Address, Map and Directions

Jackson is both the capital and the financial center of Mississippi. It was founded in 1821 at the site of a trading post on the west bank of the Pearl River for the express purpose of serving as the permanent seat of the state government. The city was named after Major General Andrew Jackson who would later become the seventh President of the United States. The Governor's Mansion was completed in 1842 and is the oldest residence of its type in the nation.

At the intersection of I-55 and I-20, Jackson has grown into a major distribution center and a center for high technology and telecommunications. Jackson also provides its residents with a wonderful quality of life. Jackson is home to the University of Mississippi Medical Center and has more colleges and universities than any other area of the state. Jackson is regularly ranked by Money Magazine as one of the Southeast's most affordable places to live. Jackson's cultural and recreational outlets include the Mississippi Museum of Art, the Mississippi Natural Science Museum, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, the Jackson Zoo, and minor league hockey. Every four years, Jackson also plays host to the USA International Ballet Competition which features dancers from many countries around the world. This competition is sanctioned by the International Theater Institute which rotates its ITI-sanctioned competitions between Jackson, Moscow, Tokyo, and Varna, Bulgaria. Jackson has also been the home to several nationally recognized cultural exhibits in cooperation with other nations, including the Palaces of St. Petersburg, the Wonders of Versailles and the Majesty of Spain.