Cabot is a Lonoke County city on US 67/167, about 22 miles northeast of Little Rock. It started as a railroad stop in the 1870s and grew quickly after Little Rock Air Force Base opened, with much of today's housing built since the 1990s.
The feel
Cabot began around 1873, when the Cairo and Fulton Railroad built a water and fuel stop here. The name likely honors railroad executive George Cabot Ward, and the town incorporated on November 9, 1891. For decades it was a small farm and rail town. The Arkansas Ordnance Plant in World War II and Little Rock Air Force Base in 1955 brought new residents, and growth took off again in the 1990s and 2000s. Cabot had about 26,600 residents at the 2020 Census, up from about 15,300 in 2000.
The homes
Because so much of Cabot grew in the last 30 years, a large share of the housing is newer subdivision construction: brick and stone single-story and two-story homes on suburban lots. Older homes sit closer to downtown and along the historic rail corridor. Golf course communities sit at Greystone on the north end and near Rolling Hills in the southeast. Outside city limits you will find acreage, small farms and homes on larger rural tracts.
Schools
The Cabot School District serves Cabot, Austin, Ward and most of northern Lonoke County, and it is the county's largest employer. As of 2022 it ran nine elementary schools, two middle schools, two junior high schools, a freshman academy, Cabot High School and alternative learning centers. Attendance zones are drawn by address and can change, so confirm schools for a specific home with the district. The Arkansas Department of Education's My School Info site posts public data for each campus.
Getting around
Interstate 57 and US 67/167 run along the northwest side of the city as a four-lane freeway, heading southwest through Jacksonville and Sherwood to North Little Rock. Downtown Little Rock is about a 30 to 35 minute drive outside rush hour. Arkansas Highway 89 runs through town on West Main Street, and Highway 367, the old route to St. Louis, parallels the freeway. Traffic on the main corridors peaks during school and commute hours.
Life here
CabotFest, held downtown each October since 1978, is the city's big community fair, and Strawberry Fest arrives each spring. The school district runs the Museum of American History. Downtown still shows its railroad roots, and the City Plaza area was rebuilt after a tornado struck the business district on March 29, 1976. Greystone Country Club and the Rolling Hills area have golf. The city maintains parks and sports facilities, and the surrounding countryside offers fishing and outdoor recreation.
Owning here
Cabot is in Lonoke County, so property taxes and assessments go through the Lonoke County assessor and collector, not Pulaski. Cabot WaterWorks provides water service in the city; homes outside city limits may be on a rural water association or a private well and septic system, so confirm services by address. Some newer subdivisions have homeowners associations with covenants and dues. Check FEMA flood maps for lots near creeks, and confirm trash and sewer service along with water before closing.
