Fast Facts
- Population
- 37,923 (2020 census)
- Elvis Presley Born
- January 8, 1935
- Natchez Trace Parkway HQ
- Headquartered in Tupelo
- Parkway Length
- 444 mi, Natchez to Nashville
- All-American Road
- Natchez Trace Parkway, 444 miles — two sections closed into 2027
What to Know Before You Arrive
Tupelo, founded in 1860 and incorporated in 1870, had a population of 37,923 at the 2020 census, making it the seventh-most populous city in Mississippi and a commercial hub of the northern part of the state. On February 7, 1934, Tupelo became the first city to receive power from the Tennessee Valley Authority, earning it the nickname "The First TVA City"; a major tornado struck the area in 1936, and the city's growth accelerated afterward as it became a regional manufacturing and furniture-industry hub.
Tupelo is the birthplace of Elvis Presley, born January 8, 1935, in a two-room house his father Vernon built with $180 in borrowed materials; the family lived there only a few years before financial hardship forced them to move. Today the Elvis Presley Birthplace site includes the house, a museum, a memorial chapel and the Assembly of God church building where the Presley family worshiped, drawing more than 100,000 visitors a year from around the world.
The Natchez Trace Parkway, a 444-mile National Park Service road connecting Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee, is headquartered in Tupelo. The parkway commemorates the historic Natchez Trace and passes through Jackson and Tupelo, Mississippi, and Florence, Alabama, along its route; it also manages the nearby Tupelo National Battlefield and the Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site.
The Road Trip Stop
The Elvis Presley Birthplace, at 306 Elvis Presley Drive, preserves the house where Elvis was born along with a museum, memorial chapel and the church where his family worshiped. The grounds include the Walk of Life, a scored concrete path with a granite block for each year of Elvis's life.
Budget the time
- Hours run Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., with the ticket office closing at 3 p.m., according to the site's own site.
- Admission for all three attractions (house, museum and church) is $25* for adults and $10* for ages 7-12; single-attraction and senior pricing are also available.
- The grounds are open 24 hours, even outside ticketed hours, according to the site's own site.
- We were unable to confirm how long a full visit to the house, museum and chapel takes. The birthplace's own site lists opening hours and a 3 p.m. ticket-office closing time but no suggested visit length.
*Fees subject to change, please check elvispresleybirthplace.com for updated information.
Neighborhoods
Downtown Tupelo
The city's Main Street district, winner of the national Main Street's Great American Main Street Award in 2020.
East Tupelo
Home to the Elvis Presley Birthplace site, where the Presley family lived when Elvis was born.
The Natchez Trace Parkway corridor
The parkway's Tupelo headquarters and visitor center sit along the route through the city.
The Tupelo National Battlefield area
A Civil War battlefield site managed by the National Park Service, within the city.
The Food Stop
Downtown Tupelo's Main Street district holds a concentration of restaurants within walking distance of the historic downtown.
Near the Elvis Presley Birthplace, East Tupelo offers additional dining close to the museum grounds.
Been here a while
Places that have been serving a long time. All were still trading when we last checked. Each name links to its source.
- 1945Johnnie's Drive-InDrive-in opened in 1945 where young Elvis Presley ate; his booth is marked; known for "doughburgers"
The Home Teams
Tupelo has no professional, minor-league or college team based in the city itself.
Day Trips
| Destination | Time | Distance | How we got it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site | 31 min | 23 mi | routed |
| A Civil War battlefield managed by the National Park Service, northwest of Tupelo. | |||
| Corinth | 1 hr 5 min | 50 mi | routed |
| A Civil War railroad town with its own National Park Service sites, north of Tupelo. | |||
| Columbus | 1 hr 20 min | 64 mi | routed |
| A river town with its own antebellum architecture, southeast of Tupelo. | |||
| Oxford | 1 hr 10 min | 50 mi | routed |
| Home to the University of Mississippi, west of Tupelo. | |||
Routed figures are computed over map data at free-flowing speeds, between map points rather than street addresses, so a real drive runs longer.
Distances routed by OSRM and places geocoded by Nominatim, over map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
Worth a Weekend
7 more Highway Heads places lie within about 180 miles of Tupelo in a straight line — far enough that most are a night away rather than an afternoon.
- MemphisTennesseeabout 100 mi
- National Civil Rights MuseumTennesseeabout 100 mi
- BirminghamAlabamaabout 120 mi
- HuntsvilleAlabamaabout 120 mi
- JacksonMississippiabout 160 mi
- Country Music Hall of FameTennesseeabout 170 mi
- NashvilleTennesseeabout 170 mi
Zoos Nearby
Within 60 miles of Tupelo, nearest first.
Tupelo Buffalo Park and ZooTupelo
- Hours
- Apr-Oct: Mon-Thu 10am-4pm, Fri-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm; Nov-Mar: Mon-Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 11am-4pm
- Season
- year-round; closed Christmas
Some animals not visible below 60F
This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. None of these carry an accreditation we were able to confirm, which is not the same as none being accredited — we check against one register, and plenty of good municipal, state and university places are in no register at all. Opening times, prices and seasons change without notice, so check the operator’s own site — every name above links to it.
