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Forrest County, Mississippi facts for kids

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Forrest County
Hattiesburg Municipal Court.
Map of Mississippi highlighting Forrest County
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
Map of the United States highlighting Mississippi
Mississippi's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Mississippi
Founded 1908
Named for Nathan B. Forrest
Seat Hattiesburg
Largest city Hattiesburg
Area
 • Total 470 sq mi (1,200 km2)
 • Land 466 sq mi (1,210 km2)
 • Water 3.9 sq mi (10 km2)  0.8%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 78,158
 • Density 166.3/sq mi (64.2/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 4th

Forrest County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 78,158. Its county seat and largest city is Hattiesburg. The county was created from Perry County in 1908 and named in honor of Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate general in the American Civil War and the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. Forrest County is part of the Hattiesburg, MS Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 470 square miles (1,200 km2), of which 466 square miles (1,210 km2) is land and 3.9 square miles (10 km2) (0.8%) is water.

Major highways

  • I-59.svg Interstate 59
  • US 11.svg U.S. Highway 11
  • US 49.svg U.S. Highway 49
  • US 98.svg U.S. Highway 98
  • Circle sign 13.svg Mississippi Highway 13
  • Circle sign 42.svg Mississippi Highway 42

Adjacent counties

National protected area

  • De Soto National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 20,722
1920 21,238 2.5%
1930 30,115 41.8%
1940 34,901 15.9%
1950 45,055 29.1%
1960 52,722 17.0%
1970 57,849 9.7%
1980 66,018 14.1%
1990 68,314 3.5%
2000 72,604 6.3%
2010 74,934 3.2%
2020 78,158 4.3%
2023 (est.) 78,208 4.4%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2013
Forrest County racial composition as of 2020
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 43,121 55.17%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 28,151 36.02%
Native American 177 0.23%
Asian 789 1.01%
Pacific Islander 29 0.04%
Other/Mixed 2,633 3.37%
Hispanic or Latino 3,258 4.17%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 78,158 people, 27,340 households, and 15,633 families residing in the county.

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Forrest para niños

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Forrest County, Mississippi Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.