 Follow the Road to El Dorado
See what it’s like to live in, work in and enjoy El Dorado, the city that offers residents and businesses golden opportunities. Whether you are currently raising your family in El Dorado or considering relocating your business here, this site is designed to help you get the information you need.
Tour the annual festivals page to see how we celebrate our rich heritage and traditions. Browse area accommodations. Find out why our schools are so successful in preparing students for the real world in a community where residents and businesses actively support the learning process. Discover the local economic development organizations ready to offer professional guidance for your business project.
The featured businesses page highlights a variety of stores and trades in the area. If you are a local business and would like to be featured on this site, please contact The Chamber of Commerce.
A Commitment to Collaboration
El Dorado is a community that actively supports learning, provides healthcare services by highly specialized physicians, and boasts the most beautiful and economically vibrant downtown in the state. It’s a place where young people can gain the skills they’ll need to be job-ready. It’s also a place where seniors can age gracefully, knowing they can benefit from community programs designed to teach them about living well at the age of 65 or older.
The city is home to the SHARE Foundation, a non-profit serving the community through programs including Community Hospice, Interfaith Health Clinic, Chaplainry services, and Arkansans for Drug Free Youth - Union County. The SHARE Foundation has also funded several medical research projects, like one that studies cardiovascular disease in younger black women.
Almost 22,000 people reside in El Dorado and enjoy the quality of life the city has to offer. Police protection is provided by 76 officers with 27 radio-equipped cars out of a new central police station. Bicycle police patrol shopping areas and residential neighborhoods. More than 50 full-time firefighters operate 10 units out of four new fire stations.
Natural Fun and Downtown Antiquities
El Dorado is an exciting area, so take advantage of it! The city is nestled in some of the most naturally beautiful land to be found in the state of Arkansas. Some of the finest hunting and camping areas in the nation are found just beyond the doorstep. The Felsenthal Wildlife Refuge contains 65,000 acres where you can fish year-round or go bird watching. The Ouachita River offers unmatched scenery, and the perfect setting for a float trip or a fishing trip.
Downtown El Dorado was named “the best downtown in Arkansas” by the Arkansas Times. A diverse mix of downtown businesses offer quality antiques and collectibles, upscale clothing, health foods, gourmet coffees, jewelry and a host of other goods and services. Among many impressive architectural sights -- all within easy walking distance of each other -- are the El Dorado City Hall at 204 North West Avenue and the eight-story Lion Oil-Exchange Bank Building at Washington and Oak, which was completed in 1927 and remained for decades the tallest building in the area.
Entertainment options available include live music, movies in the grand Rialto Theater or a game of pool in a 1920s-vintage hall. Visit the Local Attractions page for more places to go and things to do. And our Annual Festivals page will tell you which celebrations to check out this season.
An Economy That Manufactures Growth, Among Other Things
Locating your business in El Dorado puts you in the center of a thriving manufacturing and business community. El Dorado is home to petroleum leader Murphy Oil Corporation and other Fortune 500 companies. Deltic Timber, Anthony Forest Products, Great Lakes Chemical and Pilgrim's Pride have all located here because of close proximity to raw materials and affordability of energy and skilled labor. The city’s unique strengths in the oil and timber industries continue to help our economy grow and diversify.
El Dorado is the retail trade center for a large part of south Arkansas and north Louisiana. Seventeen percent of the county’s workforce is in retail and service trades, so it’s clear that the community has a vibrant consumer economy.
The city’s location in south central Arkansas is at the very heart of the vibrant Sunbelt. This puts you in an enviable business position -- right in the center of things. El Dorado is within 500 miles of 20 percent of the total U.S. population, giving you quick access to major markets such as Dallas, Atlanta, New Orleans, St. Louis, Memphis, Houston, and Oklahoma City.
|
