Clarksdale

Clarksdale is a town of 15,000 people (2020) in the Mississippi Delta. About an hour south of Memphis, this little podunk town draws visitors from all over the world for its blues clubs and blues history.

By car
Downtown Clarksdale is a little north of the junction of Highway 61 and Highway 49 (the famous "Crossroads"). Memphis, Tennessee is about 75 miles north of Clarksdale on Highway 61. Jackson, Mississippi, is about 150 miles south. It is about 15 miles east of the Mississippi River.

By plane
Clarksdale is served by a public airport, which is capable of serving large private airplanes. There are no commercial flights into Clarksdale.

Memphis International Airport is 75 miles north of Clarksdale.

By bus

 * Greyhound Bus Line, 1604 N State St.,.

Get around
Having a car is pretty much a requirement in Clarksdale. According to one website, 91% of Clarksdale residents drive to work. However, visiting for a short time does not require driving as the downtown is entirely pedestrian-friendly.

Taxi services:
 * Jerry's Cab Co., +1 662 624-9222.
 * Jolly Cab, +1 662 624-9256.
 * Pro Taxi, +1 662 302-0864. 24/7 taxi

Do

 * Clarksdale Film Festival (January)
 * Juke Joint Festival and Related Events (April)
 * Mini Blues Fest (April)
 * Crossroads Half-Marathon (Look for date)
 * Annual Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival (August)
 * Pinetop Perkins Homecoming at the historic Shack Up Inn and Hopson Plantation in Clarksdale. (Oct)
 * Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival (October)

Go next

 * Cleveland — 37 miles to the south
 * Tunica &mdash; just north of Tunica on the Mississippi River are numerous casinos that are always open. They are about 45 miles north of Clarksdale.
 * Oxford is the home of Ole Miss, and seeing the university is worth the trip. Also, there are many fine restaurants, Square Books, and some good shopping.
 * Memphis, Tennessee is about 75 miles north of Clarksdale and has all the amenities you would expect of a large city.
 * Helena, Arkansas &mdash; just before crossing the bridge into Helena, there is the Isle of Capri casinos. They are about 25 miles from Clarksdale. Helena is also home to the Delta Cultural Center, and the well-known Blues and Heritage Festival.