📷 Photo by Pretty Pink on UnsplashThe Blues Highway
Highway 61 from Memphis through the Mississippi Delta, where the blues began, to Vicksburg.
- Distance
- 466 km (290 mi)
- Driving
- 5 h 11 min
- Suggested days
- 3
- Stops
- 4
- States
- TN, MS
- Updated
- May 15, 2026
At a glance: 3-day road trip of about 466 km (290 mi) with 4 stops, from Memphis to Jackson. About 5 h 11 min of driving in total.
More road trips in Tennessee, Mississippi
Route description
Memphis is the start of the Blues Highway, with Beale Street, Sun Studio and the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel. US-61 heads south out of the city into the Mississippi Delta, a flat, fertile plain of cotton fields and small towns. Mississippi Blues Trail markers along the road tell the stories of musicians and places.
Clarksdale, at the crossroads of US-61 and US-49, has the Delta Blues Museum and juke joints with live music, especially on weekends. South of Clarksdale, detours lead to the GRAMMY Museum Mississippi in Cleveland and the B.B. King Museum in Indianola. The road continues through Leland and small Delta towns on its way south.
At the southern end of the Delta, Vicksburg sits on bluffs above the Mississippi. The Vicksburg National Military Park has a 16-mile tour road around the siege lines of 1863 and the recovered gunboat USS Cairo. I-20 then leads east to Jackson, the state capital, where the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum is well worth a visit.
The Delta is flat and the roads are straight, but services can be far apart. Summer is hot and humid, so spring and fall are the most comfortable seasons. Check music schedules in advance, as live music in the Delta is mostly on weekends and during festivals.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Memphis
TN - 2139 km
Clarksdale
MS - 3249 km
Vicksburg
MS - 478 km
Jackson
MS
Suggested stages and overnight stops
3 days, split by driving time. Campsites from OpenStreetMap: check opening dates before you go.
- Day 1: Memphis → Clarksdale · 86 mi · 1 h 33 min
- Day 2: Clarksdale → Vicksburg · 155 mi · 2 h 46 minOvernight nearby, for example: Ameristar RV Park (3 mi); Quilly's Magnolia RV Park (4 mi).
- Day 3: Vicksburg → Jackson · 49 mi · 0 h 52 minOvernight nearby, for example: Lefleur's Bluff State Park (3 mi); Timberlake Campground (10 mi).
Best time to go
The most pleasant months are usually April–May and October. Still fine, with some compromises, in March, June, September and November. Hot in July–August. July and August are the busiest months: book campsites early.
Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons
Themes
FAQs
How long is The Blues Highway?
3-day road trip of about 466 km (290 mi) with 4 stops, from Memphis to Jackson. About 5 h 11 min of driving in total.
How many days do you need for The Blues Highway?
We suggest 3 days: about 5 h 11 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.
Where does The Blues Highway start and end?
It starts in Memphis and ends in Jackson.
Which states does The Blues Highway pass through?
Tennessee and Mississippi.
Where can you camp along The Blues Highway?
OpenStreetMap lists 16 campsites and motorhome stopovers within 19 mi of the stops on this route. For example: T. O. Fuller State Park Campground, Lefleur's Bluff State Park and Graceland RV Park and Campground.
When is the best time for The Blues Highway?
The most pleasant months are usually April–May and October. Still fine, with some compromises, in March, June, September and November. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)
