Natchez

About this city

Also known as: Where the River Is King

Perched dramatically atop high, massive loess bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River in southwestern Mississippi, Natchez is the county seat of Adams County and a city of singular historic significance. Founded by French colonists in 1716, it served as the original capital of French Louisiana and later became the starting point for the legendary Natchez Trace trading route. During the antebellum era, Natchez grew into one of the wealthiest cities in the world due to the concentration of massive cotton plantation fortunes, leading planters to construct an unparalleled collection of opulent Greek Revival mansions. Because it surrendered early to Union forces, it escaped destruction during the Civil War. Today, Natchez stands as a world-class tourism capital, boasting the highest density of preserved antebellum architecture in the United States.