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List of counties in Mississippi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Counties of Mississippi
LocationState of Mississippi
Number82
PopulationsGreatest: 214,870 (Hinds)
Least: 1,256 (Issaquena)
Average: 35,850 (2023)
AreasLargest: 933.9 square miles (2,419 km2) (Yazoo, by land)
Smallest: 401.3 square miles (1,039 km2) (Alcorn)
Average: 591 square miles (1,530 km2)
Government
Subdivisions

There are 82 counties in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Mississippi is tied with Arkansas for the most counties with two county seats (10).

According to 2023 U.S. Census Data, the average population of Mississippi's 82 counties is 35,850, with Hinds County as the most populous (214,870) and Issaquena County the least (1,256).[1] The average land area is 591 square miles (1,530 km2).

The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code is used by the United States Federal government to uniquely identify counties. In the table below, each code links to the U.S. Census "quick facts" page for that county. Mississippi's FIPS state code is 28.

List

[edit]
County
FIPS code[2] County seat[3] Smithsonian Trinomial
[4]
Est.[5][3] Origin[5] Etymology[6][7] Population
(2023)[1]
Total Area[8] Map
Adams County 001 Natchez AD 1799 One of two original counties in the Mississippi Territory formed by Governor Winthrop Sargent[9] John Adams (1735–1826), Founding Father and 2nd U.S. President 28,746 487.9 sq mi
(1,264 km2)
State map highlighting Adams County
Alcorn County 003 Corinth AL 1870 Formed from Tippiah and Tishomingo Counties James L. Alcorn (1816–1894), 28th Governor of Mississippi and U.S. Senator 34,135 401.3 sq mi
(1,039 km2)
State map highlighting Alcorn County
Amite County 005 Liberty AM 1809 Formed from Wilkinson County Amite River 12,442 731.7 sq mi
(1,895 km2)
State map highlighting Amite County
Attala County 007 Kosciusko AT 1833 Formed from Madison County A fictional Native American heroine from the early 19th-century novel Atala by François-René de Chateaubriand. 17,359 736.7 sq mi
(1,908 km2)
State map highlighting Attala County
Benton County 009 Ashland BE 1870 Formed from Marshall and Tippah Counties Thought to be named for U.S. Senator Thomas Benton of Missouri, the true namesake is Samuel Benton (1820–1864), Brigadier General of the Confederate States Army's 34th Mississippi Infantry Regiment, mustered from the same counties from which Benton County was formed in 1870[10][11] 7,438 408.6 sq mi
(1,058 km2)
State map highlighting Benton County
Bolivar County 011 Cleveland,
Rosedale
BO 1836 Formed from Tallahatchie and Washington Counties and Unorganized Simon Bolivar (1783–1830), South American democratic revolutionary 28,968 905.7 sq mi
(2,346 km2)
State map highlighting Bolivar County
Calhoun County 013 Pittsboro CN 1852 Formed from Chickasaw, Lafayette and Yalobusha Counties John C. Calhoun (1782–1850), 7th U.S. Vice President 12,685 588 sq mi
(1,523 km2)
State map highlighting Calhoun County
Carroll County 015 Carrollton,
Vaiden
CA 1833 Formed from Unorganized and Lowndes, Monroe, and Washington Counties Charles Carroll (1737–1832), last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence 9,535 634.5 sq mi
(1,643 km2)
State map highlighting Carroll County
Chickasaw County 017 Houston,
Okolona
CS 1836 Formed from Monroe County and Unorganized Chickasaw Native Americans 16,866 504.3 sq mi
(1,306 km2)
State map highlighting Chickasaw County
Choctaw County 019 Ackerman CH 1833 Formed from Unorganized and Lowndes, Madison, and Monroe Counties Choctaw Native Americans 8,088 420.3 sq mi
(1,089 km2)
State map highlighting Choctaw County
Claiborne County 021 Port Gibson CB 1802 Formed from Jefferson (Pickering) County William C. C. Claiborne (c. 1773–1775–1817), 2nd Governor of Mississippi Territory 8,617 500.9 sq mi
(1,297 km2)
State map highlighting Claiborne County
Clarke County 023 Quitman CK 1833 Formed from Wayne County Joshua G. Clarke (1780–1828), Mississippi Supreme Court Justice and 1st Chancellor of the Mississippi Chancery Courts 15,228 693.4 sq mi
(1,796 km2)
State map highlighting Clarke County
Clay County 025 West Point CL 1871 Formed from Chickasaw, Lowndes, Monroe and Oktibbeha Counties as Colfax County (named for Schuyler Colfax) Henry Clay (1777–1852), 9th U.S. Secretary of State and U.S. Senator 18,206 415.9 sq mi
