Memphis, Tennessee

== Infrastructure ==

=== Transportation ===
{{Main|Transportation in Memphis, Tennessee}}

==== Highways ====
[[Interstate 40 (Tennessee)|Interstate 40]], [[Interstate 55 (Tennessee)|Interstate 55]], [[Interstate 22]], [[Interstate 240 (Tennessee)|Interstate 240]], [[Interstate 269]], and [[Tennessee State Route 385|State Route 385]] are the main expressways in the Memphis area. Interstates 40 and 55 cross the Mississippi River at Memphis from the state of [[Arkansas]].<ref name=tdotmap>{{cite map |author = Tennessee Department of Transportation Long Range Planning Division Office of Data Visualization|title = Shelby County|year = 2018|url =https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/maps/county-maps-(us-shields)/o-w/Shelby%20County.pdf|publisher = [[Tennessee Department of Transportation]]}}</ref> [[Interstate 69 in Tennessee|Interstate 69]] is a proposed interstate that, upon completion, would connect Memphis to Canada and Mexico.<ref name=tdottimeline>{{cite web|url=https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/region-4/interstate-69-corridor/interstate-69-corridor-timeline.html|title=Interstate 69 Corridor Timeline|author=<!--Not stated-->|website=tn.gov/tdot|publisher=[[Tennessee Department of Transportation]]|access-date=May 8, 2020|archive-date=June 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604140725/https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/region-4/interstate-69-corridor/interstate-69-corridor-timeline.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

I-40 is a coast-to-coast freeway that connects Memphis to [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] and on to [[North Carolina]] to the east, and [[Little Rock, Arkansas]], [[Oklahoma City]], and the [[Greater Los Angeles Area]] to the west. I-55 connects Memphis to [[St. Louis]] and [[Chicago]] to the north, and [[Jackson, Mississippi]] and [[New Orleans]] to the south. I-240 is the inner beltway which serves areas including Downtown, Midtown, South Memphis, [[Memphis International Airport]], East Memphis, and North Memphis.<ref name=tdotmap /> I-269 is the larger, outer interstate loop immediately serving the suburbs of [[Millington, Tennessee|Millington]], Eads, [[Arlington, Tennessee|Arlington]], [[Collierville, Tennessee|Collierville]], and [[Hernando, Mississippi]]. It was completed in 2018.<ref>{{cite news |last=Garland|first=Max|date=October 26, 2018|title=I-269's completion marked with ribbon cutting in DeSoto County, opening its final stretch|url=https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/local/2018/10/26/269-desoto-county-mississippi-connecting-55-and-40/1772633002/|work=The Commercial Appeal|access-date=May 5, 2020}}</ref>

Interstate 22 connects Memphis with [[Birmingham, Alabama]], via northern Mississippi (including [[Tupelo, Mississippi|Tupelo]]) and northwestern Alabama. While technically not entering the city of Memphis proper, I-22 ends at I-269 in [[Byhalia, Mississippi]], connecting it to the rest of the Memphis interstate system.

Interstate 69 is proposed to follow I-55 and I-240 through the city of Memphis. Once completed, I-69 will link Memphis with [[Port Huron, Michigan]] via [[Indianapolis, Indiana]], and [[Brownsville, Texas]] via [[Shreveport, Louisiana]] and [[Houston, Texas]].<ref name=tdottimeline />

A new spur, [[Interstate 555]], also serves the Memphis metro area connecting it to [[Jonesboro, Arkansas]].

Other important federal highways though Memphis include the east–west [[U.S. Route 70 in Tennessee|U.S. Route 70]], [[U.S. Route 64 (Tennessee)|U.S. Route 64]], and [[U.S. Route 72 (Tennessee)|U.S. Route 72]]; and the north–south [[U.S. Route 51 (Tennessee)|U.S. Route 51]] and [[U.S. Route 61 (Tennessee)|U.S. Route 61]].<ref name=tdotmap /> The former is the historic highway north to Chicago via [[Cairo, Illinois]], while the latter roughly parallels the Mississippi River for most of its course and crosses the [[Mississippi Delta]] region to the south, with the Delta also legendary for Blues music.

