Mississippi Facts


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Mississippi Location In The US Mississippi State Map

Mississippi is known for:

  • Catfish
  • Cotton
  • Abundance of wildlife, including turkey, deer, and alligators
  • Bluegrass music
  • Southern Charm


Geography & Demographics

State Abbreviation MS
State Capital Jackson
State Size Total (Land + Water): 48,430 sq miles; Land Only: 46,907 sq miles
Number of Counties 82
Time Zone Central Time Zone
Bordering States Alabama, Arkanssas, Louisiana, Tennessee
Highest PointWoodall Mountain, 807 feet
Tallest Building Beau Rivage Casino Hotel in Biloxi, 347 feet
Largest StadiumVaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, capacity 64,038
National ParksNone
State Population (2020)2,961,279
State Population Density63.1 people / square mile
Area Codes 228, 601, 662, 769
Top 5 Cities (2020 population) Jackson (157,821)
Gulfport (71,438)
Southaven (56,644)
Biloxi (46,127)
Hattiesburg (45,806)

Government & Legislature

Statehood December 10, 1817
Electoral Votes6
State Flag Mississippi State Flag
GovernorOfficial Mississippi Governor Website
U. S. SenatorsList of U. S. Senators From Mississippi
U. S. RepresentativesList of U. S. Representatives From Mississippi
State SenatorsList of Mississippi State Senators
State RepresentativesList of Mississippi State Representatives
State GovernmentOfficial Site
State ConstitutionMississippi State Constitution
Same-Sex Marriage Legalization DateJune 26, 2015
Road ConditionsMississippi Road Conditions
State Quarter Issue Date October 15, 2002

State Symbols

State BeverageMilk
State Bird Mockingbird
State FishLargemouth (black bass)
State Flower Bloom of the magnolia or evergreen magnolia
State FossilPrehistoric whale
State InsectHoneybee
State Motto Virtute et armis (By valor and arms)
State Nickname Magnolia State
State ShellOyster shell
State StonePetrified wood
State Water MammalBottlenosed dolphin (porpoise)
State Tree Magnolia
State WaterfowlWood duck

Sports Teams

Major Sports Teams None
NCAA Division I Schools Alcorn State University (Southwestern Athletic)
Jackson State University (Southwestern Athletic)
University of Mississippi (Southeastern)
Mississippi State University (Southeastern)
Mississippi Valley State University (Southwestern Athletic)
University of Southern Mississippi (Conference USA)

Popular Tourist Attractions

Festivals and Events

Top festivals and events in Mississippi. They are listed in approximate order of when they take place during the year.

Festival / Event When Location
Natchez Food & Wine Festival July Natchez
Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival September Greenville
Mississippi Pecan Festival September Richton
Mississippi Songwriters Festival September Ocean Springs
Rise Hot Air Balloon Festival September Hattiesburg
CelticFest Mississippi October Jackson
Cruisin' The Coast October Multiple cities along the Mississippi Gulf Coast
Mississippi Peanut Festival October Collins
Mississippi Renaissance Festival October Gulfport
Mississippi State Fair October Jackson
Natchez Balloon Festival October Natchez
Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival November Ocean Springs

Popular Iconic Mississippi Foods

Mississippi is famous for the following foods:

  • Biscuits
  • Fried Chicken
  • Po'Boys
  • Barbecue
  • Gulf Shrimp
  • Fried Okra
  • Comeback Sauce
  • Mississippi Mud Pie
  • Hot Tamales
  • Crawfish
  • Corn Bread
  • Fried Catfish

Famous People Born In Mississippi

Nobel Prize Winners

Pro Football Hall Of Fame Members

  • Frank "Bruiser" Kinard (Tackle. Inducted in 1971)
  • Willie Brown (Cornerback. Inducted in 1984)
  • Lem Barney (Cornerback. Inducted in 1992)
  • Walter Payton (Running Back. Inducted in 1993)
  • Jackie Smith (Tight End. Inducted in 1994)
  • Billy Shaw (Guard. Inducted in 1999)
  • Jackie Slater (Offensive Tackle. Inducted in 2001)
  • Jerry Rice (Wide Receiver. Inducted in 2010)
  • Brett Favre (Quarterback. Inducted in 2016)

Baseball Hall Of Fame Players

  • Cool Papa Bell (Center Fielder. Inducted in 1974)

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame Players

  • Lusia Harris-Stewart (Center. Inducted in 1992)
  • Chet Walker (Forward. Inducted in 2012)
  • Spencer Haywood (Center-Forward. Inducted in 2015)
  • sonny boswell (Guard. Inducted in 2022)

Famous Actors And Actresses

  • Lacey Chabert
  • James Earl Jones
  • Eric Roberts

Famous Singers

  • Jimmy Buffett
  • Sam Cooke
  • Faith Hill
  • Elvis Presley
  • Leann Rimes
  • Britney Spears

Mississippi Fun Facts

  • The state of Mississippi was named for the Mississippi River, whose name comes from the Ojibwa (Chippewa) Indian word "misi-ziibi," meaning "great river."
  • On April 25, 1866, women in Columbus decorated the graves of both the Confederate and Union soldiers in Friendship Cemetery. This gesture became known as Decoration Day, the beginning of what we observe today as Memorial Day.
  • The Mississippi city of Greenwood is commonly called the Cotton Capital of the World.
  • While on a hunting expedition near Onward in November of 1902, President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear that had been surrounded. This event inspired a Brooklyn candy shop owner to create a stuffed "Teddy's Bear." Teddy bears soon became a favorite toy all over the world.
  • On June 11, 1963, Dr. James Hardy of the University of Mississippi performed the world's first human lung transplant.
  • The Mississippi city of Vardaman is called the Sweet Potato Capital of the World.
  • Greenville is called the Towboat Capital of the World.
  • The world's only cactus plantation is in Edwards, Mississippi.
  • In 1894, Coca-Cola was first bottled by Joseph A. Biedenharn in Vicksburg.
  • In Mississippi, it is illegal for a man to seduce a woman by pretending that he will marry her.

This page was last updated on July 10, 2023.

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