Meridian is the sixth largest city in the state of Mississippi , in the United States . It is the county seat of Lauderdale County and the principal city of the Meridian , Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area . Along major highways , the city is 93 mi ( 150 km ) east of Jackson , Mississippi ; 154 mi ( 248 km ) west of Birmingham , Alabama ; 202 mi ( 325 km ) northeast of New Orleans , Louisiana ; and 231 mi ( 372 km ) southeast of Memphis , Tennessee .