Southaven | |
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 Clockwise from top: Southaven City Hall, Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto,Landers Center, Southaven Towne Center,Snowden Grove Park, and the water tower in Southaven | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
| Nicknames: The Top of Mississippi The Tip of the ‘Sip | |
 Location of Southaven in Mississippi | |
  Southaven Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates:34°58′08″N90°00′40″W / 34.96889°N 90.01111°W /34.96889; -90.01111 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | DeSoto |
| Incorporated | April 15, 1980 |
| Founded by | Kemmons Wilson |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-council |
| • Body | Board of Aldermen |
| • Mayor | Darren Musselwhite (R)[1][2] |
| Area | |
• Total | 41.54 sq mi (107.58 km2) |
| • Land | 41.34 sq mi (107.06 km2) |
| • Water | 0.20 sq mi (0.53 km2) |
| Elevation | 322 ft (98 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 54,648 |
| • Density | 1,322.1/sq mi (510.46/km2) |
| Demonym | Jago[5] |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes | 38671-38672 |
| Area code | 662 |
| FIPS code | 28-69280 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2405496[4] |
| Website | www |
Southaven is a city inDeSoto County, Mississippi, United States. It is a principal city inGreater Memphis. The2020 census reported a population of 54,648,[6] making it the3rd most populous city inMississippi and the largest suburb ofMemphis by population. Southaven surpassed Bartlett, TN as largest suburb with a population of 56,851 according to 2023 census estimates.[7] Southaven is traversed north to south by theI-55/I-69 freeway. The city's name derives from the fact that Southaven is located south ofWhitehaven, a neighborhood in Memphis.
Southaven began as a village when Memphis homebuilderKemmons Wilson (founder ofHoliday Inn) wished to develop a few residential subdivisions featuring small starter homes just across the Mississippi border from what was then Whitehaven, Tennessee, an unincorporated area just a few miles south of the Memphis city limits.[8] In the 1970s, Whitehaven has been eventually annexed by Memphis. Officially incorporated in 1980, Southaven is one of the fastest-growing cities in thesoutheastern United States.[9] In just 20 years, Southaven doubled its land area, while its population tripled.
The construction of Interstate 55 through Southaven in the 1970s helped to promote growth and make for easier access to the city from Memphis,Jackson,St. Louis, andChicago. Interstate 69, which will eventually run from Canada to Mexico, was cosigned with I-55 in Southaven in 2007.[10]
In 1988, Baptist Hospital-DeSoto opened in Southaven as a two-story hospital. In 2001, Baptist DeSoto started an expansion project, nearly doubling the size of the hospital. In 2002, Baptist Hospital-DeSoto added anOutpatient Diagnostic Center and a Women's Center. In November 2006, Baptist DeSoto opened an eleven-story hospital tower that added 140 beds to the facility, allowing it to offer all private rooms. In addition, the new hospital tower added a new and expandedEmergency Department, more operating suites and space for future additions. It is the first high-rise building constructed in DeSoto County.
The exponential growth ofMemphis International Airport (2 miles north of the city limits) in the 1980s led to increased air traffic over Southaven. The city continues to see large amounts of air traffic from Memphis International Airport, as flight paths to both north–south runways lead directly over the city.[11] October 2007 saw the opening of Southaven's first large-scale shopping mall,Southaven Towne Center, which is located just south of Goodman Road between I-55/I-69 and Airways Boulevard. The mall is open-air with various stores and restaurants. Numerous buildings in Southaven were damaged on February 5, 2008, when an EF-2 tornado touched down during the so-calledSuper Tuesday tornado outbreak. Memphis television stationWREG broadcast live images of the tornado as it moved through the city and into Memphis. No fatalities were reported in Southaven. By February 2011, Southaven had become the third-largest city in Mississippi.[12] In the late 2000s, anoutlet mall was proposed for Southaven.Tanger Outlets Southaven began construction in January 2015 and opened in November 2015. The mall, located near I-55/I-69 and Church Road, includes 70 outlet stores and outparcels of restaurants. Southaven was the boyhood home of noted novelistJohn Grisham, who also practiced law there for almost a decade, and of singer-songwriterCory Branan.[13][14]
PresidentDonald Trump visited the city of Southaven twice, in 2018 and 2022. He held a campaign rally for SenatorCindy Hyde-Smith's special general election on October 3, 2018.[15] Four years later, the president returned to Southaven to hold another rally (this time on the American Freedom Tour) on June 18, 2022.[16] Both rallies took place at theLanders Center. These campaign rallies were broadcast on national television and garnered attention from news networks, includingCNN andFox News.[17][18] On July 21, 2025,XAI, a company owned byElon Musk, has bought a former gas power plant site close to a new AI data center in Memphis.[19][20] However, Southaven residents had complaints about noise and fear about pollution from its data center turbines.[21]
The center of the city is approximately 14 miles (23 km) south ofdowntown Memphis and 6 miles (10 km) southwest ofMemphis International Airport.[22]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, Southaven has a total area of 41.5 square miles (107.6 km2), of which 41.2 square miles (106.8 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.7 km2), or 0.68%, is water.[23]
