View source for Tupelo, Mississippi

{{short description|City in Mississippi, United States}}
{{use American English|date=June 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Tupelo, Mississippi
| official_name      = City of Tupelo
| settlement_type    = [[List of municipalities in Mississippi|City]]
| image_skyline      = Downtown Tupelo 1.JPG
| imagesize          = 280px
| image_caption      = Downtown Tupelo
| image_flag         = Flag of Tupelo, Mississippi.svg
| motto              = "All-America City"
| image_map          = Lee_County_Mississippi_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Tupelo_Highlighted.svg
| map_caption        = Location in Lee County and Mississippi
| mapsize            = 250x200px
| pushpin_label      = Tupelo
| pushpin_map        = Mississippi#USA
| pushpin_relief     = yes
| pushpin_label_position = left
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Mississippi##Location in the United States
| coordinates        = {{coord|34|15|35|N|88|43|33|W|region:US-MS_type:city|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|United States}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = {{flag|Mississippi}}
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Mississippi|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Lee County, Mississippi|Lee]]
| subdivision_type3  = Districts
| subdivision_name3  = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
| established_title  = Founded
| established_date   = {{start date|1860|10|18}}<!-- Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1832-1971. NARA Microfilm Publication, M841, 145 rolls. Records of the Post Office Department, Record Group Number 28. Washington, D.C.: National Archives. -->
| established_title1 = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date1  = {{Start date|1870|7|20}}
| named_for          = [[Nyssa sylvatica|Tupelo]]
| government_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|title=Mayor|url=https://www.tupeloms.gov/my-government/mayor|publisher=City of Tupelo|access-date=May 4, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2014 |title=Tupelo, Mississippi |url=http://www.tupeloms.gov/ |publisher=City of Tupelo |access-date=May 12, 2017}}</ref>
| government_type    = [[Mayor–council government|Mayor–Council]]
| leader_party       = [[Mississippi Republican Party|R]]
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = [[Todd Jordan]]
| leader_title1      = [[City council|Council]]
| leader_name1       = Board of Aldermen
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_total_sq_mi   = 64.68
| area_total_km2     = 167.53
| area_land_sq_mi    = 64.38
| area_land_km2      = 166.75
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.30
| area_water_km2     = 0.78
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_total   = 37923
| population_metro   = 140,460 (US: [[List of micropolitan statistical areas|4th]])
| population_density_km2 = 227.42
| population_density_sq_mi = 589.02
| timezone           = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc_offset         = &minus;6
| timezone_DST       = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]]
| utc_offset_DST     = &minus;5
| elevation_m        = 85
| elevation_ft       = 279
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code|ZIP code(s)]]
| postal_code        = 38801, 38804, 38826, 38866
| area_code_type     = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code(s)]]
| area_code          = [[Area code 662|662]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = {{FIPS|28|74840}}
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = {{GNIS4|678931}}
| blank2_name        = Highways
| blank2_info        = {{Unbulleted list|[[Image:I-22 (MS).svg|20px]] [[Interstate 22]]|[[File:US 45.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 45]]|[[File:US 78.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 78]]|[[File:US 278.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 278]]|[[File:Ellipse sign 6.svg|20px]] [[Mississippi Highway 6|Highway 6]]|[[File:Ellipse sign 145.svg|20px]] [[Mississippi Highway 145|Highway 145]]|[[File:Ellipse sign 178.svg|20px]] [[Mississippi Highway 178|Highway 178]]}}
| blank3_name        = Major airport
| blank3_info        = [[Tupelo Regional Airport|Tupelo Airport]] ([[International Air Transport Association airport code|TUP]])
| website            = {{URL|tupeloms.gov}}
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_28.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=July 24, 2022}}</ref>
}}
'''Tupelo''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|uː|p|ə|l|oʊ}} {{respell|TOO|pə|loh}}) is a city in and the [[county seat]] of [[Lee County, Mississippi]], United States. Founded in 1860,<ref>{{Citation|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1832-1971. NARA Microfilm Publication, M841, 145 rolls. Records of the Post Office Department, Record Group Number 28|publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration|National Archives]]|place=Washington, D.C.}}</ref> the population was 37,923 at the [[United States Census, 2020|2020 census]]. It is the [[List of municipalities in Mississippi|seventh-most populous city in Mississippi]] and is considered a commercial, industrial, and cultural hub of [[North Mississippi|northern Mississippi]].

Tupelo was [[Municipal corporation|incorporated]] in 1870. The area had earlier been settled as "Gum Pond" along the [[Mobile and Ohio Railroad]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Tupelo-Mississippi |title=Tupelo {{!}} Mississippi, United States of America |work=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=2018-07-05 |language=en}}</ref> On February 7, 1934, Tupelo became the first city to receive power from the [[Tennessee Valley Authority]], thus giving it the nickname "The First TVA City".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mshistorynow.mdah.state.ms.us/articles/376/the-rural-electrification-of-northeast-mississippi |title=The Rural Electrification of Northeast Mississippi |work=Sara E. Morris |publisher=Mississippi History Now |access-date=2017-03-29 |archive-date=March 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170331024324/http://mshistorynow.mdah.state.ms.us/articles/376/the-rural-electrification-of-northeast-mississippi |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://web.stanford.edu/group/SITE/archive/SITE_2012/2012_segment_3/2012_Segment_3_papers/kitchens.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622204034/http://web.stanford.edu/group/SITE/archive/SITE_2012/2012_segment_3/2012_Segment_3_papers/kitchens.pdf |archive-date=2015-06-22 |url-status=live |title=The Role of Publicly Provided Electricity in Economic Development: The Experience of the Tennessee Valley Authority 1929-1955 |date=2012 |work=Carl T. Kitchens |access-date=2017-03-29}}</ref> Much of the city was devastated [[1936 Tupelo–Gainesville tornado outbreak#Tupelo, Mississippi|by a major tornado in 1936]] that still ranks as one of the [[List of tornadoes causing 100 or more deaths|deadliest tornadoes]] in American history.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/killers.html |title=25 Deadliest U.S. Tornadoes |website=Spc.noaa.gov |access-date=2018-07-05}}</ref> Following electrification, Tupelo boomed as a regional manufacturing and distribution center and was once considered a hub of the American [[furniture]] manufacturing industry.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://siteselection.com/issues/2011/may/mississippi.cfm |title=Mississippi: Crafting a Comeback: Mississippi's furniture industry is rebounding as tax credits encourage investment. {{!}} Site Selection Online |work=Site Selection |access-date=2018-07-05 |language=en-US}}</ref> 

