List of counties in Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Counties of Mississippi |
|
|---|---|
| Location | State of Mississippi |
| Number | 82 |
| Populations | Greatest: 214,870 (Hinds) Least: 1,256 (Issaquena) Average: 35,850 (2023) |
| Areas | Largest: 920 square miles (2,400 km2) (Yazoo, by land) Smallest: 400 square miles (1,000 km2) (Alcorn) Average: 591 square miles (1,530 km2) |
| Government | County government |
| Subdivisions | cities, towns, unincorporated communities, census designated place |
Mississippi is a state in the United States. It has 82 areas called counties. These counties help organize the state and its local governments. Mississippi shares a special record with Arkansas: both states have 10 counties that have two main towns, called county seats.
The short way to write Mississippi is MS. Its special code for government use is 28.
Mississippi's Counties: A Quick Look
Mississippi has 82 counties, each with its own history and unique name. Many counties are named after important people, like former U.S. Presidents or generals. Others are named after Native American tribes or local rivers.
Some counties have one main town (county seat), while others have two. Having two county seats means that some government offices or courts might be in different towns within the same county.
List of Counties in Mississippi
Here is a list of all the counties in Mississippi, including their main towns and what their names mean.
| County |
FIPS code | County seat | Smithsonian Trinomial |
Est. | How it Started | Name Meaning | Population | Area | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 001 | Natchez | AD | 1799 | One of the first counties | John Adams, the second U.S. President | 28,746 | 460 sq mi (1,191 km2) |
 |
| Alcorn County | 003 | Corinth | AL | 1870 | Formed from Tippiah and Tishomingo Counties | James L. Alcorn, a U.S. Senator from Mississippi | 34,135 | 400 sq mi (1,036 km2) |
 |
| Amite County | 005 | Liberty | AM | 1809 | Formed from Wilkinson County | Amite River | 12,442 | 730 sq mi (1,891 km2) |
 |
| Attala County | 007 | Kosciusko | AT | 1833 | Formed from Madison County | A Native American character from the novel Atala | 17,359 | 735 sq mi (1,904 km2) |
 |
| Benton County | 009 | Ashland | BE | 1870 | Formed from Marshall and Tippah Counties | Samuel Benton, a Confederate general | 7,438 | 407 sq mi (1,054 km2) |
 |
| Bolivar County | 011 | Cleveland, Rosedale |
BO | 1836 | Formed from Tallahatchie and Washington Counties | Simon Bolivar, a South American revolutionary leader | 28,968 | 876 sq mi (2,269 km2) |
 |
| Calhoun County | 013 | Pittsboro | CN | 1852 | Formed from Chickasaw, Lafayette and Yalobusha Counties | John C. Calhoun, a U.S. Senator | 12,685 | 587 sq mi (1,520 km2) |
 |
| Carroll County | 015 | Carrollton, Vaiden |
CA | 1833 | Formed from Lowndes, Monroe, Washington and Yazoo Counties | Charles Carroll, a signer of the Declaration of Independence | 9,535 | 628 sq mi (1,627 km2) |
 |
| Chickasaw County | 017 | Houston, Okolona |
CS | 1836 | Formed from Monroe County and Unorganized | Chickasaw Native Americans | 16,866 | 502 sq mi (1,300 km2) |
 |
| Choctaw County | 019 | Ackerman | CH | 1833 | Formed from Lowndes, Madison, Monroe and Yazoo Counties | Choctaw Native Americans | 8,088 | 419 sq mi (1,085 km2) |
 |
| Claiborne County | 021 | Port Gibson | CB | 1802 | Formed from Jefferson (Pickering) County | William C. C. Claiborne, Governor of the Mississippi Territory | 8,617 | 487 sq mi (1,261 km2) |
 |
| Clarke County | 023 | Quitman | CK | 1833 | Formed from Wayne County | Joshua G. Clarke, the first chancellor of the Mississippi Chancery Courts | 15,228 | 691 sq mi (1,790 km2) |
 |
| Clay County | 025 | West Point | CL | 1871 | Formed from Chickasaw, Lowndes, Monroe and Oktibbeha Counties | Henry Clay, a U.S. Senator | 18,206 | 409 sq mi (1,059 km2) |
 |
| Coahoma County | 027 | Clarksdale | CO | 1836 | Formed from Unorganized | From a Choctaw word meaning "red panther" | 20,077 | 554 sq mi (1,435 km2) |
