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Mississippi’s location in the Deep South of the U.S., and along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico,
provides the state with several transportation options for commuters and travelers. The Magnolia
State is crossed by seven Interstate highways, and anticipates the addition of two more. These
include the east-west Interstates 10, 20, and connectors I-110 and I-220, as well as the north-south
Interstates 55, 59, and 69. Fourteen major U.S. highway routes innervate the state, as well as
numerous state highways.
The Magnolia State offers major and regional airports to support the air traveler; over 180 airports
and 50 heliports reside in the state. Among these are the Jackson-Evers
International Airport (JAN) in Jackson, which served over 1.4 million passengers in 2006;
Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (GPT), with
over 240,000 passengers; Trent Lott
International Airport (TLIA) in Moss Point, serving only local corporate clients; Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTR) in Columbus; Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport (PIB); Meridian Regional Airport (KMEI), serving East Mississippi with the longest public
use runway in the state; Mid Delta
Regional Airport in Greenville, the only airport serving the Mississippi Delta; and Tupelo Regional Airport (KTUP) in Tupelo, among others.
Mississippi offers public transit options in some of its metropolitan areas. Jackson offers
JATRAN, with a fleet of 32
vehicles and an annual ridership over 760,000 passenger trips. Coast Transit Authority (CTA) provides public transportation via fixed bus routes
and paratransit service for three coastal counties of Mississippi and all of their incorporated
cities, including Biloxi, Gautier, Gulfport, Ocean Springs, and Pascagoula.
Mississippi’s location along the Gulf Coast and alongside the Mississippi River provides
considerable transportation along waterways and via ports. The state has two deep water seaports on
the Gulf of Mexico: Gulfport and Pascagoula. Biloxi and Port Bienville are also important ports
along the Gulf. The Mississippi River connects the Gulf of Mexico to several inland states, making it
the largest commercial river in the nation, and the third-largest river system globally. Important
ports along the Mississippi River include Vicksburg, Natchez, Greenville, and Rosedale. The
Tennessee-Tombigbee (Tenn-Tom) Waterway connects the Gulf of Mexico to the Tennessee and Ohio rivers,
and is a 232 mile (373.4 kilometer) long waterway with the local ports of Yellow Creek, Itawamba,
Amory, Aberdeen, and Columbus-Lowndes County.
Passengers can also enjoy water travel via paddlewheel cruises along the Mississippi River through
Majestic America’s
Delta Queen or via RiverBarge Excursion
Lines.
Rail travel in Mississippi is provided by Amtrak,
which offers the City of New Orleans route, with several stops in the Magnolia State along its way
from New Orleans to Chicago; and the Crescent route, with four stops in Mississippi along its way from New Orleans to
New York City.
Intercity bus service is provided by Greyhound,
which offers many stops in the Magnolia State.
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