Durant, MS

Durant offers a relaxed, rural pace in central Mississippi, sitting right along U.S. 51 near the Big Black River. Home to around 2,200 residents, the community was established in the 1850s as a railroad stop and takes its name from Choctaw leader Louis Durant. Today, the town provides a quiet home base with straightforward highway connections across Holmes County and down toward the Jackson metro area.

Nature and outdoor recreation are easy to come by, with Holmes County State Park located just four miles south. Built around English and Odom lakes, the park gives locals a quick getaway for fishing, camping, and quiet trail walks. For daily routines, younger kids attend Durant Elementary right in town before heading to Holmes County Central High in neighboring Lexington. Durant pairs this day-to-day simplicity with rich local heritage, including its history as the base for Pulitzer Prize-winning editor Hazel Brannon Smith.