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Harrison County, Mississippi facts for kids

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Harrison County
U.S. county
Harrison County Courthouse (constructed in 1903, destroyed by fire in 1970s)
Harrison County Courthouse (constructed in 1903, destroyed by fire in 1970s)
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
 (2010)
 • Total 187,105
 • Estimate 
(2019)
 208,080
 • Density 362/sq mi (140/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 4th

Harrison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 187,105, making it the second-most populous county in Mississippi. Its county seats are Biloxi and Gulfport. The county is named after U.S. President William Henry Harrison.

Harrison County is part of the Gulfport-Biloxi, MS Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The county was severely damaged from both Hurricane Camille on August 17, 1969, and Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, causing catastrophic effects.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 976 square miles (2,530 km2), of which 574 square miles (1,490 km2) is land and 402 square miles (1,040 km2) (41%) is water. It is the second-largest county in Mississippi by total area.

Wildlife

A single pond in the county contains the critically endangered dusky gopher frog.

Major highways

  • 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

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics

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%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2017 2019

2020 census

Harrison County racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 125,092 59.96%
Black or African American (non-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%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 208,621 people, 74,628 households, and 50,074 families residing in the county.

Communities

TchoutacabouffaRiver1998
Water from the Tchoutacabouffa River overflowing its banks near the intersection of Old Hwy 67 and MS 15 on September 29, 1998, after Hurricane Georges made landfall.

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

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