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Utica, Mississippi
Town
Location of Utica, Mississippi
Location of Utica, Mississippi
Utica, Mississippi is located in the United States
Utica, Mississippi
Utica, Mississippi
Location in the United States
Country United States
State Mississippi
County Hinds
Government
 • Type Mayor-Council
Area
 • Total 3.00 sq mi (7.78 km2)
 • Land 3.00 sq mi (7.76 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation
285 ft (87 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 636
 • Density 212.35/sq mi (82.00/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
39175
Area code(s) 601
FIPS code 28-75760
GNIS feature ID 2406782

Utica is a small town in Hinds County, Mississippi, United States. In 2020, about 636 people lived there. Utica is part of the larger Jackson metropolitan area.

History of Utica

Utica was first known as Cane Ridge. In 1837, it was renamed Utica. This name was suggested by Ozias Osborn, the postmaster, who came from Utica, New York. The town officially became a town in 1880.

Utica was located along the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad. This railroad helped the town grow. A local newspaper, the Herald, started in 1897. In the early 1900s, Utica had many churches and eight hotels. It also had a public school for white students. There was also an industrial college for black students.

Farming was important in Utica. Farmers grew watermelons, cotton, and timber. The town had a sawmill, three cotton gins, and a brick factory. By 1907, nearly 1,000 people lived in Utica.

Geography and Climate

Utica is located in the southwestern part of Hinds County. It sits where Mississippi Highways 18 and 27 meet. Highway 18 goes northeast to Jackson, the state capital. It also goes southwest to Port Gibson. Highway 27 leads northwest to Vicksburg and southeast to Crystal Springs.

The United States Census Bureau says Utica covers about 3 square miles (7.8 square kilometers). Only a very small part of this area is water.

Utica's Climate

Utica has a warm and humid climate. This means it has high temperatures and rain all year. It is known as a humid subtropical climate. This type of climate is often called "Cfa" on climate maps.

Climate data for Utica, Mississippi
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 16
(60)		 17
(63)		 21
(70)		 25
(77)		 29
(84)		 33
(91)		 33
(92)		 34
(93)		 32
(89)		 27
(80)		 21
(69)		 16
(61)		 25
(77)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 3
(38)		 4
(40)		 8
(46)		 12
(53)		 16
(60)		 19
(67)		 21
(70)		 21
(70)		 18
(64)		 12
(53)		 7
(44)		 4
(39)		 12
(54)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 120
(4.8)		 120
(4.7)		 140
(5.6)		 130
(5.2)		 120
(4.7)		 100
(4.1)		 120
(4.8)		 89
(3.5)		 69
(2.7)		 64
(2.5)		 91
(3.6)		 130
(5.2)		 1,310
(51.5)
Source: Weatherbase

Population and People

The number of people living in Utica has changed over the years. Here is a look at the population from past censuses:

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1880 230 —
1890 370 60.9%
1900 540 45.9%
1910 572 5.9%
1920 445 −22.2%
1930 652 46.5%
1940 818 25.5%
1950 824 0.7%
1960 764 −7.3%
1970 1,019 33.4%
1980 1,064 4.4%
1990 1,033 −2.9%
2000 966 −6.5%
2010 820 −15.1%
2020 636 −22.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

The table below shows the different racial and ethnic groups in Utica. The US Census counts Hispanic/Latino people as an ethnic group. They can be of any race.

Utica town, Mississippi – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000 Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 285 220 129 29.50% 26.83% 20.28%
Black or African American alone (NH) 634 525 429 65.63% 64.02% 67.45%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 1 1 6 0.10% 0.12% 0.94%
Asian alone (NH) 3 0 0 0.31% 0.00% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 0 0 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Other race alone (NH) 0 2 1 0.00% 0.24% 0.16%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 6 1 11 0.62% 0.12% 1.73%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 37 71 60 3.83% 8.66% 9.43%
Total 966 820 636 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 Census Details

In 2020, the census counted 636 people living in Utica. There were 337 households and 199 families.

2010 Census Details

The 2010 census showed 820 people in Utica. Most of the people (64.0%) were Black. About 26.8% were White. A small number were Native American or from other races. About 8.7% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.

Religion and Community

Utica is home to the URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp. This is a special camp organized by the Union for Reform Judaism. It was started when more Jewish families lived in smaller towns in the South.

The town has several churches. These include Utica Baptist Church, Utica Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and Utica United Methodist Church. St. Peter's Missionary Baptist Church is a Black Baptist church. It was founded in 1867.

Education in Utica

The Hinds County School District serves students in Utica. Younger students up to ninth grade go to Utica Elementary-Middle School. Older students attend Raymond High School in Raymond.

Utica also has a campus of Hinds Community College. This college started in 1903 as a technical school for African Americans. It was first called Utica Normal and Industrial Institute. The town was also home to the former Hinds County Agricultural High School.

The Jackson/Hinds Library System runs the Evelyn Taylor Majure Library in Utica.

Notable People from Utica

Many interesting people have come from Utica:

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Utica (Misisipi) para niños

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