Jackson

Understand

Before Jackson became Jackson, a village sprang up around a trading post on the Pearl River called LeFleur's Bluff. Even while the Choctaw Nation called this area home, Mississippi was created in 1817 and early government officials from Natchez selected this site for a new capital in 1821.

Jackson was slow to take off, but the Confederacy used it as a manufacturing center and military hospital during the war. General Tecumseh Sherman noted its significance and burned it once on his way to the military campaign in Vicksburg and then once again to completion after Confederate troops from the city had blundered a sort of revenge attack. Thus a lot of antebellum architecture went up in flames, sparing pretty much only the original capitol building and governor's home.

Thereafter Jackson eventually became the major metropolitan area in the state after wresting that status from Meridian. But, as elsewhere in the South, racial inequality permeated society, and Jackson became a significant site for Civil Rights movement activity from Freedom Riders demonstrations to marches.

Tourist information

• Visit Jackson website

Get in

By plane

By train

Amtrak serves Jackson with the once-daily City of New Orleans between Chicago and New Orleans. Union Station is located at 300 W Capitol St, just west of downtown. The station also serves as a hub for local buses.

By bus

By car

Downtown Jackson is situated just northwest of the junction of Interstate 55 (running north and south) and Interstate 20 (running east and west). New Orleans, LA is about 190 miles (310 km) south of Jackson; Memphis, TN. is about 210 miles (340 km) north; Dallas, TX is about 300 miles (480 km) west; Atlanta, GA is about 320 miles (510 km) east.

Get around

JTRAN, the city transit system, has buses from Union Station six days a week until shortly after 5PM each day. Their phone number is: +1 601-948-7140 Pick up route schedules at the JATRAN office, open weekdays inside Union Station.

The JTRAN is not considered safe or efficient transportation by locals.

Stay safe

• Areas of the city you may want to be aware of your surroundings are: 'south side of the city - Terry Road, Raymond Road, and McDowell Road. On the west side of the city - West Capital Street, some parts of Highway 80. On the northern area of the city - Baily Avenue, and parts of north-western part of the city: Woodrow Wilson Avenue and Northside Drive. Keep in mind that most of these areas are typically not visited by tourists, and they are mostly the older areas of the city that are in decline.
• Keep in mind that a majority of the crimes in the city of Jackson are typically residential house burglaries, and typically are not against individuals or tourists. However this does not mean you should let your guard down and leave your street smarts and common sense at home. The Jackson police department keeps weekly reports for public viewing of where crimes occur the city.
• Use the same precautions as you would in any large metropolitan city. Protect your vehicle by locking it up and activating the alarm system, and do not advertise yourself as being wealthy or as a tourist. If you are in an area of the city looks dilapidated, use common sense and promptly leave to more secure grounds.
• If staying at the hotels nearby the fairgrounds or the coliseum in Jackson, keep your room door locked and bolted, and always keep your vehicle locked and in a lit area (if possible). Use precautions whenever someone expectantly knocks on your room door, and immediately contact the front office to validate the hotel staff is requesting access into your room. Visitors to the area hotels have been victims of robberies and assaults in the past.