Pascagoula, Mississippi | |
|---|---|
 Welcome sign onU.S. Route 90 | |
 Flag  Logo | |
| Nickname: Mississippi's Flagship City | |
| Motto: "A Great Place to Live, Work & Play" | |
 Location of Pascagoula in Jackson County, Mississippi | |
  Pascagoula Location in the United States Show map of Mississippi Pascagoula Pascagoula (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:30°21′49″N88°32′31″W / 30.36361°N 88.54194°W /30.36361; -88.54194 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Jackson |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jay Willis (R[1]) |
| Area | |
• City | 24.51 sq mi (63.48 km2) |
| • Land | 15.37 sq mi (39.82 km2) |
| • Water | 9.14 sq mi (23.66 km2) |
| Elevation | 9.8 ft (3 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• City | 22,010 |
| • Density | 1,431.4/sq mi (552.68/km2) |
| • Urban | 50,428 (US:497th) |
| • Metro | 382,516 (US:137th) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes | 39567-39581 |
| Area code | 228 |
| FIPS code | 28-55360 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0675480 |
| Website | cityofpascagoula |
Pascagoula (/pæskəɡulə/PASS-kuh-GOOL-uh) is a city in and thecounty seat ofJackson County, Mississippi, United States.[3] It is the principal city of thePascagoula metropolitan area, and is part of theGulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoulacombined statistical area and theGulfport-Biloxi metropolitan area. Its population was 22,010 at the2020 census,[4] down from 22,392 at the 2010 census and 26,200 at the 2000 census.
The city is served by three airports:Mobile Regional Airport, 34 miles (55 km) to the northeast inAlabama;Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, about 40 miles (64 km) west of Pascagoula; and theTrent Lott International Airport, 9 miles (14 km) to the north in Jackson County.Amtrak service also began serving the city when theMardi Gras Service debuted on August 18, 2025.[5]
The name Pascagoula, which means "bread eater", is taken from thePascagoula, a group ofNative Americans found in villages along thePascagoula River some distance above its mouth.Hernando de Soto seems to have made the first contact with them in the 1540s, though little is known of that encounter.Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, founder of the colony ofLouisiana, left a more detailed account from an expedition of this region in 1700.[6][7]
The first detailed account comes fromJean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, younger brother of Iberville, whom the Pascagoula visited atFort Maurepas in present-dayOcean Springs, shortly after it was settled and while the older brother was away in France. Few details are certain about these people, except that their language seemed not to have shared anetymological root with the larger native groups to the north, theChoctaw particularly, who speak aMuskogean language. Some speculation exists that their language may be related toBiloxi. TheBiloxi people spoke a now-extinctSiouan language, which is related to the languages spoken by theSioux,Crow, andHo-Chunk.[6][7]
The territory of the Biloxi people seems to have ranged from the areas of what are now called Biloxi Bay toBayou La Batre (Alabama) and 25 miles (40 km) up thePascagoula River, and the Pascagoula people's territory seems to have ranged between some distance north of there to the confluence of theLeaf andChickasawhay Rivers.[7]: 19–21 However, the Pascagoula language is completely undocumented; thus, genealogical affiliations from other authors are speculation.[6]
The first European settlers of Pascagoula were Jean Baptiste Baudreau Dit Graveline, Joseph Simon De La Pointe, and his aunt, Madame Chaumont.
The region changed hands over the next century, being occupied variously by the English, French, and Spanish until well after theAmerican Revolutionary War. It came into the permanent possession of the United States in 1812, when it was added to theMississippi Territory. At one point, for 74 days in 1810, Pascagoula was a part of what was known as theRepublic of West Florida.[7]: 47–49 Pascagoula was incorporated as a village in 1892. It obtained city status in 1901. Today's downtown Pascagoula used to be the town of Scranton, Mississippi, incorporated in 1870. The two towns merged in 1904 by governor's proclamation and in 1912 by Mississippi legislative act.[8]
In October 1973, an allegedunidentified flying object sighting andalien abduction is said to have occurred when co-workers Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker claimed they were abducted byaliens while fishing near Pascagoula. The incident, thePascagoula Abduction, earned substantialmass media attention.[9] In June 2019, Pascagoula placed a historical marker near the alleged abduction site.[10] The city honors the abduction every year during an event called Goula Palooza. The festival takes place in the downtown area of the city.[11]
On August 29, 2005,Hurricane Katrina's 20-foot (6.1 m)storm surge devastated Pascagoula,[12] much likeBiloxi andGulfport and the rest of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.[13] Katrina came ashore during the high tide of 6:12 am, 2.1 ft (0.64 m) more than typical.[14] Nearly 92% of Pascagoula was flooded. Most homes along Beach Boulevard were destroyed, andFEMA trailers became an omnipresent sight.
