Gulfport, Mississippi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gulfport, Mississippi
City
Downtown Gulfport Naval Construction Battalion Center Mississippi Aquarium
Flag Seal Logo
Motto(s):  Anchored in Excellence
Location within Harrison County
Gulfport, Mississippi Location in Mississippi Show map of Mississippi Gulfport, Mississippi Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Harrison
Incorporated	July 28, 1898 (126 years ago) (1898-07-28)
Government
• Type	Strong mayor–council
• Body	Gulfport City Council
Area
• City	64.01 sq mi (165.79 km2)
• Land	55.62 sq mi (144.06 km2)
• Water	8.39 sq mi (21.73 km2)
Elevation	20 ft (6 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	72,926
• Density	1,311.08/sq mi (506.21/km2)
• Urban	236,344 (US: 169th)
• Urban density	1,401.5/sq mi (541.1/km2)
• Metro	416,259 (US: 133rd)
Demonym(s)	Gulfporter
Time zone	UTC−6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes	39501-39503, 39505-39507
Area code(s)	228
FIPS code	28-29700
GNIS feature ID	0670771

Gulfport is a city in Mississippi, United States. It shares the role of county seat with another city in Harrison County, Mississippi. Gulfport is the second-largest city in Mississippi, right after Jackson. It is also part of the larger Gulfport–Biloxi metropolitan area.

In 2020, about 72,926 people lived in Gulfport. The wider metro area had over 416,000 residents. Gulfport is located along the Gulf Coast in southern Mississippi. It gets its name from its important port on the Mississippi Sound.

Gulfport grew from two older towns called Mississippi City and Handsboro. It was started in 1887 by William H. Hardy as a train stop for the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad. Later, Joseph T. Jones, a wealthy businessman from Philadelphia, helped build the railroad, harbor, and shipping channels. The city officially became a town in 1898.

In the early 1900s, Gulfport was the biggest city for exporting lumber in the U.S. This changed when most of Mississippi's Piney Woods forests were used up. The city then became a popular place for tourists. People came for its white beaches, fancy hotels, and casinos.

Today, Gulfport's main industries are military operations, tourism, healthcare, and shipping. It is home to the Naval Construction Battalion Center and the Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center. The Port of Gulfport is one of the busiest ports in the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport serves the area with flights.

Gulfport has faced big challenges, like Hurricane Camille in 1969 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. But the city has always rebuilt and improved its buildings and services.

History of Gulfport

Before Gulfport was founded, there were two small villages nearby. One was Mississippi City along the coast. The other was Handsboro, started in the 1800s near the bayous. Mississippi City was planned in 1837 to be a train stop for the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad. This railroad was meant to move yellow pine wood for trade by ship. Even though the railroad project stopped for a while, Mississippi City was built. It later became the main town for Harrison County in 1841.

The Gulf and Ship Island Railroad company was later restarted. William H. Hardy became its president. He wanted to connect the railroad from Hattiesburg (a town he founded) to the coast. He chose the site of Gulfport in 1887 because it was closer to deep water than Mississippi City. However, the project was very expensive, and Hardy went bankrupt in 1893. The town became almost empty.

Then, Joseph T. Jones, a rich oil businessman from Philadelphia, bought the company. Jones paid for the railroad, the harbor, and for digging the shipping channel. In 1888, the city got its name from R. H. Henry, an editor for a newspaper. On July 28, 1898, Gulfport officially became a city. In 1902, Harrison County decided to make Gulfport its new county seat.

A steamer loading resin in Gulfport in 1906.

The railroad was finished in 1900, and the Port of Gulfport was ready in 1902. On April 28, 1904, Gulfport became an official port of entry for trade. At that time, it was easier to access than ports like Mobile or New Orleans. The port quickly made Gulfport the biggest city in the U.S. for exporting lumber. In 1906, it shipped over 293 million feet of lumber. But as the yellow pine forests ran out, this changed in the early 1900s.

Around the start of the 20th century, Gulfport grew a lot. By 1900, about 1,000 people lived there, and by 1910, over 6,000. Because of this growth, the city started a fire department and sanitation services. A county courthouse was built in 1903. The Louisville and Nashville train line also began serving the city. In 1910, the U.S. Post Office and Customhouse was built. In 1916, a Carnegie Library was planned. Other important developments included the Great Southern Hotel, an electric plant, and a streetcar line.

In 1917, Gulfport was supposed to host a big event called the Mississippi Centennial Exposition. But when the U.S. joined World War I, the plans were canceled. The buildings made for the event were given to the U.S. Navy for a training center. These lands later became a Veterans Administration Hospital, which operated until 2005. The 1920s saw many new buildings, like the Hotel Markham and the Bank of Gulfport. By the 1930s, the population grew to over 12,000, and it kept growing into the 1940s.