Although many of Tupelo's manufacturing industries have declined since the 1990s, the city has continued to grow due to strong healthcare, retail, and financial service industries. Tupelo is the smallest city in the United States that is the headquarters of more than one bank with over $10&nbsp;billion in assets.<ref name="ABABJ">{{cite news |last1=Sparks |first1=Evan |title=Bank City USA |url=https://bankingjournal.aba.com/2019/02/bank-city-usa-tupelo-mississippi/ |work=ABA Banking Journal |date=1 March 2019}}</ref>

Tupelo has a deep connection to [[Music of Mississippi|Mississippi's music history]], being known as the birthplace of [[Elvis Presley]]. The city is home to multiple art and cultural institutions, including the [[Elvis Presley Birthplace]] and the 10,000-seat [[Cadence Bank Arena]], the largest [[Arena|multipurpose indoor arena]] in Mississippi. Tupelo is the only city in the Southern United States to be named an [[All-America City Award|All-America City]] five times, most recently in 2015.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.djournal.com/news/local/tupelo-all-america-city-again/article_c18d2f8e-152b-579e-8c34-262f7955f165.html |title=Tupelo: All-America City again |last=Guajardo |first=Rod |work=Daily Journal |access-date=2018-07-05 |language=en}}</ref> Its Main Street program, Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association, was the winner of the national [[Main Street]]'s Great American Main Street Award in 2020.

The [[Tupelo micropolitan area]] contains Lee, [[Itawamba County, Mississippi|Itawamba]], and [[Pontotoc County, Mississippi|Pontotoc]] counties and had a population of 140,081 in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2017/demo/popest/total-metro-and-micro-statistical-areas.html |title=Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Totals: 2010-2017   |website=Census.gov |language=en-US |access-date=2018-07-05}}</ref>

==History==
===European settlement===
Indigenous peoples, including the [[Chickasaw]] and [[Choctaw]], occupied the area prior to European settlement.  The French and British traded with these indigenous peoples and tried to form alliances with them. The French established towns in Mississippi mostly on the Gulf Coast. At times, the European powers came into armed conflict. On May 26, 1736, the [[Battle of Ackia]] was fought near the site of present-day Tupelo; [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] and [[Chickasaw]] soldiers repelled a [[French colonization of the Americas|French]] and [[Choctaw]] attack on the then-Chickasaw village of Ackia. The French, under [[Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville|Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville]], governor of [[Louisiana (New France)|French Louisiana]], had sought to link Louisiana with [[Acadia]] and the other northern colonies of [[New France]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our History |url=https://tupelo150.com/our-history |access-date=2021-04-13 |website=Tupelo 150 |language=en-US }}</ref>

In the early 19th century, after years of trading and encroachment by European-American settlers from the United States, conflicts increased as the US settlers tried to gain land from these nations. In 1830, Congress passed the [[Indian Removal Act]] and authorized the relocation of all the Southeast [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] to federal territory west of the [[Mississippi River]], which was completed by the end of the 1830s.

In the early years of settlement, European-Americans named this town "Gum Pond", supposedly due to its numerous [[tupelo (tree)|tupelo]] trees, known locally as "blackgum". The city still hosts the annual Gumtree Arts Festival.<ref>{{Citation |title=Tupelo's 150 Years — How Tupelo Got Its Name | date=August 3, 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewattVUpnaw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/ewattVUpnaw |archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live |language=en |access-date=2021-04-13}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===Civil War and Reconstruction===
During the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], Union and Confederate forces fought in the area in 1864 in the [[Battle of Tupelo]] and the Battle of Old Town Creek.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/tupe/the-battle.htm|title=The Battle|website=Tupelo National Battlefield Mississippi|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=17 September 2025}}</ref>  Designated the [[Tupelo National Battlefield]], the battlefield is administered by the [[National Park Service]] (NPS). In addition, the [[Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield]], about ten miles north, commemorates another American Civil War battle.

With expansion, the town changed its name to Tupelo, in honor of the battle. It was incorporated in 1870.<ref>{{cite web |author=Dale Cox |url=http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/tupelo.html |title=Tupelo, Mississippi - Historic Sites and Points of Interest |publisher=Exploresouthernhistory.com |date=1935-01-08 |access-date=2013-07-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418235040/http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/tupelo.html |archive-date=April 18, 2018 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

On January 27, 1887 the [[Kansas City, Memphis and Birmingham Railroad]] acquired the unfinished [[Memphis, Birmingham and Atlantic Railroad]] and completed the line from [[Holly Springs, Mississippi]] through Tupelo to [[Birmingham, Alabama]].  The KCM&B was operationally absorbed into the [[St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad]] (the "Frisco") in 1896.

===20th century to present===
[[Image:Child workers in Tupelo, Mississippi.jpg|thumb|left|Part of the [[Child labor|force]] at Tupelo Cotton Mills, 1911. Photo by [[Lewis Hine]].]]
By the early twentieth century the town had become a site of cotton [[textile mill]]s, which provided new jobs for residents of the rural area. Under the state's segregation practices, the mills employed only [[White people|white]] adults and children. Reformers documented the child workers and attempted to protect them through labor laws.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gumtreechronicles.com/tupelo.html |title=Tupelo, MS |publisher=GumTree Chronicles |access-date=2013-07-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004224132/http://www.gumtreechronicles.com/tupelo.html |archive-date=October 4, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The last known bank robbery by [[Machine Gun Kelly (gangster)|Machine Gun Kelly]], a [[Prohibition]]-era gangster, took place on November 30, 1932, at the Citizen's State Bank in Tupelo; his gang netted $38,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|38000|1932|r=-3}}}} in current dollar terms). After the robbery, the bank's chief teller said of Kelly, "He was the kind of guy that, if you looked at him, you would never thought he was a bank robber."<ref>{{cite web |title=George "Machine Gun" Kelly: American Robber and Kidnapper |work=crimelibrary |date=2007-07-18 |url=http://www.crimelibrary.com/gangsters_outlaws/outlaws/kelly/5.html |access-date=2007-11-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080204170324/http://www.crimelibrary.com/gangsters_outlaws/outlaws/kelly/5.html |archive-date=February 4, 2008 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

During the [[Great Depression]], Tupelo was [[Electrification|electrified]] by the new [[Tennessee Valley Authority]], which had constructed dams and power plants throughout the region to generate hydroelectric power for the large, rural area. The distribution infrastructure was built with federal assistance as well, employing many local workers. In 1935, President [[Franklin Roosevelt]] visited this "First TVA City".

