Ozarks

The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is
a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme
southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant portion of northern Arkansas and
most of the southern half of Missouri, extending from Interstate 40 in central Arkansas to Interstate
70 in central Missouri.
There are two mountain ranges in the Ozarks: the Boston Mountains of Arkansas and the St.
Francois Mountainsof Missouri. Wahzhazhe Summit (formerly known as Buffalo Lookout), is the
highest point in the Ozarks at 2,561 feet (781 m), and is located in the Boston Mountains, 3.4 miles
(5.5 km) east of Pettigrew, Newton County, Arkansas. Wahzhazhe is the Osage people's name for
themselves in the Dhegiha Siouan language. Geologically, the area is a broad domewith the
exposed core in the ancient St. Francois Mountains. The Ozarks cover nearly 47,000 square miles
(120,000 km2), making it the most extensive highland region between the Appalachians and Rockies.
Together with the Ouachita Mountains, the area is known as the U.S. Interior Highlands.
The Salem Plateau, named after Salem, Missouri, makes up the largest geologic area of the Ozarks.
The second largest is the Springfield Plateau, named after Springfield, Missouri, nicknamed the
"Queen City of the Ozarks". On the northern Ozark border are the cities of St. Louis and Columbia,
Missouri. Significant Ozark cities in Arkansas include Fayetteville, Bentonville, Springdale, Eureka
Springs, and Fort Smith. Branson, just north of the Arkansas–Missouri border, is a tourist destination
where Ozark culture is popularized.