'''Roadways'''

Memphis maintains 6,800 lane-miles of city roadways. The city collaborated with [[Google Cloud Platform]] and SpringML in February 2019 to test [[machine learning]] (ML) to improve public services. A key focus is pothole identification using [[TensorFlow]] technology.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Baolin Liu|first=SpringML|date=February 2019|title=Partnership with City of Memphis to Improve City Services|url=https://www.springml.com/blog/partnership-with-city-of-memphis-to-improve-city-services/|website=SpringML.com}}</ref> Public Works personnel completed 63,000 repairs, with around 7,500 of those reported by citizens to 311.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rodriguez|first=Michael|date=April 25, 2019|title=Machine Learning for Improved Services: Potholes|url=https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/machine-learning-improved-services-potholes-michael-rodriguez/|website=LinkedIn.com}}</ref>

==== Transit ====
The [[Memphis Area Transit Authority]] provides local transit services around Memphis, including the [[MATA Trolley]] heritage streetcar system. Intercity bus service to the city is provided by [[Flixbus]], [[Greyhound Lines]], and [[Jefferson Lines]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jeffersonlines.com/bus-stops/tennessee/|title=Jefferson Lines Tennessee Bus Stops|access-date=July 20, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.greyhound.com/bus-routes|title=Greyhound Bus Routes|access-date=July 20, 2023}}</ref>

==== Railroads ====
[[File:Memphis Arkansas Bridge Memphis TN 2012-07-22 016.jpg|thumb|Three bridges over the Mississippi]]
A large volume of railroad freight moves through Memphis, because of its two heavy-duty Mississippi River railroad crossings, which carry several major east–west railroad freight lines, and also because of the major north–south railroad lines through Memphis which connect with such major cities as Chicago, [[St. Louis]], [[Indianapolis]], [[Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville]], [[New Orleans]], [[Dallas]], [[Houston]], [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile]], and [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]].

By the early 20th century, Memphis had two major passenger railroad stations, which made the city a regional hub for trains coming from the north, east, south and west. After passenger railroad service declined heavily through the middle of the 20th century, the [[Memphis Union Station]] was demolished in 1969. The [[Central Station (Memphis)|Memphis Central Station]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbu.edu/~mcondren/MRP/MemphisCentralStation/MemphisCentralStation.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926014426/http://www.cbu.edu/~mcondren/MRP/MemphisCentralStation/MemphisCentralStation.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 26, 2015 |title=Christian Brothers University |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref> was eventually renovated, and it still serves the city.  The only inter-city passenger railroad service to Memphis is the daily ''[[City of New Orleans (train)|City of New Orleans]]'' train, operated by [[Amtrak]], which has one train northbound and one train southbound each day between Chicago and New Orleans.

===== Railroads, common freight carriers =====
*[[BNSF Railway]] (BNSF)
*[[Canadian National Railway]] (CN) through subsidiary [[Illinois Central Railroad]] (IC)
*[[CSX Transportation]] (CSXT)
*[[Canadian Pacific Kansas City]] (CPKC)
*[[Norfolk Southern Railway]] (NS), including subsidiaries [[Alabama Great Southern Railroad]] (AGS), [[Central of Georgia Railroad]] (CG), [[Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway]] (CNTP), [[Tennessee Railway]] (TENN), and [[Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railway]] (TAG)
*[[R.J. Corman Railroad/Memphis Line]] (RJCM)
*[[Union Pacific Railroad]] (UP)

===== Railroads, passenger carriers =====
[[Amtrak]] (AMTK)

==== Airports ====
[[File:FedEx plane Memphis TN 001.jpg|thumb|FedEx aircraft at Memphis International Airport]]
[[Memphis International Airport]] is the global "SuperHub" of [[FedEx Express]], and has the largest cargo operations by volume of any airport worldwide, surpassing [[Hong Kong International Airport]] in 2021.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.memphisflyer.com/report-mem-busiest-cargo-airport-in-the-world |title=Report: MEM Busiest Cargo Airport In the World |publisher=Memphisflyer.com |access-date=July 26, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://airportindustry-news.com/memphis-international-is-worlds-busiest-cargo-airport/|title=Memphis International Is World's Busiest Cargo Airport |publisher=Airportindustry-news.com |date=April 23, 2021 |access-date=July 26, 2021 }}</ref>

