Mississippi - Fun Facts, Food, Famous People, Attractions

Mississippi is known for:

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

Geography & Demographics Government & Legislature State Symbols Sports Teams Popular Tourist Attractions Local Food Famous People Fun Facts

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 Point	Woodall Mountain, 807 feet
Tallest Building	Beau Rivage Casino Hotel in Biloxi, 347 feet
Largest Stadium	Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, capacity 64,038
National Parks	None
State Population (2020)	2,961,279
State Population Density	63.1 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 Votes	6
State Flag
Governor	Official Mississippi Governor Website
U. S. Senators	List of U. S. Senators From Mississippi
U. S. Representatives	List of U. S. Representatives From Mississippi
State Senators	List of Mississippi State Senators
State Representatives	List of Mississippi State Representatives
State Government	Official Site
State Constitution	Mississippi State Constitution
Same-Sex Marriage Legalization Date	June 26, 2015
Road Conditions	Mississippi Road Conditions
State Quarter Issue Date	October 15, 2002

State Symbols

State Bird

State Beverage	Milk
Mockingbird
State Fish	Largemouth (black bass)
State Flower	Bloom of the magnolia or evergreen magnolia
State Fossil	Prehistoric whale
State Insect	Honeybee
State Motto	Virtute et armis (By valor and arms)
State Nickname	Magnolia State
State Shell	Oyster shell
State Stone	Petrified wood
State Water Mammal	Bottlenosed dolphin (porpoise)
State Tree	Magnolia
State Waterfowl	Wood 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

• B. B. King Museum: Museum dedicated to preserve and share the legacy and values of B. B. King, located in Indianola, Mississippi.
• Buccaneer State Park: State park in Waveland, Mississippi.
• Deer Island: Island off the coast of Biloxi, Mississippi.
• Elvis Presley Birthplace: Historic museum site in Tupelo, Mississippi.
• Geyser Falls Water Theme Park: Water park in Pearl River, Mississippi.
• Gulf Islands National Seashore: National seashore in southern Mississippi.
• Hattiesburg Zoo: Zoo in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
• The Jackson Zoo: Zoo in Jackson, Mississippi.
• Mississippi Museum of Natural Science: Natural science museum in Jackson, Mississippi.
• Natchez Trace Parkway: National parkway along Ross R Barnett Reservoir in central Mississippi.
• Rowan Oak: William Faulkner's former home in Oxford, Mississippi.
• Ship Island: Islands off the Gulf Coast of Mississippi.
• USS Cairo: Historic warship in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
• Vicksburg National Military Park: Military park preserving the site of the American Civil War Battle of Vicksburg, located in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

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

• William Faulkner (Literature, 1949)

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 05, 2025. ADVERTISEMENTS Return to List of 50 States