Yazoo City, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yazoo City, Mississippi
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Yazoo City welcome sign
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| Nickname(s):
Gateway to the Delta
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Location of Yazoo City, Mississippi in Mississippi
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 Yazoo City, Mississippi
Location in Mississippi
Yazoo City, Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States of America | |
| State | Mississippi | |
| County | Yazoo | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 10.21 sq mi (26.44 km2) | |
| • Land | 10.08 sq mi (26.12 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.13 sq mi (0.32 km2) | |
| Elevation | 98 ft (30 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 10,316 | |
| • Density | 1,023.01/sq mi (394.97/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) | |
| ZIP code |
39194
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| Area code(s) | 662 | |
| FIPS code | 28-81520 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 2405798 | |
| Website | City of Yazoo City | |
Yazoo City is a city in Mississippi, United States. It is the main city of Yazoo County. The city got its name from the Yazoo River. A French explorer named Robert La Salle named the river "Rivière des Yazous" in 1682. This name came from the Yazoo tribe who lived near the river. Yazoo City is also part of a larger area called the Jackson–Yazoo City Combined Statistical Area. In 2020, about 10,316 people lived there.
Contents
A Look at Yazoo City's Past
Yazoo City started as a community called Hannan's Bluff in 1824. Later, its name changed to Manchester, and then to Yazoo City in 1841. It became the main town for the county in 1849. In 1853, a serious illness called yellow fever affected the city.
Yazoo City During the Civil War
During the American Civil War, a Confederate warship called the CSS Arkansas was built in Yazoo City. This ship was important for the Confederates. On May 21, 1863, Confederate soldiers burned their shipyard to stop Union forces from taking their ships. Union soldiers then burned other parts of the town.
After the Union captured Vicksburg in July 1863, Union troops visited Yazoo City again. This time, a Union ship, the USS Baron DeKalb, sank after hitting a mine. Union troops were in the town in September and October 1863. Another battle, the Battle of Yazoo City, happened on March 5, 1864. Union troops stayed strong but left the next day. Union forces came back on May 19, 1864, causing more damage.
Rebuilding and Challenges
Yazoo City was rebuilt after the war. However, yellow fever returned in 1878. On May 25, 1904, a big fire destroyed most of central Yazoo City. A local story says a witch caused the fire. But it was actually a boy playing with matches. The fire spread quickly and destroyed three-fourths of the town. A canal stopped the fire, saving the new courthouse and 10 old homes. It took almost two years for the town to recover.
The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 also caused a lot of damage. But Yazoo City was fixed up and now has a good system to prevent floods.
Tornadoes in Yazoo City
Yazoo City has faced some strong tornadoes. On April 24, 2010, a very powerful tornado, called an EF4, hit Yazoo County. It was about 1.75 miles wide. Four people died in the Yazoo City area, and many were hurt. The Governor of Mississippi, Haley Barbour, visited the area to see the damage. This tornado was even shown on a TV show called Storm Chasers.
Later that year, on November 29, 2010, two EF2 tornadoes hit Yazoo City. One went southwest of town, and the other went right through downtown. They caused a lot of damage to buildings. On May 2, 2021, another tornado, an EF1, passed through the southeast side of the city. It destroyed mobile homes and damaged trees, power lines, and houses.
Where is Yazoo City?
Yazoo City is about 40 miles northwest of Jackson. It is located where several main roads meet: U.S. Routes 49, 49E, and 49W, and Mississippi Highways 3, 16, and 149. The city sits on the banks of the Yazoo River, close to the Panther Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.
U.S. Route 49W connects Yazoo City to Belzoni. Part of Mississippi Highway 3 in Yazoo City is named Haley Barbour Parkway, after former Governor Haley Barbour, who grew up here. U.S. Route 49 is named Jerry Clower Boulevard, after the famous comedian who lived in Yazoo City.
Yazoo City is often called the "Gateway to the Delta." This is because it's located where two major land areas of Mississippi meet. The western part of the city is in the Mississippi Delta, and the eastern part is in the loess bluffs.
The city covers about 10.9 square miles. Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.
