College town charisma is the tip of the iceberg in the Mississippi city full of Southern eateries and literary history.
Situated about an hour plus a country detour southeast of Memphis, Tennessee, Oxford, Mississippi is a small town founded in 1837 by settlers who had big dreams for this Lafayette County burg. Its namesake comes from the beloved site in England, with the settlers hoping the name would help land the state’s first public university. Several years later, the legislature granted their wish, and Oxford and the University of Mississippi began building a singular dynamic community.
School Spirit
You can’t go anywhere in Oxford without noticing the town’s abiding love for the University of Mississippi, or Ole Miss as most call it. It extends the town with its picturesque campus and cultural opportunities; for example, the library boasts the Hall of Mississippi Writers and an extensive collection of blues recordings and archives. Add a thriving student population and beloved traditions—such as spending football Saturdays in a tree-shaded area known as The Grove—and it’s clear this college town has many stories to tell.
