Laurel, Mississippi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Laurel, Mississippi
City
Lauren Rogers Museum of Art
Flag City logo
Nickname(s):  "The City Beautiful"
Laurel, Mississippi Location in the United States Show map of the United States Laurel, Mississippi Location in Mississippi Show map of Mississippi
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Jones
Incorporated	1882
Government
• Type	Mayor-Council
Area
• Total	16.54 sq mi (42.83 km2)
• Land	16.24 sq mi (42.05 km2)
• Water	0.30 sq mi (0.78 km2)
Elevation	269 ft (82 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	17,161
• Density	1,056.97/sq mi (408.10/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	39440–39443
Area code(s)	601, 769
FIPS code	28-39640
GNIS feature ID	0672321

Laurel is a city in Mississippi, United States. It's one of the two main cities in Jones County. In 2020, about 17,161 people lived there. Laurel is known for being home to the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, which is the oldest art museum in Mississippi!

Many people work in Laurel. Some of the biggest employers include Howard Industries, Sanderson Farms, and Masonite International.

History of Laurel

Oak Street, Laurel, Mississippi, around 1900

Laurel was started in 1882. It began as a town for the lumber industry. Workers harvested yellow pine trees from the nearby forests. The city got its name from the many laurel bushes growing around the area.

Around the year 1900, Laurel also became a place for cotton mills. These mills processed cotton into textiles. Many people moved to Laurel from farms to find jobs in these factories. The city's population grew a lot in the early 1900s. Laurel had the most people living there in 1960. Since then, the population has become smaller.

Geography and Climate

Laurel covers about 15.8 square miles (40.9 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Laurel's Weather

The weather in Laurel has hot and humid summers. Winters are usually mild, meaning not too cold. Laurel has what is called a humid subtropical climate. This means it gets a lot of rain and has warm temperatures for most of the year.

Population Information

In 2020, there were 17,161 people living in Laurel. There were 6,825 households, which are groups of people living together.

Most people in Laurel are Black or African American, making up about 62% of the population. White people make up about 26%. About 8.5% of the people are Hispanic or Latino.

Education in Laurel

Most students in Laurel go to schools in the Laurel School District. This includes Laurel High School.

There are also some private schools in the city:

• Laurel Christian School
• Laurel Christian High School
• St. John's Day School

For students who want to continue their education after high school, Jones College is a community college nearby.

Transportation and Travel

Laurel Train Station

You can travel to Laurel by train! Amtrak's Crescent train stops at the Laurel train station. This train connects Laurel to big cities like New York City, Atlanta, and New Orleans.

The closest airport is Hattiesburg–Laurel Regional Airport. It's about 21 miles (34 kilometers) southwest of Laurel.

Major highways that pass through Laurel include:

• Interstate 59
• U.S. Route 84
• U.S. Route 11
• Mississippi Highway 15

Famous People from Laurel

Many well-known people have connections to Laurel, Mississippi. Here are a few:

See also

In Spanish: Laurel (Misisipi) para niños