 |
| Copiah County | 029 | Hazlehurst | CP | 1823 | Formed from Franklin and Hinds Counties | From a Choctaw word meaning "calling panther" | 27,664 | 777 sq mi (2,012 km2) |
 |
| Covington County | 031 | Collins | CV | 1819 | Formed from Lawrence and Wayne Counties | Leonard Covington, a general in the War of 1812 | 18,059 | 414 sq mi (1,072 km2) |
 |
| DeSoto County | 033 | Hernando | DS | 1836 | Formed from Monroe and Washington Counties | Hernando de Soto, a Spanish explorer | 193,247 | 478 sq mi (1,238 km2) |
 |
| Forrest County | 035 | Hattiesburg | FO | 1906 | Formed from Perry County | Nathan B. Forrest, a Confederate general | 78,208 | 467 sq mi (1,210 km2) |
 |
| Franklin County | 037 | Meadville | FR | 1809 | Formed from Adams County | Benjamin Franklin, a U.S. founding father | 7,610 | 565 sq mi (1,463 km2) |
 |
| George County | 039 | Lucedale | GE | 1910 | Formed from Greene and Jackson Counties | James Z. George, a U.S. Senator from Mississippi | 25,619 | 478 sq mi (1,238 km2) |
 |
| Greene County | 041 | Leakesville | GN | 1811 | Formed from Wayne County | Nathanael Greene, a general in the American Revolutionary War | 13,601 | 713 sq mi (1,847 km2) |
 |
| Grenada County | 043 | Grenada | GR | 1870 | Formed from Carroll, Choctaw, Tallahatchie and Yalobusha Counties | Named after the Spanish province of Granada | 21,065 | 422 sq mi (1,093 km2) |
 |
| Hancock County | 045 | Bay St. Louis | HA | 1812 | Formed from Unorganized | John Hancock, the first signer of the Declaration of Independence | 46,159 | 477 sq mi (1,235 km2) |
 |
| Harrison County | 047 | Gulfport, Biloxi |
HR | 1841 | Formed from Hancock County | William Henry Harrison, the ninth U.S. President | 210,612 | 581 sq mi (1,505 km2) |
 |
| Hinds County | 049 | Jackson, Raymond |
HI | 1821 | Formed from Unorganized (Choctaw Cession of 1820) | Thomas Hinds, a general in the War of 1812 | 214,870 | 869 sq mi (2,251 km2) |
 |
| Holmes County | 051 | Lexington | HO | 1833 | Formed from Yazoo County | David Holmes, the first Governor of Mississippi | 15,777 | 756 sq mi (1,958 km2) |
 |
| Humphreys County | 053 | Belzoni | HU | 1918 | Formed from Holmes, Sunflower, Washington and Yazoo Counties | Benjamin G. Humphreys, a Governor of Mississippi | 7,216 | 418 sq mi (1,083 km2) |
 |
| Issaquena County | 055 | Mayersville | IS | 1844 | Formed from Washington County | A Choctaw word meaning "Deer River" | 1,256 | 413 sq mi (1,070 km2) |
 |
| Itawamba County | 057 | Fulton | IT | 1836 | Formed from Monroe County | Itawamba, a Chickasaw chief | 24,093 | 532 sq mi (1,378 km2) |
 |
| Jackson County | 059 | Pascagoula | JA | 1812 | Formed from Unorganized | Andrew Jackson, a hero of the War of 1812 and seventh U.S. President | 146,389 | 727 sq mi (1,883 km2) |
 |
| Jasper County | 061 | Bay Springs, Paulding |
JS | 1833 | Formed from Jones and Wayne Counties | William Jasper, a Revolutionary War sergeant | 16,013 | 676 sq mi (1,751 km2) |
 |
| Jefferson County | 063 | Fayette | JE | 1799 | One of the first counties | Thomas Jefferson, the third U.S. President | 6,941 | 519 sq mi (1,344 km2) |
 |
| Jefferson Davis County | 065 | Prentiss | JD | 1906 | Formed from Covington and Lawrence Counties | Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederate States | 10,969 | 408 sq mi (1,057 km2) |
 |
| Jones County | 067 | Laurel, Ellisville |
JO | 1826 | Formed from Covington and Wayne Counties | John Paul Jones, a Revolutionary War naval captain | 66,250 | 694 sq mi (1,797 km2) |
 |
| Kemper County | 069 | De Kalb | KE | 1833 | Formed from Lowndes, Rankin and Wayne Counties | Reuben Kemper, an American pioneer | 8,584 | 766 sq mi (1,984 km2) |
 |
| Lafayette County | 071 | Oxford | LA | 1836 | Formed from Monroe County | Marquis de la Fayette, a French general in the Revolutionary War | 58,467 | 631 sq mi (1,634 km2) |
 |
