Jackson MS to New Orleans drive: Best stops, distance & time
The distance from Jackson MS to New Orleans is 186 miles, with a 2h46m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Jackson to New Orleans drive are the Mississippi Music Museum, the Lynyrd Skynyrd Memorial Site and Hammond LA.
Planning a Jackson MS to New Orleans road trip itinerary
The Jackson MS to New Orleans drive connects the capital city of Mississippi to Louisiana’s good time central
The capital of Mississippi has a collection of strong museums. The Mississippi Museum of Art has a great Southern art collection. The Old Capitol Museum and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum cover politics and history.
The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science is arguably Jackson’s highlight, though. It comes with a 100,000-gallon aquarium showing off the species that live on the Gulf Coast, and is within LeFleur’s Bluff State Park. That means plenty of nature trails to enjoy when the weather’s good.
Highly-reviewed Jackson MS accommodation includes the plush Westin and the more charming Old Capitol Inn.
New Orleans resolutely refuses to feel like any other American city. From the raucous hedonism of Bourbon Street to the European-influenced charm of the French Quarter, New Orleans is mesmerizingly unusual to hang out in.
Top New Orleans experiences include French Quarter food tours, haunted pub crawls, jazz cruises aboard the steamboat Natchez and cemetery walking tours.
For other attractions, try the National WWII Museum, the Vue Orleans observation deck and the urban enslavement tours at Hermann Grima House.
If looking for New Orleans accommodation, the pool and jazz bar-equipped Royal Sonesta in the French Quarter is a great option. The Virgin Hotel downtown has a huge sense of fun, too.
Jackson MS to New Orleans distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Jackson MS to New Orleans is 186 miles. That makes for a driving time of around two hours and 46 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-55 and I-10.
The best stops to add to a Jackson MS to New Orleans road trip itinerary are the Mississippi Music Museum, the Lynyrd Skynyrd Memorial Site and Hammond LA.
Jackson MS to New Orleans drive: Mississippi Music Museum
The Mississippi Music Museum is a small (and free to enter) attraction inside the railroad station in Hazlehurst MS. It covers a wide variety of musical genres with a strong heritage in Mississippi. It flits through blues, country, rock and gospel, and looks at the lives of Mississippi legends such as BB King, Elvis Presley and Robert Johnson.
Jackson MS to New Orleans road trip attractions: Lynyrd Skynyrd Memorial Site
Between Gillsburg and Magnolia MS, the Lynyrd Skynyrd Memorial Site is where a chartered flight carrying southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd and their crew crashed in 1977. Six passengers died, including lead vocalist Ronnie van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines.
The memorial monument stands in a field, made of seven tons of black granite.
Best stops between Jackson MS and New Orleans: Hammond LA
There are a few decent attractions in and around Hammond LA, with the Louisiana Children’s Discovery Center giving kids a series of mock-up scenarios to explore. The Tangipahoa African American Heritage Museum looks at African-American heritage, with the collection of murals being the highlight.
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