Ocean Springs, Mississippi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ocean Springs, Mississippi
City
City of Ocean Springs
Front Beach, Ocean Springs
Flag Seal Logo
Nickname(s):  City of Discovery
Location of Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Ocean Springs, Mississippi Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Jackson
Unofficially incorporated (settlement)	April 1699
Incorporated (village)	1843
Incorporated (city)	September 9, 1892
Government
• Type	Mayor-council
Area
• Total	15.21 sq mi (39.38 km2)
• Land	11.55 sq mi (29.92 km2)
• Water	3.66 sq mi (9.47 km2)
Elevation	23 ft (7 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	18,429
• Density	1,595.58/sq mi (616.04/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	39564-39566
Area code(s)	228
FIPS code	28-53520
GNIS feature ID	0675137
Website	www.oceansprings-ms.gov

Ocean Springs is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, in the United States. It is located about 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Biloxi. In 2020, about 18,429 people lived there.

Ocean Springs is known as an arts community. It is a popular place for tourists to visit. In 2015, Coastal Living magazine named it one of the top 10 Happiest Seaside Towns. In 2022, USA Today called it one of the top 10 Best Coastal Small Towns. Its old downtown area has streets lined with live oak trees. You can find many art galleries, shops, restaurants, and cafes there.

The famous painter and muralist Walter Inglis Anderson lived in Ocean Springs. He found inspiration for his art in the natural beauty of the coast and nearby islands. The city hosts several fun events each year. One of the biggest is the Peter Anderson Festival, a major arts and crafts festival in the Southeast.

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused a lot of damage to Ocean Springs. Many buildings along the shore were destroyed. This included the Ocean Springs Yacht Club and a wooden copy of Fort Maurepas. The storm also destroyed the Biloxi Bay Bridge. This bridge connected Biloxi to Ocean Springs. A new bridge was built and opened in 2007.

History of Ocean Springs

Ocean Springs shrimp boats in 2008

The area where Ocean Springs is today was first settled in April 1699. It was called Fort Maurepas or Old Biloxi. Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville started this settlement for King Louis XIV of France. It was the first lasting French outpost in French Louisiana. Its purpose was to stop Spain from taking over France's land claims. The settlement was active into the early 1700s.

The town was briefly called Lynchburg Springs when its first post office opened in 1853. The name Ocean Springs came from Dr. William Glover Austin in 1854. He believed the local springs had special healing powers. Ocean Springs became a popular resort town. Later, it became known as a historic residential community. Each year, the city celebrates its history with events that show d'Iberville's arrival near a copy of Fort Maurepas.

Seafood has been important to the area since colonial times. There was so much seafood that French explorers and settlers could easily live in the Fort Maurepas area. In the late 1800s, ice plants were built along the coast. This helped seafood sales grow even more. Today, people can still buy fresh shrimp, fish, crabs, and oysters.

The Peter Anderson Festival

The city is home to the Peter Anderson Festival. This festival happens on the first weekend of November every year. It started in 1978. A local artist named Klara Koock suggested the idea to the Chamber of Commerce. The festival celebrates Peter Anderson and the city's strong arts community.

Hurricane Katrina and the Bridge

Ocean Springs gained international attention after Hurricane Katrina hit on August 29, 2005. The city was directly in the path of the storm and was badly damaged. The Biloxi-Ocean Springs bridge, part of Highway 90, was destroyed. Images of the destroyed bridge were shown all over the world. This showed how powerful the hurricane was.

Rebuilding the Biloxi Bay Bridge

Biloxi Bay Bridge, after Hurricane Katrina, opened in 2007

The first bridge connecting Biloxi to Ocean Springs was the War Memorial Bridge. It opened on June 3, 1930. This bridge was replaced by the 1962 Biloxi Bay Bridge. That bridge was damaged by Hurricane Camille in 1969. On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina's huge storm surge destroyed the 1962 bridge.

By 2007, most of the old bridge's parts were removed using cranes on barges. The broken parts of the bridge became a popular spot for photographers. Construction for the new bridge finished in April 2008. The new Biloxi Bay Bridge is 95 feet (29 m) tall at its highest point. It has six lanes for traffic. Two lanes opened on November 1, 2007. The new bridge has a curving shape. This was done to speed up the rebuilding process.

Geography and Climate

Ocean Springs covers about 15.2 square miles (39.4 km²). About 11.6 square miles (30.0 km²) is land, and 3.6 square miles (9.3 km²) is water.

The city has a subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers. The summer monsoon season starts in late spring and ends in early autumn. During this time, there are often afternoon and evening thunderstorms with heavy rain. These storms usually don't last long, but they can be very strong. The area can also experience tropical storms and hurricanes.

Autumn and spring are usually cool to warm. Winters are typically warm with occasional cool periods. These cool periods bring strong, dry winds from the north. They can feel surprisingly chilly but usually only last a couple of days. Summers are always hot and humid, day and night. High temperatures are usually in the low nineties (around 32-34°C). Low temperatures often stay just below 80 degrees (around 26-27°C).

People of Ocean Springs

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 18,429 people living in Ocean Springs. There were 6,639 households and 4,423 families.

In 2020, the people of Ocean Springs were mostly:

• White (78.22%)
• Black or African American (7.22%)
• Asian (3.04%)
• Other races or mixed races (5.32%)
• Hispanic or Latino (5.81%)

Education in Ocean Springs

A pelican in Ocean Springs

The Ocean Springs School District serves the city. Here are some of the schools:

Elementary Schools

• Pecan Park Elementary School
• Oak Park Elementary School
• Magnolia Park Elementary School
• Ocean Springs Upper Elementary

Middle Schools

• Ocean Springs Middle School

High Schools

• Ocean Springs High School

Special Schools

• E. H. Keys Alternative School
• The 3-D School, Gulf Coast Campus (a special school for children with dyslexia)

Media and News

Ocean Springs is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula media market. The main daily newspaper is the Sun Herald. There are also three local television stations: WLOX, WXVO, and WXXV.

Notable People from Ocean Springs

Many interesting people have connections to Ocean Springs:

• James McConnell Anderson, artist
• Peter Anderson, artist and potter
• Walter Inglis Anderson, artist
• Garrett Crochet, Major League Baseball player
• Alvin Endt, Mississippi legislator and educator
• Jeremy England, member of the Mississippi State Senate
• Ellen Gilchrist, author
• Raúl González, professional soccer player
• Jeffrey Guice, Mississippi legislator
• Gordon Gunter, scientist
• Eric L. Harry, lawyer and writer
• Osborne Helveston, former football player
• Jai Johanny Johanson, musician
• Brett Leland McLaughlin, Golden Globe nominated songwriter
• Connie Moran, former mayor of Ocean Springs
• Jeremiah Joseph O'Keefe, businessman, Mississippi state legislator, and mayor of Ocean Springs
• Laurin Pepper, football player and former Major League Baseball pitcher
• Luke Stewart, musician
• Stephen Whiting, United States Space Force lieutenant general. First commander of the Space Operations Command
• Al Young, educator and writer

Images for kids

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  Ocean Springs, Mississippi (right center) is east of Biloxi, west of Gautier, along the Gulf of Mexico

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  Rocks at Front Beach in Ocean Springs, Mississippi

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  Sunset in Ocean Springs, Mississippi

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  A view of Biloxi Bay and the new Biloxi Bay Bridge from Fort Maurepas State Park in Ocean Springs, 2013

See also

In Spanish: Ocean Springs para niños