Jackson, MS

City of Jackson, Capital of Mississippi, USA

Jackson, Mississippi, Websites

The City of Jackson website

Visit Jackson website

Jackson, Mississippi, Information

Jackson was founded in 1821 at the site of a trading post that was situated on a "high handsome bluff" on the west bank of the Pearl River. Legend tells that the trading post was operated by a French-Canadian trader named Louis LeFleur, and the town originally was called LeFleur's Bluff.

Although less than 8,000 people lived in the Jackson area at the turn of the century, its population began accelerating rapidly after 1900, and it is now one of the dynamic growth areas of the Sunbelt. In 1990, the population of the Metropolitan area rose to 395,396. It is a major distribution centre with a prime location equal distance between Memphis and New Orleans, north-south, and between Dallas and Atlanta, east-west.

As a major distribution centre, efficient transportation facilities are a must. Eight major air carriers -- American Eagle, ASA, Comair, Continental Express, Delta, Northwest Airlink, US Airways Express, and Southwest Airlines provide service in the Jackson International Airport and Hawkins Field. The Illinois Central Gulf Railroad and scores of major truck lines provide freight service to all parts of the nation.