Edited. I think they're basically the same thing. Originally Archipelago Exchange, hence ARCX. Then bought by NYSE, now called NYSE Arca. But it appears the ARCA means only the equities, while for options the abbreviation is PSE (probably from the days when Archipelago merged with the Pacific Stock Exchange). From IB's site: NYSE Arca - Equities (ARCA) NYSE Arca - Options (PSE) So maybe IB uses ARCX as a catch-all for both ARCA and PSE. That's my guess.