Business

Why Chaffee Crossing?

Chaffee Crossing offers an attractive combination of location, infrastructure, workforce, and household income. Developers and employers benefit from a clear master plan, modern infrastructure, and a community that is already thriving with additional land available for future growth.

Chaffee Crossing enjoys excellent regional connectivity via multiple state highways and future Interstate access. Arkansas Highways 255, 59, and 22 link the site to nearby communities and the Fort Smith city core, while U.S. Highway 549, planned as future Interstate 49, provides a direct north–south route connecting to Interstate 40, a direct route to northwest Arkansas, and beyond. Class I rail service and Arkansas River ports are accessible to Chaffee Crossing.

Chaffee Crossing is strategically located within the Fort Smith Metropolitan Statistical Area—the third largest MSA in Arkansas and a key economic hub for western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma.

Businesses with Major Operations in Chaffee Crossing

  • Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE)
  • ArcBest, the parent company of ABF Freight
  • Mars Petcare
  • Umarex
  • USA and Walther Arms
  • Graphic Packaging International
  • Magnera
  • Phoenix Metals
  • Old Dominion Freight Line
  • Romark Logistics

Logistics and Connectivity

The Fort Smith region is an intermodal hub near the junction of Interstate 40 and the future I-49. Additionally, Arkansas Highways 255, 59, and 22 connect to Fort Smith and Chaffee Crossing. The Port of Fort Smith on the Arkansas River, Class I and III rail service, and Fort Smith Regional Airport cargo operations provide additional logistical connections.

Workforce and Business Environment

Employers at Chaffee Crossing draw from a skilled regional force of more than 100,000 workers. Labor costs are more favorable here than in larger metropolitan markets. Educational institutions, including Arkansas Colleges of Health Education, University of Arkansas Fort Smith, and Peak Innovation Center, support ongoing talent development in healthcare, technical education, advanced manufacturing, logistics, and professional services.

Foreign Military Sales Pilot Training Program

The U.S. Air Force’s Foreign Military Sales Pilot Training program, based at nearby Ebbing Air National Guard Base, brings pilots, personnel, and their families from nations such as Singapore, Poland, Finland, Germany, and Switzerland to the region. Their presence creates immediate demand for housing, retail, hospitality, transportation, and service businesses, while also generating recurring spending and long-term economic activity in the community.