Mississippi Gulf Coast | |
---|---|
Region | |
Nickname: The Coast | |
Area | |
• Total | 2,764,358 acres (1,118,696 ha) |
Dimensions | |
• Length | 80 mi (130 km) |
• Width | 55 mi (89 km) |
Population | |
• Total | 370,702 |
• Estimate (2018) | 397,261 |
• Density | 86/sq mi (33/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
Area code | 228 |
Website | www |
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.
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 led to the formation of Harrison County, as well as the pineywoods counties of Pearl River, Stone and George. [2]
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.
The Biloxi people lived in the region at least as early as 1699.
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]
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]
Fort Massachusetts, on Ship Island, was seized during the American Civil War.
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.
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]
Harrison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 208,621. Its county seats are Biloxi and Gulfport. The county is named after U.S. President William Henry Harrison. Harrison County is part of the Gulfport-Biloxi metropolitan area. The county was severely damaged from both Hurricane Camille on August 17, 1969, and Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, causing catastrophic effects.
Biloxi is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. It lies on the Gulf Coast in southern Mississippi, bordering the city of Gulfport to its west. The adjacent cities are both designated as seats of Harrison County. The population of Biloxi was 49,449 at the 2020 census, making it the state's 4th most populous 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.
D'Iberville is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States, immediately north of Biloxi, across the Back Bay. The population was 12,721 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Gulfport—Biloxi Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Gulfport is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi after the state capital, Jackson. Along with Biloxi, Gulfport is the co-county seat of Harrison County and part of the Gulfport–Biloxi metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, Gulfport has a population of 72,926; the metro area has a population of 416,259. Gulfport lies along the gulf coast of the United States in southern Mississippi, taking its name from its port on the Gulf Coast on the Mississippi Sound. It is home to the U.S. Navy Atlantic Fleet Seabees.
Moss Point is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 12,147 in 2020, a decline from the figure of 13,704 in 2010. The Moss Point Historic District and several individual buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places' Jackson County listings.
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 18,429 at the 2020 U.S Census, down from 18,434 in 2010.
Pascagoula is a city in and the county seat of 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.
Hurricane Elena was a strong and destructive tropical cyclone that affected eastern and central portions of the United States Gulf Coast in late August and early September 1985. Threatening popular tourist destinations during Labor Day weekend, Elena repeatedly deviated from its forecast path, triggering evacuations of unprecedented extent. The hurricane wrought havoc to property and the environment between southwestern Florida and eastern Louisiana, though lesser effects were felt well beyond those areas. Elena developed on August 28 near Cuba, and after traveling lengthwise across the island with little impact, it entered the Gulf of Mexico and continued to strengthen. Initially projected to strike the central Gulf Coast, the hurricane unexpectedly veered toward the east on August 30, then stalled just 50 mi (80 km) west of Cedar Key, Florida. Despite predictions that Elena would continue eastward across Florida, the cyclone remained nearly stationary for about 48 hours, causing damage all along the eastern gulf with high winds and waves, before slowly moving northwest and ultimately making landfall near Biloxi, Mississippi, on September 2 as a Category 3 major hurricane. The storm quickly weakened upon moving ashore and dissipated on September 4.
The economic effects of Hurricane Katrina, which hit Louisiana, Florida, Texas and Mississippi in late August 2005, were far-reaching.
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.
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) is a public community college with its main campus in Perkinston, Mississippi. It was founded as Harrison County Agricultural High School in 1912.
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.
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.
The Pascagoula Metropolitan Statistical Area was a metropolitan area in the southeastern corner of Mississippi that covered two counties - Jackson and George. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 150,564. The area was significantly impacted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. A July 1, 2009 estimate placed the population at 155,603. Prior to the hurricane, the area had experienced steady population growth. It was also part of the larger Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula Combined Statistical Area.
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.
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.
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 Ocean Springs to Mobile in 1710, then to New Orleans in 1723 on the Mississippi River. Government buildings in the latter city were still under construction.
WBUV, is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Moss Point, Mississippi, and serving the Gulfport–Biloxi-Pascagoula radio market. The station broadcasts a news/talk 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.
Mississippi has a Vietnamese American population. As of 2010 7,025 ethnic Vietnamese live in Mississippi, making up 0.2% of the people there.