Memphis International ranks as the 41st busiest passenger airport in the US and served as a hub for [[Northwest Airlines]] (later [[Delta Air Lines]]) until September 3, 2013.<ref>[http://www.nasdaq.com/article/delta-to-leave-memphis-hub-analyst-blog-cm251106 Delta to Leave Memphis Hub – Analyst Blog]. Nasdaq.com. Retrieved on August 16, 2013.</ref> and had 4.39 million boarding passengers (enplanements) in 2011, an 11.9% decrease over the previous year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?pn=1&Airport=MEM&Airport_Name=Memphis,%20TN:%20Memphis%20International&carrier=FACTS |title=RITA &#124; BTS &#124; Transtats |publisher=Transtats.bts.gov |date=February 7, 2010 |access-date=July 2, 2010}}</ref> Delta has reduced its flights at Memphis by approximately 65% since its 2008 merger with Northwest Airlines and operates an average of 30 daily flights as of December 2013, with two international destinations (Cancún – seasonally; Toronto year-round). Delta Air Lines announced the closing of its Memphis pilot and crew base in 2012. Other airlines providing passenger service are: [[Southwest Airlines]]; [[American Airlines]]; [[United Airlines]]; [[Allegiant Air|Allegiant]]; [[Frontier Airlines|Frontier]]; [[Air Canada]]; and Southern Vacations Express.<ref>[http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/nov/26/delta-air-lines-plans-additional-cuts-service-memp/ Delta Air Lines plans additional cuts to service at Memphis International]. The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved on August 16, 2013.</ref>

There are also [[general aviation]] airports in the Memphis Metropolitan Area, including the [[Millington Regional Jetport]], located at the former Naval Air Station in [[Millington, Tennessee]].

==== River port ====
{{Main|Port of Memphis}}
Memphis has the second-busiest cargo port on the Mississippi River, which is also the fourth-busiest inland port in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/ndc/wcsc/pdf/inlandport03f.pdf |title=Top US Inland Ports for 2003 |access-date=July 2, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090825064009/http://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/ndc/wcsc/pdf/inlandport03f.pdf |archive-date=August 25, 2009}}</ref> The International Port of Memphis covers both the Tennessee and Arkansas sides of the Mississippi River from [[river mile]]&nbsp;725 (km&nbsp;1167) to mile&nbsp;740 (km&nbsp;1191).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.portofmemphis.com/about.asp |title=Port of Memphis website – About Page |publisher=Portofmemphis.com |access-date=July 2, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100307052924/http://www.portofmemphis.com/about.asp |archive-date=March 7, 2010}}</ref> A focal point of the river port is the [[industrial park]] on [[President's Island]], just south of [[Downtown Memphis, Tennessee|Downtown Memphis]].

==== Bridges ====
Four railroad and highway bridges cross the Mississippi River at Memphis. In order of their opening years, these are the [[Frisco Bridge]] (1892, [[single track (rail)|single-track]] rail), the [[Harahan Bridge]] (1916, a [[road-rail bridge]] until 1949, currently carries [[double-track]] rail), the [[Memphis-Arkansas Memorial Bridge]] (Highway, 1949; later incorporated into [[Interstate 55]]), and the [[Hernando de Soto Bridge]] ([[Interstate 40]], 1973). A bicycle/pedestrian walkway opened along the Harahan Bridge in late 2016, utilizing the former westbound roadway.<ref>{{cite web|last=Charlier |first=Tom |url=http://archive.commercialappeal.com/news/historic-frisco-bridge-getting-extensive-makeover-by-bnsf-34daa9f1-937e-6562-e053-0100007fe70b-382568411.html |title=Historic Frisco Bridge getting extensive makeover by BNSF |website=Archive.commercialappeal.com |date=June 11, 2016 |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/2016/10/21/monumental-impact-seen-crossing/92465774/ |title=Big River Crossing opens Saturday |website=Commercialappeal.com |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://bikepedmemphis.wordpress.com/2016/10/22/the-harahan-bridge-opens/ |title=The Harahan Bridge Opens – Bike/Ped Memphis |website=Bikepedmemphis.wordpress.com |date=October 22, 2016 |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref>

=== Utilities ===
Memphis's primary utility provider is the [[Memphis Light, Gas and Water]] Division (MLGW). This is the largest three-service municipal utility in the United States, providing electricity, natural gas, and pure water service to all residents of Shelby County. Prior to that, Memphis was served by two primary electric companies, which were merged into the Memphis Power Company.<ref name="MLGWhistory">{{cite web |title=A History of Performance |publisher=Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division |url=http://www.mlgw.com/about/history |access-date=July 30, 2012}}</ref>

