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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Pea Ridge
Pea Ridge, Arkansas
One day is enough: drive the 7-mile battlefield loop at Pea Ridge National Military Park, then sleep in Bentonville or Rogers, 20–30 min away.
Pea Ridge is a town of about 4,800 people in the Arkansas Ozarks, built around one thing: the Pea Ridge National Military Park, the site of the largest Civil War battle west of the Mississippi, fought 7–8 March 1862. The battlefield is 5 miles east of the town centre on US-62 and takes half a day by car. Lodging, restaurants and nightlife are thin, so most travellers base in Bentonville or Rogers and treat Pea Ridge as a half-day stop.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Pea Ridge, Arkansas
- Best months
- Apr–May, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and humidity), ice and occasional snow in Jan–Feb
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $60–100 excl. bed · Mid $100–170 excl. bed · High $170+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Pea Ridge National Military Park +1 479-451-8122 · Poison Control 1-800-222-1222
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee, diner or drive-through | $2–5 |
| Diner breakfast | $10–16 |
| Burger or plate lunch | $12–20 |
| Draught beer in Bentonville | $6–9 |
| Fuel, per US gallon | $3.00–3.60 |
| eSIM or data plan, about a week | $10–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- XNA · Northwest Arkansas National Airport (Bentonville)
- About 30–40 min by car via I-49 and US-62; rental cars at the terminal.
- FSM · Fort Smith Regional Airport
- About 1 h 45 min by car; smaller, fewer flights.
Typical fares
- Pea Ridge → Bentonville by car
- about 20–25 min, roughly 20 km (12 mi) (check)about 20–25 min, roughly 12 mi (20 km) (check)
- Pea Ridge → XNA airport by car
- about 30–40 min (check)
- Rideshare, Bentonville → Pea Ridge
- about $25–40 one way, availability thin late at night (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
You need a car. There is no useful public transport between Pea Ridge, the battlefield and the Bentonville–Rogers corridor. The battlefield loop is a one-way paved road, about 7 miles with 10 stops, plus walking trails and a paved cycling route. Distances are short but not walkable: the park entrance is about 5 miles east of the town centre on US-62.
See and do
Known for
- Pea Ridge National Military Park
- Battle of Pea Ridge, 1862
- Elkhorn Tavern
- Largest Civil War battle west of the Mississippi
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bentonville | Car via US-62 and I-49, about 20–25 min | About 30 min |
| Rogers | Car via US-62 and I-49, about 25–30 min | About 35 min |
| Eureka Springs | Car via AR-94 and US-62, about 1 h | About 1 h |
| Fayetteville | Car via I-49, about 45–55 min | About 1 h |
| Hobbs State Park–Conservation Area | Car via US-62 and AR-12, about 40–50 min | About 50 min |
| Mammoth Spring | Car via US-62 and US-63, about 2 h 30 min | About 2.5 h |
Sleep
- Pea Ridge town centre
- A handful of small motels and short-term rentals on or near AR-94; book ahead, inventory is limited.
- Bentonville
- 20–25 min by car; the widest choice of hotels, plus museums and restaurants.
- Rogers
- About 25–30 min by car; chain hotels near I-49, usually cheaper than Bentonville.
- Eureka Springs
- About 1 h by car; Victorian-era inns if you want a second night in the Ozarks.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the visitor centre? | Where is the visitor centre? |
| One ticket, please | One ticket, please |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is the loop road open? | Is the loop road open? |
| How far is Bentonville? | How far is Bentonville? |
| Thank you | Thank you |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- The battlefield is open daily from 6:00 to sunset; the visitor centre keeps shorter hours, roughly 8:30–16:30 — check before a late arrival.
- Summer heat and humidity are real: carry water, and do the driving loop in the morning.
- Cell signal is patchy in parts of the park and on rural roads.
- Deer and loose gravel on AR-94 and US-62 at dusk.
- Tornado season runs roughly March–May in this part of Arkansas; know where to shelter.
Pea Ridge is a small, low-crime town and the battlefield is a safe daytime visit. The real risks are driving at dusk on rural roads, summer heat on the trails, and spring tornado weather: keep a weather app and a shelter plan.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Pea Ridge yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Pea Ridge National Military Park
- Battle of Pea Ridge, 1862
- Elkhorn Tavern
- Largest Civil War battle west of the Mississippi
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- National Park Service — Pea Ridge National Military Park: www.nps.gov/peri/index.htm
- Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism: www.arkansas.com/
- Wikivoyage: Pea Ridge, revision 5117674 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5117674
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Pea RidgePea Ridge, Arkansas
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Pea Ridge National Military Park+1 479-451-8122
- Poison Control1-800-222-1222
No consulates in Pea Ridge; nearest consular offices are in Little Rock, Kansas City or Dallas — check your country's list before you travel.
English is the only language you need. Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis and rideshares.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/pea-ridge). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.