Gulfport emerged from two earlier settlements,Mississippi City and Handsboro. Founded in 1887 byWilliam H. Hardy as a terminus for theGulf and Ship Island Railroad, the city was further developed byPhiladelphiaoil tycoonJoseph T. Jones, who funded the railroad, harbor, and channel dredging. The city was officially incorporated in 1898. By the early 20th century, Gulfport had become the largest lumber export city in the United States, though this faded with the depletion of Mississippi'sPiney Woods. The city transitioned into tourism through its white beaches,grand hotels, and significantcasino gaming operations.
Two villages predated the founding of Gulfport:Mississippi City, located along the gulf, and Handsboro, founded in the 1800s along the northern bayous.[5][6] Mississippi City was born out of the Mississippi City Company that was formed in 1837 to build a town to serve as the terminus for theGulf and Ship Island Railroad.[7][8] The purpose of the railroad was to transferyellow pine for ship-based trade.[9] While a depression led to the abandonment of the railroad, the town was nevertheless built and later made the county seat upon the creation ofHarrison County in 1841.[5][10]
The Gulf and Ship Island Railroad company was later reorganized and selectedWilliam H. Hardy as its president. Desiring to connect the railroad from the town ofHattiesburg, which he founded, to the coast, he steered away from Mississippi City because of its lack of proximity to deep water.[10] He selected the site of Gulfport in 1887, and the town was founded that year.[11] Because of the cost of the project, Hardy went bankrupt in 1893, and the town became aghost town.[10] However,Philadelphia oil tycoonJoseph T. Jones purchased the company.[10][11] Jones funded not only the railroad, but much of the city, the harbor, and the dredging of the channel.[11] In 1888, the city was given its name from theJackson Clarion-Ledger editor,R. H. Henry after a conversation between him and Hardy.[11] On July 28, 1898, the city was incorporated.[5] In 1902, Harrison County voted to move the county seat to Gulfport.[5]
Steamer loading resin in Gulfport, 1906
In 1900, the railroad was completed, and in 1902 thePort of Gulfport was completed.[10] On April 28, 1904, theTreasury Department changed theport of entry for the district of the Pearl River fromShieldsboro to Gulfport.[12] At the time, the Gulfport port had greater ease of access than comparable ports like Mobile or New Orleans.[10] The port soon made Gulfport the largest lumber export city in the United States, shipping over 293 million feet of lumber in 1906; however, the depletion of the yellow pine ended this status in the early 20th century.[10]
At the turn of the century, Gulfport began to experience notable growth: by 1900, the population hit 1,000, and by 1910, over 6,000.[10] As a result, the fire department and sanitation services were established, and by 1903, the county courthouse was built.[9][10] TheLouisville and Nashville railroad line also began serving the city around this time atGulfport Station (then theUnion Depot).[10] In 1910, theU.S. Post Office and Customhouse was built,[13] and in March 1916, the construction of aCarnegie Library was announced by the mayor.[14] Other impressive developments include the building of theGreat Southern Hotel, the construction of an electric plant (later managed byMississippi Power), and astreetcar line.[10]
In 1917, the city was set to hold the Mississippi Centennial Exposition, but upon the U.S. enteringWorld War I, the plans were abandoned. The building complex created for the exposition was transferred to theU.S. Navy as a training center. The lands were eventually transitioned into aVeterans Administration Hospital, which operated until 2005.[10][15] The 1920s saw a construction boom with buildings like theHotel Markham and the Bank of Gulfport being completed.[10] By the 1930s, the population had increased to over 12,000, with growth continuing into the 1940s.[10]
By 1950, the population had grown to around 22,000 and by 1960, 30,000.[10] Around the time of theBiloxi wade-ins, Gulfport had its own protest wade-in in 1960.[19] In 1965, the city annexed the original Mississippi City and Handsboro area.[9] On August 17, 1969, Gulfport and the Mississippi Gulf Coast were hit byHurricane Camille, the second-strongest hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. in recorded history.[20] The most heavily damaged part of Gulfport was the waterfront areas: storm waters in Gulfport reached 21 feet, and the port of Gulfport was nearly completely destroyed. Otherwise, the downtown and inland areas received small amounts of structural damage.[21]
