Clarksdale

By car

Downtown Clarksdale is situated a little north of the junction of Highway 61 and Highway 49 (the famous "Crossroads"). Memphis, Tennessee is about 75 miles north of Clarksdale on Highway 61. Jackson, MS is about 150 miles south. It is about 15 miles east of the Mississippi River.

By plane

Clarksdale is served by a public airport, which is capable of serving large private airplanes. There are no commercial flights into Clarksdale at present, but Memphis International Airport is only 75 miles north of Clarksdale.

By bus

• Greyhound Bus Line, 1604 N State St., +1 662 627-7893.

Having a car is pretty much a requirement in Clarksdale. According to one website, 91% of Clarksdale residents drive to work. However, visiting for a short time does not require driving as the downtown is entirely pedestrian-friendly.
Taxi services:

• Jerry's Cab Co., +1 662 624-9222.
• Jolly Cab, +1 662 624-9256.
• Pro Taxi, +1 662 302-0864. At Your Service 24/7 Pro Taxi

• The CrossroadsThe intersection of Highway 49 and Highway 61 where Robert Johnson is said to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for musical genius.

• The Delta Blues Museum

  phone: +1 662 627-68
  address: 1 Blues Alley Lane
  A museum founded in 1979 and dedicated to "the blues," which is in the restored Illinois Central Railroad freight depot.

• Rock 'N Roll & Blues Museum

  address: 113 East Second Street

• Clarksdale Film Festival (January)
• Juke Joint Festival and Related Events (April)
• Mini Blues Fest (April)
• Crossroads Half-Marathon (Look for date)
• Annual Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival (August)
• Pinetop Perkins Homecoming at the historic Shack Up Inn and Hopson Plantation in Clarksdale. (Oct)
• Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival (October)

• Blues Harmonica Jam Camp

  phone: +1 310 457-8278
  "Shack Up Inn & Hopson Comissary, 001 Comissary Circle. If there is one place where you can say the blues was created it is Mississippi Delta. Learn to play blues harmonica in the heart of the Blues Country at a 5-day seminar filled with classes, jams, and friendship. Travel out to Sonny Boy Williamson's grave, visit Muddy's cabin, and learn and play harmonica with some of Americas great teachers and players.

• Quapaw Canoe Company

  address: 291 Sunflower Avenue
  Offers wilderness expeditions on the Lower Mississippi River, its Back Waters, Bayous, Oxbows, and Flood Plain between the levees. Tours can be arranged by the day or the week.

• Cat Head delta blues and folk art, inc.

  phone: +1 662-624-5992
  address: 252 Delta Ave
  According to its website, "Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art, Inc. is a 6-day-a-week store that features a full selection of blues CDs, videos, DVDs, books and collectibles as well as an affordable mix of Southern self-taught, folk and outsider art. 'It's kind of like shopping in a juke joint,' Roger (Stolle - owner) said, describing the building's rustic interior, colorful artwork and down home music. 'It's the kind of store we always dreamed of finding in our Delta travels but never did.'"

• Miss Del’s General Store

  phone: +1 662-624-2381
  address: 145 Delta Ave
  You can buy pretty much anything here! Interesting browse and food.

• Mag-Pie Gift & Art Shop

  phone: +1 662 624-8385
  address: 253 Delta Avenue
  The Mag-Pie Gift & Art Shop has been open for 96 years. It features unique gifts, home accessories and a Bridal Registry. It is across the street from Cat Head and is within easy walking distance from Ground Zero and other blues venues in the downtown area.

• Abe’s Barbecue

  phone: +1 662-624-9947
  address: 616 N State St
  At the Crossroads of Highways 61 and 49. Opened in 1924. According to its website, entertainers eating there include ZZ Top, Paul Simon, Big Jack Johnson, Thomas Harris, Steve Azar, Charlie Pride, Conway Twitty. Abe’s is famous for its barbecue pork and beef, hot tamales and ribs.

• Atzimba Mexican Restaurant

  address: 706 S State St
  This has become a popular spot in Clarksdale since it opened. The restaurant is usually filled to capacity, but there is never a long wait. If it’s your birthday, be sure and tell them as they love to put a traditional sombrero on your head and sing “happy birthday” to you in Spanish.

• Oxbow

  address: 316 Yazoo Ave
  Serving lunch Mon-Sat and dinner on Mondays, Fridays and special occasions, Oxbow serves gourmet fare for under $10 - lightly seared ahi tuna tacos are a favorite, and the classic burger-stand burger with angus beef, gruyere cheese, balsamic shallot jam and housemade pickles is ridiculously good. Specials every day!

• Ramon's

  phone: +1 662 624-9230
  address: 535 Oakhurst Avenue
  Fried Butterfly shrimp is one of the favorite dishes at Ramon's, which has a full menu of delicious food. Ramon's is only open evenings.

• The Ranchero

  address: 1907 North State St (Hwy 61)
  A family-owned restaurant that opened in 1959. On display are photographs and sports memorabilia that the owners have collected over many years.

• Rest Haven

  address: 419 State Street
  A Clarksdale tradition for more than 50 years. Middle Eastern cuisine shares the same table with traditional southern food, such as black-eyed peas and turnip greens. The speciality is kibbie, and include stuffed kibbie, kibbie patties, kibbie sandwiches, and even raw kibbie. The coconut and chocolate cream pies that have been popular for almost 30 years.

