City of Jackson

Named after Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States the city of Jackson was founded to fulfill the need of a centrally located capital for the state of Mississippi. Unlike many other cities in Mississippi, Jackson is not located on the Mississippi river and had to rely on a solid railway network for its expansions. The city is located about 150 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico, on the west bank of the Pearl River, Jackson sits atop a not active, not dormant but extinct volcano. receives an average annual rainfall of 55 inches with trace amounts of snow in winter only. Summers are hot and humid, with regular rain frequented by thunderstorms.


The City of Jackson was founded in 1821 at the site of a trading post situated on a bluff on the west bank of the Pearl River. A legislative act dated November 28, 1821, authorized the location to be the permanent seat of government for the state and ordered that it be named Jackson, in honor of Major General Andrew Jackson who would later become the seventh president of the United States.


The Jackson Zoological Park resides in the heart of the city and holds a children's petting zoo. Mynelle Botanical Gardens, Battlefield Park (a memorial to Civil War battles), historic Natchez Trace Parkway and other pleasant picnic areas along the historic drive provide ample recreation facilities to the residents of Jackson. Other entertainment options include, Mississippi Arts Center hosting the Symphony Orchestra of Mississippi, Russell C. Davis Planetarium, Cinema-360, New Stage Theatre and the Community Children's Theatre. Jackson is also home to the USA International Ballet Competition, founded in 1978 by Thalia Mara. Jackson is home to many museums like Agricultural Museum, Manship House Museum, Municipal Art Gallery, Museum of Natural Science, Oaks House Museum, Old Capitol Museum, Smith Robertson Museum, Mississippi Museum of Art, Governors Mansion and Intern'l Muslim Museum.