(1,077 km2)
State map highlighting Clay County
Coahoma County 027 Clarksdale CO 1836 Formed from Unorganized derives from Choctaw word meaning "red panther" 20,077 583.1 sq mi
(1,510 km2)
State map highlighting Coahoma County
Copiah County 029 Hazlehurst CP 1823 Formed from Franklin, Hinds, and Lawrence Counties Copiah Creek, derives from the Choctaw word meaning "calling panther" 27,664 779.4 sq mi
(2,019 km2)
State map highlighting Copiah County
Covington County 031 Collins CV 1819 Formed from Lawrence and Wayne Counties Leonard Covington (1768–1813), U.S. House Representative and War of 1812 brigadier general 18,059 414.9 sq mi
(1,075 km2)
State map highlighting Covington County
DeSoto County 033 Hernando DS 1836 Formed from Monroe and Washington Counties Hernando de Soto (c. 1497–1542), Spanish explorer of the Americas 193,247 497.2 sq mi
(1,288 km2)
State map highlighting DeSoto County
Forrest County 035 Hattiesburg FO 1908 Formed from Perry County Nathan B. Forrest (1821–1877), Confederate general and 1st Grand Wizard of the First Ku Klux Klan[12] 78,208 470.2 sq mi
(1,218 km2)
State map highlighting Forrest County
Franklin County 037 Meadville FR 1809 Formed from Adams, Amite, and Wilkinson Counties Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790), Founding Father, drafter and signer of the Declaration of Independence, and influential polymath 7,610 566.5 sq mi
(1,467 km2)
State map highlighting Franklin County
George County 039 Lucedale GE 1910 Formed from Greene and Jackson Counties James Z. George (1826–1897), U.S. Senator and Confederate colonel[13] 25,619 483.6 sq mi
(1,253 km2)
State map highlighting George County
Greene County 041 Leakesville GN 1811 Formed from Wayne County Nathanael Greene (1742–1786), American Revolutionary War general 13,601 718.7 sq mi
(1,861 km2)
State map highlighting Greene County
Grenada County 043 Grenada GR 1870 Formed from Carroll, Choctaw, Tallahatchie and Yalobusha Counties Spanish province of Granada 21,065 449.4 sq mi
(1,164 km2)
State map highlighting Grenada County
Hancock County 045 Bay St. Louis HA 1812 Formed from Mobile County (AL) John Hancock (1737–1793), Founding Father, first signer of the Declaration of Independence, and 4th and 13th President of the Continental Congress 46,159 484 sq mi
(1,254 km2)
State map highlighting Hancock County
Harrison County 047 Gulfport,
Biloxi
HR 1841 Formed from Hancock and Jackson Counties William Henry Harrison (1773–1841), 9th U.S. president 210,612 584.5 sq mi
(1,514 km2)
State map highlighting Harrison County
Hinds County 049 Jackson,
Raymond
HI 1821 Formed from Unorganized land acquired in the Treaty of Doak's Stand Thomas Hinds (1780–1840), U.S. House Representative and War of 1812 major general 214,870 877.3 sq mi
(2,272 km2)
State map highlighting Hinds County
Holmes County 051 Lexington HO 1833 Formed from Yazoo County David Holmes (1769–1832), 1st and 5th Governor of Mississippi and U.S. Senator 15,777 764.5 sq mi
(1,980 km2)
State map highlighting Holmes County
Humphreys County 053 Belzoni HU 1918 Formed from Holmes, Sharkey, Sunflower, Washington and Yazoo Counties Benjamin G. Humphreys (1808–1882), 26th Governor of Mississippi and Confederate brigadier general[14] 7,216 431.3 sq mi
(1,117 km2)
State map highlighting Humphreys County
Issaquena County 055 Mayersville IS 1844 Formed from Washington County Issaquena Creek, derives from Choctaw meaning "deer river" 1,256 436.7 sq mi
(1,131 km2)
State map highlighting Issaquena County
Itawamba County 057 Fulton IT 1836 Formed from Monroe County Itawamba(c. 1759–1834), Chickasaw chief 24,093 540.4 sq mi
(1,400 km2)
State map highlighting Itawamba County
Jackson County 059 Pascagoula JA 1812 Formed from Mobile County (AL) Andrew Jackson (1767–1845), 7th U.S. president and War of 1812 hero 146,389 740.8 sq mi
(1,919 km2)
State map highlighting Jackson County
Jasper County 061 Bay Springs,
Paulding
JS 1833 Formed from Jones and Wayne Counties William Jasper (c. 1750–1779), Revolutionary War sergeant 16,013 677.4 sq mi
(1,754 km2)
State map highlighting Jasper County
Jefferson County 063 Fayette JE 1799 Origianlly known as Pickering, one of two original counties in the Mississippi Territory formed by Governor Winthrop Sargent[9] Thomas Jefferson, third U.S. President and principal author of the Declaration of Independence 6,941 527.1 sq mi