Tupelo had only 20 Jewish residents at the beginning of the Great Depression, out of 20,000 total residents.<ref name="auto7">Richelle Putnam (2017). [https://books.google.com/books?id=fK84DwAAQBAJ&dq=Temple+B%27Nai+Israel++Tupelo,+Mississippi&pg=PA80 ''Mississippi and the Great Depression,''] History Press.</ref> [[Temple B'nai Israel (Tupelo, Mississippi)|Temple B'nai Israel]] was established in Tupelo in 1939.<ref name="auto2">Vicki Reikes Fox, Marcie Cohen Ferris (2002). [https://books.google.com/books?id=MVW2wyy3nwoC&dq=Temple+B%27Nai+Israel++Tupelo,+Mississippi&pg=PA71 ''Shalom Y'All; Images of Jewish Life in the American South,''] Algonquin Books.</ref> The congregation first met in Tupelo City Hall.<ref name="auto7"/><ref name="auto4">Sid Salter (2015). [https://books.google.com/books?id=cxoaCgAAQBAJ&dq=%22Temple+B%27Nai+Israel%22++%22Tupelo%22&pg=PT102 ''Jack Cristil; Voice of the MSU Bulldogs''], University Press of Mississippi, Revised Edition.</ref><ref name="auto5">{{Cite web|url=https://www.djournal.com/opinion/leesha-faulkner-tupelos-jewish-community-thrived/article_6b64b31a-d304-5b7c-bbe0-d3d791adfe90.html|author=Leesha Faulkner|title=Tupelo's Jewish community thrived|website=Daily Journal|date=January 18, 2020}}</ref> It later rented space on South Spring Street above the Fooks' [[Chevrolet]] dealership.<ref name="auto7"/> In 1953, it moved to space over Biggs Furniture Store.<ref name="auto5"/><ref name="auto6">{{Cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.isjl.org/mississippi-tupelo-encyclopedia.html|date=2020|title= Tupelo, Mississippi|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities|publisher=Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life}}</ref> A synagogue building was dedicated in 1957, with then-Mayor James Ballard giving the remarks.<ref name="auto5"/>

[[File:Tupelo, Mississippi Railroad Depot (circa 1900).jpg|thumb|left|Tupelo Railroad Depot, {{circa|1900|lk=yes}}]]
Into the late 1950s several long-distance trains served Tupelo. These included the [[Gulf, Mobile & Ohio]]'s ''[[Gulf Coast Rebel]]'' (St. Louis - Mobile) and the [[Frisco Railroad]]'s ''[[Kansas City-Florida Special]]'' (Kansas City - Memphis - Jacksonville), ''Memphian'' (Memphis - Birmingham) and its ''Sunnyland'' (Kansas City to the west; sections east to Birmingham and Pensacola).<ref>{{cite journal |title=Gulf, Mobile and Ohio, Table 3|journal=Official Guide of the Railways |publisher=National Railway Publication Company |volume=87 |issue=7 |date=December 1954}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=St. Louis-San Francisco Railway - Frisco, Tables 23, 25|journal=Official Guide of the Railways |publisher=National Railway Publication Company |volume=87 |issue=7 |date=December 1954}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track1/gulfcoastrebel195008.html|title=The Gulf Coast Rebel - August, 1950 - Streamliner Schedules|website=Streamlinerschedules.com|access-date=November 13, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track2/kcflaspecial196104.html|title=The Kansas City-Florida Special - April, 1961 - Streamliner Schedules|website=Streamlinerschedules.com|access-date=November 13, 2021}}</ref> The Frisco's ''Southland'' ceased running on December 9, 1967, marking the last passenger train in northeast Mississippi.<ref>{{cite journal |title=St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, Table 4|journal=Official Guide of the Railways |publisher=National Railway Publication Company |volume=99 |issue=7 |date=December 1966}}</ref><ref>Cox, Jim. ''Rails Across Dixie,'' McFarland and Col., Inc., 2011, p. 166. {{ISBN|9781476666013}}.</ref>

In 2007, the nearby village of [[Blue Springs, Mississippi|Blue Springs]] was selected as the site for [[Toyota]]'s 11th automobile manufacturing plant in the United States.

In 2013 Gale Stauffer of the [[List of law enforcement agencies in Mississippi|Tupelo Police Department]] died in a set up ambush following a bank robbery, possibly the first officer killed in the line of duty in the department's history.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/29/justice/bank-robber-manhunt/index.html?hpt=hp_t2|title=Phoenix police fatally shoot man suspected in multi-state robberies, cop killing|publisher=CNN|first=Susanna|last= Capelouto|date=December 29, 2013}}</ref>

