Mississippi Gulf Coast

Last updated

Mississippi Gulf Coast
Region
Collage of Locations on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.png
Nickname: 
The Coast
Gulf Coast Locator Map.png
Map of Mississippi with the Gulf Coast region highlighted. The counties in red correspond to the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula MSA. Pearl River County (blue) is included in the geographical definition which includes all of Mississippi south of 31° N.
Area
  Total2,764,358 acres (1,118,696 ha)
Dimensions
[2]
  Length80 mi (130 km)
  Width55 mi (89 km)
Population
  Total370,702
  Estimate 
(2018)
397,261
  Density86/sq mi (33/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
  Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code 228
Website www.gulfcoast.org

The Mississippi Gulf Coast, also known as Mississippi Coast, Mississippi Gulf Coast region, Coastal Mississippi, and The Coast, is the area of Mississippi along the Mississippi Sound at the northern extreme of the Gulf of Mexico.

Contents

Geography

At the state's creation, Hancock and Jackson were the only two counties to make up this region. However, before the end of the first centennial, subdivisions in the counties lead to the formation of Harrison County, as well as the pineywoods counties of Pearl River, Stone and George. [2]

Cities

The Mississippi Gulf Coast consists of many cities that lie directly on the Mississippi Sound. The U. S. Census Bureau divided the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) for the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 2003, which previously consisted of the three coastal counties (Hancock; Harrison; Jackson), into two MSAs that included two additional counties (George; Stone). Cities in the new Metropolitan Statistical Area include the original French settlements Biloxi and Ocean Springs, as well as Waveland, Bay St. Louis, Diamondhead, Pass Christian, Long Beach, Gulfport, D'Iberville, Gautier, Pascagoula, Moss Point, Lucedale, and Wiggins.

History

Early history

The Biloxi people lived in the region at least as early as 1699.

Colonial History

Pierre Lemoyne and company disembarking on Ship Island in the Mississippi Sound Pierre Lemoyne Ship Island.jpg
Pierre Lemoyne and company disembarking on Ship Island in the Mississippi Sound

In 1699, Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville arrived to establish a colony near the mouth of the Mississippi River. He landed on the Ship Island, and three days later, arrived on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, establishing a colony and building Fort Maurepas, which served as the first capital of French Louisiana. The fort became a base of operations to continue exploring the area. [4]

The French settlers found the area to be difficult to maintain a settlement. According to Bunn & Williams (2007), factors such as death of crops, lack of fresh water, lack of discipline, and illness led to difficulty in maintaining the colonization of the area. Furthermore, due to political concerns, the capital of French Louisiana was moved to Mobile in 1701; the fort was abandoned by 1702. Despite a temporary move of the capital to Biloxi during the construction of New Orleans, previous failures kept the area from playing a further role in French colonization efforts in the region. [4]

Statehood and Antebellum Period

When Mississippi entered the Union in 1817, the majority of the population lived in Northern parts of the state. At statehood, the population of the coast comprised 2.5% of the state's total. Likewise, the Census lists only 586 of the state's 30,061 slaves as living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. [2] After statehood, the coastal regions remained a frontier, with cultural influences coming from the Mediterranean area. According to Kenneth P'Pool, deputy historic preservation officer at MDAH, "The Coast's situation along ... the Gulf of Mexico — both facilitated the region's ethnic diversity and maintained its ties to the rest of the world much more easily than was possible for other regions of [Mississippi]." [2]

Civil War

Fort Massachusetts, on Ship Island, was seized during the American Civil War.

Twentieth century

In the 20th century, Keesler Air Force Base brought development to the region. Hurricane Camille on August 17, 1969, and Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005 caused historic destruction to the Gulf Coast. Originally dubbed "America's Riviera", the Mississippi Gulf Coast gained prominence in the early 1900's as a gambling and tourist mecca, an alternative to Florida as a warm, actively fun area with gaming (although illegal at the time, it was allowed at certain resorts) and home to the longest manmade beach in the world. Golfing also became a strong draw to snowbirds looking to play their game of choice all year long. During the early 90's, gaming was made legal in the two coastal counties of Harrison and Hancock. This brought a new era of growth with Vegas style gaming hotel and casinos; along with this, condo towers started to dot the coast as it became the 2nd largest gaming area in the US based on gaming space alone. After a brief disruption brought on by Hurricane Katrina, the Mississippi Gulf Coast bounced back quickly, even faster than New Orleans, despite massive destruction.

Education

As of May 2019, there are 126 K-12 schools spread across 16 school districts, which serve students in the Mississippi Gulf Coast region.

