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We've compiled general information about Memphis, as well as local travel statistics, to make your job easier.
We've compiled general information about Memphis, as well as local travel statistics, to make your job easier.
TOURISM STATISTICS
- 2023 Annual Visitors: 13.5+M
- Leisure & Hospitality Jobs in Shelby County in 2022*: 44.6K
- Annual Economic Impact of Domestic Visitors in 2022*: $4+B
*Most recent full year of data available.
TOP TRAVEL MOTIVATORS
The top travel motivators for Memphis visitors include paying their respects to Memphis music legends like Elvis, B.B. King and Johnny Cash; experiencing our current live music scene and the Memphis nightlife in person, especially Beale Street; tasting our world-famous barbeque; and most importantly, spending quality time making memories with friends and family.
2023 LOCAL HOTEL INDUSTRY
Total Number of Memphis MSA Hotel Rooms: 26K+
Total Number of Hotel Rooms Downtown: 4K+
Total Number of Hotel Rooms Downtown: 4K+
| Official city flower | Crepe Myrtle |
| Official city tree | Dogwood |
| Colleges and universities | Christian Brothers University 1871 Lemoyne-Owen College, 1871 University of Memphis, 1912 Rhodes College, 1848 University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 1911 |
| Major businesses headquartered in Memphis | FedEx, International Paper, AutoZone, ServiceMaster, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Indigo AG, Ducks Unlimited, First Horizon National Corp., Mueller Industries, Thomas & Betts |
| Elevation | Airport: 331’ above sea level Mississippi River: 188’ above sea level |
| Founded | 1819. Incorporated 1826. |
| Climate | Average annual: 72.4 January average: 50 / July average: 92 |
| Precipitation | Average annual rainfall: 53.67” |
| Government | Mayor and City Council |
| Total area in square miles | 315.06 |
| Memphis park services | 166 parks with a total of 3,219 acres. 110 playgrounds. 28 local community centers. 48 athletic fields. 130 basketball courts (indoor and outdoor). 7 tennis centers |
| Tallest buildings | 100 North Main: 430’, 37 stories Raymond James Tower: 403’, 21 stories Clark Tower: 403’, 34 stories One Commerce Square: 396’, 31 stories Sterick Building: 365’, 31 stories |
| Historical landmarks | Beale Street, Chucalissa, Graceland, Sun Studio, Cotton Row Historic District, Davies Manor Plantation, Elmwood Cemetery, Victorian Village area |
| Entertainment districts | Beale Street Entertainment District Cooper-Young Entertainment District Overton Square Entertainment District South Main Historic Arts District Broad Avenue Arts District Crosstown Main Street Collierville |
| City of Memphis and surrounding areas | The 2018 population of the Memphis-MSA is 1,342,349 Shelby County, Tennessee is 936,961 City of Memphis is 650,618 |
| Major ethnic groups (2019) | White: 29.21%; Black: 63.91%; Hispanic: 6.49%, Asian: 1.57% |
| Males/Females and median age | Males: 48%; Females: 52%. Median resident age 33.3 |
| Population of Tennessee | 6.77 million. Tennessee is the 17th largest state in the U.S. |
| Hotel room nights generated in 2023 | 216.2+K |
| Meetings, conventions and events in 2019 | 400+ |
| Economic impact for 2023 | $142.2M |
| Renasant Convention Center | 350,000 square feet of convention space. 31 breakout rooms. 28,000 square foot ballroom accommodating 2,000 people |
| Cannon Center for the Performing Arts | 2,100 seat multi-purpose facility |
| FedExForum | A capacity of 18,600, FedExForum is a sports and entertainment arena with multiple additional meeting rooms |
| University of Memphis FedEx Institute of Technology | State-of-the-art facility with 190-seat tiered amphitheater, 85-seat high-definition presentation theater and 17 meeting rooms |
| Agricenter International | 14,000 square foot facility with 800 seat amphitheater / auditorium and 5 additional meeting rooms |
| Bike lanes | In addition to the vast number of bike trails in Memphis, make sure to walk / bike / run Big River Crossing spanning the Mississippi River bridging Downtown Memphis and West Memphis, Arkansas and the Shelby Farms Greenline, a 10.65 mile paved, urban trail that connects pedestrians and cyclists in Midtown Memphis through Shelby Farms Park to Cordova.. |
| Mississippi River | Go kayaking on the Mississippi River or take a leisure tour aboard a paddle-wheel riverboat. |
| Recreation | Shelby Farms Park offers horseback riding, 20 lakes for fishing and paddle-boating, a disc-golf course, picnic pavilions, playgrounds, bike trails and more. Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park is more than 13,000 acres of hardwood forest and with plenty to do: fishing lakes, disc-golf course, biking and hiking trails plus park cabins. Paddle down the Ghost River near historic La Grange, Tennessee. This 8.5 mile well-marked canoe trail offers intimate views of abundant wildlife, lakes and untouched portions of the Wolf River. If golf is your interest, be sure to play Mirimichi, established by Justin Timberlake, or TPC Southwind that hosts the WGC St. Jude-FedEx Invitational PGA tournament. |
| Gardens | Memphis Botanic Garden and Dixon Gallery and Gardens will give you the solitude and beauty you expect. In addition, you can view works of art or let the children run free in Memphis Botanic Garden's My Big Backyard play area. |
| Festivals/ Annual Events | Click here for a list all the major annual events |
| Number of attractions | 60+ |
| Music-themed attractions | Memphis, Home of the blues and Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll has many must-see music-themed attractions including Beale Street Historic District, The Blues Foundation's Blues Music Hall of Fame, Graceland, Memphis Music Hall of Fame, Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Sun Studio and the W.C. Handy home and Museum. |
| Restaurants | With approximately 100 barbecue restaurants alone, Memphis is also home to world-famous fine dining, rich soul food and eclectic dining. |
| Theaters and small theaters | Memphis offers multiple choices when it comes to live entertainment, dance classical concerts and performance art. Of special note is the Orpheum Theatre, Playhouse on the Square, Circuit Playhouse, Theatre Memphis, Hattiloo Theatre, multiple venues at Crosstown Concourse and FedExForum. |
| Art museums | Memphis is rich with arts, sculpture and painting exhibits offering pieces form Rodin to Renoir. Be sure to visit Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Memphis Botanic Garden, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Metal Museum, Belz Museum of Asian and Judaic Art, CrosstownArts and the Cotton Museum at the Memphis Cotton Exchange. |
| Public transportation | Each year MATA services over 12M passengers trips on a fleet of 222 transit vehicles including passenger buses and trolley buses |
| Licensed taxis | Checker Cab, Yellow Cab and Premiere Transportation |
| Ride Share | Uber or Lyft |
| Explore Bike Share | 600 bikes and 60 stations connect Downtown, Midtown, South Memphis and Orange Mound for visitors and residents to explore the city |
| Scooters | Bird / Lime / Spin. Download the app and use the dockless electric scooter to get around downtown and midtown |
| Air terminal | Memphis International Airport, “America’s Aerotropolis” is a world-class facility serving more than 8 million passengers a year |
| Rail service | Central Station with Amtrak service since 1971 |
| Bridges | Frisco: 1892; Harahan: 1916; Memphis & Arkansas: 1949; Hernando De Soto: 1973 |
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