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Lee County, Mississippi facts for kids

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Lee County
County
County of Lee
Clock tower of the Lee County Courthouse
Clock tower of the Lee County Courthouse
Map of Mississippi highlighting Lee 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 October 26, 1866
(158 years ago) (1866-10-26)
Named for Gen. Robert E. Lee
Seat Tupelo
Largest city Tupelo
Area
 • Total 453 sq mi (1,170 km2)
 • Land 450 sq mi (1,200 km2)
 • Water 3.2 sq mi (8 km2)  0.7%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 83,343
 • Density 183.98/sq mi (71.04/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes
38801, 38804, 38824, 38826, 38828, 38843, 38849, 38857, 38858, 38860, 38862, 38866, 38868, 38879
Area code 662
Congressional district 1st

Lee County is a county located in the state of Mississippi in the United States. In 2020, about 83,343 people lived there. The main city and county seat is Tupelo. Lee County is part of the larger Tupelo area, which includes nearby towns.

History of Lee County

Lee County was created on October 26, 1866. It was named after General Robert E. Lee, a famous general from the American Civil War.

The county was formed from parts of Itawamba County and Pontotoc County. This means many early settlers of Lee County were first recorded in those older counties.

Geography of Lee County

Lee County covers a total area of about 453 square miles (1,173 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 450 square miles (1,165 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 3.2 square miles (8.3 square kilometers), is water.

Main Roads and Highways

Several important roads pass through Lee County, making it easy to travel. These include:

Neighboring Counties

Lee County shares borders with six other counties:

Protected Natural Areas

Lee County is home to parts of important national sites:

Population and People

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1870 15,955 —
1880 20,470 28.3%
1890 20,040 −2.1%
1900 21,956 9.6%
1910 28,894 31.6%
1920 29,618 2.5%
1930 35,313 19.2%
1940 38,838 10.0%
1950 38,237 −1.5%
1960 40,589 6.2%
1970 46,148 13.7%
1980 57,061 23.6%
1990 65,581 14.9%
2000 75,755 15.5%
2010 82,910 9.4%
2020 83,343 0.5%
2023 (est.) 82,799 −0.1%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2013 2018
Family in a wagon, Lee County, Mississippi, 1935
A family in a wagon in Lee County, 1935.

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 83,343 people living in Lee County. There were 30,378 households and 21,437 families.

Population by Race (2020)

The table below shows the different racial groups living in Lee County in 2020.

Lee County Racial Composition
Race Number of People Percentage
White 52,854 63.42%
Black or African American 24,131 28.95%
Native American 94 0.11%
Asian 920 1.1%
Pacific Islander 25 0.03%
Other/Mixed 2,491 2.99%
Hispanic or Latino 2,828 3.39%

Communities in Lee County

Lee County has several cities, towns, and smaller communities.

Cities

Towns

Census-Designated Places

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller areas without their own local government.

Education in Lee County

Students in Lee County attend schools managed by several different school districts:

  • Baldwyn School District
  • Lee County School District
  • Nettleton School District
  • Tupelo Public School District

See also

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

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