Conway, Arkansas

Conway is a city in and the county seat of Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 58,908 at the 2010 census and 64,490 at the 2014 population estimate, making Conway the seventh most populous city in Arkansas. It is a principal city of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had 729,135 people in 2014 and with 902,443 people in the Combined area. Conway is home to three post-secondary educational institutions, earning it the nickname "The City of Colleges."

History

The city of Conway was founded by Asa P. Robinson, who came to Conway shortly after the Civil War. Robinson was the chief engineer for the Little Rock-Fort Smith Railroad (now the Union Pacific). Part of his compensation was the deed to a tract of land, one square mile, located near the old settlement of Cadron. When the railroad came through, Robinson deeded a small tract of his land back to the railroad for a depot site. He laid off a town site around the depot and named it Conway Station, in honor of a famous Arkansas family. Conway Station contained two small stores, two saloons, a depot, some temporary housing and a post office. Despite being founded as a railroad town, there currently exists no passenger service. The disappearance of passenger rail service in the region is attributed to the emphasis placed on the automobile.