The Ozarks are a region.
The Ozarks , also referred to as the Ozark Mountains , Ozarks Mountain Country , and the Ozark Plateau , is a physiographic and geologic highland region of the central United States , primarily in Arkansas , Missouri , and Oklahoma . The Ozarks cover a significant portion of southern Missouri , extending as far northeast as the southwestern suburbs of St. Louis . Although sometimes referred to as the Ozark Mountains , the region is actually a high and deeply dissected plateau . The Ozark Highlands area , covering nearly 47000 sqmi , is by far the most extensive mountainous region between the Appalachians and the Rocky Mountains .