President [[Donald Trump]] visited the city of Tupelo twice, in 2018 and 2019. He held a campaign rally for Senator [[Cindy Hyde-Smith]] on November 26, 2018, at the [[Tupelo Regional Airport]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=PHOTOS: President Trump holds rally in Tupelo|url=https://www.djournal.com/news/photos-president-trump-holds-rally-in-tupelo/collection_ffb4e6ec-aaa8-5d1e-bc4c-4473e772dda1.html|access-date=2021-04-12|website=Daily Journal|date=November 26, 2018 |language=en}}</ref> Nearly one year later, the president returned to Tupelo to hold another rally (this time for Governor [[Tate Reeves]]) on November 1, 2019, at the [[BancorpSouth Arena]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Follow the latest from President Trump's Tupelo visit|url=https://www.djournal.com/news/follow-the-latest-from-president-trumps-tupelo-visit/article_1d37ecb9-b228-5464-8404-d8e53e416054.html|access-date=2021-04-12|website=Daily Journal|date=November 2019 |language=en}}</ref> These campaign rallies were broadcast on national television and received attention from news networks, such as [[CNN]] and [[Fox News]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rambaran|first=Vandana|date=2019-11-01|title=Trump rallies supporters in Mississippi after House impeachment probe vote, ahead of tight governor's race|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-appears-at-rally-in-mississippi-ahead-of-tight-race-for-governor|access-date=2021-04-12|website=Fox News|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Live: Trump holds rallies in Mississippi|url=https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-rally-mississippi-nov-18/index.html|access-date=2021-04-12|website=CNN|date=November 26, 2018 |language=en}}</ref>

===Severe weather===
[[File:1936 Tupelo Miss. tornado cleanup.png|thumb|left|Students clear the ruins of the [[Carver High School (Tupelo, Mississippi)|Lee County Training School]], one month after a deadly [[1936 Tupelo–Gainesville tornado outbreak|1936 tornado outbreak]].]]
The spring of 1936 brought Tupelo one of its worst-ever natural disasters, part of the [[1936 Tupelo–Gainesville tornado outbreak|Tupelo-Gainesville tornado outbreak]] of April 5–6 in that year.<ref>[http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/tornado/exhibit/ "Tupelo-Gainesville Outbreak"], Digital Library of Georgia, 2008, retrieved 12 Sept 2011</ref> The storm leveled 48 city blocks and over 200 homes, killing 216 people and injuring more than 700 persons.<ref name="MSouth"/> It struck at night, destroying large residential areas on the city's north side. Among the survivors was [[Elvis Presley]], then a baby. Obliterating the Gum Pond neighborhood, the tornado dropped most of the victims' bodies in the pond. The storm has since been rated F5 on the [[Fujita scale]].<ref>[http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/tornadoes-devastate-tupelo-and-gainesville "This Day In History; Tornadoes Devastate Tupelo and Gainesville"], The History Channel online, retrieved 13 September 2011</ref> The Tupelo Tornado is recognized as one of the deadliest in U.S. history.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/30/us/deadliest-tornadoes |title=The 10 deadliest U.S. tornadoes on record |publisher=CNN|date=23 May 2019|author-first1=Gabrielle|author-last1=Sorto|access-date=2013-07-02}}</ref>

The Mississippi State Geologist estimated a final death toll of 233 persons, but 100 whites were still reported as hospitalized at the time. Because the white newspapers did not publish news about blacks until the 1940s and 1950s, historians have had difficulty learning the fates of blacks injured in the tornado. Based on this, historians now estimate the death toll was higher than in official records.<ref name="MSouth">[http://www.midsouthtornadoes.msstate.edu/info.php?id=162&county=Itawamba&state=MS&count=2 "Significant Tornadoes Update 1992–1995"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130520102236/http://www.midsouthtornadoes.msstate.edu/info.php?id=162&county=Itawamba&state=MS&count=2|date=May 20, 2013}}, Mid-South Tornadoes, Mississippi State University</ref><ref>Martis D. Ramage, Jr. ''Tupelo, Mississippi, Tornado of 1936'',</ref> Fire broke out at the segregated Lee County Training School, which was destroyed. Its bricks were salvaged for other uses.

The area is subject to tornadoes. On [[Tornado outbreak sequence of May 7–11, 2008|May 8, 2008]],  one rated an EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale struck the town. On [[Tornado outbreak of April 27–30, 2014|April 28, 2014]], another large EF3 tornado struck Tupelo and the surrounding communities, causing significant damage. On the night of [[Tornado outbreak of May 2–4, 2021|May 2, 2021]], two EF1&nbsp;tornadoes formed near town with the second being a large tornado that directly struck the northwest side of downtown, prompting a [[tornado emergency]] to be issued by the [[National Weather Service]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/02/us/tupelo-mississippi-tornado/index.html |title=A large and destructive tornado has touched down in Tupelo, Mississippi |publisher=CNN.com |access-date=May 3, 2021}}</ref>
{{clear}}

==Geography==

Tupelo is located in northeast Mississippi, north of [[Columbus, Mississippi|Columbus]], on [[Interstate 22]] and [[U.S. Route 78]], midway between [[Memphis, Tennessee]] (northwest) and [[Birmingham, Alabama]] (southeast). According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|51.4|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|51.1|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.3|sqmi|km2}} (0.62%) is water.

===Climate===
Like the rest of the state, Tupelo has a [[humid subtropical climate]] (''Cfa'' in the [[Köppen climate classification]]); it is part of USDA [[hardiness zone]] 7b.<ref>{{cite web |title=USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map |author=United States Department of Agriculture |publisher=[[United States National Arboretum]] |url=http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hzm-ne1.html |access-date=2015-03-02 |author-link=United States Department of Agriculture |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150303152208/http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hzm-ne1.html |archive-date=March 3, 2015 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from {{convert|43.4|F|1}} in January to {{convert|82.3|F|1}} in July, while, on average, there are 3.0 afternoons where the temperature stays at or below freezing, 55 mornings with a low at or below freezing, and 67 afternoons with a high at or above {{convert|90|F|1|disp=or}} per year.<ref name = NOAA/> The all-time record low is {{convert|−14|F|1|disp=or}}, set on January 27, 1940, while the all-time record high is {{convert|109|F|1}}, set on July 29, 1930.<ref name = NOAA/> However, temperatures at or below {{convert|0|F|1|disp=or}} are rare, having last occurred December 23, 1989, the date of the all-time record low for December; additionally, while highs can reach {{convert|100|F|1|disp=or}} several days a row during severe heat waves, several years may pass between such readings.<ref name = NOAA/>

