A Quick History of
Jackson County, Mississippi
presented by the Mississippi Genealogy & History Network
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Jackson County is located in the extreme South-Eastern portion of Mississippi on the Gulf Coast. Jackson County was formed on December 14, 1812 and named in honor of the United States President Andrew Jackson. Jackson County is home to Ingalls Shipyard, one of the premier ship-building facilities in the world. Jackson County is the largest county in Mississippi.
The county seat is Pascagoula, a major industrial city in Mississippi that is located on the Gulf Coast.
The county has a total area of 1,043.30 square miles of which 726.90 square miles is land and 316.40 square miles (30.33%) is water. The population recorded in the 1820 Federal Census was 1,682. The 2010 census recorded 139,688 residents in the county.
Neighboring counties are George County (north), Mobile County, Alabama (east), Harrison County (west), and Stone County (northwest). Communities in the county include Gautier, Moss Point, Ocean Springs, Pascagoula, Big Point, Escatawpa, Gulf Hills, Gulf Park Estates, Helena, Hickory Hills Hurley, Latimer, St. Martin, Vancleave, Wade, Eastlawn, East Moss Point, Eastside, Fontainebleau, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Iowana, Kreole, Larue, Navy Homeport, Orange Grove, Pecan, Polfry, Three Rivers, Windsor Park, Vestry, and Brewton.