(1,365 km2)
State map highlighting Jefferson County
Jefferson Davis County 065 Prentiss JD 1906 Formed from Covington and Lawrence Counties Jefferson Davis, C.S. President[15] 10,969 409.2 sq mi
(1,060 km2)
State map highlighting Jefferson Davis County
Jones County 067 Laurel,
Ellisville
JO 1826 Formed from Covington and Wayne Counties John Paul Jones, Revolutionary War naval captain 66,250 699.7 sq mi
(1,812 km2)
State map highlighting Jones County
Kemper County 069 De Kalb KE 1833 Formed from Lowndes, Rankin and Wayne Counties Reuben Kemper, American pioneer and revolutionary in Spanish Florida 8,584 767 sq mi
(1,987 km2)
State map highlighting Kemper County
Lafayette County 071 Oxford LA 1836 Formed from Monroe County Marquis de la Fayette, French-born Revolutionary War general 58,467 679.3 sq mi
(1,759 km2)
State map highlighting Lafayette County
Lamar County 073 Purvis LM 1904 Formed from Marion and Pearl River Counties Lucius Q. C. Lamar, Confederate colonel, U.S. Senator from Mississippi, United States Secretary of the Interior, and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States 66,217 500.4 sq mi
(1,296 km2)
State map highlighting Lamar County
Lauderdale County 075 Meridian LD 1833 Formed from Rankin and Wayne Counties James Lauderdale, War of 1812 colonel 70,527 715.3 sq mi
(1,853 km2)
State map highlighting Lauderdale County
Lawrence County 077 Monticello LW 1814 Formed from Marion County James Lawrence, War of 1812 naval captain 11,741 435.8 sq mi
(1,129 km2)
State map highlighting Lawrence County
Leake County 079 Carthage LK 1833 Formed from Madison and Rankin Counties Walter Leake, U.S. Senator and Governor of Mississippi 21,258 585.4 sq mi
(1,516 km2)
State map highlighting Leake County
Lee County 081 Tupelo LE 1866 Formed from Itawamba and Pontotoc Counties Robert E. Lee, General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate States 82,799 453.1 sq mi
(1,174 km2)
State map highlighting Lee County
Leflore County 083 Greenwood LF 1871 Formed from Carroll and Sunflower Counties Greenwood LeFlore, Chief of the Choctaw Nation and state senator 26,378 606.3 sq mi
(1,570 km2)
State map highlighting Leflore County
Lincoln County 085 Brookhaven LI 1870 Formed from Amite, Copiah, Franklin, Lawrence and Pike Counties Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth U.S. President 34,702 588.2 sq mi
(1,523 km2)
State map highlighting Lincoln County
Lowndes County 087 Columbus LO 1830 Formed from Monroe County and Unorganized William Jones Lowndes, U.S. Representative from South Carolina 57,283 516.3 sq mi
(1,337 km2)
State map highlighting Lowndes County
Madison County 089 Canton MD 1828 Formed from Yazoo County James Madison, fourth U.S. President 112,511 742.2 sq mi
(1,922 km2)
State map highlighting Madison County
Marion County 091 Columbia MA 1811 Formed from Unorganized and Amite, Franklin and Wayne Counties Francis Marion, Revolutionary War general 24,224 548.7 sq mi
(1,421 km2)
State map highlighting Marion County
Marshall County 093 Holly Springs MR 1836 Formed from Monroe County John Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States who shaped the Supreme Court's power 34,123 709.7 sq mi
(1,838 km2)
State map highlighting Marshall County
Monroe County 095 Aberdeen MO 1821 Formed from Unorganized land acquired in the Treaty of Turkeytown James Monroe, fifth U.S. President 33,609 772.1 sq mi
(2,000 km2)
State map highlighting Monroe County
Montgomery County 097 Winona MT 1871 Formed from Carroll and Choctaw Counties Richard Montgomery, Revolutionary War general 9,600 407.8 sq mi
(1,056 km2)
State map highlighting Montgomery County
Neshoba County 099 Philadelphia NE 1833 Formed from Jones, Madison, Rankin and Wayne Counties Choctaw word for "wolf" 28,789 571.7 sq mi
(1,481 km2)
State map highlighting Neshoba County
Newton County 101 Decatur NW 1836 Formed from Neshoba County Isaac Newton, English scientist 21,019 579.6 sq mi
(1,501 km2)
State map highlighting Newton County
Noxubee County 103 Macon NO 1833 Formed from Lowndes and Rankin Counties Named for the Noxubee River, Noxubee derives from Choctaw for “to smell as newly caught fish; to stink, as fish", "strong smelling", or "offensive odor" 9,914 700.1 sq mi
(1,813 km2)
State map highlighting Noxubee County
