Four-state area
The four-state area or quad-state area, also known as Southwest Missouri, and Northwest Arkansas is where the states of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma almost touch: Arkansas and Kansas share no boundary. The metropolitan areas of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Springfield, Missouri, Joplin, Missouri; and Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, Arkansas are in the region. Notable cities and towns in the area are Tulsa and Miami, Oklahoma; Pittsburg, Kansas; Joplin, Springfield, and Monett, Missouri; and Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and Bentonville, Arkansas.
The area is partially in the Ozarks. Oil and gas production and coal mining were and continue to be a large part of the region's industry. Today, a major driver of the region's economy is Walmart, the world's largest retail company, whose headquarters are in Bentonville. Also headquartered nearby in Northwest Arkansas are Tyson Foods, the world's largest processor of chicken, beef, and pork ; and major trucking and transportation company J. B. Hunt. The city of Joplin, Missouri is nearest to the center of the four-states area.
Media
Outside of Tulsa, the area has two primary television markets. The Joplin–Pittsburg market covers the region’s counties in Missouri; Ottawa County, Oklahoma ; and most of those in southeastern Kansas. It is served by KOAM-TV, KFJX, KSNF, KODE-TV, and KOZJ.The media market of Fayetteville and Fort Smith covers the counties that are in northwest Arkansas. Stations include KNWA-TV, KHBS/KHOG
, KFSM, and KAFT, one of the stations of the Arkansas PBS member network. The majority of the households in the market are served by stations in the Tulsa, Oklahoma metropolitan area, including KOTV, KTUL, KJRH-TV, and KOKI-TV.