Memphis is ideally located in the center of the United States on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River. It is the fourth largest inland port in the country and is within 300 miles of 12 states and 65 percent of the U.S. population. It is also the core of one of the country's most productive agricultural areas. Situated in the extreme southwest corner of the state of Tennessee, it is surrounded by the rich, fertile deltas and flatlands of Arkansas, Mississippi, and West Tennessee – all conducive to cotton production.
Touted by its inhabitants as the cotton capital of the world – from its early days in the 1820's when as many as 500 flatboats a day moored at the cobblestones that banked the river – Memphis has long been a regional cotton market and home to many cotton-related business. Cotton companies and classing rooms lined Front Street while traders and merchants walked among bales sampling the fiber. And despite the many changes that have occurred in the industry over the years, cotton remains an integral part of Front Street and Memphis.
Memphis is one of the South's largest and most exciting cities. Professional sports; cultural events such as symphony, ballet, theater, and museum exhibitions; restaurants from diverse ethnic origins; and a wide variety of shopping opportunities are all part of the daily Memphis scene. And all just minutes away from the University of Memphis campus
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