| Climate data for Southaven, Mississippi | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 79 (26) | 81 (27) | 87 (31) | 94 (34) | 99 (37) | 104 (40) | 108 (42) | 107 (42) | 103 (39) | 95 (35) | 86 (30) | 81 (27) | 108 (42) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 49 (9) | 55 (13) | 63 (17) | 72 (22) | 80 (27) | 89 (32) | 92 (33) | 91 (33) | 85 (29) | 75 (24) | 62 (17) | 52 (11) | 72 (22) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 31 (−1) | 36 (2) | 44 (7) | 52 (11) | 61 (16) | 69 (21) | 73 (23) | 71 (22) | 64 (18) | 52 (11) | 43 (6) | 34 (1) | 53 (11) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −8 (−22) | −11 (−24) | 12 (−11) | 27 (−3) | 38 (3) | 48 (9) | 52 (11) | 48 (9) | 36 (2) | 25 (−4) | 9 (−13) | −13 (−25) | −13 (−25) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 4.24 (108) | 4.31 (109) | 5.58 (142) | 5.79 (147) | 5.15 (131) | 4.3 (110) | 4.22 (107) | 3 (76) | 3.31 (84) | 3.31 (84) | 5.76 (146) | 5.68 (144) | 54.65 (1,388) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 2.2 (5.6) | 1.9 (4.8) | 0.3 (0.76) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.1 (0.25) | 4.6 (11.66) |
| Source:[24] | |||||||||||||
Southaven experiences ahumid subtropical climate, with average annual precipitation of nearly 55 inches (1,400 mm), which is well distributed throughout the year. April is the wettest month of the year, and August the driest. The average high temperature is 49 °F (9 °C) in January and 92 °F (33 °C) in July.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 8,931 | — | |
| 1980 | 16,071 | 79.9% | |
| 1990 | 18,705 | 16.4% | |
| 2000 | 28,977 | 54.9% | |
| 2010 | 48,982 | 69.0% | |
| 2020 | 54,648 | 11.6% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 57,493 | 5.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[25] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[26] | Pop 2010[27] | Pop 2020[28] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 25,883 | 33,992 | 29,164 | 89.32% | 69.40% | 53.37% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,920 | 10,827 | 18,517 | 6.63% | 22.10% | 33.88% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 89 | 120 | 78 | 0.31% | 0.25% | 0.14% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 208 | 833 | 1,317 | 0.72% | 1.70% | 2.41% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 5 | 25 | 54 | 0.02% | 0.05% | 0.10% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 17 | 69 | 182 | 0.06% | 0.09% | 0.33% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 201 | 671 | 1,990 | 0.69% | 1.37% | 3.64% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 654 | 2,472 | 3,346 | 2.26% | 5.05% | 6.12% |
| Total | 28.977 | 48,982 | 54,648 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 54,648 people, 19,735 households, and 14,073 families residing in the city.
As of the census of 2010, there were 48,982 people and 13,125 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,499.9 inhabitants per square mile (579.1/km2). There were 19,101 housing units at an average density of 339.3 per square mile (131.0/km2).
There were 19,904 households, out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.16.
The racial makeup of the city was 71.0%White, 22.2%African American, 0.3%Native American, 1.7%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 3.0% fromother races, 1.7% from two or more races, andHispanic orLatino, 5.0% of the population.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.8% under the age of 20, 13.5% from 20 to 30, 15.8 from 30 to 40, 13.8% from 40 to 50, 11.1% from 50 to 60, and 14.9% who were 60 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years.
The median income for a household in the city was $46,691, and the median income for a family was $52,333. Males had a median income of $36,671 versus $26,557 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,759. About 5.3% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.[29]
Southaven'sSnowden Grove Baseball Park hosts the annualDizzy Dean Baseball World Series, where 5- to 19-year-old divisions are represented by teams from across the country.[30]
TheMemphis Grizzlies operate theirNBA G League affiliate, theMemphis Hustle, at the Landers Center in Southaven.[31]
From 2000 to 2018, Southaven hosted theMississippi RiverKings at theLanders Center while they were members of theCentral Hockey League and theSouthern Professional Hockey League. The team relocated from Memphis prior to the 2000–01 season and was the main tenant of the Landers Center for most of their time in Southaven.
Southaven hosts theMemphis Americans at theLanders Center. The Memphis Americans are a part of theNational Indoor Soccer League.[32]
Southaven is served by theDeSoto County School District.
The mayor of Southaven is Darren Musselwhite, a Republican. He has served since June 28, 2013.[33] The city council consists of seven members who are each elected from one of six wards, known assingle-member districts, with one alderman being elected at large and representing the entire city.[34]
The Southaven Police Department employs 147 full-time sworn officers and 36 civilian staff members. The department is organized into several divisions including patrol, traffic, criminal investigations, and more.[35] Southaven Police Department collaborates with local organizations to ensure fair policing and enhance community quality of life.
The Southaven Fire Department operates four fire stations 24/7, ensuring quick response times for citizens. It provides Advanced Life Support and emergency transport. The department includes various divisions: Administration, Fire Prevention, Operations, Emergency Medical Services, and Training. It has 130 employees, five pumpers, two trucks, one squad, and four ambulances, along with reserve equipment.[36]
TheGrenada Railroad operates 228 miles of track betweenCanton, MS and Memphis, TN. It has access to six major carriers and provides daily interchanges, a fleet of cars, fast turn-times, and 2,200 storage spots, ensuring timely and flexible rail service.[37]
While Southaven does not have its own separate public transit system, it is part of the largerMemphis Area Transit Authority (MATA)'s service area, which includes both the city of Memphis and its suburbs, including Southaven. MATA provides fixed-route bus service, paratransit, and vintage trolleys.[38]
The nearest airport to Southaven, Mississippi isMemphis International Airport. It's located approximately 2 miles north of Southaven's center.[39]
Places adjacent to Southaven, Mississippi | |
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Municipalities and communities ofDeSoto County, Mississippi,United States | ||
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