Southaven, MS

Southaven began not around a courthouse square but along Highway 51 and Stateline Road, immediately south of Memphis’s Whitehaven community. Homebuilder Kemmons Wilson developed starter-home subdivisions there in the early 1960s, and the name described their location south of Whitehaven. Southaven incorporated in 1980 and expanded eastward as I-55, Church Road, and Getwell Road became major development corridors. Its relationship to Memphis remains practical as well as geographic: downtown Memphis is about 14 miles north, and the city sits within the same metropolitan economy while maintaining its own park, civic, and entertainment facilities. Sports and large public events are concentrated around Snowden Grove. Its 17-field baseball complex hosts youth and tournament play, while the adjacent BankPlus Amphitheater schedules an annual summer concert series. The same area includes indoor volleyball courts, a Field of Dreams facility designed for players with physical or intellectual disabilities, and Springfest, the city’s recurring April festival and barbecue competition.

Farther west at I-55 and Church Road, the Metropolitan District contains the Landers Center, home court of the Memphis Hustle basketball team and a venue for concerts, conventions, and other events, alongside Tanger Outlets. Smaller-scale recreation is distributed across more than 20 neighborhood parks and over 200 acres of parkland. Central Park adds a lake, walking trails, an 18-hole disc-golf course, playgrounds, and open fields; the city also operates a nine-hole golf course and major softball, soccer, and football complexes. The West End district along Highway 51 retains the city’s earliest commercial corridor, tying current redevelopment efforts to the streets where Southaven first took shape.