In addition, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College offers associate degrees and career programs. The University of Southern Mississippi has a branch (Gulf Park campus) located in Long Beach, Mississippi which offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs. [5] In 2009, William Carey University opened its Tradition campus located off Mississippi Highway 67 in rural Harrison County [6] and offers multidisciplinary educational programs at the undergraduate and master's level, as well as a doctoral program in pharmacy. [7]

DistrictAchievement Rating [8] [lower-alpha 2] Number of Schools [8] [lower-alpha 3]
Harrison County School District B20
Hancock County School District B6
Pearl River County School District B4
George County School District B8
Stone County School District B4
Jackson County School District B13
Gulfport School District B10
Biloxi Public School District A8
Ocean Springs School District A6
Picayune School District C9
Pascagoula-Gautier School District B17
Bay St. Louis-Waveland School District C4
Long Beach School District A5
Pass Christian Public School District A4
Poplarville School District A4
Moss Point Separate School District D4

Notable people

See also

Notes

  1. Adding up the individual areas of Pearl River, Stone, George, Jackson, Harrison, and Hancock counties, the six counties below the 31st parallel mentioned in the reference from the Sun Herald, and converting from square miles to acres provides this result.
  2. Enter school district name into search box.
  3. The reference lists individual schools at the bottom of each school district's result page.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrison County, Mississippi</span> County in Mississippi, United States

Harrison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 208,621, making it the second-most populous county in Mississippi. Its county seats are Biloxi and Gulfport. The county is named after U.S. President William Henry Harrison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biloxi, Mississippi</span> City in Mississippi, United States

Biloxi is a city in and one of two county seats of Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. Adjacent to the co-seat of Gulfport, Biloxi lies along the Gulf Coast in southern Mississippi. The population was 49,449 at the 2020 census, making it the state's fourth-largest city. It is a principal city of the Gulfport–Biloxi metropolitan area, home to 416,259 residents in 2020. The area's first European settlers were French colonists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D'Iberville, Mississippi</span> City in Mississippi, United States of America

D'Iberville is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States, immediately north of Biloxi, across the Back Bay. As of the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 9,486. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulfport, Mississippi</span> City in Mississippi, United States

Gulfport is the second-largest city in U.S. state of Mississippi after the state capital, Jackson. Along with Biloxi, Gulfport is the co-county seat of Harrison County and the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport–Biloxi metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city of Gulfport had a total population of 72,926, with 416,259 residents in its metro area. The city lies along the Gulf Coast in southern Mississippi, taking its name from its port on the Mississippi Sound. It is also home to the U.S. Navy Atlantic Fleet Seabees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ocean Springs, Mississippi</span> City in Mississippi, United States

Ocean Springs is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States, approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Biloxi and west of Gautier. It is part of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 17,225 at the 2000 U.S. Census. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the city of Ocean Springs had a population of 17,442.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pascagoula, Mississippi</span> City in Mississippi, United States

Pascagoula is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula metropolitan area, and is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula Combined Statistical Area and the Gulfport-Biloxi metropolitan area. The population was 22,392 at the 2010 census, down from 26,200 at the 2000 census. In 2019 the population was 21,699. It is the county seat of Jackson County.

The economic effects of Hurricane Katrina, which hit Louisiana, Florida, Texas and Mississippi in late August 2005, were far-reaching.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Effects of Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi</span>

Hurricane Katrina's winds and storm surge reached the Mississippi coastline on the morning of August 29, 2005. beginning a two-day path of destruction through central Mississippi; by 10 a.m. CDT on August 29, 2005, the eye of Katrina began traveling up the entire state, only slowing from hurricane-force winds at Meridian near 7 p.m. and entering Tennessee as a tropical storm. Many coastal towns of Mississippi had already been obliterated, in a single night. Hurricane-force winds reached coastal Mississippi by 2 a.m. and lasted over 17 hours, spawning 11 tornadoes and a 28-foot (8.5 m) storm surge flooding 6–12 miles (9.7–19.3 km) inland. Many, unable to evacuate, survived by climbing to attics or rooftops, or swimming to higher buildings and trees. The worst property damage from Katrina occurred in coastal Mississippi, where all towns flooded over 90% in hours, and waves destroyed many historic buildings, with others gutted to the 3rd story. Afterward, 238 people died in Mississippi, and all counties in Mississippi were declared disaster areas, 49 for full federal assistance. Regulations were changed later for emergency centers and casinos. The emergency command centers were moved higher because all 3 coastal centers flooded at 30 ft (9.1 m) above sea level. Casinos were allowed on land rather than limited to floating casino barges as in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ship Island (Mississippi)</span>

Ship Island is a barrier island off the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, one of the Mississippi–Alabama barrier islands. Hurricane Camille split the island into two separate islands in 1969. In early 2019, the US Army Corps of Engineers completed the first stage of a project rejoining the two islands and recreating one Ship Island. Ship Island is the site of Fort Massachusetts, as a Third System fortification. Part of the island is included in the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Area code 228</span> Telephone area code in Southern Mississippi

Area code 228 is the telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the Gulf Coast in the U.S. state of Mississippi, serving the three counties in the state's southeastern tip: Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson. It was the second area code created in the state, when in 1997, the numbering plan area was split from the original, state-wide area code 601. Area code 601 was further reduced in size when area code 662 was created in 1999 for the northern half of Mississippi.