• Rust Restaurant

  phone: +1 662 624-4784
  address: 218 Delta Avenue
  Rust Restaurant is a new trendy, upscale restaurant which was opened in March 2008 by Randall Andrews, a Clarksdale native who graduated from the Memphis Culinary Academy. Rust Restaurant's fare includes gumbo, crawfish, and seared tuna.

• Stone Pony Pizza and the brick bar

  address: 226 Delta Avenue
  Its building that has been in Clarksdale since 1912 and has been renovated. The restaurant has five flat screen televisions, Wi-Fi accessibility and a pictorial history of Clarksdale and many of its colorful residents. The food is homemade, hand-tossed pizza.

• Yazoo Pass

  address: 207 Yazoo Avenue
  You can enjoy a cup of coffee and a fresh baked pastry in the cozy atmosphere. Offers free wireless internet.

• Bluesberry Cafe

  phone: +1 662 627-7008
  address: 235 Yazoo
  A dive with live blues on Mondays.

• Ground Zero Blues Club

  address: 252 Delta Ave
  So named because of the wide-spread belief that Clarksdale is where “the blues” began. The club is partly owned by actor Morgan Freeman, who is a native of the Delta area of Mississippi. He helped open both Ground Zero Blues Club and Madidi’s Restaurants partly because he wanted some to make sure he had good restaurants when he returned home from Hollywood. Ground Zero has pool tables in the front part of the restaurant, exposed brick walls, rough wooden floors, and purposefully mismatched furniture that could have come from a garage sale. In the evening, it is an excellent place to hear live music and drink cold beer.

• Hopson Plantation

  phone: +1 662 624-5756
  Has a big music hall with live music.

• New Roxy

  phone: +1 206-683-4917
  address: 363 Issaquena Ave
  An old movie theater with a roof that caved in, now an open air live music venue.

• Red’s Lounge

  address: 395 Sunflower Ave
  A genuine juke joint with regular live music, and one of the last great juke joints in the Delta region.

• Rust

  phone: +1 662 624-8329
  address: 001 Commissary Circle

Budget

• America's Best Value Inn

  phone: +1 662 621-1110
  address: 350 South State St

• Budget Inn

  phone: +1 662 624-6541
  address: 420 South State St

• Comfort Inn

  address: 818 South State St

• Riverside Hotel

  phone: +1 662 624-9163
  address: 615 Sunflower Ave
  Formerly "the Afro-American Hospital," the Riverside Hotel in Clarksdale was the site of the dedication of the fourth historic marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail. It's where Bessie Smith died on 26 September 1937 after her auto accident on Highway 61. Ike Turner wrote the first rock n' roll tune of all time here, Rocket 88. Sam Cooke lived here. Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters stayed here. To spend your nights at the Riverside is to immerse yourself in the history of the blues, and the proprietors will help you explore the past and present of the town. Accommodations are very basic, with shared bathrooms and window A/C units/gas heaters, but you obviously don't stay here for the luxury, or for that matter, come to Clarksdale for luxury! Very close to Red's.

• Rodeway Inn

  phone: +1 662 627-9292
  address: 710 State St

• Royal Inn

  phone: +1 662 624-4391
  address: 1910 North State St

• Southern Inn

  phone: +1 662 624-6558
  address: 1904 North State St

• Uptown Inn

  phone: +1 662 627-3251
  address: 305 East Second St
  Cheap, more reliable than some other motels, and close to Ground Zero.

Mid-range

• Blues Hound Flat

  address: 309 Issaquena
  Wide open loft space with stained concrete floors, combo living, dining, kitchen, and bedroom area, all featuring local artwork.

• Ground Zero

  address: 126 Desoto Ave

• The Lofts at the Five and Dime

  address: 211 Yazoo Avenue
  These lofts have 1 bedroom, 1½ bathrooms, a kitchen and great room. The full size bathroom has a large marble shower. There is a half bath in the hallway. In the bedroom is a king-size bed and a pull out queen size sleeper sofa in the living room. Plasma televisions in living room and bedroom. Each loft is approximately 985 square feet.

• Shack Up Inn-Cotton Gin Inn

  address: 001 Commissary Circle
  For those blues lovers visiting Clarksdale who want something really different, you can have the experience of staying in one of the renovated shotgun shacks or one of the newly renovated bins in the Cotton Gin Inn. These buildings are restored only enough to accommodate 21st century expectations (including indoor bathrooms, heat, and air conditioning. In addition, there are coffee makers, refrigerators and microwaves in all units).

• The Squeeze Box

  address: 108 East Second St
  Decorated in true funky "Delta Style" by local artisans, John Magnusson and Randall Andrews.

• Cleveland — 37 miles to the south
• Tunica — just north of Tunica on the Mississippi River are numerous casinos that are always open. They are about 45 miles north of Clarksdale.
• Oxford is the home of Ole Miss, and seeing the university is worth the trip. In addition, there are many fine restaurants, Square Books, and some good shopping.
• Memphis, Tennessee is about 75 miles north of Clarksdale and has all the amenities you would expect of a large city.
• Helena, Arkansas — just before crossing the bridge into Helena, there is the Isle of Capri casinos. They are about 25 miles from Clarksdale. Helena is also home to the Delta Cultural Center, and the well known Blues and Heritage Festival.