Due to the media focus on the plight ofNew Orleans and Biloxi-Gulfport in the aftermath of Katrina, many Pascagoula citizens have expressed feeling neglected or even forgotten following the storm. Most Pascagoula residents did not possessflood insurance, and many were required to put their homes onpilings before being given a permit to rebuild. TITANTubes, sometimes referred to asgeotubes, were installed under the beach to serve as low-profile dune cores to protect the evacuation route.
United States Navy officials announced that twoArleigh Burke-classguided missile destroyers that were under construction atNorthrop Grumman Ship Systems in Pascagoula had been damaged by the storm, as well as theamphibious assault shipUSS Makin Island.
Hurricane Katrina damaged over 40 Mississippi libraries, flooding the Pascagoula Public Library's first floor and causing mold in the building.[15]
The United States post office in Pascagoula contains a mural,Legend of the Singing River, painted in 1939 byLorin Thompson. Murals were produced from 1934 to 1943 in the United States through theSection of Painting and Sculpture, later called the Section of Fine Arts, of theTreasury Department. The mural was restored in the 1960s as the building became the Pascagoula Public Library. The building was damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and the mural was placed in storage. In 2010, it was reinstalled at the new Pascagoula post office on Jackson Avenue.[16]
Pascagoula is the home of theOld Spanish Fort, the oldest building in the Mississippi Valley. It was built sometime in the 1750s.
Pascagoula is located alongMississippi Sound, on the east side of the mouth of thePascagoula River. It is bordered to the north byMoss Point and to the west, across the Pascagoula River, byGautier. The city has a total area of 24.5 square miles (63.4 km2), of which 15.4 square miles (39.8 km2) are land and 9.1 square miles (23.6 km2), or 37.25%, are covered by water.[4]
U.S. Route 90 (Denny Avenue) passes through the city, leading northeast 16 miles (26 km) toGrand Bay, Alabama, and west 21 miles (34 km) to Biloxi.Mississippi Highway 613 (Telephone Road) leads north from US-90 into Moss Point and 5 miles (8 km) toInterstate 10.
According to theKöppen climate classification, Pascagoula has ahumid subtropical climate,Cfa on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Pascagoula was 106 °F (41.1 °C) on August 26, 2023, while the coldest temperature recorded was 16 °F (−8.9 °C) on January 30, 2014.[17]
| Climate data for Pascagoula, Mississippi (Trent Lott International Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1997–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 83 (28) | 84 (29) | 89 (32) | 93 (34) | 97 (36) | 102 (39) | 103 (39) | 106 (41) | 99 (37) | 98 (37) | 88 (31) | 84 (29) | 106 (41) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 76.1 (24.5) | 78.9 (26.1) | 82.9 (28.3) | 85.9 (29.9) | 92.8 (33.8) | 96.7 (35.9) | 97.1 (36.2) | 96.7 (35.9) | 94.2 (34.6) | 90.5 (32.5) | 82.7 (28.2) | 79.0 (26.1) | 98.7 (37.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 62.5 (16.9) | 66.4 (19.1) | 72.2 (22.3) | 77.6 (25.3) | 84.3 (29.1) | 89.6 (32.0) | 90.9 (32.7) | 90.7 (32.6) | 88.0 (31.1) | 80.7 (27.1) | 71.4 (21.9) | 64.8 (18.2) | 78.3 (25.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 51.7 (10.9) | 55.5 (13.1) | 61.2 (16.2) | 66.6 (19.2) | 73.6 (23.1) | 80.3 (26.8) | 82.1 (27.8) | 81.9 (27.7) | 78.5 (25.8) | 69.2 (20.7) | 59.1 (15.1) | 54.0 (12.2) | 67.8 (19.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 40.9 (4.9) | 44.6 (7.0) | 50.1 (10.1) | 55.7 (13.2) | 63.0 (17.2) | 71.1 (21.7) | 73.4 (23.0) | 73.2 (22.9) | 69.0 (20.6) | 57.7 (14.3) | 46.9 (8.3) | 43.2 (6.2) | 57.4 (14.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 22.3 (−5.4) | 27.4 (−2.6) | 32.1 (0.1) | 39.8 (4.3) | 48.8 (9.3) | 62.8 (17.1) | 67.8 (19.9) | 66.8 (19.3) | 56.1 (13.4) | 39.9 (4.4) | 28.9 (−1.7) | 27.3 (−2.6) | 21.9 (−5.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 16 (−9) | 20 (−7) | 21 (−6) | 32 (0) | 42 (6) | 50 (10) | 60 (16) | 60 (16) | 45 (7) | 29 (−2) | 19 (−7) | 20 (−7) | 16 (−9) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 4.97 (126) | 4.01 (102) | 4.73 (120) | 4.40 (112) | 4.95 (126) | 6.91 (176) | 6.65 (169) | 7.89 (200) | 4.84 (123) | 3.69 (94) | 3.79 (96) | 4.90 (124) | 61.73 (1,568) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 8.3 | 8.9 | 8.5 | 7.3 | 7.7 | 12.3 | 14.8 | 14.8 | 10.4 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 9.4 | 117.9 |