During World War II, two military bases were built in Gulfport. Camp Hollyday, started in 1942, later became the home for the Naval Construction Battalion Center. Also in 1942, the U.S. Army Air Corps built a training base for bomber planes called Gulfport Army Airfield. After the war, the city bought most of this base for a new Gulfport Municipal Airport. (The first airport was opened in 1930). In 1954, the U.S. Air Force started using their part of the base again. It was called Gulfport Air Force Base and trained Air National Guard units. This lasted until 1958, when it became the Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center.

U.S. President Gerald Ford visited Gulfport during his 1976 election campaign.

By 1950, Gulfport's population was around 22,000, and by 1960, it reached 30,000. In 1960, Gulfport had its own protest wade-in, similar to the Biloxi wade-ins. In 1965, the city took in the original Mississippi City and Handsboro areas. On August 17, 1969, Hurricane Camille hit Gulfport and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It was the second-strongest hurricane to hit the U.S. The waterfront areas of Gulfport were hit hardest. Storm waters reached 21 feet high, and the port was almost completely destroyed. However, the downtown and inland areas had less damage.

In 1976, the Armed Forces Retirement Home moved to Gulfport. It was built on the land of the old Gulf Coast Military Academy. Hurricane Katrina destroyed this facility in 2005. But it was rebuilt as a much larger place in 2010. A new county courthouse was built in 1977. In 1993, Gulfport opened its first two casinos. Later that year, the city added about 33 square miles of land north of Gulfport. This new land included Turkey Creek. This is a historic community started by freed African Americans after the American Civil War. In 2003, the Dan M. Russell Jr. United States Courthouse was finished.

Damage to the Marine Life Oceanarium and casinos after Hurricane Katrina.

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit Gulfport very hard. Winds reached at least 100 miles per hour, and the storm surge was at least 19 feet high. About 9,571 houses were damaged or destroyed. The city faced a $3 million money shortage. Gulfport received over $300 million in federal aid. This money was used to fix roads, buildings, and essential services. In 2020, on the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the Mississippi Aquarium opened. It replaced a dolphin center that was destroyed by the hurricane.

Geography

Gulfport, Mississippi (map center) is east of Long Beach, west of Biloxi, along the Gulf of Mexico.

Gulfport is located along the Gulf of Mexico. The city has a total area of about 64 square miles (166.4 square kilometers). About 55.6 square miles (144.06 square kilometers) is land, and 8.39 square miles (21.73 square kilometers) is water.

Neighborhoods

In 2000, Gulfport listed 39 official neighborhoods. These are often smaller communities or areas where homes have been built over time. Some of these include:

Climate

Gulfport has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters. The nearby Gulf of Mexico helps keep the temperatures from getting too extreme. Winters are short and usually mild. Cold weather does happen, but it doesn't last long. Snow is very rare in Gulfport. Summers are long, hot, and humid. But being close to the Gulf keeps the summer heat from being as extreme as it is farther inland.

Gulfport can experience strong weather, especially tropical storms from the Gulf of Mexico. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Gulfport was 107°F (42°C) on August 26, 2023. The coldest was 1°F (-17°C) on February 12, 1899. Weather records for Gulfport go back to 1893.

Population of Gulfport

This table shows the different racial and ethnic groups living in Gulfport. The U.S. Census counts Hispanic/Latino people as an ethnic group, separate from racial categories.

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 72,926 people living in Gulfport. This included 25,559 households and 15,584 families.

Gulfport is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi metropolitan area. This larger area has a population of 416,259 people.

Economy

Gulfport's economy has changed a lot since it started as a lumber port. Now, it's a diverse city. It has about 6.7 miles (10.8 kilometers) of white sand beaches along the Gulf of Mexico. This makes Gulfport a popular place for tourists. Mississippi's coast casinos also help bring visitors.

Gulfport hosts fun events like "Cruisin' the Coast," which is a week for classic cars. It also has "Smokin' the Sound" for speedboat races. Gulfport is a busy community with many shops and businesses. It has historic neighborhoods and different shopping places. There are also many hotels for people who come to golf, gamble, or enjoy water sports. The Island View Casino is one of twelve casinos on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Here are the top employers in Gulfport as of 2020:

Arts and Culture

The Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport.

The Mississippi Aquarium opened on August 29, 2020. This 5.8-acre (2.3-hectare) complex has both indoor and outdoor areas. It is home to over 200 types of animals and 50 types of local plants.

Fort Massachusetts is a fort on West Ship Island near the coast. It was built after the War of 1812 and was used until 1903. Today, it is a historical place for tourists to visit within the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

Turkey Creek Community Historic District is a community with a rich history. It was started by freed African Americans during the Reconstruction Era, after the American Civil War.