Yazoo City's Weather
| Climate data for Yazoo City, Mississippi (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1960–2018) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 84 (29) |
92 (33) |
91 (33) |
94 (34) |
98 (37) |
102 (39) |
106 (41) |
106 (41) |
103 (39) |
96 (36) |
89 (32) |
86 (30) |
106 (41) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 58.4 (14.7) |
62.6 (17.0) |
70.8 (21.6) |
78.9 (26.1) |
86.0 (30.0) |
92.1 (33.4) |
94.3 (34.6) |
94.9 (34.9) |
90.5 (32.5) |
80.5 (26.9) |
68.8 (20.4) |
60.7 (15.9) |
78.2 (25.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 48.5 (9.2) |
52.0 (11.1) |
59.4 (15.2) |
67.5 (19.7) |
75.6 (24.2) |
82.1 (27.8) |
84.7 (29.3) |
84.6 (29.2) |
79.3 (26.3) |
68.7 (20.4) |
57.5 (14.2) |
51.0 (10.6) |
67.6 (19.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 38.6 (3.7) |
41.4 (5.2) |
48.0 (8.9) |
56.1 (13.4) |
65.1 (18.4) |
72.1 (22.3) |
75.1 (23.9) |
74.4 (23.6) |
68.2 (20.1) |
57.0 (13.9) |
46.1 (7.8) |
41.2 (5.1) |
56.9 (13.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −4 (−20) |
4 (−16) |
15 (−9) |
28 (−2) |
39 (4) |
50 (10) |
53 (12) |
52 (11) |
35 (2) |
28 (−2) |
18 (−8) |
2 (−17) |
−4 (−20) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 5.69 (145) |
5.57 (141) |
5.94 (151) |
6.58 (167) |
5.74 (146) |
4.37 (111) |
4.02 (102) |
4.51 (115) |
3.31 (84) |
4.27 (108) |
4.57 (116) |
5.81 (148) |
60.38 (1,534) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.9 | 7.6 | 8.1 | 7.5 | 7.9 | 7.2 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 7.2 | 9.0 | 92.0 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
People of Yazoo City
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 2,542 | — | |
| 1890 | 3,286 | 29.3% | |
| 1900 | 4,944 | 50.5% | |
| 1910 | 6,796 | 37.5% | |
| 1920 | 5,244 | −22.8% | |
| 1930 | 5,579 | 6.4% | |
| 1940 | 7,258 | 30.1% | |
| 1950 | 9,746 | 34.3% | |
| 1960 | 11,236 | 15.3% | |
| 1970 | 11,688 | 4.0% | |
| 1980 | 12,426 | 6.3% | |
| 1990 | 12,427 | 0.0% | |
| 2000 | 14,550 | 17.1% | |
| 2010 | 11,403 | −21.6% | |
| 2020 | 10,316 | −9.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Population in 2020
In 2020, Yazoo City had 10,316 people living there. There were 3,670 households and 2,050 families.
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,138 | 11.03% |
| Black or African American | 8,830 | 85.6% |
| Native American | 6 | 0.06% |
| Asian | 61 | 0.59% |
| Pacific Islander | 4 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 201 | 1.95% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 76 | 0.74% |
Population in 2010
In 2010, there were 11,403 people in Yazoo City. About 82% of the people were Black, and 16.1% were White.
What Yazoo City Does
The Federal Bureau of Prisons has a large prison complex in Yazoo City. It includes several different types of prisons.
Learning in Yazoo City
Yazoo City has its own school district, the Yazoo City Municipal School District. The public high school is Yazoo City High School.
There are also three private schools:
- Thomas Christian Academy (Pre-K through 12th grade)
- Manchester Academy (Pre-K through 12th grade)
- Covenant Christian School (Kindergarten through 6th grade)
News and Radio
Yazoo County has a daily newspaper called The Yazoo Herald. There are also two local FM radio stations, WBYP and WYAZ.
Getting Around Yazoo City
Transportation Options
Amtrak, the national passenger train system, has a station in Yazoo City. The Yazoo City Station is located at 222 West Broadway.
The Yazoo County Airport is about 2 miles west of central Yazoo City. It is in an area of Yazoo County that is not part of any city.
Famous People from Yazoo City
Many notable people have connections to Yazoo City:
- Haley Barbour, a former Governor of Mississippi.
- Willie Brown (American football), a football player in the NFL Hall of Fame.
- Jerry Clower, a famous country comedian.
- Fletcher Cox, an All-Pro defensive lineman for the Philadelphia Eagles.
- Mike Espy, who served as the Secretary of Agriculture.
- Lawrence Gordon, a film producer known for movies like Die Hard.
- Lynn Hamilton, an actress.
- Willie Morris, a well-known writer who grew up in Yazoo City.
- Stella Stevens, an actress.
- Zig Ziglar, a famous speaker and trainer.
See also
In Spanish: Yazoo City para niños
