Hancock County, Mississippi

Hancock County
County
Hancock County courthouse in Bay St. Louis
Hancock County courthouse in Bay St. Louis
Map of Mississippi highlighting Hancock County
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
Map of the United States highlighting Mississippi
Mississippi's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 30°23′N 89°28′W / 30.39°N 89.47°W / 30.39; -89.47
Country United States
State Mississippi
Founded1812
Named forJohn Hancock
SeatBay St. Louis
Largest cityBay St. Louis
Area
 • Total553 sq mi (1,430 km2)
 • Land474 sq mi (1,230 km2)
 • Water79 sq mi (200 km2)  14%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total46,053
 • Estimate 
(2023)
46,159
 • Density83/sq mi (32/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district4th
Websitehancockcounty.ms.gov

Hancock County is the southernmost county of the U.S. state of Mississippi and is named for Founding Father John Hancock.[1] As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,053.[2] Its county seat is Bay St. Louis.[3] Hancock County is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, MS Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is situated along the Gulf of Mexico and the state line with Louisiana. The area is home to the John C. Stennis Space Center, NASA's largest rocket engine test facility. The county was severely damaged from Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, which caused a huge storm surge and catastrophic damage.

  1. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 148.
  2. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Hancock County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.