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Picayune, Mississippi
Downtown Picayune
Downtown Picayune
Location of Picayune, Mississippi
Location of Picayune, Mississippi
Picayune, Mississippi is located in Mississippi
Picayune, Mississippi
Picayune, Mississippi
Location in Mississippi
Picayune, Mississippi is located in the United States
Picayune, Mississippi
Picayune, Mississippi
Location in the United States
Country  United States
State  Mississippi
County Pearl River
Area
 • Total 18.11 sq mi (46.91 km2)
 • Land 18.04 sq mi (46.72 km2)
 • Water 0.08 sq mi (0.20 km2)
Elevation
73 ft (22 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 10,878
 • Estimate 
(2019)
10,904
 • Density 604.50/sq mi (233.40/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP code
39466
Area code(s) 601
FIPS code 28-57160
GNIS feature ID 0675698
Website Picayune official website: http://www.picayune.ms.us

Picayune ( pik-Ə-yoon) is the largest city in Pearl River County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 10,878 at the 2010 census. The city is located approximately 45 miles (72 km) from New Orleans, Hattiesburg and Gulfport-Biloxi. The Stennis Space Center is 10 miles (16 km) away.

History

Picayune was founded in 1904, named by Eliza Jane Poitevent Nicholson, the owner and publisher of the New Orleans Daily Picayune, a newspaper named for the Spanish coin.

Hurricane Katrina

While Picayune received extensive damage from Hurricane Katrina, it was not as severe as in other nearby cities. This has caused it to become the permanent home for many who relocated from the New Orleans area and from the Mississippi Gulf Coast – who were seeking a safer home site with easy commuting to those areas.

The bulk of the Katrina damage in Picayune was caused by high winds. This resulted in widespread roof, window, and fence damage. The wind also caused hundreds, if not thousands, of downed trees – and power outages of up to several months.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.8 square miles (31 km2), of which 11.8 square miles (31 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) (7.34%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 846
1920 2,479 193.0%
1930 4,698 89.5%
1940 5,129 9.2%
1950 6,707 30.8%
1960 7,834 16.8%
1970 10,467 33.6%
1980 10,361 −1.0%
1990 10,633 2.6%
2000 10,535 −0.9%
2010 10,878 3.3%
2019 (est.) 10,904 0.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Picayune racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 6,709 56.45%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 3,975 33.45%
Native American 33 0.28%
Asian 103 0.87%
Other/Mixed 601 5.06%
Hispanic or Latino 464 3.9%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 11,885 people, 4,457 households, and 2,951 families residing in the city.

Points of interest



Education

  • The City of Picayune is served by the Picayune School District.
  • Picayune Junior High School serves as the middle school for grades 7 and 8. Picayune Memorial High School is the local high school. The school's mascot is the Maroon Tide.
  • The Center of Alternate Education is also located in Picayune.

All of Pearl River County is in the service area of Pearl River Community College.

Elementary schools

  • Nicholson Elementary
  • Roseland Park Elementary
  • South Side Elementary
  • West Side Elementary

Infrastructure

Hwy11and4thStreet
Highway 11 and Fourth Street
CornerofPalestine&Beech
Palestine Road and Beech Street

Transportation

Amtrak's Crescent train connects Picayune with the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham, and New Orleans. The Amtrak station is situated at 100 South U.S. Route 11. There is tri-weekly service in each direction.

U.S. 11 is the main highway through Picayune. Interstate 59 (via Interstate 10) connects Picayune with New Orleans, LA, to the south and Hattiesburg, MS, Meridian, MS, and Birmingham, AL, to the north.

Mississippi Highway 43 is the main connection to and from the east, connecting to Interstate 10 near Kiln, MS.

Picayune Municipal Airport has a 5,000 ft (1,500 m) runway and is a popular destination for private fixed-wing and rotary aircraft visiting the New Orleans area. Rental car, taxi and limousine services are available.

Railroads

  • Norfolk Southern Railway

Major highways

Library

The Margaret Reed Crosby Memorial Library serves Picayune and is the headquarters of the Pearl River County Library System.

Notable people

  • Jonathan Bender, professional basketball player
  • Gary Goff, college football coach
  • T. J. House, professional baseball player
  • Rhyne Hughes, professional baseball player
  • Michael Holloway Perronne, writer
  • Matt Riser, college baseball coach
  • Cailey Fleming, actress

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Picayune para niños

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