Oktibbeha County 105 Starkville OK 1833 Formed from Lowndes County Named for Tibbee Creek, Choctaw for "fighting water" or "blocks of ice therein" 51,203 462 sq mi
(1,197 km2)
State map highlighting Oktibbeha County
Panola County 107 Batesville,
Sardis
PA 1836 Formed from Monroe and Washington Counties and Unorganized Choctaw for "cotton" 32,669 705.2 sq mi
(1,826 km2)
State map highlighting Panola County
Pearl River County 109 Poplarville PR 1890 Formed from Hancock and Marion Counties Pearl River 57,978 819.1 sq mi
(2,121 km2)
State map highlighting Pearl River County
Perry County 111 New Augusta PE 1820 Formed from Greene County Oliver Hazard Perry, War of 1812 naval captain 11,315 650.2 sq mi
(1,684 km2)
State map highlighting Perry County
Pike County 113 Magnolia PI 1815 Formed from Marion County Zebulon Pike, western explorer 39,394 410.6 sq mi
(1,063 km2)
State map highlighting Pike County
Pontotoc County 115 Pontotoc PO 1836 Formed from Monroe County Deriving from the Chickasaw name for a nearby creek, meaning "hanging grapes" or "cattail prairie" 31,535 501 sq mi
(1,298 km2)
State map highlighting Pontotoc County
Prentiss County 117 Booneville PS 1870 Formed from Itawamba and Tishomingo Counties Seargent Smith Prentiss, U.S. Representative from Mississippi 25,135 418.2 sq mi
(1,083 km2)
State map highlighting Prentiss County
Quitman County 119 Marks QU 1877 Formed from Coahoma, Panola, Tallahatchie and Tunica Counties John A. Quitman, Governor of Mississippi and U.S. Senator 5,546 406.4 sq mi
(1,053 km2)
State map highlighting Quitman County
Rankin County 121 Brandon RA 1828 Formed from Hinds County Christopher Rankin, U.S. Representative from Mississippi 160,417 805.9 sq mi
(2,087 km2)
State map highlighting Rankin County
Scott County 123 Forest SC 1833 Formed from Covington, Jones and Rankin Counties Abram M. Scott, Governor of Mississippi 27,507 610.4 sq mi
(1,581 km2)
State map highlighting Scott County
Sharkey County 125 Rolling Fork SH 1876 Formed from Issaquena and Washington Counties William L. Sharkey, Provisional Governor of Mississippi and Mississippi Supreme Court justice 3,336 435.3 sq mi
(1,127 km2)
State map highlighting Sharkey County
Simpson County 127 Mendenhall SI 1824 Formed from Copiah County Josiah Simpson, first federal judge appointed in the state 25,715 590.5 sq mi
(1,529 km2)
State map highlighting Simpson County
Smith County 129 Raleigh SM 1833 Formed from Covington, Jones and Rankin Counties David Smith, Revolutionary War major general 14,099 637.3 sq mi
(1,651 km2)
State map highlighting Smith County
Stone County 131 Wiggins ST 1916 Formed from Harrison County John M. Stone, Governor of Mississippi[16] 18,756 448.1 sq mi
(1,161 km2)
State map highlighting Stone County
Sunflower County 133 Indianola SU 1844 Formed from Bolivar County Sunflower River 24,468 706.9 sq mi
(1,831 km2)
State map highlighting Sunflower County
Tallahatchie County 135 Charleston,
Sumner
TL 1833 Formed from Washington and Monroe Counties and Unorganized Tallahatchie River 11,837 652.2 sq mi
(1,689 km2)
State map highlighting Tallahatchie County
Tate County 137 Senatobia TA 1873 Formed from DeSoto and Marshall Counties Thomas Simpson Tate, one of the county's original settlers 28,261 411 sq mi
(1,064 km2)
State map highlighting Tate County
Tippah County 139 Ripley TI 1836 Formed from Monroe County Chickasaw for "to eat one another" 21,287 459.9 sq mi
(1,191 km2)
State map highlighting Tippah County
Tishomingo County 141 Iuka TS 1836 Formed from Monroe County Chief Tishomingo, Chickasaw leader 18,507 444.6 sq mi
(1,152 km2)
State map highlighting Tishomingo County
Tunica County 143 Tunica TU 1836 Formed from Washington County and Unorganized Tunica Native Americans 9,234 480.8 sq mi
(1,245 km2)
State map highlighting Tunica County
Union County 145 New Albany UN 1870 Formed from Lee, Pontotoc and Tippah Counties Reunion of Confederacy with the United States 28,284 416.9 sq mi
(1,080 km2)
State map highlighting Union County
Walthall County 147 Tylertown WL 1910[a] Formed from Marion and Pike Counties Edward Walthall, Confederate general and U.S. Senator from Mississippi[18] 13,863 404.3 sq mi
(1,047 km2)
State map highlighting Walthall County
Warren County 149 Vicksburg WR 1809 Formed from Claiborne County and Unorganized Joseph Warren, Revolutionary War general 42,298 620.1 sq mi
(1,606 km2)
State map highlighting Warren County
