White County Road 12: El Paso to Floyd – Arkansas

Driving across the heart of White County, Arkansas, we travel 9 scenic miles along County Road 12 from the community of El Paso to the small town of Floyd. This stretch, locally known as El Paso Road for much of its route, offers a peaceful ride through gently rolling hills, rural farmland, and wooded corridors — a snapshot of everyday life in central Arkansas. If you’re looking for a quiet, lightly traveled alternative to the main state highways, this local road provides a relaxed and scenic route that’s worth exploring.

Our journey begins just north of the unincorporated community of El Paso, where we turn east off Arkansas Highway 5 onto White County Road 12. The road quickly bends northeast, winding past fields dotted with hay bales and occasional clusters of trees. A short jog to the right at Oak Church Road shifts the route’s direction more decisively east, and from here we settle into a steady rhythm — a mix of straightaways and gentle curves that make for easy, pleasant driving. The area feels authentically rural, with few interruptions save for occasional farmsteads and the occasional glimpse of livestock grazing peacefully in the distance.

Midway through the route, the road takes an interesting pair of turns, first veering north briefly before a sharp turn sends us east again. This section southwest of Floyd marks a transition zone, where open pastures give way to thicker woods lining both sides of the road. As we draw closer to Floyd, the landscape subtly shifts once more, opening up into flatter farmland framed by tree rows. We pass a handful of homes and outbuildings as the road bends northeast, finally arriving at the town of Floyd. Our journey concludes at the junction with Arkansas Highway 31, the main north-south artery through the area.

This drive is a great example of Arkansas’s scenic backroads — the kind of route that locals rely on and visitors often overlook. Though it doesn’t feature dramatic elevation changes or famous landmarks, County Road 12 offers a window into the quiet charm of White County’s countryside. It’s also a great shortcut between AR-5 and AR-31 for travelers heading between El Paso and points north or east of Floyd. For those who enjoy casual road exploration, this 9-mile drive is a worthwhile detour.