Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis is the second-most populous city in the state of Tennessee. The city has a large port on the Mississippi River. It is also well known for blues music and barbecue. The city is also home to FedEx, a leading company that ships packages around the world. Memphis is also known for being the home of rock and roll legend Elvis Presley.

City
Flag
Coordinates: 35°07′03″N 89°58′16″W
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	Shelby
Founded	May 22, 1819 (1819-05-22)
Incorporated	December 19, 1826 (1826-12-19)
Named for	Memphis, Egypt
Government
• Mayor	Paul Young (D)
Area
• City	302.55 sq mi (783.60 km2)
• Land	294.92 sq mi (763.83 km2)
• Water	7.63 sq mi (19.77 km2)
Elevation	337 ft (103 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	633,104
• Rank	28th in the United States 2nd in Tennessee
• Density	2,146.71/sq mi (828.85/km2)
• Urban	1,056,190 (US: 45th)
• Urban density	2,149.9/sq mi (830.1/km2)
• Metro	1,345,425 (US: 44th)
Time zone	UTC−6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes	ZIP Codes 37501, 37544, 38101, 38103–38109, 38111–38120, 38122, 38124–38128, 38130–38139, 38141, 38145, 38148, 38150–38152, 38157, 38159, 38161, 38163, 38166–38168, 38173–38175, 38177, 38181–38182, 38184, 38186–38188, 38190, 38193–38194, 38197
FIPS code	47-48000
Website	City of Memphis

Memphis is named for Memphis, Egypt, an ancient capital city of Egypt.

History

The future area of Memphis was first settled by the Mississippian culture before it was discovered by French and Spanish explorers.

The United States took the land from Spain in 1797, and Andrew Jackson implemented the Indian Removal Act that facilitated the expulsion of the Cherokee from the area, making it available to white settlers. The city was established in 1819. Until the American Civil War, Memphis was a hub of cotton and slave trade. Brutal riots of angry whites against black people took place in 1866, in which 46 African Americans were killed. Yellow fever struck the city in the 1870s, killing a lot of people. The city recovered, and its population more than doubled.

The Memphis sanitation strikes was one of the key movements in the Civil Rights Movement. Musicians such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and B.B. King influenced the city's identity as the birthplace of rock and roll.

Geography

Memphis is located east of the Mississippi River. The Wolf River, a tributary of the Mississippi River, crosses the city.

Its metropolitan area extends into Arkansas and Mississippi.

Government

As of January 2024, Paul Young is the mayor of Memphis.

Sports

A few professional sports teams are located in Memphis. The Memphis Grizzlies are a basketball team of the National Basketball Association (NBA). They play their home games at the FedExForum. The Memphis Redbirds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League that plays at AutoZone Park.

Memphis, Tennessee Media

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  Memphis, Tennessee in mid 1850s. Steamboat Hiram Powers

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  Attack on Irving Block by General Forrest in 1864

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  Historic aerial view of Memphis, 1870

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  Woodcut representing the waterfront of Memphis, c. 1879

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  Cotton merchants on Union Avenue (1937)

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  The downtown skyline at night in 2015

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  The American Queen docked at Beale Street Landing along the riverfront

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  Asian-American tombstones in Elmwood Cemetery

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  A Memphis Police Department vehicle