Precipitation is high, averaging {{convert|57.74|in|mm}} annually. On average, December is the single wettest month, and February through May are also especially wet; September and October are the driest months. The rainiest calendar day on record is March 21, 1955 when {{convert|9.40|in|mm}} of rain fell; monthly precipitation has ranged from trace amounts in August 1983 to {{convert|19.89|in|mm}} in December 1982.<ref name = NOAA/> Snow is uncommon, with many years receiving trace amounts or no snowfall at all, and normal (1981&ndash;2010) winter snowfall stands at {{convert|2.1|in|m|sigfig=2}}.<ref name = NOAA/> The most snow in one calendar day was {{convert|8.0|in|m|sigfig=2}} on January 24, 1940, contributing to the {{convert|9.2|in|m|sigfig=2}} that fell that month, the snowiest on record; the snowiest winter was 1935&ndash;36 with {{convert|14.8|in|m|sigfig=2}}.<ref name = NOAA/>

{{Weather box
|location = Tupelo, Mississippi ([[Tupelo Regional Airport]]), (1991–2020 normals,{{efn|Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.}} extremes 1930&ndash;present)
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 80
|Feb record high F = 87
|Mar record high F = 89
|Apr record high F = 93
|May record high F = 100
|Jun record high F = 108
|Jul record high F = 109
|Aug record high F = 108
|Sep record high F = 104
|Oct record high F = 96
|Nov record high F = 88
|Dec record high F = 81
|year record high F = 109
|Jan avg record high F = 70.9
|Feb avg record high F = 75.0
|Mar avg record high F = 81.7
|Apr avg record high F = 85.6
|May avg record high F = 90.9
|Jun avg record high F = 95.4
|Jul avg record high F = 97.4
|Aug avg record high F = 98.1
|Sep avg record high F = 94.7
|Oct avg record high F = 88.3
|Nov avg record high F = 79.2
|Dec avg record high F = 72.0
|year avg record high F = 99.4
|Jan high F = 53.2
|Feb high F = 57.8
|Mar high F = 66.4
|Apr high F = 74.9
|May high F = 82.7
|Jun high F = 89.5
|Jul high F = 92.3
|Aug high F = 91.9
|Sep high F = 86.7
|Oct high F = 76.5
|Nov high F = 64.3
|Dec high F = 55.6
|year high F = 74.3
|Jan mean F = 43.4
|Feb mean F = 47.3
|Mar mean F = 55.1
|Apr mean F = 63.3
|May mean F = 71.8
|Jun mean F = 79.2
|Jul mean F = 82.3
|Aug mean F = 81.6
|Sep mean F = 75.5
|Oct mean F = 64.4
|Nov mean F = 53.0
|Dec mean F = 45.9
|year mean F = 63.6
|Jan low F = 33.6
|Feb low F = 36.8
|Mar low F = 43.7
|Apr low F = 51.6
|May low F = 60.9
|Jun low F = 68.8
|Jul low F = 72.4
|Aug low F = 71.2
|Sep low F = 64.3
|Oct low F = 52.3
|Nov low F = 41.8
|Dec low F = 36.3
|year low F = 52.8
|Jan avg record low F = 14.9
|Feb avg record low F = 19.9
|Mar avg record low F = 26.0
|Apr avg record low F = 34.7
|May avg record low F = 45.4
|Jun avg record low F = 57.5
|Jul avg record low F = 63.8
|Aug avg record low F = 62.0
|Sep avg record low F = 49.1
|Oct avg record low F = 35.1
|Nov avg record low F = 25.0
|Dec avg record low F = 20.5
|year avg record low F = 12.9
|Jan record low F = −14
|Feb record low F = −3
|Mar record low F = 7
|Apr record low F = 23
|May record low F = 30
|Jun record low F = 43
|Jul record low F = 50
|Aug record low F = 51
|Sep record low F = 35
|Oct record low F = 24
|Nov record low F = 8
|Dec record low F = −3
|year record low F = -14
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 4.82
|Feb precipitation inch = 5.29
|Mar precipitation inch = 5.37
|Apr precipitation inch = 5.51
|May precipitation inch = 5.22
|Jun precipitation inch = 5.01
|Jul precipitation inch = 4.50
|Aug precipitation inch = 4.07
|Sep precipitation inch = 3.57
|Oct precipitation inch = 3.96
|Nov precipitation inch = 4.48
|Dec precipitation inch = 5.94
|year precipitation inch = 57.74
|Jan snow inch = 0.6
|Feb snow inch = 0.6
|Mar snow inch = 0.2
|Apr snow inch = 0.0
|May snow inch = 0.0
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 0.0
|Nov snow inch = 0.0
|Dec snow inch = 0.1
|year snow inch = 1.5
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 10.6
|Feb precipitation days = 10.8
|Mar precipitation days = 11.8
|Apr precipitation days = 9.8
|May precipitation days = 10.3
|Jun precipitation days = 10.2
|Jul precipitation days = 9.7
|Aug precipitation days = 8.9
|Sep precipitation days = 6.1
|Oct precipitation days = 7.6
|Nov precipitation days = 9.0
|Dec precipitation days = 10.8
|year precipitation days = 115.0
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 0.6
|Feb snow days = 0.4
|Mar snow days = 0.3
|Apr snow days = 0.0
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.0
|Nov snow days = 0.0
|Dec snow days = 0.2
|year snow days = 1.5
|source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name = NOAA>{{cite web | url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=meg | title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | access-date = May 16, 2021}}</ref><ref name="NOAA KTUP">{{cite web |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00093862&format=pdf |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |title=Station: Tupelo RGNL AP, MS |work=U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020) |access-date=May 16, 2021}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1870= 618
|1880= 1008
|1890= 1477
|1900= 2118
|1910= 3881
|1920= 5055
|1930= 6361
|1940= 8212
|1950= 11527
|1960= 17221
|1970= 20471
|1980= 23905
|1990= 30685
|2000= 34211
|2010= 34546
|2020= 37923
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|author=United States Census Bureau|author-link=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 8, 2014}}</ref><br />2018 Estimate<ref name="2018 Pop Estimate">{{cite web|title=Population Estimates|url=https://census.gov/data/tables/2018/demo/popest/total-cities-and-towns.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=June 8, 2018}}</ref>
}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Tupelo racial composition as of 2020<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US2874840&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=2021-12-08|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]]
|20,063
|52.9%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]]
|14,079
|37.13%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|59
|0.16%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|663
|1.75%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
|7
|0.02%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|1,183
|3.12%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|1,869
|4.93%
|}
In 2010, there were 35,456 people, 13,602 households, and 8,965 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 58.7% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 36.8% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.1% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.0% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.01% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 2.0% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 1.4% from two or more races. 3.5% of the population were [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race.<ref name="2010 Census (City)">{{cite web |title=2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_PL_GCTPL2.ST13&prodType=table |work=American FactFinder |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=22 March 2012 }}{{dead link|bot=medic|date=April 2020}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> By the [[2020 United States census]], there were 37,923 people, 14,751 households, and 9,648 families residing in the city.

