Picayune, Mississippi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Picayune, Mississippi
City
Downtown Picayune
Flag Seal
Location of Picayune, Mississippi
Picayune, Mississippi Location in Mississippi Show map of Mississippi Picayune, Mississippi Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Pearl River
Area
• Total	18.11 sq mi (46.91 km2)
• Land	18.04 sq mi (46.72 km2)
• Water	0.08 sq mi (0.20 km2)
Elevation	73 ft (22 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	11,885
• Density	658.89/sq mi (254.40/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP code	39466
Area code(s)	601
FIPS code	28-57160
GNIS feature ID	0675698
Website	Picayune official website: http://www.picayune.ms.us

Picayune (/pɪkəˈjuːn/ pik-Ə-yoon) is the largest city in Pearl River County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 11,885 at the 2020 census. The city is located approximately 45 miles (72 km) from New Orleans, Hattiesburg, and Gulfport–Biloxi. The Stennis Space Center is 10 miles (16 km) away. Picayune is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Hammond combined statistical area.

History

The word "picayune" was the name of a Spanish coin, worth half a real or 1/16 of a Spanish dollar (6.25 cents). Its name derives from the French "picaillon", which is itself from the Provençal "picaioun", the name of an unrelated small copper coin from Savoy. By extension, picayune can mean "trivial" or "of little value".

Picayune was incorporated in 1904, and was named by Eliza Jane Poitevent Nicholson in late 1883 or early 1884. She was the owner and publisher of The Daily Picayune, a newspaper named for the coin.

The local post office contained a mural, subsequently covered over, Lumber Region of Mississippi, painted by Donald H. Robertson in 1940. Federally commissioned murals were produced from 1934 to 1943 in the United States through the Section of Painting and Sculpture, later called the Section of Fine Arts, of the Treasury Department.

Hurricane Katrina

While Picayune received extensive damage from Hurricane Katrina, it was not as severe as in other nearby cities. This caused Picayune to become the temporary home for many who relocated from the New Orleans area and from the Mississippi Gulf Coast who were seeking a safer home site with easy commuting to those areas.

The bulk of the Katrina damage in Picayune was caused by high winds, as the eye wall passed over the city. This resulted in widespread roof, window, and fence damage. The wind also caused hundreds, if not thousands, of downed trees and power outages of up to a few weeks.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.8 square miles (31 km²), of which 11.8 square miles (31 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²) (7.34%) is water. Picayune is a part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Hammond combined statistical area.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 11,885 people, 4,457 households, and 2,951 families residing in the city.

Education

• Almost all of the City of Picayune is located in the Picayune School District. A small section is in the Pearl River County School District.
• Within the Picayune school district: Picayune Junior High School serves as the middle school for grades 7 and 8. Picayune Memorial High School is the local high school. The school's mascot is the Maroon Tide. The Center of Alternate Education is also located in Picayune.
• Pearl River County school district operates Pearl River Central High School

All of Pearl River County is in the service area of Pearl River Community College.

Elementary schools (Picayune School District)

• Nicholson Elementary
• Roseland Park Elementary
• South Side Elementary
• West Side Elementary

Media

Newspaper

Picayune's local newspaper is the Picayune Item.

Radio

The local radio station is WRJW 1320-AM.

Television and radio stations that are part of the New Orleans and Gulfport–Biloxi listening areas serve the city.

Infrastructure

Highway 11 and Fourth Street

Palestine Road and Beech Street

Transportation

Amtrak's Crescent train connects Picayune with the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham, and New Orleans. The Amtrak station is situated at 100 South U.S. Route 11. There is daily service in each direction.

U.S. 11 is the main highway through Picayune. Interstate 59 (via Interstate 10) connects Picayune with New Orleans, LA, to the south and Hattiesburg, MS, Meridian, MS, and Birmingham, AL, to the north.

Mississippi Highway 43 is the main connection to and from the east, connecting to Interstate 10 near Kiln, MS.

Picayune Municipal Airport has a 5,000 ft (1,500 m) runway and is a popular destination for private fixed-wing and rotary aircraft visiting the New Orleans area. Rental car, taxi and limousine services are available.

Railroads

• Norfolk Southern Railway

Major highways

• U.S. Route 11
• Mississippi Highway 43
• Interstate 59

Library

The Margaret Reed Crosby Memorial Library serves Picayune and is the headquarters of the Pearl River County Library System.

Notable people

• Jonathan Bender, professional basketball player
• Gary Goff, college football coach
• T. J. House, professional baseball player
• Rhyne Hughes, professional baseball player
• Michael Holloway Perronne, writer
• Matt Riser, college baseball coach
• Cailey Fleming, actress

Points of interest

• Crosby Arboretum
• Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge
• Stennis Space Center

See also

In Spanish: Picayune para niños