| Lamar County | 073 | Purvis | LM | 1904 | Formed from Marion and Pearl River Counties | Lucius Q. C. Lamar, a U.S. Senator from Mississippi | 66,217 | 497 sq mi (1,287 km2) |
 |
| Lauderdale County | 075 | Meridian | LD | 1833 | Formed from Rankin and Wayne Counties | James Lauderdale, a colonel in the War of 1812 | 70,527 | 704 sq mi (1,823 km2) |
 |
| Lawrence County | 077 | Monticello | LW | 1814 | Formed from Marion County | James Lawrence, a naval captain in the War of 1812 | 11,741 | 431 sq mi (1,116 km2) |
 |
| Leake County | 079 | Carthage | LK | 1833 | Formed from Madison and Rankin Counties | Walter Leake, a Governor of Mississippi | 21,258 | 583 sq mi (1,510 km2) |
 |
| Lee County | 081 | Tupelo | LE | 1866 | Formed from Itawamba and Pontotoc Counties | Robert E. Lee, a Confederate general | 82,799 | 450 sq mi (1,165 km2) |
 |
| Leflore County | 083 | Greenwood | LF | 1871 | Formed from Carroll and Sunflower Counties | Greenwood LeFlore, a mixed-race advocate for Native American rights | 26,378 | 592 sq mi (1,533 km2) |
 |
| Lincoln County | 085 | Brookhaven | LI | 1870 | Formed from Amite, Copiah, Franklin, Lawrence and Pike Counties | Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth U.S. President | 34,702 | 586 sq mi (1,518 km2) |
 |
| Lowndes County | 087 | Columbus | LO | 1830 | Formed from Monroe County and Unorganized | William Jones Lowndes, a U.S. Representative | 57,283 | 502 sq mi (1,300 km2) |
 |
| Madison County | 089 | Canton | MD | 1828 | Formed from Yazoo County | James Madison, the fourth U.S. President | 112,511 | 719 sq mi (1,862 km2) |
 |
| Marion County | 091 | Columbia | MA | 1811 | Formed from Amite, Franklin and Wayne Counties | Francis Marion, a Revolutionary War general | 24,224 | 542 sq mi (1,404 km2) |
 |
| Marshall County | 093 | Holly Springs | MR | 1836 | Formed from Monroe County | John Marshall, a Chief Justice of the United States | 34,123 | 706 sq mi (1,829 km2) |
 |
| Monroe County | 095 | Aberdeen | MO | 1821 | Formed from Unorganized (Chickasaw Cession of 1816) | James Monroe, the fifth U.S. President | 33,609 | 764 sq mi (1,979 km2) |
 |
| Montgomery County | 097 | Winona | MT | 1871 | Formed from Carroll and Choctaw Counties | Richard Montgomery, a Revolutionary War general | 9,600 | 407 sq mi (1,054 km2) |
 |
| Neshoba County | 099 | Philadelphia | NE | 1833 | Formed from Jones, Madison, Rankin and Wayne Counties | A Choctaw word for "gray wolf" | 28,789 | 570 sq mi (1,476 km2) |
 |
| Newton County | 101 | Decatur | NW | 1836 | Formed from Neshoba County | Isaac Newton, the English scientist | 21,019 | 578 sq mi (1,497 km2) |
 |
| Noxubee County | 103 | Macon | NO | 1833 | Formed from Lowndes and Rankin Counties | A Choctaw word for "stinking water" | 9,914 | 695 sq mi (1,800 km2) |
 |
| Oktibbeha County | 105 | Starkville | OK | 1833 | Formed from Lowndes County | A Choctaw word for "bloody water" | 51,203 | 458 sq mi (1,186 km2) |
 |
| Panola County | 107 | Batesville, Sardis |
PA | 1836 | Formed from Monroe and Washington Counties | A Choctaw word for "cotton" | 32,669 | 684 sq mi (1,772 km2) |
 |
| Pearl River County | 109 | Poplarville | PR | 1890 | Formed from Hancock and Marion Counties | Pearl River | 57,978 | 812 sq mi (2,103 km2) |
 |
| Perry County | 111 | New Augusta | PE | 1820 | Formed from Greene County | Oliver Hazard Perry, a naval captain in the War of 1812 | 11,315 | 647 sq mi (1,676 km2) |
 |
| Pike County | 113 | Magnolia | PI | 1815 | Formed from Marion County | Zebulon Pike, a western explorer | 39,394 | 409 sq mi (1,059 km2) |
 |
| Pontotoc County | 115 | Pontotoc | PO | 1836 | Formed from Monroe County | A Chickasaw word for "land of hanging grapes" | 31,535 | 497 sq mi (1,287 km2) |
 |
| Prentiss County | 117 | Booneville | PS | 1870 | Formed from Itawamba and Tishomingo Counties | Seargent Smith Prentiss, a U.S. Representative from Mississippi | 25,135 | 415 sq mi (1,075 km2) |
 |
| Quitman County | 119 | Marks | QU | 1877 | Formed from Coahoma, Panola, Tallahatchie and Tunica Counties | John A. Quitman, a Governor of Mississippi | 5,546 | 405 sq mi (1,049 km2) |