Venues and Annual Events Nearby
Within 60 miles of Tupelo, nearest first.
Where to see something
Elvis Presley Birthplace — some details below are unconfirmedstudio-museumTupelo
- Hours
- Mon-Sat 9am-4pm; Sun 1-4pm; ticket office closes 3pm
- Tours
- house and museum
- Address
- 306 Elvis Presley Dr, Tupelo, MS 38804
- Phone
- 662-841-1245
Two-room house built by Elvis's father, grandfather and uncle.
* We could not confirm: build year from reference. Check their site before you go.
What is on, and when
Tupelo Elvis Festival — some details below are unconfirmedmusic festivalTupelo
- Usually
- June, over several days
- Held at
- Downtown Tupelo
- Since
- first held 1999
* We could not confirm: not re-checked this session. Check their site before you go.
Double Decker Arts Festival — some details below are unconfirmedmusic festivalOxford
- Usually
- April, over several days
- Held at
- Oxford Square
- Since
- first held 1996
* We could not confirm: not re-checked this session. Check their site before you go.
This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. Events are listed by the month they usually fall in, because that is what we hold — we do not publish dates, and a month is not a promise. Check the organiser before you plan around one. 3 entries are marked with an asterisk: we could not confirm part of what is listed, and the note under it says which part. Opening times, line-ups and ticketing change without notice, so check the venue’s or organiser’s own site — every name above links to it.
Practical Road Trip Info
A half day covers the Elvis Presley Birthplace; a full day allows time for downtown Tupelo and the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center as well.
The Elvis Presley Birthplace ticket office closes at 3 p.m., an hour before the grounds close, per the site's own site.
Tupelo sits along the Natchez Trace Parkway, making it a natural stop for a longer drive along the 444-mile route.
Commercial traffic is prohibited on the Natchez Trace Parkway, and its speed limit is 50 mph, reduced to 40 mph near Ridgeland, Mississippi.
2 public campgrounds within 25 miles of Tupelo, 1 of them bookable ahead. Public campgrounds run by federal agencies. State-park and private campgrounds are not included.
The Local Debate
Family-Friendly
The Elvis Presley Birthplace
A house, museum and chapel that make one of music history's best-known stories tangible for visitors of a range of ages.
The Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center
Maps and exhibits covering the full 444-mile route, a useful stop before or after a parkway drive.
Downtown Tupelo
A walkable, award-winning Main Street district with room to explore between other stops.
Plan Your Visit
Elvis Presley Birthplace
- Address
- 306 Elvis Presley Dr, Tupelo, MS 38804
- Hours
- Mon–Sat 9am–4pm; Sun 1pm–4pm
- Price
- $25 adult / $10 ages 7–12 (all 3 attractions)*
*Fees subject to change, please check elvispresleybirthplace.com for updated information.
We checked fees and closures on 2026-09-23. These change without notice — confirm with elvispresleybirthplace.com and nps.gov the week you travel.
Sources — 15 claims, 14 checked against the source on 2026-09-23
| Claim | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Tupelo, Mississippi, founded in 1860 and incorporated in 1870, population 37,923 at the 2020 census, seventh-most populous city in the state; earlier settled as "Gum Pond" along the Mobile and Ohio Railroad; on February 7, 1934, became the first city to receive power from the Tennessee Valley Authority, earning the nickname "The First TVA City"; a major 1936 tornado affected much of the city, ranking among the deadliest in American history; the city later boomed as a regional manufacturing and furniture-industry hub | Tupelo, Mississippi — Wikipedia | Checked |
| Tupelo is the birthplace of Elvis Presley and home to multiple art and cultural institutions including the Elvis Presley Birthplace; the city's downtown Main Street program won the national Main Street's Great American Main Street Award in 2020; Tupelo is the only Southern U.S. city named an All-America City five times, most recently in 2015 | Tupelo, Mississippi — Wikipedia | Checked |
| The Elvis Presley Birthplace is a historic museum site in Tupelo dedicated to preserving the birthplace of Elvis Presley; the site includes the birthplace shotgun house, a museum, a chapel and the Assembly of God Church building where the Presley family worshiped; Vernon and Gladys Presley experienced financial hardship and moved from the home when Elvis was a few years old for lack of payment; a catastrophic tornado struck eight miles outside the city in 1936 but spared the Presleys' house, leaving the family unharmed | Elvis Presley Birthplace — Wikipedia | Checked |
| Elvis Aaron Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8, 1935, to Vernon and Gladys Presley, in a two-room house built by his father, grandfather and uncle; in 1934, Vernon Presley borrowed $180 for materials to build the house in East Tupelo; the family lived in the house about three years until it was repossessed; the Elvis Presley Center, which includes the Birthplace, Museum and Memorial Chapel and Elvis Presley Park, draws more than 100,000 visitors a year from around the world; the grounds include the Walk of Life, a scored concrete circle with a granite block for each year of Elvis's life, and an "Elvis at 13" bronze statue at the Birthplace Park | Elvis Presley Birthplace — official site | Checked |
