The Joplin/Pittsburg market covers the counties in Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas (KOAM-TV's call letters stand for Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri). The Fort Smith market covers the counties in northwest Arkansas. Not all the stations are in Fort Smith. The NBC affiliate is in Rogers while a translator for the ABC affiliate and one of the stations in the state's PBS network are in Fayetteville.

The majority of the households in the market are served by stations in the Tulsa, Oklahoma metropolitan area, including KOTV, KTUL, KJRH, and KOKI.

Education
There are several universities located in the Four States. Missouri Southern State University is located in Joplin. Pittsburg State University is located in Pittsburg. Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College is located in Miami. University of Arkansas is located in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Naming
Industries use the term to describe the region as a whole - businesses often name themselves Four State ______ to attempt to describe the area they wish to serve. Interstate 44, Route 60, Route 69 and Route 71 serve the area. The historic Route 66 also runs through the region.