 |
| Rankin County | 121 | Brandon | RA | 1828 | Formed from Hinds County | Christopher Rankin, a U.S. Representative from Mississippi | 160,417 | 775 sq mi (2,007 km2) |
 |
| Scott County | 123 | Forest | SC | 1833 | Formed from Covington, Jones and Rankin Counties | Abram M. Scott, a Governor of Mississippi | 27,507 | 609 sq mi (1,577 km2) |
 |
| Sharkey County | 125 | Rolling Fork | SH | 1876 | Formed from Issaquena, Warren and Washington Counties | William L. Sharkey, a Mississippi Supreme Court justice | 3,336 | 428 sq mi (1,109 km2) |
 |
| Simpson County | 127 | Mendenhall | SI | 1824 | Formed from Copiah County | Josiah Simpson, the first federal judge in the state | 25,715 | 589 sq mi (1,526 km2) |
 |
| Smith County | 129 | Raleigh | SM | 1833 | Formed from Covington, Jones and Rankin Counties | David Smith, a Revolutionary War major | 14,099 | 636 sq mi (1,647 km2) |
 |
| Stone County | 131 | Wiggins | ST | 1916 | Formed from Harrison County | John M. Stone, a Governor of Mississippi | 18,756 | 445 sq mi (1,153 km2) |
 |
| Sunflower County | 133 | Indianola | SU | 1844 | Formed from Bolivar County | Sunflower River | 24,468 | 694 sq mi (1,797 km2) |
 |
| Tallahatchie County | 135 | Charleston, Sumner |
TL | 1833 | Formed from Washington and Yazoo Counties | Tallahatchie River | 11,837 | 644 sq mi (1,668 km2) |
 |
| Tate County | 137 | Senatobia | TA | 1873 | Formed from DeSoto and Marshall Counties | Thomas Simpson Tate, the county's first settler | 28,261 | 404 sq mi (1,046 km2) |
 |
| Tippah County | 139 | Ripley | TI | 1836 | Formed from Monroe County | A Chickasaw word meaning "cut off" | 21,287 | 458 sq mi (1,186 km2) |
 |
| Tishomingo County | 141 | Iuka | TS | 1836 | Formed from Monroe County | Chief Tishomingo, a Chickasaw leader | 18,507 | 424 sq mi (1,098 km2) |
 |
| Tunica County | 143 | Tunica | TU | 1836 | Formed from Washington County and Unorganized | Tunica Native Americans | 9,234 | 455 sq mi (1,178 km2) |
 |
| Union County | 145 | New Albany | UN | 1870 | Formed from Lee, Pontotoc and Tippah Counties | The reunion of the Confederacy with the United States | 28,284 | 416 sq mi (1,077 km2) |
 |
| Walthall County | 147 | Tylertown | WL | 1912 | Formed from Marion and Pike Counties | Edward Walthall, a U.S. Senator from Mississippi | 13,863 | 404 sq mi (1,046 km2) |
 |
| Warren County | 149 | Vicksburg | WR | 1809 | Formed from Claiborne County | Joseph Warren, a Revolutionary War general | 42,298 | 587 sq mi (1,520 km2) |
 |
| Washington County | 151 | Greenville | WS | 1827 | Formed from Warren and Yazoo Counties | George Washington, the first U.S. President | 41,946 | 724 sq mi (1,875 km2) |
 |
| Wayne County | 153 | Waynesboro | WA | 1809 | Formed from Washington County (AL) | Anthony Wayne, a Revolutionary War general | 19,703 | 810 sq mi (2,098 km2) |
 |
| Webster County | 155 | Walthall | WE | 1874 | Formed from Chickasaw, Choctaw and Montgomery Counties | Daniel Webster, a U.S. Senator | 9,988 | 423 sq mi (1,096 km2) |
 |
| Wilkinson County | 157 | Woodville | WK | 1802 | Formed from Adams County | James Wilkinson, a Revolutionary War general | 8,058 | 677 sq mi (1,753 km2) |
 |
| Winston County | 159 | Louisville | WI | 1833 | Formed from Lowndes, Rankin, and Wayne Counties | Louis L. Winston, a Mississippi Territory official | 17,416 | 607 sq mi (1,572 km2) |
 |
| Yalobusha County | 161 | Water Valley, Coffeeville |
YA | 1833 | Formed from Monroe, Washington and Yazoo Counties | Yalobusha River, from a Choctaw name meaning "tadpole place" | 12,386 | 467 sq mi (1,210 km2) |
 |
| Yazoo County | 163 | Yazoo City | YZ | 1823 | Formed from Hinds County | Yazoo River, named for the Yazoo people | 25,796 | 920 sq mi (2,383 km2) |
 |
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Condados de Misisipi para niños
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
List of counties in Mississippi Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.