Mississippi's 4th congressional district covers the southeastern region of the state. It includes all of Mississippi's Gulf Coast, stretching ninety miles between the Alabama border to the east and the Louisiana border to the west, and extends north into the Pine Belt region. It includes three of Mississippi's four most heavily populated cities: Gulfport, Biloxi, and Hattiesburg. Other major cities within the district include Bay St. Louis, Laurel, and Pascagoula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulfport–Biloxi metropolitan area</span>

The Gulfport-Biloxi Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the Mississippi Gulf Coast region that includes four counties – Hancock, Harrison, Jackson and Stone. The principal cities are Gulfport and Biloxi. The 2010 census placed the Gulfport-Biloxi MSA population at 388,488, though as of 2019, it was estimated to have increased to 417,665. The area was significantly impacted by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, and prior to the hurricane, had experienced steady to moderate population growth. However, growth has since rebounded, with the population steadily increasing every year throughout the 2010s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula, MS Combined Statistical Area</span>

The Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula Combined Statistical Area is made up of five counties in the Mississippi Gulf Coast region. The statistical area consists of the Gulfport–Biloxi Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Pascagoula Metropolitan Statistical Area. The 2010 census placed the CSA population at 411,066, and as of 2019, is estimated to be 442,165. The area was significantly impacted by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, although population growth has steadily rebounded in recent years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 10 in Mississippi</span> Highway in Mississippi

Interstate 10 (I-10), a major east–west Interstate Highway in the southern areas of the United States, has a section of about 77 miles (124 km) in Mississippi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Maurepas</span> 1699 French settlement in southeastern USA

Fort Maurepas, later known as Old Biloxi, was developed in colonial French Louisiana in April 1699 along the Gulf of Mexico . Fort Maurepas was designated temporarily as the capital of Louisiana in 1699. The capital was moved from Biloxi to Mobile in 1710, then to New Orleans in 1723 on the Mississippi River. Government buildings in the latter city were still under construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBUV</span> Radio station in Moss Point, Mississippi

WBUV, is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Moss Point, Mississippi, and serving the Gulfport–Biloxi-Pascagoula radio market. The station broadcasts a talk radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios and offices are on DeBuys Road in Biloxi.

A Mississippi Landmark is a building officially nominated by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and approved by each county's chancery clerk. The Mississippi Landmark designation is the highest form of recognition bestowed on properties by the state of Mississippi, and designated properties are protected from changes that may alter the property's historic character. Currently there are 890 designated landmarks in the state. Mississippi Landmarks are spread out between eighty-one of Mississippi's eighty-two counties; only Issaquena County has no such landmarks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Effects of Hurricane Georges in Mississippi</span>

The effects of Hurricane Georges in Mississippi included $676.8 million in damages but no fatalities. Hurricane Georges was a Category 2 storm at landfall in Mississippi during the 1998 Hurricane season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Weather Service New Orleans/Baton Rouge, Louisiana</span> Forecast office of the National Weather Service

The National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office New Orleans/Baton Rouge, Louisiana is a National Weather Service office located in Slidell, Louisiana.

Mississippi has a Vietnamese American population. As of 2010 7,025 ethnic Vietnamese live in Mississippi, making up 0.2% of the people there.

References

  1. "County Explorer". National Association of Counties. National Association of Counties. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Bergeron, Kat (March 30, 2017). "The Coast from 1817 to 1917: From frontier to tourist destination". SunHearld. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  3. "Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula Metro: Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2018 more information 2018 Population Estimates". US Census Bureau. US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  4. 1 2 Bunn, J. Michael; Williams, Clay (September 2007). "A Failed Enterprise: The French Colonial Period in Mississippi | Mississippi History Now". www.mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov. Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  5. "Gulf Park Campus | University | The University of Southern Mississippi". www.usm.edu. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  6. Noonkester, Myron C. (July 11, 2017). "William Carey University". Mississippi Encyclopedia. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  7. "Tradition Campus Academics | William Carey University". wmcarey.edu. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Mississippi Succeeds Report Card". Mississippi Succeeds Report Card. Mississippi Department of Education. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  9. Griffin, David. "NBA guard Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf house goes up in flames". www.newson6.com. Retrieved August 20, 2022.