The Hattiesburg Community
Hattiesburg is a great place to live! The community was the recipient of the 1992 U.S. Conference of Mayors City Livability Award for cities under 100,000 people and the recipient of the top tourism/public relations award in the nation, the 1996 Edward L. Bernays Best of Show Public Relations Award. It has also been highly rated by The Rating Guide to Life in America's Small Cities. In May 2007, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance rated Hattiesburg as a “Top Ten Town for Grownups” in its article on college towns. We have an excellent standard of living as evidenced by short commuting time to anywhere in the city, moderate cost of living, and low crime rates. We have state of the art medical services and facilities provided by the Forrest General Hospital and the Wesley Medical Center. Local schools of higher education include the University of Southern Mississippi and William Carey University as well as community colleges.
Hattiesburg offers numerous recreational activities. There is a 42-mile long “rails to trails” project called Longleaf Trace that starts in Hattiesburg and heads west. There are several golf courses in the community that are open year-round including the Timberton course, ranked third in the state. Sports fans will enjoy Southern Miss football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, and softball. There are theater, music, dance, and art exhibits in the community and at the universities. Shopping options include antique stores, malls, boutiques, and unique local discount stores. About 30 miles north in Laurel is the Lauren Rogers Art Museum, a charming private museum with both local and national art.
Hattiesburg has a historic downtown area that is being revitalized with restaurants, shops, the restored Saenger Theater, and galleries. It is home to a small city zoo, a beautiful new city library, and excellent restaurants that serve fresh Gulf seafood and Creole and Cajun dishes. Hattiesburg is also home to a historic neighborhood district adjacent to downtown that is comprised of houses and other buildings constructed in a variety of architectural styles from the late 1800s and the early 1900s. The downtown area hosts arts and music festivals several times a year.
Myriad outdoor activities are available within a 30-mile radius of Hattiesburg. If you are interested in hiking, Hattiesburg is located 25 miles north of the DeSoto National Forest. The Black Creek Ranger District within the DeSoto National Forest offers three hiking trails ranging from .2 miles to 40 miles through a beautiful pine forest. Canoeing is another activity available on the Okatoma River, which is 15 miles north of Hattiesburg. The Okatoma is the only class 1A white-water river in Mississippi. It is a pristine river with sandbars, waterfalls, shoals, bluffs, and high banks. Waterparking and camping are also available at the Paul B. Johnson State Park and a variety of other facilities within 20 miles.
Hattiesburg is also within a two hour drive or less of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Jackson, New Orleans, and Mobile, AL. Numerous cultural and entertainment options can be found in these larger cities. Hattiesburg is a three hour drive to the beautiful beaches in Gulf Shores, AL.
For more information about Hattiesburg, check the following links:
Hattiesburg Visitor Center (www.hattiesburg.org)
Here’s Hattiesburg (has a great guide to Hattiesburg) (www.hereshattiesburg.com)
The Historic Hattiesburg Downtown Association (www.downtownhattiesburg.com)
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