In 1976, theArmed Forces Retirement Home relocated from Philadelphia to Gulfport on the land of the formerGulf Coast Military Academy. The facility was destroyed in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina but rebuilt as a much larger facility in 2010.[22] A new county courthouse was built in 1977. In 1993, the city opened its first two casinos, and later that year in December, the city annexed 33 square miles (85 km2) north of Gulfport. This annexed land includedTurkey Creek, a historic community founded by emancipated slaves before the founding of Gulfport.[23] In 2003, theDan M. Russell Jr. United States Courthouse was completed.[9]
Damage to the Marine Life Oceanarium and casinos after Hurricane Katrina
On August 29, 2005, Gulfport was hit by the strong eastern side ofHurricane Katrina with wind speeds of at least 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) and storm surge of at least 19 feet (5.8 m).[24][25] 9,571 houses were damaged or destroyed, and the town was left with a $3 million deficit. The city received over $300 million in federal aid which it used to repair infrastructure and facilities for essential services.[26] In 2020, on the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, theMississippi Aquarium opened, replacing a dolphin-oriented facility destroyed by the hurricane.[27][28]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 64.2 sq mi (166.4 km2), of which 56.9 sq mi (147.4 km2) is land and 7.3 sq mi (19.0 km2) (11.40%) is water.
The Gulfport Formation in Harrison County is described as barrier ridge composed of white, medium- to fine-grained sand, yellow-orange near surface. Thickness ranges from 5.0 to 9.5 m. It overlies Biloxi Formation. Age is late Pleistocene.[29]
Gulfport Formation is limited to a 1- to 3-km-wide discontinuous barrier ridge belt that borders the Gulf mainland shore. It commonly overlies Prairie Formation (alluvium) landward and Biloxi Formation (shelf deposits) near shore. The formation grades upward from poorly to moderately sortedshoreface sands toforeshore sand and dunes. The unit extends from Gulfport, MS, eastward to the mouth of theOchlockonee River,Franklin County, Florida and was deposited during theSangamonian.[29]
The city listed 39 official neighborhoods in 2000. These neighborhoods are sometimes subdivisions or accumulations of gradual home development.[30] These include:
Gulfport has ahumid subtropical climate, which is strongly moderated by theGulf of Mexico. Winters are short and generally mild; cold spells do occur, but seldom last long. Snow flurries are rare in the city, with no notable accumulation occurring most years. Summers are generally long, hot and humid, though the city's proximity to the Gulf prevents extreme summer highs, as seen farther inland. Gulfport is subject to extreme weather, most notablytropical storm activity through the Gulf of Mexico. The all-time record high for the city is 107 °F (41.7 °C), set on August 26, 2023, and the record coldest is 1 °F (−17.2 °C) on February 12, 1899. Climate records for the city date back to 1893; however, until 1998 records were stitched with neighboring Biloxi.
Climate data for Gulfport, Mississippi (Gulfport-Biloxi Int'l) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present
Gulfport city, Mississippi – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
From its beginnings as a lumber port, Gulfport evolved into a diversified city. With about 6.7 miles (10.8 kilometres) of white sand beaches along theGulf of Mexico, Gulfport has become a tourism destination, due in large part to Mississippi's coast casinos. Gulfport has served as host to popular cultural events such as the "World's Largest Fishing Rodeo," "Cruisin' the Coast" (a week of classic cars), "Black Spring Break" and "Smokin' the Sound" (speedboat races). Gulfport is a thriving residential community with a strong mercantile center. There are historic neighborhoods and home sites, as well as diverse shopping opportunities and several motels scattered throughout to accommodate golfing, gambling, and water-sport tourism. Gulfport is also home to theIsland View Casino, one of twelve casinos on theMississippi Gulf Coast.
