Jonesboro is the main city of northeast Arkansas, set on Crowley's Ridge above the Mississippi Delta. It is a working regional hub and a college town, not a romantic old river port, but it has enough nature and campus culture to make a worthwhile stop if you are already in this corner of the state.
The best reason to pause is the south side of town, where Craighead Forest Park and Crowley's Ridge Nature Center turn the unusual ridge landscape into trails, woods, water, and wildlife exhibits. Arkansas State University adds the city's better indoor stops.
Jonesboro is best treated as a half-day break on a Delta or Ozarks route: stretch your legs, see the ridge, and dip into the museums before moving on.