The City of Memphis bought the private company in 1939 to form MLGW,<ref name="MLGWhistory" /><ref>{{cite court |litigants=Re Memphis Power & Light Co. & Tennessee Valley Authority |vol=1 |reporter=F.P.C. |opinion=809 |court=[[Federal Power Commission|FPC]] |year=1939 |url=}}</ref> which was an early customer of electricity from the [[Tennessee Valley Authority]] (TVA). In 1954 the [[Dixon-Yates contract]] was proposed to make more power available to the city from the TVA, but the contract was cancelled; it had been an issue for the Democrats in the [[United States House of Representatives elections, 1954|1954 Congressional elections]].

MLGW still buys most of its power from TVA, and the company pumps its own fresh water from the Memphis Aquifer, using more than 180 water wells.

=== Health care ===
[[File:St Judes grass.jpg|thumb|right|[[St. Jude Children's Research Hospital]]]]
The Memphis and Shelby County region supports numerous hospitals, including the Methodist and Baptist Memorial health systems, two of the nation's largest private hospitals. Until the 1960s and the end of [[Racial segregation in the United States|segregation]], most hospitals only served white patients. One of the few hospitals for African Americans in Memphis in those times was Collins Chapel Connectional Hospital, whose historic building now houses a homeless shelter.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Historic Collins Chapel reopens as safe haven for homeless after renovations |date=April 19, 2021 |publisher=Fox 13 News |url=https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/local/historic-collins-chapel-reopens-safe-haven-homeless-after-renovations/PWJOFQSIJVDTRJIIRPDVL4S2LY/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420035738/https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/local/historic-collins-chapel-reopens-safe-haven-homeless-after-renovations/PWJOFQSIJVDTRJIIRPDVL4S2LY/ |archive-date=April 20, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare]], the largest healthcare provider in the Memphis region and the fourth largest employer as of 2018,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/subscriber-only/2018/07/13/largest-memphis-area-employers.html|title=Largest Memphis Area Employers|website=Business Journal|access-date=May 18, 2019}}</ref> operates seven hospitals and several rural clinics. Methodist Healthcare operates, among others, the [[Le Bonheur Children's Hospital]], which offers primary level 1 pediatric trauma care, as well as a nationally recognized pediatric brain tumor program. Methodist Healthcare also operates [[Methodist University Hospital]], a 617-bed facility 1 mile southeast of Le Bonheur.

Baptist Memorial Healthcare operates fifteen hospitals (three in Memphis), including [[Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis|Baptist Memorial Hospital]], and with a merger in 2018 became the largest healthcare system in the mid-South.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20170501/NEWS/170509983/baptist-memorial-and-mississippi-baptist-create-largest-system-in-the-region|title=Baptist Memorial and Mississippi Baptist create largest system in the region|date=May 1, 2017|website=Modern Healthcare|language=en|access-date=May 18, 2019}}</ref> According to Health Care Market Guide's annual studies, Mid-Southerners have named Baptist Memorial their "preferred hospital choice for quality".

The [[St. Jude Children's Research Hospital]], leading pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children's catastrophic diseases, resides in Memphis. The institution was conceived and built by entertainer [[Danny Thomas]] in 1962 as a tribute to [[Jude the Apostle|St. Jude Thaddeus]], patron saint of impossible, hopeless, and difficult causes.

Regional One Health is located in Memphis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.regionalonehealth.org/ |title=Home – Regional One Health – Regional One Health |website=regionalonehealth.org |access-date=August 23, 2023}}</ref>

Memphis is home to Delta Medical Center of Memphis,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://deltamedcenter.com|title=Delta Medical Center Homepage|website=Deltamedcenter.com|access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref> which is the only employee-owned medical facility in North America.

Individual [[health insurance marketplace]] insurers are limited, with [[Bright Health]] and [[Cigna]] offering coverage in the area.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.healthinsurance.org/tennessee-state-health-insurance-exchange/|title=Tennessee health insurance marketplace: history and news of the state's exchange: Obamacare enrollment|date=December 29, 2018|website=healthinsurance.org|language=en|access-date=May 18, 2019}}</ref>