Ruleville, Mississippi Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Ruleville, Mississippi
City
Ruby Avenue in Ruleville
Location of Ruleville, Mississippi
Ruleville, Mississippi Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Sunflower
Area
• Total	2.53 sq mi (6.54 km²)
• Land	2.52 sq mi (6.52 km²)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km²)
Elevation	135 ft (41 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	2,642
• Density	1,049.25/sq mi (405.07/km²)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	38771
Area code(s)	662
FIPS code	28-64200
GNIS feature ID	2404654

Ruleville is a city in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States. It is located in the Mississippi Delta region. In 2020, about 2,642 people lived there. Ruleville is the second-largest community in its rural county.

Ruleville's Story: A Look Back in Time
Where is Ruleville?
Who Lives in Ruleville?
- Ruleville's Population in 2020
- Ruleville's Population in 2010
Learning in Ruleville
Getting Around Ruleville
Healthcare in Ruleville
Famous Faces from Ruleville
Images for kids
See also

Ruleville's Story: A Look Back in Time

Ruleville began as a small settlement. It was surrounded by rich farmland and forests. The town grew because of the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad. A train stop was built here.

J. W. Rule laid out the village in 1898. The town was named after him. In 1899, people asked the governor to make it an official town. About 150 people lived there at that time.

After the American Civil War, the area became known for cotton farms. Ruleville became an important place to ship cotton by train. By the early 1900s, Ruleville had many modern features. These included telephones, telegraphs, and about 20 businesses. There were also churches, a water system, and electric lights. The town had public schools for white children. In 1900, 336 people lived in Ruleville. The Bank of Ruleville opened in 1903.

During the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s, a brave farm worker named Fannie Lou Hamer started a movement. She worked to help poor people.

Where is Ruleville?

Ruleville covers about 2.5 square miles (6.5 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. A very small part is water.

The city is located along U.S. Route 49W. Ruleville is about 15 miles (24 km) from the Mississippi State Penitentiary (Parchman).

Who Lives in Ruleville?

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1900	226	—
1910	451	99.6%
1920	1,022	126.6%
1930	1,181	15.6%
1940	1,378	16.7%
1950	1,521	10.4%
1960	1,902	25.0%
1970	2,351	23.6%
1980	3,332	41.7%
1990	3,245	−2.6%
2000	3,234	−0.3%
2010	3,007	−7.0%
2020	2,642	−12.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial in Ruleville

Ruleville's Population in 2020

Ruleville Racial Composition
Race	Num.	Perc.
White	344	13.02%
Black or African American	2,238	84.71%
Other/Mixed	45	1.7%
Hispanic or Latino	15	0.57%

In 2020, Ruleville had 2,642 people living there. There were 986 households. About 521 families called Ruleville home.

Ruleville's Population in 2010

In 2010, the city had 3,007 people. Most of the people (85.3%) were Black or African American. About 12.8% were White. Other groups made up smaller parts of the population.

Learning in Ruleville

The Sunflower County Consolidated School District serves Ruleville. Schools in or near Ruleville include:

Ruleville Central Elementary School
Ruleville Middle School
Thomas E. Edwards, Sr. High School (formerly Ruleville Central High School)

North Sunflower Academy is a private school. It is located about 2 miles (3 km) north of Ruleville. It was founded to offer an alternative to public schools.

Delta State University is a larger college. It is located about ten miles away in Cleveland.

During the Civil Rights Movement in 1964, a special program called "Freedom Summer" took place. It aimed to help Black citizens register to vote. It also worked to improve education. The "Ruleville Freedom School" was created. It offered a different kind of education for Black students. It helped them prepare for a more fair and democratic society.

The Horace Stansel Memorial Library is in Ruleville. It is part of the Sunflower County Library system.

Getting Around Ruleville

The Ruleville-Drew Airport is located between Ruleville and Drew. Both cities work together to operate this airport.

Healthcare in Ruleville

The North Sunflower Medical Center is a hospital in Ruleville. It has 95 beds and about 500 employees. This medical center offers many services. These include surgery, a sleep center, and rehabilitation. It also works with other hospitals. For example, it partners with the University of Mississippi Medical Center for diabetes care.