HIGHEST POINT ON THE ILLINOIS CENTRAL BETWEEN NEW ORLEANS AND MEMPHIS
There are several towns that claim to be the highest point on the Illinois Central Railroad between New Orleans, Louisiana and Memphis or Jackson, Tennessee.
Summit, Mississippi makes that
claim on signs at the city limits.
Crystal Springs, Mississippi makes that claim on a sign in the park located at the old railroad lake.
Ridgeland, Mississippi has made the claim in newcomers literature it passed out several years ago.
The chart below is taken from condensed profiles published by the Illinois Central Railroad itself. Beginning at New Orleans, it progresses northward to each point that the elevation is higher than the proceeding point.
| Elevation In Feet |
Nearest Mile Post | Nearest Community |
| 7.7 | 912 | New Orleans, LA |
| 10.0 | 906 | Shrewsbury |
| 10.2 | 904 | Mays Yard |
| 19.25 | 892 | La Branch |
| 13.5 | 875 | Manchac |
| 29 | 864 | Ponchatoula |
| 48 | 859 | Hammond |
| 96 | 848 | Velma |
| 150 | 837 | Fluker |
| 155 | 836 | Fluker, LA |
| 256 | 825 | near state line |
| 258 | 820 | Chatawa, MS |
| 342 | 811 | Fernwood |
| 372 | 808 | McComb |
| 420 | 806 | McComb |
| 428 | 804 | Summit |
| 494 | 783 | Brookhaven |
| 495 | 782 | Brookhaven |
| 464 | 753 | Crystal Springs |
| 361 | 720 | Ridgeland |
| 517 | 549 | Waterford on east route |
| 581 | 547 | on east route |
| 589 | 546 | on east route |
| 597 | 545 | on east route |
| 619 | 544 | Holly Springs on east route |
| 425 | 470 | Jackson, TN on east route |
| 262 | 394 | Memphis, TN on west route |
Using this data, it shows that the highest point on the New Orleans, LA to Memphis, TN route is about 1½ miles north of the depot in Brookhaven, MS. Crystal Springs misses by 31 feet and Ridgeland by 134 feet.
On the New Orleans to Jackson, TN route, the highest point is just south of Holly Springs, MS. Summit misses by 191 feet.