| Source 1: NOAA[18] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service (mean maxima/minima 2006–2020)[17] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 480 | — | |
| 1880 | 418 | −12.9% | |
| 1900 | 708 | — | |
| 1910 | 3,379 | 377.3% | |
| 1920 | 6,082 | 80.0% | |
| 1930 | 4,339 | −28.7% | |
| 1940 | 5,900 | 36.0% | |
| 1950 | 10,805 | 83.1% | |
| 1960 | 17,155 | 58.8% | |
| 1970 | 27,264 | 58.9% | |
| 1980 | 29,318 | 7.5% | |
| 1990 | 25,899 | −11.7% | |
| 2000 | 26,200 | 1.2% | |
| 2010 | 22,392 | −14.5% | |
| 2020 | 22,010 | −1.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[19] 2018 Estimate[20] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 10,272 | 46.67% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 7,561 | 34.35% |
| Native American | 51 | 0.23% |
| Asian | 152 | 0.69% |
| Pacific Islander | 3 | 0.01% |
| Other/mixed | 717 | 3.26% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 3,254 | 14.78% |
In the2020 United States census, 22,010 people, 8,415 households, and 4,865 families were residing in the city.
As of the 2000 census, 26,200 people, 9,878 households, and 6,726 families were living in the city. The population density was 1,726.4 inhabitants per square mile (666.6/km2). The 10,931 housing units had an average density of 720.3 units per square mile (278.1 units/km2). Theracial makeup of the city was 67.15% White, 28.97% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.97% Asian, 1.69% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 3.89% of the population.
Of the 9,878 households, 34.5% had children under 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% were not families. About 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city, the age distribution was 26.9% under 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $32,042, and for a family was $39,044. Males had a median income of $30,313 versus $22,594 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,891. About 18.1% of families and 20.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.4% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.
Pascagoula is a major industrial city of Mississippi, on theGulf Coast. Prior toWorld War II, the town was a sleepy fishing village of about 5,000. The population skyrocketed with the war-driven shipbuilding industry. The city's population seemed to peak in the late 1970s and early 1980s, asCold War defense spending was at its height. Pascagoula experienced some new growth and development in the years before Hurricane Katrina.
Today, Pascagoula is home to the state's largest private, single-site employer,Ingalls Shipbuilding, owned byHuntington Ingalls Industries. Other major industries include the largestChevron refinery in the world; Rolls-Royce Naval Marine, specializing in U.S. Navy ship propulsion; and First Chemical/Chemours.
Naval Station Pascagoula was located on Singing River Island and was homeport to several Navy warships, as well as a largeCoast Guard contingent. Naval Station Pascagoula was decommissioned as part of the 2005Base Realignment and Closure recommendations, and ceased operations in 2006.
ThePascagoula-Gautier School District serves Pascagoula.Resurrection Catholic School is a parochial school for prekindergarten to grade 12, established in 1882.
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–Chico, California (U.S.) 2005[40]
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Municipalities and communities ofJackson County, Mississippi,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
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| Other | |
