Arkansas ranked first in the nation for inbound moves in 2024 according to Atlas Van Lines, with 65% of all tracked shipments heading into the state — the highest inbound rate of any state that year. The ranking held again in the 2025 study, which showed 68% inbound versus 32% outbound, the strongest showing since data collection began in 1993. Within Arkansas, the movement is heavily concentrated: 38% of all inbound moves tracked by Atlas went to Bentonville alone, driven by the Walmart home office, Walmart’s return-to-office mandates for corporate staff, and the broader tech and retail corridor in Northwest Arkansas that includes the headquarters of Tyson Foods and J.B. Hunt. United Van Lines placed Little Rock among the high-inbound metros at 57% inbound in 2024.
This concentration matters for moving companies operating in the state. Northwest Arkansas — the corridor connecting Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale, and Fayetteville — generates the densest sustained demand, with corporate relocations, university turnover from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, and an expanding art and tech sector adding year-round volume. Central Arkansas, anchored by Little Rock and Conway, is a separate and active market for both local moves and state-government-adjacent corporate relocation.
Arkansas’s housing stock is predominantly single-family, which simplifies most residential moves. The state’s geography, however, creates meaningful distance on cross-state hauls — a move from Texarkana in the southwest to Bentonville in the northwest spans over 300 miles. Long-haul intrastate moves in Arkansas are typically priced by weight and distance rather than hourly, similar to how interstate moves are calculated. Interstate corridors include I-40 (east-west through Little Rock to Fort Smith and toward Memphis), I-30 (Little Rock to Texarkana and Dallas), and I-49 (Fayetteville to Fort Smith). Peak moving season runs May through September; summers in Arkansas bring heat and humidity that create operational challenges for crews and some risk to heat-sensitive belongings.
Arkansas requires all for-hire intrastate household goods movers to hold a Household Goods Carrier Permit from the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT). Movers must submit an application to ARDOT’s Legal Division with a $50 application fee and a $5 per-vehicle fee; permits renew annually. Arkansas does not maintain an online searchable database for intrastate permits — verification requires contacting ARDOT’s Motor Carrier Licensing office directly. For interstate moves, FMCSA registration and a USDOT number apply. The Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (ADTPA) prohibits misleading estimates and false advertising; complaints can be filed with the Arkansas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division. Average hourly rates for local moves in Arkansas run approximately $92 to $94, with local full-service move costs ranging from $500 to $1,475 depending on home size.
Top-Rated Movers in Arkansas
Elite Movers Inc.
Address: 5207 Scott Hamilton Dr, Ste 2, Little Rock, AR 72209
Website: https://elitemoversinc.com
USDOT: #M-57191
Founded in 2004, Elite Movers is a locally owned company serving Central Arkansas with residential, apartment, and office moving services. They handle local moves within the Little Rock metro as well as long-distance and cross-country relocations, offering full packing services and uniformed crews throughout. The company serves Little Rock, Conway, Benton, and surrounding Central Arkansas communities, and has accumulated hundreds of five-star reviews across platforms for punctuality and price transparency. Elite Movers holds BBB accreditation and operates with background-checked employees.
Razorback Moving LLC
Address: 3801 W Locust St, Rogers, AR 72756
Website: https://razorbackmoving.com
Razorback Moving has served the Northwest Arkansas market — Fayetteville, Rogers, Bentonville, Springdale, Bella Vista, and Siloam Springs — since 2007 as a family-owned operation. Services include residential and commercial moving, full packing and unpacking, piano and specialty item moving (including hot tubs), antique and fine art handling, and climate-controlled storage at multiple Northwest Arkansas locations. The company offers flat-rate quotes on request and carries $2 million in general liability insurance, which is required by many commercial buildings in the NWA metro for on-site work. Razorback also provides moving labor for students and offers a community donation program for unwanted items.
Admiral Moving & Logistics
Address: 1245 E Henri De Tonti Blvd, Ste 1, Springdale, AR 72762
Website: https://admiralmovingnwa.com
USDOT: #11135
Admiral Moving has operated in Northwest Arkansas since 1980 and is a Mayflower Transit agent serving Fayetteville, Rogers, Bentonville, Springdale, Fort Smith, Little Rock, and Conway. As a van line agent, Admiral offers local residential moves, long-distance interstate moves, and corporate relocation and supply-chain logistics services for businesses — an uncommon capability for a regional mover and relevant to the NWA corporate corridor. The company is an AMSA ProMover and holds BBB accreditation. Their supply-chain services include inventory management and distribution, making them a resource for businesses managing multi-location corporate moves.
Moving Companies in Arkansas: Common Questions
Is my mover required to be licensed in Arkansas?
Yes. All for-hire household goods carriers operating within Arkansas must hold a Household Goods Carrier Permit issued by the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT). This is separate from federal FMCSA registration, which applies to interstate moves. Arkansas does not provide an online permit lookup — to confirm a company holds an active intrastate permit, contact ARDOT’s Motor Carrier Licensing office directly. For interstate moves, verify the company’s USDOT number at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov.
How much does a local move typically cost in Arkansas?
The average hourly rate for professional movers in Arkansas is approximately $92 to $94, with full-service local move costs ranging from about $500 to $1,475 depending on home size. These figures apply to moves under 50 miles; longer intrastate moves (such as Little Rock to Fayetteville) are typically priced by weight and distance rather than hourly, similar to how interstate moves are calculated. The route from Little Rock to Fayetteville with a two-bedroom home has run approximately $1,200 to $1,500.
How does Arkansas’s geography affect moving costs and timing?
Arkansas spans over 300 miles from the southwest corner to the northwest corner, which means intrastate long-haul moves between major markets — Texarkana to Bentonville, Fort Smith to Little Rock, Jonesboro to Hot Springs — involve distances and logistics comparable to interstate moves in smaller states. Moving companies handling these routes typically switch from hourly pricing to weight-and-mileage pricing. Northwest Arkansas to Central Arkansas moves are among the most commonly quoted intrastate long-haul routes in the state.
How do I file a complaint against a moving company in Arkansas?
For disputes involving in-state moves, complaints can be directed to the Arkansas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, which enforces the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (ADTPA) against misleading estimates or deceptive business practices. You can also notify ARDOT’s Legal Division if you believe a company is operating without a valid intrastate permit. For interstate moves regulated by federal authority, file a complaint with the FMCSA at fmcsa.dot.gov or by calling 1-888-DOT-SAFT. Keep all written estimates and signed contracts before filing any complaint.
What should I know about Arkansas’s peak moving season?
Peak season in Arkansas runs from May through September, coinciding with the end of school year, summer corporate relocation cycles, and University of Arkansas semester transitions in Fayetteville. The combination of heat and humidity during July and August creates operational challenges: early start times are common, and some companies charge a premium during peak summer months. Corporate move volume in Northwest Arkansas driven by Walmart and surrounding companies tends to sustain year-round demand even outside peak season, which can reduce availability in the Bentonville-Rogers-Fayetteville corridor specifically. Booking 4 to 6 weeks in advance is advisable for summer moves in NWA.