According to the 2007–2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, there were 13,395 households, 42.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 2.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 22.5% had a female householder with no husband present. 32.2% were non-family households, with 28.4% had a householder living alone and 3.8% having a householder not living alone. In addition, 39.7% of householders were living with related children under 18 and 60.3% with no related children under 18.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_12_5YR_S2501 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212211333/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_12_5YR_S2501 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 12, 2020 |title=Community Facts: Tupelo city |access-date=March 15, 2014}}</ref> The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.08.<ref name="2010 Census (City)" /> The median income for a household in the city was $39,415. The poverty rate was 20%.<ref name="2010 Census (City)" />

==Economy==
Historically, Tupelo served as a regional transportation hub, primarily due to its location at a railroad intersection. More recently, it has developed as strong tourism and hospitality sector based around the [[Elvis Presley]] birthplace and [[Natchez Trace]]. The city has also been successful at attracting manufacturing, retail and distribution operations (see 'Industry' section below).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tupeloms.gov/about-tupelo/ |title=About Tupelo &#124; City of Tupelo |publisher=Tupeloms.gov |access-date=2012-03-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314150502/http://www.tupeloms.gov/about-tupelo/ |archive-date=March 14, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

===Industry===
* Tupelo is the headquarters of the North Mississippi Medical Center, the largest non-metropolitan hospital in the United States.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2010-05-05 |title=North Mississippi Medical Center |url=https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/north-mississippi-medical-center |journal=NIST |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 5, 2024 |title=North Mississippi Medical Center-Tupelo |url=https://www.nmhs.net/locations/profile/north-mississippi-medical-center-tupelo/ |access-date=December 5, 2024 |website=North Mississippi Health Services}}</ref> It serves people in North Mississippi, northwest Alabama, and portions of Tennessee. The medical center was a winner of the prestigious [[Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award|Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award]] in 2006 and 2012.<ref name="ABABJ" />
* The headquarters of two large banking institutions in the state are located here: [[Cadence Bank]], with approximately nearly $48&nbsp;billion in assets (2024), and [[Renasant Bank]], with assets of more than $26&nbsp;billion (2025). Tupelo is the smallest U.S. city that hosts the headquarters of more than one bank with over $10&nbsp;billion in assets.<ref name="ABABJ" />
* The city is a five-time "[[All-America City Award]]" winner.
*In 1963, [[Ralph J. Roberts]], along with Daniel Aaron and [[Julian A. Brodsky]] purchased American Cable Systems, a small cable operator in Tupelo. American Cable was re-incorporated in Pennsylvania as [[Comcast]].
* It has a large [[furniture]] [[manufacturing]] [[Industry (economics)|industry]]. The journalist Dennis Seid noted that furniture manufacturing in Northeast Mississippi, "provid[ed] some 22,000 jobs, or almost 13% of the region's employment... with a $732 million annual payroll... producing $2.25 billion worth of goods."<ref>Dennis Seid, ''The Northeast Mississippi Business Journal'', February 2006</ref>
* Tecumseh, [[Heritage Home Group]], [[Hancock Fabrics]], Inc., Magnolia Fabrics, [[Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi]], H.M. Richards, JESCO Construction, [[MTD Products]], Savings Oil Company (Dodge's Stores), and [[Cooper Tire & Rubber Company]] all operate or are headquartered in Tupelo and Lee County. Renin Corporation, a subsidiary of BBX Capital Corporation, operates a production centre in Tupelo which employed approximately 100 as of 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.areadevelopment.com/newsItems/5-26-2017/renin-corporation-manufacturing-plant-tupelo-mississippi.shtml|title=Renin Corporation Expands Tupelo, Mississippi, Production Center|date=May 26, 2017|website=Areadevelopment.com|access-date=November 13, 2021}}</ref>

==Arts and culture==
{{moresources|section|date=May 2025}}
* The [[Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo]] is home to a large [[American bison]] herd, as well as exotic animals like Emu, Pythons, and [[Zedonk]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tupelobuffalopark.com/explore/exotic-animals|title=Exotic Animals at the Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo|website=Tupelobuffalopark.com|access-date=2020-01-24}}</ref>
* It is the headquarters of the historic [[Natchez Trace Parkway]], which connects [[Natchez, Mississippi]], to [[Nashville, Tennessee]]. The parkway follows the route of the ancient [[Natchez Trace]] trail, a path used by [[indigenous peoples]] long before the Europeans came to the area.<ref name="TupeloCity">"About the City of Tupelo" (2006), City of Tupelo website, web: [http://www.tupeloms.gov/about-tupelo/ TupeloMS-About] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314150502/http://www.tupeloms.gov/about-tupelo/|date=March 14, 2012}}: for Elvis, the Natchez Trace Parkway, and Tupelo Automobile Museum.</ref>
* Nearby is the [[Pharr Mounds]], an important Middle [[Woodland period]] complex of nearly 2000-year-old [[Earthwork (archaeology)|burial earthworks]], dating from 1 to 200 AD.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pharr Mounds-National Register of Historic Places Indian Mounds of Mississippi Travel Itinerary |publisher=National Park Service |url=http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/mounds/pha.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225192129/http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/mounds/Pha.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 25, 2009 |access-date=2010-11-16}}</ref>

[[Image:USA Mississippi Tupelo area NPS map.jpg|thumb|right|[[National Park Service]] map]]

