Petal, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Petal, Mississippi
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Willie Hinton Park pavilion
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| Nickname(s):
The Friendly City
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Location of Petal, Mississippi
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 Petal, Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Forrest |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 17.15 sq mi (44.41 km2) |
| • Land | 16.77 sq mi (43.44 km2) |
| • Water | 0.38 sq mi (0.97 km2) |
| Elevation | 157 ft (48 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 11,010 |
| • Density | 656.49/sq mi (253.48/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
39465
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| Area code(s) | 601 |
| FIPS code | 28-56800 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0675641 |
Petal is a city located in Forrest County, Mississippi. It sits right next to the Leaf River. Petal is also part of the larger Hattiesburg area. In 2010, about 10,454 people lived here. By 2020, the population grew to 11,010 people.
Contents
History of Petal
The first person to manage the post office in Petal was Irving A. Polk. The post office opened in 1903. The city was named after the daughter of one of the first settlers. Petal is the only city in the United States with this unique name.
Petal officially became a city on April 5, 1974. For a long time, Petal was a community mostly made up of farmers. Today, new businesses are opening, and the city is slowly changing.
Notable Events in Petal's History
The International Checker Hall of Fame used to be in Petal. However, on September 29, 2007, a fire damaged a large part of its building.
Petal was also hit hard by a strong EF3 tornado on January 21, 2017.
Geography of Petal
In 2010, the city covered a total area of about 44.4 square kilometers (17.15 square miles). Most of this area, about 43.7 square kilometers (16.77 square miles), was land. The rest, about 0.7 square kilometers (0.38 square miles), was water.
The city's size grew by almost 75% after 2000. This happened because of a plan to add more land, which was approved in 2002.
Communities within Petal
After the expansion, several major communities became part of Petal. These include Macedonia, Barrontown, Sunrise, and Leeville. The Harvey community, which is now downtown Petal, is where many of the city's government offices are located.
Petal's Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1980 | 8,476 | — | |
| 1990 | 7,883 | −7.0% | |
| 2000 | 7,579 | −3.9% | |
| 2010 | 10,454 | 37.9% | |
| 2020 | 11,010 | 5.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Population in 2010
According to the census from 2010, Petal had 10,454 people living there. There were 3,918 households and 2,867 families. The city had about 620 people per square mile.
Most of the people in Petal were White (86.1%). About 9.9% were African American. Other groups included Native American (0.2%), Asian (0.7%), and people from other races (1.3%). About 1.7% of people were of two or more races. People who identified as Hispanic or Latino made up 3.5% of the population.
The average household had about 2.65 people. The average family had about 3.13 people. The yearly income for a household was about $29,637. For families, it was about $35,343.
Population in 2020
As of the 2020 United States census, Petal had 11,010 people. There were 3,655 households and 2,746 families living in the city.
The racial makeup in 2020 was:
- White (non-Hispanic): 74.5%
- Black or African American (non-Hispanic): 14.6%
- Native American: 0.2%
- Asian: 0.8%
- Pacific Islander: 0.0%
- Other/Mixed: 4.5%
- Hispanic or Latino: 5.6%
Education in Petal
Students in Petal attend schools that are part of the Petal School District.
Notable People from Petal
Many interesting people have come from Petal, including:
- Larry Byrd, a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
- William Leon Clark, who was a high-ranking chaplain in the United States Air Force
- Percy Dale East, a journalist
- Demarcus Evans, a professional baseball pitcher
- Tom King, a former member of the Mississippi State Senate
- Dan M. Lee, who was a Justice on the Supreme Court of Mississippi
- Kris Mangum, a professional football player
- Cliff Pace, a world champion in bass fishing
- Javon Patterson, a professional football player
- Ray Perkins, a college football player who attended Petal High School
- Nate Rolison, a former professional baseball first baseman
- Charles Walker, a former Mississippi state checkers champion
- Tom Walters, a professional football safety
See also
In Spanish: Petal para niños
