Pontotoc, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pontotoc, Mississippi
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Pontotoc County courthouse
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Location of Pontotoc, Mississippi
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 Pontotoc, Mississippi
Location in Mississippi
Pontotoc, Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Pontotoc |
| Area | |
| • Total | 11.33 sq mi (29.36 km2) |
| • Land | 11.18 sq mi (28.96 km2) |
| • Water | 0.15 sq mi (0.40 km2) |
| Elevation | 495 ft (151 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 5,625 |
| • Estimate
(2019)
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6,169 |
| • Density | 551.79/sq mi (213.05/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
38863
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| Area code(s) | 662 |
| FIPS code | 28-59160 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0691601 |
Pontotoc is a city in, and the county seat of, Pontotoc County, Mississippi, located to the west of the much larger city of Tupelo. The population was 5,625 at the 2010 census. Pontotoc is a Chickasaw word that means, “Land of the Hanging Grapes.”
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.6 sq mi (25 km2), of which 9.4 sq mi (24 km2) is land and 0.2 sq mi (0.52 km2) (1.66%) is covered by water.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 384 | — | |
| 1880 | 447 | 16.4% | |
| 1890 | 535 | 19.7% | |
| 1900 | 1,010 | 88.8% | |
| 1910 | 1,277 | 26.4% | |
| 1920 | 1,274 | −0.2% | |
| 1930 | 2,018 | 58.4% | |
| 1940 | 1,832 | −9.2% | |
| 1950 | 1,596 | −12.9% | |
| 1960 | 2,108 | 32.1% | |
| 1970 | 3,453 | 63.8% | |
| 1980 | 4,723 | 36.8% | |
| 1990 | 4,570 | −3.2% | |
| 2000 | 5,253 | 14.9% | |
| 2010 | 5,625 | 7.1% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 6,169 | 9.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 3,551 | 62.96% |
| Black or African American | 1,177 | 20.87% |
| Native American | 17 | 0.3% |
| Asian | 18 | 0.32% |
| Other/Mixed | 192 | 3.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 685 | 12.15% |
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 5,640 people, 1,906 households, and 1,342 families residing in the city.
Education
The city of Pontotoc is served by the Pontotoc City School District and the county is served by the Pontotoc County School District. North Pontotoc High School and South Pontotoc High School are two of the top academic schools in the state of Mississippi. North received the Blue Ribbon Award and South received Level 5, the highest rating for a school in Mississippi. The city's band was the Grand Champion in the state in 2017.
Notable people
- Terry "Harmonica" Bean, bluesman; lifelong resident of Pontotoc
- Delaney Bramlett, singer, songwriter and musician; born in Pontotoc
- Thad Cochran, former U.S. Senator from Mississippi
- Alfred Oscar Coffin (born 1861), first African-American man to earn a Ph.D. in biological sciences; professor of Romance languages at Langston University; author, teacher, agent, and traveler; born in Pontotoc
- Borden Deal, novelist and short-story writer; from Pontotoc
- Ruby Elzy, pioneer black opera singer; played the soprano role of Serena in George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess; Broadway star; prominent radio, concert and film personality; buried in Pontotoc's City Cemetery
- Lee Gates (1937 – 2020), blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter; born in Pontotoc
- Cyrus Harris (1817 – 1888, Chickasaw), politician, born on a farm outside the town, lived here until 1827, and returned 1830-37; he was among the Chickasaw removed to Indian Territory; he served five terms as Governor of the Chickasaw Nation.
- Kent Hull, former NFL Buffalo Bills center; from Pontotoc
- Cowan F. "Bubba" Hyde (born 1908), Negro league baseball player who played for the Birmingham Black Barons; born in Pontotoc
- Cordell Jackson, guitarist; born in Pontotoc; she is thought to be the first woman to produce, engineer, arrange, and promote music on her own rock and roll music label
- Max Palmer, professional wrestler; from Pontotoc
- Romie J. Palmer, Illinois jurist and legislator; born in Pontotoc
- Steve Pegues, former major league professional baseball player; from Pontotoc
- Jim Weatherly, singer, songwriter and musician, writer of song "Midnight Train to Georgia"; star Ole Miss quarterback; from Pontotoc
- Elizabeth H. West (born 1873), librarian and archivist; born in Pontotoc
- Roger Wicker, U.S. Senator from Mississippi
See also
In Spanish: Pontotoc para niños