* [[American Civil War|Civil War]] sites include [[Tupelo National Battlefield|Tupelo]] and [[Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site|Brices Cross Roads]] national battlefields.
* The [[Tupelo Automobile Museum]] was one of the largest in North America.<ref name="TupeloCity" /> In 2003, it was designated as the official automobile museum of the state. It housed more than 150 rare automobiles, all from the personal collection of [[Frank K. Spain]]—who founded the channel [[WTVA]]. Unfortunately, the museum closed in March 2019 and the cars were auctioned off the following month.
* Since its founding in 1969, the Tupelo Community Theatre has produced more than 200 works. In 2001 and 2004, it won awards at the Mississippi Theatre Association's Community Theatre Festival. In 2004 its production of ''Bel Canto'' won at the Southeastern Theatre Conference. TCT's home is the historic Lyric Theatre, built in 1912.<ref>{{cite web |author=Tom Wicker |url=http://www.tctwebstage.com/lyric.htm |title=Lyric History |publisher=Tctwebstage.com |access-date=2013-07-02}}</ref>
* The [[North Mississippi Symphony Orchestra]]'s season runs from September–April with concerts held at the Tupelo Civic Auditorium.<ref name="TupeloAttract">[http://www.tupeloms.gov/attractions/TupeloMS-Attractions "City of Tupelo - Attractions"]{{dead link|date=July 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=no}}, 2006, City of Tupelo website</ref> The symphony's free annual July 4 outdoor concert at Ballard Park draws thousands of fans.
* In 2005, [[Rotary International]] sponsored a commission for a statue to honor [[Tribal chief|Chief]] Piomingo, a leader of the [[Chickasaw]] people who had occupied this area. It was erected in front of the new Tupelo City Hall.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chickasaw.tv {{!}} Piominko Statue |url=https://www.chickasaw.tv/places/piomingo-statue-profile |access-date=2025-11-18 |website=www.chickasaw.tv}}</ref>
* The Oren Dunn City Museum tells the ''Story of Community Building'' through permanent exhibits and a collection of historic structures. The Special Exhibit Gallery provides a venue for a variety of traveling and temporary shows throughout the year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Oren Dunn City Museum - Tupelo |url=https://www.orendunncitymuseum.com/ |access-date=2025-11-18 |website=Oren Dunn City Museum |language=en-US}}</ref>
* In June 1956, [[Elvis Presley]] returned to Tupelo for a concert at the Mississippi-Alabama State Fair & Dairy Show. This event was recreated at the eighth "Elvis Presley Festival" in Tupelo on June 3, 2006. The fairgrounds are part of Tupelo's Fairpark District. The [[documentary]] film ''The Homecoming: Tupelo Welcomes Elvis Home'' premiered at the 2006 festival.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Elvis Presley {{!}} September 26, 1956 {{!}} Tupelo, MS. Mississippi-Alabama Fairgrounds |url=https://www.elvispresleymusic.com.au/pictures/1956-sept-26-tupelo.html |access-date=2025-11-18 |website=www.elvispresleymusic.com.au}}</ref>
* The Lee-Itawamba Library System was serviced in Tupelo. The Lee County Library in downtown Tupelo has an annual lecture series featuring nationally known authors. In addition to the annual lecture series, the Lee County Library features a Mississippi room dedicated to genealogy research.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://www.leeitawambalibrary.org/about |access-date=2025-11-18 |website=Lee-Itawamba Library System |language=en-US}}</ref>
* The Church Street Elementary School (for white students in the segregated system) was hailed as one of the most outstanding designs of its time, which was built in 1937. A scale model of this [[Art Moderne]] structure—described as "the ideal elementary school"—was displayed at the [[1939 New York World's Fair]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Einarsson Kvaran |first=Einar |date=September 24, 2015 |title=Church Street Primary School – Tupelo MS |url=https://livingnewdeal.org/sites/church-street-primary-school-tupelo-ms/ |archive-date= |access-date=2025-11-18 |website=Living New Deal |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Cosgrove |first=Ben |title=‘The World of Tomorrow’: Scenes From the 1939 New York World’s Fair |url=https://time.com/3879706/1939-new-york-worlds-fair-photos/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250325083440/https://time.com/3879706/1939-new-york-worlds-fair-photos/ |archive-date=2025-03-25 |access-date=2025-11-18 |work=TIME |language=en}}</ref>
* The [[Cadence Bank Arena]] (previously known as the BancorpSouth Arena) opened in 1993 and is a venue for large events.<ref name="TupeloAttract" />

==Government==
[[File:City Hall, Tupelo, MS, US.jpg|right|thumb|Main façade of the Tupelo City Hall]]
Tupelo's current mayor is Todd Jordan. The Tupelo Council is made up of seven representatives, each elected from [[single-member districts]]. They annually elect the president of the council on a rotating basis. In 2021, the President of the Tupelo City Council is Travis Beard.  Other council members are Janet Gaston, Rosie Jones, Chad Mims, Buddy Palmer, Lynn Bryan, and Nettie Davis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tupeloms.gov/my-government/city-council|title=CITY COUNCIL|website=Tupeloms.gov|access-date=November 13, 2021}}</ref>

==Education==
[[Tupelo Public School District]] is the school district for the vast majority of Tupelo.<ref name=CensusMap>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st28_ms/schooldistrict_maps/c28081_lee/DC20SD_C28081.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801001436/https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st28_ms/schooldistrict_maps/c28081_lee/DC20SD_C28081.pdf |archive-date=2022-08-01 |url-status=live|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Lee County, MS|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2022-07-31}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st28_ms/schooldistrict_maps/c28081_lee/DC20SD_C28081_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref> It participates in the Chromebook Distribution Policy, which means students in grades 6 to 12 are each given a school-owned Google [[Chromebook]] to use during the school year. In 2008, ''Sports Illustrated'' ranked the high school athletic department as the third-best high school athletic program in the nation. [[Tupelo High School]] is the largest public high school in Mississippi with a total of 1,931 students enrolled during the 2018–2019 school year.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Tupelo High School|url=https://www.niche.com/k12/tupelo-high-school-tupelo-ms/|access-date=2021-03-26|website=Niche|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/highschool/05/19/high.school.top.10/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080526013745/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/highschool/05/19/high.school.top.10/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 26, 2008 |title=Top 25 athletic programs for 2007-08 |publisher=Sportsillustrated.cnn.com |access-date=2013-07-02}}</ref>

Some portions of Tupelo are zoned to the [[Lee County School District (Mississippi)|Lee County School District]].<ref name=CensusMap/>

For post-secondary education, the city has satellite campuses of the [[University of Mississippi]], [[Itawamba Community College]], and the [[Mississippi University for Women]].

