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Picayune, Mississippi | |
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 Downtown Picayune | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Picayune, Mississippi | |
  Picayune Location in the United States Show map of Mississippi Picayune Picayune (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:30°31′41″N89°40′49″W / 30.52806°N 89.68028°W /30.52806; -89.68028 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Pearl River |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jim Luke (R)[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 18.11 sq mi (46.91 km2) |
| • Land | 18.04 sq mi (46.72 km2) |
| • Water | 0.077 sq mi (0.20 km2) |
| Elevation | 72 ft (22 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 11,885 |
| • Density | 659/sq mi (254.4/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 39466 |
| Area code | 601 |
| FIPS code | 28-57160 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0675698 |
| Website | Picayune official website |
Picayune (/ˌpɪkəˈjuːn/PIK-ə-YOON) is the largest city inPearl River County,Mississippi, United States. The population was 11,885 at the2020 census. The city is located approximately 45 miles (72 km) fromNew Orleans,Hattiesburg, andGulfport–Biloxi. TheStennis Space Center is 10 miles (16 km) away. Picayune is part of theNew Orleans–Metairie–Hammond combined statistical area.
The word "picayune" was the name of aSpanish coin, worth half areal or 1/16 of a Spanish dollar (6.25 cents). Its name derives from the French "picaillon", which is itself from theProvençal "picaioun", the name of an unrelated small copper coin fromSavoy. By extension, picayune can mean "trivial" or "of little value".
Picayune was incorporated in 1904, and was named byEliza Jane Poitevent Nicholson in late 1883 or early 1884. She was the owner and publisher ofThe Daily Picayune, a newspaper named for the coin.[3]
The local post office contained a mural, subsequently covered over,Lumber Region of Mississippi, painted by Donald H. Robertson in 1940.[4] Federally commissioned murals were produced from 1934 to 1943 in the United States through theSection of Painting and Sculpture, later called theSection of Fine Arts, of theTreasury Department.[5]
While Picayune received extensive damage fromHurricane Katrina, it was not as severe as in other nearby cities. This caused Picayune to become the temporary 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.[6]
The bulk of the Katrina damage in Picayune was caused by high winds, as the eye wall passed over the city.[citation needed] 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 a few weeks.[citation needed]
According to theUnited 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. Picayune is a part of theNew Orleans–Metairie–Hammond combined statistical area.
| Climate data for Picayune, Mississippi (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 61.9 (16.6) | 65.7 (18.7) | 71.9 (22.2) | 78.2 (25.7) | 84.8 (29.3) | 89.2 (31.8) | 91.5 (33.1) | 91.4 (33.0) | 87.7 (30.9) | 80.5 (26.9) | 70.9 (21.6) | 64.8 (18.2) | 78.2 (25.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 49.8 (9.9) | 53.1 (11.7) | 59.5 (15.3) | 65.7 (18.7) | 72.9 (22.7) | 78.6 (25.9) | 81.0 (27.2) | 81.0 (27.2) | 77.0 (25.0) | 67.8 (19.9) | 57.7 (14.3) | 52.4 (11.3) | 66.4 (19.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 37.8 (3.2) | 40.6 (4.8) | 47.0 (8.3) | 53.3 (11.8) | 60.9 (16.1) | 68.0 (20.0) | 70.5 (21.4) | 70.6 (21.4) | 66.2 (19.0) | 55.2 (12.9) | 44.6 (7.0) | 40.0 (4.4) | 54.6 (12.5) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 6.39 (162) | 4.87 (124) | 5.21 (132) | 5.90 (150) | 5.02 (128) | 6.55 (166) | 6.46 (164) | 6.38 (162) | 4.86 (123) | 5.04 (128) | 4.31 (109) | 5.73 (146) | 66.72 (1,694) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0 (0) |
| Source: NOAA[7] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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% | |
| 2020 | 11,885 | 9.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] | |||
| 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 orLatino | 464 | 3.9% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 11,885 people, 4,457 households, and 2,951 families residing in the city.
As of thecensus[10] of 2000, there were 10,535 people, 4,100 households, and 2,865 families residing in the city. The population density was 895.6 inhabitants per square mile (345.8/km2). There were 4,568 housing units at an average density of 388.3 per square mile (149.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 62.02%White, 35.92%African American, 0.38%Native American, 0.30%Asian, 0.05%Pacific Islander, 0.18% fromother races, and 1.15% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.15% of the population.
There were 4,100 households, out of which 31.8% had a children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% weremarried couples living together, 20.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.2 males.
Themedian income for a household in the city is $26,958, and the median income for a family was $33,260. Males had a median income of $31,438 versus $20,035 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $15,798. About 18.9% of families and 20.8% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 28.2% of those under age 18 and 17.6% of those age 65 or over.
All of Pearl River County is in the service area ofPearl River Community College.[13]
Picayune's local newspaper is thePicayune Item.[14]
The local radio station isWRJW 1320-AM.[15]
Television and radio stations that are part of the New Orleans and Gulfport–Biloxi listening areas serve the city.
TheUnited States Postal Service operates the Picayune Post Office. There is a mural made by theWorks Progress Administration (WPA) but subsequent renovations covered up the mural with new paint.[16]
Amtrak'sCrescent train connects Picayune with the cities ofNew York,Philadelphia,Baltimore,Washington,Charlotte,Atlanta,Birmingham, andNew Orleans. TheAmtrak station is situated at 100 SouthU.S. Route 11. There is daily 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 toInterstate 10 nearKiln, MS.
Picayune Municipal Airport has a 5,000 ft (1,500 m) runway and is a popular destination for private fixed-wing androtary aircraft visiting the New Orleans area. Rental car, taxi and limousine services are available.
The Margaret Reed Crosby Memorial Library serves Picayune and is the headquarters of thePearl River County Library System.
Municipalities and communities ofPearl River County, Mississippi,United States | ||
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| Other communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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| Geographic | |
| Other | |
