kids encyclopedia robot

Monroe County, Mississippi facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Monroe County
Former Monroe County Courthouse in Aberdeen.
Former Monroe County Courthouse in Aberdeen.
Map of Mississippi highlighting Monroe County
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
Map of the United States highlighting Mississippi
Mississippi's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Mississippi
Founded 1821
Named for James Monroe
Seat Aberdeen
Largest city Amory
Area
 • Total 772 sq mi (2,000 km2)
 • Land 765 sq mi (1,980 km2)
 • Water 7.0 sq mi (18 km2)  0.9%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 36,989
 • Estimate 
(2018)
35,564
 • Density 47.91/sq mi (18.499/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 1st

Monroe County is a county on the northeast border of the U.S. state of Mississippi next to Alabama. As of the 2010 census, the population was 36,989. Its county seat is Aberdeen.

History

The county is named in honor of James Monroe, fifth President of the United States. Part of the county east of the Tombigbee River originally made-up part of the Alabama Territory, belonging to Marion County, until new lines of demarcation put it in the State of Mississippi in 1821.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 772 square miles (2,000 km2), of which 765 square miles (1,980 km2) is land and 7.0 square miles (18 km2) (0.9%) is water.

Major highways

  • US 45.svg U.S. Highway 45
  • US 278.svg U.S. Highway 278
  • Circle sign 6.svg Mississippi Highway 6
  • Circle sign 8.svg Mississippi Highway 8
  • Circle sign 25.svg Mississippi Highway 25
  • Circle sign 145.svg Mississippi Highway 145

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1820 2,721
1830 3,861 41.9%
1840 9,250 139.6%
1850 21,172 128.9%
1860 21,283 0.5%
1870 22,631 6.3%
1880 28,553 26.2%
1890 30,730 7.6%
1900 31,216 1.6%
1910 35,178 12.7%
1920 32,613 −7.3%
1930 36,141 10.8%
1940 37,648 4.2%
1950 36,543 −2.9%
1960 33,953 −7.1%
1970 34,043 0.3%
1980 36,404 6.9%
1990 36,582 0.5%
2000 38,014 3.9%
2010 36,989 −2.7%
2020 34,180 −7.6%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010–2020

2020 census

Monroe County Racial Composition
Race Num. Perc.
White 22,487 65.79%
Black or African American 10,311 30.17%
Native American 50 0.15%
Asian 67 0.2%
Pacific Islander 3 0.01%
Other/Mixed 789 2.31%
Hispanic or Latino 473 1.38%

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 34,180 people, 13,966 households, and 9,122 families residing in the county.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Village

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

Economy

As of 1922, both the largest creamery and the largest hog-feeding plant "in the South" were located in the county.

As of 1922, corn was the most important grain crop grown in the county. Corn was typically planted after the planting and harvest of a crop of clover or oats. At that time, oat crops typically yielded forty to sixty bushels per acre. Other crops grown, either for harvest or pasture, included wheat, rye, barley, rape, cotton, Japan clover. Monroe had the largest acreage devoted to alfalfa production and exported more alfalfa hay than any other county in the state.

As of 2021, US Silica operates a bentonite mine located several miles south of Aberdeen, near the community of Darracott, where bentonite is extracted before being refined into petrochemicals and animal feed.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Monroe (Misisipi) para niños

kids search engine
Monroe County, Mississippi Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.