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Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Bay St. Louis, the new bay bridge, and the City of Bay St. Louis on the upper (western) shore
Bay St. Louis, the new bay bridge, and the City of Bay St. Louis on the upper (western) shore
Location of Bay St. Louis, MS
Location of Bay St. Louis, MS
Bay St is located in the United States
Bay St
Bay St
Location in the United States
Country United States
State Mississippi
County Hancock
Area
 • Total 16.9 sq mi (43.7 km2)
 • Land 6.1 sq mi (15.8 km2)
 • Water 10.7 sq mi (27.8 km2)
Elevation
23 ft (7 m)
Population
 (2000) Suffered as a result of Hurricane Katrina, is recovering
 • Total 8,209
 • Density 1,342.1/sq mi (518.2/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
Zip Code
39520, 39521, 39522
Area code(s) 228
FIPS code 28-03980
GNIS feature ID 0666588
Website Bay St. Louis

Bay St. Louis is a city located in Mississippi, a state in the United States. It's the main city of Hancock County. The city is part of a larger area that includes Gulfport and Biloxi.

In 2010, about 9,260 people lived here. The city is growing again after a big storm called Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. By 2015, the population was estimated to be around 12,030 people.

Where is Bay St. Louis?

Bay St. Louis is located on the coast of Mississippi, right on the Bay of Saint Louis. This bay then opens up into the larger Mississippi Sound, which is part of the Gulf of Mexico.

The city covers a total area of about 16.9 square miles (43.7 square kilometers). Most of this area is water, with about 10.7 square miles (27.8 square kilometers) being water and 6.1 square miles (15.8 square kilometers) being land.

Mississippi-Coast-towns-NOAA
Bay St. Louis, Mississippi (left center) is west of Pass Christian, along the Gulf of Mexico.

Who Lives in Bay St. Louis?

The number of people living in Bay St. Louis has changed over the years. Here's a quick look at how the population has grown:

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 1,978
1890 1,974 −0.2%
1900 2,872 45.5%
1910 3,388 18.0%
1920 3,033 −10.5%
1930 3,724 22.8%
1940 4,138 11.1%
1950 4,621 11.7%
1960 5,073 9.8%
1970 6,752 33.1%
1980 7,850 16.3%
1990 8,063 2.7%
2000 8,209 1.8%
2010 9,260 12.8%
2015 (est.) 12,030 29.9%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2000, there were 8,209 people living in the city. The city had about 3,271 households. The average household had about 2.41 people.

The population included people of different backgrounds. About 80% were White, and about 16.5% were African American. There were also smaller groups of Native American, Asian, and Pacific Islander people, as well as people from other backgrounds. About 1.68% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The median age in the city was 39 years old. This means half the people were younger than 39, and half were older.

HancockCountyCourthouse14Sept07
Hancock County Courthouse in Bay St. Louis

Schools in Bay St. Louis

The schools in Bay St. Louis are managed by the Bay St. Louis-Waveland School District.

The city is home to:

  • Bay High School
  • St. Stanislaus College Prep: This is a school for boys in grades 7–12. It's a "residency and day school," meaning some boys live there, and others just come for the day.
  • Our Lady Academy: This is a day school for girls in grades 7–12.

St. Stanislaus College Prep and Our Lady Academy are Catholic schools. They sometimes share classrooms and follow a similar religious learning plan.

Major Hurricanes

Bay St. Louis has been hit by powerful hurricanes over the years. These storms have caused a lot of damage but the city has worked hard to rebuild.

Hurricane Camille (1969)

On August 17, 1969, Hurricane Camille made landfall. It first hit the tip of Louisiana before moving on to Bay St. Louis.

Hurricane Katrina (2005)

FEMA - 16964 - Photograph by John Fleck taken on 10-04-2005 in Mississippi
The Bay bridge on US Highway 90, damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made its final landfall near Bay St. Louis. This was a very strong storm. It brought a huge storm surge of about 28 feet (8.5 meters) of water. Because it hit during high tide, the water level was even higher, reaching over 30 feet (9 meters) deep in some areas.

Some parts of the city, especially along old Highway 90, were higher up and didn't get as much flooding from the storm surge.

Hurricane Katrina damaged many buildings, including the Bay St. Louis Public Library. The library had severe roof and water damage. However, it was able to reopen to the public just over a month later, on October 12, 2005.

The bridge on US Highway 90 in Bay St. Louis was also badly damaged. Many parts of the bridge collapsed. A new bridge has since been built to replace it. This new bridge even has a special walking path with art from local artists.

After Hurricane Katrina, the city's underground pipes and wires were completely rebuilt with help from the U.S. government.

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