Education

Inside the Gulfport Public Library.

Schools in Gulfport are part of the Gulfport School District and the Harrison County School District. The Harrison County Campus of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is also located in Gulfport.

Before Hurricane Katrina, William Carey University had a smaller campus in Gulfport. In 2009, the university moved to its new Tradition Campus. This campus was built off Mississippi Highway 67 in northern Harrison County.

The Gulf Park Campus of the University of Southern Mississippi is in Long Beach. This is just west of Gulfport. In 2012, repairs were still being made to its buildings. They were badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Media

The Sun Herald is the local newspaper for Gulfport, Biloxi, and other Gulf Coast cities. Its main office is in Gulfport. The paper won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for its reporting on Hurricane Katrina.

There are six FM radio stations in Gulfport: W209CF 89.7, WA0Y 91.7 (American Family Radio), WGBL 96.7, WGCM-FM 102.3, WAIP-LP 103.9, and WLGF 107.1 (K-Love). There are also three AM radio stations: WQFX 1130 (W254DJ 98.7), WGCM 1240 (W265DH 100.9), and WROA 1390 (W261CU 100.1).

Gulfport also has two television stations: WLOX, an ABC channel, and WLOX-DT2, a CBS channel. There's also WXXV on 25.1, a Fox channel, an NBC channel on 25.2, a CW+ channel on 25.3, and a Defy TV channel on 25.4. WLOX won the Peabody Award for its coverage of Hurricane Katrina.

Many movies and TV shows have been filmed in Gulfport. These include the 2016 movie Precious Cargo, the 2017 TV movie Christmas in Mississippi, and the 2015 TV series The Astronaut Wives Club.

Transportation

Coast Transit Authority buses at the transit center in Gulfport.

The Gulfport–Biloxi International Airport serves Gulfport, Biloxi, and the Gulf Coast area.

The Coast Transit Authority provides bus service in the region. They have regular bus routes and special services for people who need them.

Major roads and highways run through Gulfport. Interstate 10 goes east-west through the middle of Gulfport. U.S. 90 follows the coast and runs east-west through the downtown area. U.S. 49 comes from the north and ends in Gulfport.

Until Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Amtrak's Sunset Limited train used to stop in Gulfport station. This train traveled from Los Angeles to Orlando. In the 1960s, the Louisville and Nashville railroad ran several trains daily through Gulfport. These trains went to cities like New Orleans, Cincinnati, Atlanta, New York City, and Jacksonville. Amtrak train service is expected to return in 2025 with a new train line. It will connect Gulfport to other cities along the Gulf Coast through Gulfport Station.

Notable People

• Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, a former professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, and Vancouver Grizzlies.
• Stacey Abrams, an American politician, lawyer, and writer.
• Thomas H. Anderson, Jr., who was an Ambassador for the United States to several countries from 1984 to 1986. He was born in Gulfport.
• Tommy Armstrong, Jr., a quarterback for the Nebraska Cornhuskers college football team.
• Jerome Barkum, a former professional football player for the New York Jets.
• Milton Barney, who won the 1990 Arena Football League Ironman of the Year Award.
• William Joel Blass, a lawyer and educator.
• Timmy Bowers, a professional basketball player.
• Rod Davis, a professional football player who played for the Minnesota Vikings.
• Brett Favre, a famous quarterback in the National Football League for teams like the Green Bay Packers. He was born in Gulfport.
• William H. Hardy, one of the people who helped start the city of Gulfport.
• Josh Hayes, a professional motorcycle roadracer and a championship winner.
• William Gardner Hewes, a politician and a former Mayor of Gulfport.
• Jonathan Holder, a professional baseball pitcher.
• Boyce Holleman, a lawyer, politician, and actor.
• Jaimoe, an original member and drummer of the Allman Brothers Band, who grew up in Gulfport.
• Joseph T. Jones, one of the people who helped start the city of Gulfport.
• Matt Lawton, a former Major League Baseball player, known for playing with the Minnesota Twins.
• Matt Luke, a former head coach for the Ole Miss Rebels football team.
• Stanford Morse (1926-2002), a member of the Mississippi State Senate and a political candidate.
• Brittney Reese, an Olympic gold medalist in the long jump.
• John C. Robinson (1903-1954), known as "The Brown Condor," an aviator and civil rights activist.
• Stuart Roosa, a Colonel in the US Air Force and an Apollo 14 astronaut. He was the Command Module Pilot and brought seeds to the moon.
• Tiffany Travis, a former WNBA Basketball player for the Charlotte Sting.
• Natasha Trethewey, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and former Poet Laureate of the United States. She was born in Gulfport.
• Tim Young, a professional baseball player who played for the Montreal Expos and the Boston Red Sox.

See also

In Spanish: Gulfport (Misisipi) para niños