Moss Point, Mississippi | |
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![]() Moss Point City Hall | |
![]() Location of Moss Point in the state of Mississippi | |
Coordinates: 30°24′42″N 88°32′04″W / 30.411744°N 88.534355°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Mississippi |
County | Jackson |
Incorporated | 1901 (as a city) |
Government | |
• Mayor | Billy Knight, Sr. |
Area | |
• Total | 26.57 sq mi (68.80 km2) |
• Land | 24.11 sq mi (62.45 km2) |
• Water | 2.45 sq mi (6.35 km2) |
Elevation | 16 ft (5 m) |
Population (
2020) | |
• Total | 12,147 |
• Density | 503.75/sq mi (194.50/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-6 ( CST) |
• Summer ( DST) | UTC-5 ( CDT) |
ZIP codes | 39562, 39563, 39581 |
Area code | 228 |
FIPS code | 28-49240 |
GNIS feature ID | 0673878 |
Website |
cityofmosspoint |
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.
On August 29, 2005, Moss Point was hit by the strong east side of Hurricane Katrina, and much of the city was flooded or destroyed (see details below). Moss Point is home to Trent Lott International Airport and the Mississippi Export Railroad.
Moss Point is in southeastern Jackson County, on the east side of the Pascagoula River. It is bordered to the south by the city of Pascagoula, the county seat, and to the north by unincorporated Escatawpa. The Escatawpa River flows east–west through the city into the Pascagoula River.
U.S. Route 90 forms the southeastern boundary of Moss Point, leading southwestward into Pascagoula and northeastward to Interstate 10, which runs through the northern part of the Moss Point city limits. I-10 leads west 22 miles (35 km) to the Biloxi area and northeast 36 miles (58 km) to Mobile, Alabama. Mississippi Highways 63 and 613 (Main Street) are north–south roads through Moss Point. Highway 63 leads south to US-90 and north 38 miles (61 km) to Lucedale, while Highway 613 leads south 4 miles (6 km) to the center of Pascagoula and north 5 miles (8 km) to Escatawpa.
Moss Point has a total area of 26.6 square miles (68.8 km2), of which 24.2 square miles (62.6 km2) are land and 2.4 square miles (6.3 km2), or 9.11%, are water. [2]
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1870 | 440 | — | |
1880 | 1,333 | 203.0% | |
1910 | 3,054 | — | |
1920 | 3,340 | 9.4% | |
1930 | 2,453 | −26.6% | |
1940 | 3,042 | 24.0% | |
1950 | 3,782 | 24.3% | |
1960 | 6,631 | 75.3% | |
1970 | 19,321 | 191.4% | |
1980 | 18,998 | −1.7% | |
1990 | 17,837 | −6.1% | |
2000 | 17,653 | −1.0% | |
2010 | 13,704 | −22.4% | |
2020 | 12,147 | −11.4% | |
U.S. Decennial Census [3] |
Race | Num. | Perc. |
---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic) | 2,617 | 21.54% |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 8,655 | 71.25% |
Native American | 23 | 0.19% |
Asian | 40 | 0.33% |
Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.01% |
Other/Mixed | 361 | 2.97% |
Hispanic or Latino | 450 | 3.7% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 12,147 people, 5,102 households, and 3,263 families residing in the city.
The city is served by the Moss Point School District.
On August 29, 2005, Moss Point was hit by the strong eastern side of Hurricane Katrina, when it passed 30 miles (48 km) east of central New Orleans with minimal gale-force winds. However, on the east side of Hurricane Katrina, much of Moss Point was flooded or destroyed in one day, by the strong hurricane-force winds which lasted several hours and a storm surge exceeding 20 feet (6.1 m) in some sections. [5]
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Burlington, Vermont became the sister city of Moss Point and provided much-needed aid to the city. [6]