Capital and metropolitan center of Mississippi, Jackson is at the crossroads of the growing south. 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. Legend tells that the trading post was operated by a French-Canadian trader named Louis LeFleur, and the town originally was called LeFleur’s Bluff. It's the midpoint between Memphis and New Orleans and halfway between Atlanta and Dallas. Rich in history, the city houses a number of museums and many landmarks significant in the development of the south. The tri-county metro area census is estimated at 460,340. Jacksonians are proud of our world-renowned southern hospitality, and offers newcomers a special quality of life. Community support is strong for the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra , the Mississippi Opera , the Mississippi Community Symphonic Band, New Stage Theatre and a professional baseball team, along with the Mississippi Museum of Art , the Natural Science Museum , Agriculture and Forestry Museum , and the Smith-Robertson Museum and Cultural Center , along with the Old Capitol Museum and other venues.

Recreational facilities include a 30,000-acre reservoir 15 minutes from the Medical Center; tournament-level public tennis courts and golf courses; and there are 54 city parks and facilities in Jackson , which cover around 2,300 acres of land. Annual events which attract thousands of visitors to the Jackson area include the riotous Mal's St. Paddy's Parade and Festival , a benefit for The Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children ; Canton Flea Market, Mississippi Championship Hot Air Balloon Race, Mississippi Gospel Music and Jackson Music Awards, Veterans Memorial Stadium: Magnolia Grid-Iron Classic, Mississippi State Fair, CelticFest Mississippi, Mistletoe Marketplace, Crossroads Film Festival, Pepsi Pops, Southern Farm Bureau PGA Golf Classic

Trustmark Park is the home of the Mississippi Braves.

Community activities throughout the year draw attendees from all corners of Mississippi, and the South, to the Jackson area. The spring is always much anticipated among western fans as the the Dixie National Livestock Show and Rodeo and National Cutting Horse Associations' National Championships come to the State Fairgrounds. Music fans eagerly await Zoo Blues, Symphony at Sunset, and the Pepsi Pops Concert on the Ross Barnet Reservoir . Golf fans flock to PGA tour events like the Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic . And there's something for everyone at the International Crawfish Festival , the Mississippi Championship Hot Air Balloon Classic , the Sky Parade air show, the Scottish Highland Games . The Jackson area is also home to the Bagwell Antiques Show, the Canton Flea Market , and Mistletoe Marketplace . Mistletoe Marketplace is the largest Christmas marketplace in the southeast, and the annual Canton Flea Market features works from over 1,100 artists and craftsmen from 29 different states.