About this city
Also known as: The Yellow Pine Capital of the World
Nestled high in the rich timberlands of Jones County in southeastern Mississippi, Laurel is a historic and culturally vibrant city that beautifully blends heavy industrial power with exceptional community elegance. Founded in 1882 during the logging boom, the town experienced an extraordinary golden era when the Eastman-Gardiner Lumber Company established massive sawmilling operations, converting old-growth pine forests into global wealth. This affluent period endowed Laurel with the state's first municipal sidewalk system and an unmatched collection of pristine historic residential avenues lined with grand oak trees. In the 21st century, Laurel achieved international pop-culture fame as the setting for the HGTV show Home Town. Today, it coordinates a robust advanced manufacturing economy with a booming boutique retail and heritage tourism sector.
Location & Administrative
Transportation & Accessibility
Weather & Timing
Economics & Local Vibe
Practical Tourism Metadata
Suggested stay: 1–2 days
Admire premium early 20th-century American paintings and masterworks at the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, Mississippi's oldest art museum. Stroll through the charming boutique stores, home decor shops, and historic film locations downtown. Explore the local working-class industrial lore at the historic land markers.
