The community was founded in 1882 and was characterized by the purported healing powers of the spring water feeding Sager Creek and trading with nearby Native American tribes.

[3] In 2012, the city was named one of the 20 best small towns in America by Smithsonian magazine[4] The area is located in the Mid-South region of the country where the southern plains meet the Ozark Mountains.

Siloam Springs is at the extreme western edge of this area, connected to the principal cities by Highway 412.

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.

This differs slightly from the climate in central Arkansas, where the fall wet season is more comparable to spring.

There are reports that Siloam Springs has a record for most number churches per capita, and while the ratio is higher than average, it has never been verified through reliable documentation.

Major employers in Siloam Springs include Simmons Foods,[13] Gates Corporation, La-Z-Boy, DaySpring (a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards), Cobb-Vantress, and John Brown University.

In addition to John Brown University, public education is supported by the Siloam Springs School District consisting of: Siloam Springs traffic is primarily served by US 412 for east–west travel, connecting the city to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to the west via the Cherokee Turnpike and to Bentonville, Fayetteville, and Springdale, Arkansas, to the east.

Smith Field, located east of town, serves small business jets as well as double- and single-engine aircraft.

Commercial air transportation is available from Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, about 21 miles (34 km) to the east-northeast.

The phosphorus load of the Illinois has been subject of controversy in the area, even reaching the United States Supreme Court in 1992.

[16] As a result of the applicable strict phosphorus effluent regulations, SSWWTP upgraded its system in 2011.

[17] Although presently a traditional biological nutrient removal (BNR) plant capable of meeting the interim phosphorus limit, pilot tests have proven a chemical nutrient removal (CNR) and membrane biological reactor combination to be effective well below the possible future permit limit.

An EPA total maximum daily load (TMDL) study in the watershed is also ongoing.