Washington County 151 Greenville WS 1827 Formed from Warren and Yazoo Counties George Washington, first U.S. President 41,946 760.9 sq mi
(1,971 km2)
State map highlighting Washington County
Wayne County 153 Waynesboro WA 1809 Formed from Washington County (AL) Anthony Wayne, Revolutionary War general and Senior Officer of the United States Army 19,703 813.5 sq mi
(2,107 km2)
State map highlighting Wayne County
Webster County 155 Walthall WE 1874 Formed from Chickasaw, Choctaw and Montgomery Counties as Sumner County Daniel Webster, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts and influential politician of the Nineteenth Century 9,988 422.8 sq mi
(1,095 km2)
State map highlighting Webster County
Wilkinson County 157 Woodville WK 1802 Formed from Adams County James Wilkinson, Revolutionary War general 8,058 687.2 sq mi
(1,780 km2)
State map highlighting Wilkinson County
Winston County 159 Louisville WI 1833 Formed from Lowndes, Madison, and Rankin Counties Louis L. Winston, Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court 17,416 610.1 sq mi
(1,580 km2)
State map highlighting Winston County
Yalobusha County 161 Water Valley,
Coffeeville
YA 1833 Formed from Monroe and Washington Counties and Unorganized Yalobusha River, from Choctaw name meaning "tadpole place" 12,386 495 sq mi
(1,282 km2)
State map highlighting Yalobusha County
Yazoo County 163 Yazoo City YZ 1823 Formed from Hinds County Yazoo River, named for the Yazoo people 25,796 933.9 sq mi
(2,419 km2)
State map highlighting Yazoo County


Footnotes

[edit]
  1. ^ Walthall was formed in 1910; however, because of a legal technicality, its government was not formed until 1914.[17]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Bureau of the Census, U.S.A. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Mississippi". Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  2. ^ "EPA County FIPS Code Listing". EPA.gov. Archived from the original on October 1, 2015. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
  3. ^ a b "County Government" (PDF). 2020-2024 Mississippi Blue Book. Mississippi Secretary of State. 2021.
  4. ^ "Mississippi Standards for Archaelogical Practices" (PDF). Mississippi Department of Archives and History. January 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Mississippi". Atlas of Historical County Boundaries Project. Newberry Library. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  6. ^ Baca, Keith A. (2007). Native American Place Names in Mississippi. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi.
  7. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin Of Certain Place Names (PDF). Washington: Government Printing Office.
  8. ^ "Mississippi County Map". GIS Geography. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Toulmin, Harry (1807). The Statutes of the Mississippi Territory, Revised and Digested by the Authority of the General Assembly. Natchez: Published by Authority. pp. 2–3.
  10. ^ "Benton County". Mississippi Encyclopedia. Center for Study of Southern Culture. April 13, 2018. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  11. ^ "Confederate Mississippi Troops: 34th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry". National Park Service. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  12. ^ "Forrest County". Mississippi Encyclopedia. Center for Study of Southern Culture. April 30, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  13. ^ "George County". Mississippi Encyclopedia. Center for Study of Southern Culture. April 14, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  14. ^ "Humphreys County". Mississippi Encyclopedia. Center for Study of Southern Culture. April 14, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  15. ^ "Jefferson Davis County". Mississippi Encyclopedia. Center for Study of Southern Culture. April 14, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  16. ^ "History". Stone County. Stone County Board of Supervisors. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  17. ^ "Historical Info". Walthall County. Walthall County Board of Supervisors and Walthall County Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  18. ^ "Walthall County". Mississippi Encyclopedia. Center for Study of Southern Culture. April 15, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2024.