Mississippi Aquarium opened August 29, 2020.[40] The 5.8-acre (2.3 ha) complex incorporates both indoor and outdoor habitats with more than 200 species of animals and 50 species of native plants.[41]
Gulfport uses astrong mayor-council form of government.[43] The city is subdivided into seven wards, where members are elected as part of the Gulfport City Council.[44] The current mayor isBilly Hewes who is serving his third term in office.[45]
The Gulfport Police Department has 160 sworn personnel and 80 civilian staff. It is assisted by the U.S. Coast Guard, which operates 9 boats out of the port of Gulfport, 4 of which are Patrol Boats. The Gulfport station has 110 members which include Active, Reserve and Coast Guard Auxiliary who respond to an average of 300 search and rescue cases annually.
The Gulfport Fire Department was founded in 1908 and currently provides fire suppression, HAZMAT response, and technical rescue services within the city limits of Gulfport, Mississippi . The GFD operates out of 11 active stations and is staffed by professional firefighters.[46] The GFD works in conjunction withAmerican Medical Response for EMS related emergencies.
Before Hurricane Katrina,William Carey University had a satellite campus in Gulfport. In 2009, the university moved to its new Tradition Campus, constructed offMississippi Highway 67 in north Harrison County.[48]
The Gulf Park Campus of theUniversity of Southern Mississippi is located inLong Beach, just west of Gulfport. In 2012, repairs and renovations to campus buildings were still in progress following extensive damage in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina.[49]
Headquartered in Gulfport,[50]The Sun Herald is the localnewspaper for Gulfport, Biloxi, and other Gulf Coast cities.[51] The paper won the 2006Pulitzer Prize in journalism for its Katrina coverage.[52]
There are sixFM radio stations licensed in Gulfport: W209CF 89.7, WA0Y 91.7 (American Family Radio),WGBL 96.7,WGCM-FM 102.3, WAIP-LP 103.9, andWLGF 107.1 (K-Love).[53] There are also threeAM radio stations licensed in Gulfport, all with FM translators:WQFX 1130 (W254DJ 98.7),WGCM 1240 (W265DH 100.9), andWROA 1390 (W261CU 100.1).[54]
It is also served by two television stations, theABC affiliateWLOX andCBS affiliateWLOX-DT2,[55] as well as theFox affiliateWXXV on 25.1,NBC affiliate on 25.2,CW+ affiliate on 25.3, andDefy TV affiliate on 25.4.[56] WLOX won thePeabody Award for its Hurricane Katrina coverage.[57]
TheCoast Transit Authority provides bus service to the region with fixed-route and paratransit services.
Major roads and highways serve Gulfport.Interstate 10 runs east–west through the middle section of Gulfport.U.S. 90, following the coast in this region, runs east–west through the downtown area.U.S. 49 from the north terminates in Gulfport.
^"Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees: Hurricane Katrina Slams Gulf Coast".CNN Transcripts. August 29, 2005. RetrievedJanuary 6, 2025.that it felt like it would never end, saying winds were at least 100 miles per hour in Gulfport for seven hours, between about 7:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. For another five or six hours, on each side of that, they [Gulfport] had hurricane-force winds over 75 miles per hour; much of the city of 71,000 was then under water.
^ab"Geologic Unit: Gulfport".National Geologic Map Database. U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
^Davis, Summer; Camp, Jason, eds. (2021).Municipal Government in Mississippi(PDF) (7th ed.). Starkville: Center for Government & Community Development Mississippi State University Extension Service. p. 33.
^Billy Hathorn, "Challenging the Status Quo: Rubel Lex Phillips and the Mississippi Republican Party (1963-1967)",The Journal of Mississippi History XLVII, November 1985, No. 4, p. 240-264
.jpg)