==Media==
The local daily newspaper is the ''[[Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal]]''.  Tupelo is also served by the weekly ''Lee County Courier''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mspress.org/page/142|title=''Lee County Courier'' |website=Mspress.org|access-date=November 13, 2021}}</ref>

Tupelo is home to three television stations serving the 133rd-ranked designated market area among 210 markets nationwide as determined by [[Nielsen Media Research]]: [[WTVA]] (9), an [[NBC]] and [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] affiliate; and [[WLOV-TV|WLOV]] (27), a [[The CW Television Network|CW]] affiliate. Both stations are located on Beech Springs Road and were controlled by [[Frank K. Spain]] until his death on April 25, 2006.

The Christian fundamentalist [[American Family Association]] is located in Tupelo, and operates the national [[American Family Radio]] network and the OneNewsNow news service.

==Infrastructure==
===Transportation===
====Rail====
Tupelo is served by [[BNSF Railway]] and [[Canadian Pacific Kansas City]] for freight transportation via rail.

====Roads====
[[U.S. Route 45]], [[U.S. Route 78]], [[U.S. Route 278]], and [[Natchez Trace Parkway]] run through Tupelo; [[Interstate 22]] runs north of the city on an east–west route.

====Air====
The city is served by [[Tupelo Regional Airport]], with service on [[Contour Airlines]].

==Notable people==
{{main category|People from Tupelo, Mississippi}}
[[File:Elvis Presley house in Tupelo 3.jpg|thumb|[[Elvis Presley Birthplace]] in Tupelo]]
{{columns-list|colwidth=20em|<!-- Notable people with existing Wikipedia articles; maintain alphabetical order.-->
*[[John Mills Allen]] (1846–1917), U.S. congressman
*[[William Dozier Anderson]] (1862-1952), Mississippi Supreme Court justice, state legislator, and former Tupelo mayor
*[[Sharion Aycock]] (born 1955), American judge
*[[Alex Carrington]] (born 1987), American football player
*[[Dave Clark (baseball)|Dave Clark]] (born 1962), baseball player and coach
*[[Diplo]] (born 1978), musical artist
*[[Brian Dozier]] (born 1987), baseball player
*[[Ally Ewing]] (born 1992), golfer
*[[Etta Zuber Falconer]] (1933-2002), mathematician
*[[Sam Gilliam]] (born 1933), color field painter and lyrical abstractionist artist
*[[Allie Grant]] (born 1994), film actress
*[[Jarious Jackson]] (born 1977), American football player<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JackJa01.htm|title=Jarious Jackson Stats|website=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=November 13, 2021}}</ref>
*[[Arthur Jafa]] (born 1960), video artist and cinematographer
*[[Todd Jordan]] (born 1970), professional football player and Tupelo mayor
*[[Slim Jxmmi]] (born 1991), hip-hop artist and member of [[Rae Sremmurd]]
*[[Catherine Lacey (author)|Catherine Lacey]] (born 1985), author
*[[Swae Lee]] (born 1993), hip-hop artist and member of Rae Sremmurd
*[[John Murry (musician)|John Murry]] (born 1979), singer-songwriter
*[[Elvis Presley]] (1935–1977), singer and actor
*[[John E. Rankin]] (1882-1960), U.S. Congressman
*[[Andy Reese]] (1904–1966), College football and Major League Baseball player
*[[Paul Rudish]] (born 1968), animator and writer
*[[Jumpin' Gene Simmons]] (1933–2006), singer
*[[Chris Stratton]] (born 1990), baseball player
*[[Paula White]] (born 1966), American preacher and author
*[[Roger Wicker]] (born 1951 in Pontotoc, Mississippi), U.S. senator whose hometown is Tupelo.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/almanacofamerica00|title=The almanac of American politics, 2000 : the senators, the representatives, and the governors : their records and election results, their states and districts|first1=Michael|last1=Barone|first2=Grant|last2=Ujifusa|first3=Richard E.|last3=Cohen|date=November 13, 1999|access-date=November 13, 2021|website=Archive.org}}</ref>
*[[Brandon Woodruff]] (born 1993), baseball player
}}

== In popular culture ==
[[John Lee Hooker]] recorded an album named "Tupelo Blues" in 1969, the title track describes a flood in the town.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Songfacts |title=Tupelo Blues by John Lee Hooker - Songfacts |url=https://www.songfacts.com/facts/john-lee-hooker/tupelo-blues |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220629061143/https://www.songfacts.com/facts/john-lee-hooker/tupelo-blues |archive-date=2022-06-29 |access-date=2025-11-18 |website=www.songfacts.com |language=en}}</ref>

The town, the birth of Elvis Presley and the 1936 tornado outbreak are the subject of the [[Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds]] song "[[Tupelo (song)|Tupelo]]".<ref>{{Cite web |title=The twister that made Tupelo famous {{!}} Elvis News |url=https://www.elvis.com.au/presley/news/the-twister-that-made-tupelo-famous.shtml |access-date=2025-11-18 |website=www.elvis.com.au |language=en}}</ref>

The town has been mentioned by artists including [[Taylor Swift]] in her song "[[Dorothea (song)|Dorothea]]" from the album *[[Evermore (Taylor Swift album)|Evermore]]*, which tells the story of a character reflecting on their hometown, Tupelo, and [[Jason Isbell]] in his song "Tupelo" from the album [[The Nashville Sound]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=I Know Places: Here are all the Locations from Taylor Swift's Songs |url=https://www.duchessofneverland.com/home/taylor-swift-song-locations |access-date=2025-11-18 |website=Duchess of Neverland |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit: The Nashville Sound |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/jason-isbell/jason-isbell-the-400-unit-the-nashville-sound-revi |access-date=2025-11-18 |website=Paste Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>

== See also ==
*[[List of municipalities in Mississippi]]
*[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Lee County, Mississippi]]
*[[Tupelo Regional Airport]]

==References==
===Notes===
{{notelist}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
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