Pearl travel guide

Pearl is a city in Rankin County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 21,961 at the 2000 census.
Today, Pearl is a growing community across the Pearl River from Jackson. It is Mississippi's 13th largest city and the largest city in Rankin County.
Beginning in the 1860s a small influx of people migrated into the Pearl area. It was during these later years of the 1800s that Pearl had its origin as a rural farming area adjacent to the Pearl River and, until the middle 1900s, the Pearl area was primarily a farming community that was sparsely populated. But in the mid 1900s the influx of industry and people working in Jackson, in neighboring Hinds county, but residing in Pearl. Pearl's expansion, consequently originated as an extension of urban growth and development in the State's capital city. Subsequent reasons that contributed to the continued development of Pearl include the completion of levees and flood control works which protect the city form the Pearl River, close proximity of the Jackson International Airport, and direct access to Interstate 20 and Interstate 55.
Pearl is a rarity in Mississippi cities in that it does not have a downtown square. Over the years the city has developed the old Pearl High School into a city administration building that houses city hall, Pearl Police Department, public works departments and city courts. A large auditorium-style community center was built next door. The city is in the process of turning this whole area into its downtown. (...) more....