| Elvis Presley Birthplace hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., with the ticket office closing at 3 p.m.; the grounds are open 24 hours; current admission for all three attractions (birthplace house, museum and church) is $25 for adults, $20 for seniors 60+, and $10 for ages 7-12, with ages 7 and under free; single-attraction and two-attraction pricing are also available; the site is at 306 Elvis Presley Drive, Tupelo, MS 38804 | Elvis Presley Birthplace — official site, Visit | Checked monitored · 2026-09-23 |
| The Natchez Trace Parkway is a national parkway that commemorates the historic Natchez Trace, extending 444 miles from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee; maintained by the National Park Service and designated an All-American Road; commercial traffic is prohibited along the route, with a 50 mph speed limit reduced to 40 mph north of Leiper's Fork, Tennessee, and Ridgeland, Mississippi; the parkway is headquartered in Tupelo, with nine district offices; it also manages the Tupelo National Battlefield and Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site | Natchez Trace Parkway — Wikipedia | Checked |
| The Natchez Trace Parkway passes through larger cities including Jackson and Tupelo, Mississippi, and Florence, Alabama, in addition to its Natchez and Nashville endpoints | Natchez Trace Parkway — Wikipedia | Checked |
| During the Civil War, Union and Confederate forces fought near Tupelo in 1864 at the Battle of Tupelo and the Battle of Old Town Creek; the Tupelo National Battlefield is administered as part of the National Park Service's Natchez Trace Parkway unit | Tupelo, Mississippi — Wikipedia | Checked |
| The Battle of Ackia was fought near present-day Tupelo on May 26, 1736, when British and Chickasaw soldiers repelled a French and Choctaw attack on the Chickasaw village of Ackia | Tupelo, Mississippi — Wikipedia | Checked |
| Tupelo is the smallest city in the United States that is the headquarters of more than one bank with over $10 billion in assets; the Tupelo micropolitan area, including Lee, Itawamba and Pontotoc counties, had a population of 140,081 in 2017 | Tupelo, Mississippi — Wikipedia | Checked |
| Tupelo is home to the 10,000-seat Huntington Bank Arena, the largest multipurpose indoor arena in Mississippi | Tupelo, Mississippi — Wikipedia | Checked |
| Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site is located 15 miles north of Tupelo, Mississippi; reached by exiting U.S. Highway 45 onto Mississippi 370 in Baldwyn, Mississippi; the battlefield is administered by the Natchez Trace Parkway | Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site — NPS, Directions | Checked |
| Length of a full visit to the Elvis Presley Birthplace house, museum and chapel (not stated on the birthplace's own site; Visit Tupelo's directory listing and the site's Visit, Home, Stories, Connect, News and Book an Event pages give none; third-party estimates of about two hours were not accepted as a source) | No source accepted yet | Not confirmed |
| Two closures listed: milepost 437-440 in Williamson County, Tennessee (Double Arch Bridge) closed for bridge construction April 2026 to May 2027, detour via HWY 96 and HWY 100; and milepost 135-159.5 in Leake and Attala Counties, Mississippi, closed for road reconstruction from August 3, 2026, with project completion scheduled for mid-2027 and a signed detour on State Highways 19, 35, 25 and 16 that the park says adds 11 minutes. The page also links an article headed "15-mile Section Reopens as Road Rehabilitation Advances", so part of the Mississippi stretch may have reopened; the closure listing had not changed. Page last updated October 28, 2026 (checked 2026-10-29) | National Park Service: Natchez Trace Parkway road and site status | Checked monitored · 2026-10-29 |
| Designated an All-American Road by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation; 444 miles in AL, MS, TN; FHWA suggests: Take two days to enjoy the byway. Distance from this stop to the route measured against the published byway centreline on the U.S. Department of Transportation map service (geo.dot.gov), which carries no stated licence and predates the 2021 designations; the measurement is ours, the line is theirs and is not reproduced here. 2.3 miles (checked 2026-10-29) | Federal Highway Administration: Natchez Trace Parkway | Checked |
Road Trippin’ with the Harts
The Highway Heads books turn the miles between stops into a game the whole car can play.
See the booksLive Conditions
Wildlife Spotted Nearby
Nearest Airports
Straight-line distance from Tupelo, not drive time.
- Tupelo Regional (TUP) — 4 miles
- University Oxford (UOX) — 48 miles
- Golden Triangle Regional (GTR) — 56 miles
On these trips
This guide sits on a road we have written up end to end, with the stops we publish along the way.
Explore the Full Road Trip
Return to the Highway Heads map and discover the next family-ready stop.
Explore the Map