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Harrison County, Mississippi facts for kids

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Harrison County
Dan M. Russell Jr. United States Courthouse in Gulfport, Harrison County
Dan M. Russell Jr. United States Courthouse in Gulfport, Harrison County
Flag of Harrison County
Flag
Official seal of Harrison County
Seal
Map of Mississippi highlighting Harrison 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 1841
Named for William Henry Harrison
Seat Biloxi and Gulfport
Largest city Gulfport
Area
 • Total 976 sq mi (2,530 km2)
 • Land 574 sq mi (1,490 km2)
 • Water 402 sq mi (1,040 km2)  41%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 208,621
 • Estimate 
(2023)
210,612 Increase
 • Density 213.75/sq mi (82.53/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 4th

Harrison County is a place in the state of Mississippi, USA. It's like a big neighborhood or region. In 2020, about 208,621 people lived here. The main towns where the county government works are Biloxi and Gulfport. The county is named after William Henry Harrison, who was once a U.S. President. Harrison County is part of the larger Gulfport-Biloxi area. This county has faced big storms, like Hurricane Camille in 1969 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which caused a lot of damage.

Geography

Harrison County covers a total area of about 976 square miles. A large part of this, about 402 square miles (or 41%), is covered by water. The Tchoutacabouffa River flows into Biloxi Bay, which is just north of Biloxi city. Gulfport, Mississippi is a very important port for the state. Ships can get to the Gulf of Mexico from there through a special channel. Harrison County is the second-largest county in Mississippi when you look at its total area.

Wildlife

There's a special pond in Harrison County that is home to a very rare type of frog called the dusky gopher frog. This frog is critically endangered, meaning it's at a very high risk of disappearing forever.

Major roads

  • I-10.svg Interstate 10
  • I-110.svg Interstate 110
  • US 49.svg U.S. Highway 49
  • US 90.svg U.S. Highway 90
  • Circle sign 15.svg Mississippi Highway 15
  • Circle sign 53.svg Mississippi Highway 53
  • Circle sign 67.svg Mississippi Highway 67
  • Circle sign 605.svg Mississippi Highway 605
  • Circle sign 43.svg Mississippi Highway 43

Neighboring counties and parishes

Protected natural areas

Population facts

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 4,875
1860 4,819 −1.1%
1870 5,795 20.3%
1880 7,895 36.2%
1890 12,481 58.1%
1900 21,002 68.3%
1910 34,658 65.0%
1920 32,855 −5.2%
1930 44,143 34.4%
1940 50,799 15.1%
1950 84,073 65.5%
1960 119,489 42.1%
1970 134,582 12.6%
1980 157,665 17.2%
1990 165,365 4.9%
2000 189,601 14.7%
2010 187,105 −1.3%
2020 208,621 11.5%
2023 (est.) 210,612 12.6%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

2020 population details

Harrison County racial composition
Race Number Percent
White (not Hispanic) 125,092 59.96%
Black or African American (not Hispanic) 51,143 24.51%
Native American 786 0.38%
Asian 5,913 2.83%
Pacific Islander 257 0.12%
Other/mixed 11,454 5.49%
Hispanic or Latino 13,976 6.7%

In 2020, the 2020 United States census counted 208,621 people living in Harrison County. There were 74,628 households and 50,074 families.

Communities

TchoutacabouffaRiver1998
Water from the Tchoutacabouffa River overflowing its banks near Old Hwy 67 and MS 15 in 1998, after Hurricane Georges.

Cities

Census-designated places

These are areas that are like towns but not officially incorporated as cities.

Unincorporated communities

These are smaller communities that are not part of any city or census-designated place.

Education

Here are the different school districts in Harrison County:

  • Biloxi Public School District
  • Gulfport School District
  • Harrison County School District
  • Long Beach School District
  • Pass Christian Public School District

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Harrison (Misisipi) para niños

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