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The Blues Highway: Memphis, Clarksdale & Vicksburg – Route Guide

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Beale Street in Memphis, its theatre marquees and clubs
Photo: Rhododendrites · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Follow Highway 61 from Memphis’s music and civil-rights landmarks to Clarksdale’s Delta blues heritage and Vicksburg’s river and Civil War history. Blues stories and Mississippi views set the rhythm; live shows and studio tours are optional.

The Blues Highway: Memphis, Clarksdale & Vicksburg is a 330 km one-way journey (self-drive). It works best as 3–5 days; the plan below is the 4-day version for May, built from 154 verified places, with planned transit times, opening hours and daylight checked.

3–5
days
330km
distance
3
Stops
154
curated stops

View ready-made plans 3-day plan · 4-day plan · 5-day plan · best time to go

The route

Memphis→ 125 kmClarksdale & the Delta→ 205 kmVicksburg

What you'll see

Beale Street
Enjoy live blues music in vibrant bars and clubs under colorful lights.
Memphis
The Delta Blues Museum
Explore the restored Illinois Central Railroad depot filled with blues history and memorabilia.
Clarksdale & the Delta
Vicksburg National Military Park
Walk through the site of the 1863 battle and siege, exploring monuments and the salvaged ironclad gunboat.
Vicksburg
National Civil Rights Museum
Walk through history in the preserved Lorraine Motel, echoing with legacy.
Memphis
Clarksdale public blues-heritage circuit
Use public blues museums, markers and heritage. Camps, paddling, live shows and nightlife remain separate.
Clarksdale & the Delta
Old Court House Museum-Eva W. Davis Memorial
Walk through a historic building with ties to famous American figures.
Vicksburg
Sun Studio
Stand where legends recorded their first hits, guided by passionate local musicians.
Memphis
The Crossroads
Stand at the intersection of Highways 49 and 61, rumored to be where Robert Johnson made his legendary pact.
Clarksdale & the Delta

Choose your length

3-day plan16 stops · 6.8 h transit5.3 stops/day · 2.3 h transit/daySee the full plan →4-day plan23 stops · 7.8 h transit5.8 stops/day · 1.9 h transit/daySee the full plan →5-day plan24 stops · 7.8 h transit4.8 stops/day · 1.6 h transit/daySee the full plan →

When to go

Best months: April, May, June

Juke joints warm up for festival season — Clarksdale's Juke Joint Fest in April is the real thing — and the Delta's flat green horizon shimmers rather than bakes.

See the month-by-month breakdown →

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View ready-made plans