Overview

Introduction to Hattiesburg, Mississippi

The Mississippi city of Hattiesburg, county seat of Forrest County, is centrally located, about 90 minutes from the state capital of Jackson and roughly the same distance from New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama. Hattiesburg is home to the University of Southern Mississippi, William Carey College, and Camp Shelby, the largest National Guard training base east of the Mississippi River. Known as the "Hub City," Hattiesburg is situated at the intersections of Interstate 59 and U.S. Routes 11, 49, and 98.

Founded in 1882 by pioneer lumberman Captain William H. Hardy and incorporated in 1884, Hattiesburg was originally called Twin Forks and later Gordonville. The city's final name of Hattiesburg was designated in honor of Hardy's wife Hattie. A giant in the timber industry during the late 1800s, Hattiesburg today stands as a principal educational, retail and medical center for the southeast Mississippi region. Despite its geographical location 75 miles inland, Hattiesburg was hit very hard by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Although damage was not catastrophic to the same degree as New Orleans and other coastal areas, around 10,000 structures received major damage of some type, power was out for up to two weeks, and about 80 percent of the city's roads were blocked by trees. Nevertheless, Hattiesburg has been recognized nationally over the last several years for its livability, especially in the area of health care.

Attractions in and around Hattiesburg

Hattiesburg has a lot to offer in terms of arts, culture, and entertainment. Here is a list of some of its more popular attractions:

  • Armed Forces Museum at Camp Shelby: Houses memorabilia from the Civil War, both World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf Wars
  • Library of Hattiesburg: Home to a unique circular mural with historical and contemporary images of South Mississippi
  • Flint Creek Water Park: Features four giant waterslides, plus fishing, swimming, water skiing, boating, hiking, and camping
  • Pep's Point: A spring-fed lake facility offering a sandy beach, swimming, water slides, boat rentals, and picnic areas
  • Degrummond Children's Literature Museum: Located on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi
  • Saenger Theater: An elegant 1,000 seat movie palace located in downtown Hattiesburg
  • William Carey College Theatre and Carey Dinner Theatre: Musical productions are presented from mid June to late July. Other theater productions are presented in April, October, and November
  • Hattiesburg Zoo at Kamper Park
  • Hattiesburg's African American Military History Museum
  • Hattiesburg Area Historical Society Museum
  • Lauren Rogers Museum of Art
  • University of Southern Mississippi's Museum of Art
  • Lucile Parker Art Gallery at William Carey College

Sports fans will recognize the rich history of the University of Southern Mississippi athletics. The Southern Miss Golden Eagles compete in the C-USA Conference and participate in the NCAA's Division I (Division I-A for football). For professional sports, a fan's best bet is to take the 90-minute drive to New Orleans, where major league caliber sports can be found. The New Orleans Saints of the National Football League play their games in the recently restored Superdome, and basketball fans in New Orleans can watch the NBA's New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets.

Demographics

People

Total Population46,251
Male Share of the Population45.9%
Female Share of the Population54.1%
Senior Citizens11.3%
Employed Population 16+20,495
Age of the Population29

Families

% of people married26%
Average household size2

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher26.6%
Median Earnings25+$27,403
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$12,230
Median Earnings With High School Degree$19,601

Wealth

Median Family Income$46,138
% Above Poverty Level67.5%
% Below Poverty Level32.5%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time17 minutes
% Working from Home1.8%
% Walking and Biking to Work3.7%
% Using Public Transportation0.6%

Housing

People Living Alone35%
Median Gross Rent$774
Median House Value$112,100

Ancestry

Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)59.1%
Irish6.7%
German5.4%
English5.3%
French Except Basque2.3%
Scottish2.1%
Italian1.5%
Arab0.9%
African0.5%
Welsh0.4%
Egyptian0.4%
Polish0.4%
Dutch0.4%
Greek0.3%
Swedish0.3%
West Indian0.3%
Norwegian0.3%
Russian0.3%
Lebanese0.3%
Jamaican0.2%
Ukrainian0.1%
Danishn0.1%
Bahamian0.1%
Swiss0.1%
Hungarian0.1%
Israeli0.1%
Latvian0.1%
Romanian0.1%
Canadian0.1%
Slovak0.1%
Lithuanian0.1%
Czech0.1%
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Hattiesburg Almanac

CategoryValue
CountyLamar County, Forrest County
Standard Zip Codes39402, 39401
P.O. Box Zip Codes39404, 39403
Company Zip Codes39406, 39407
Phone Area Codes7,69,601, 769
Time ZoneAmerica/Chicago
Approximate Latitude31.33
Approximate Longitude-89.42

Hattiesburg Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

  • Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
  • Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

StationHATTIESBURG 5 SW
Distance5.9 miles
Jan Temp36 to 60 F
Apr Temp53 to 78 F
Jul Temp71 to 92 F
Oct Temp53 to 80 F
Annual Precip62.4 inches
StationRICHTON 3 SSE
Distance23.1 miles
Jan Temp35 to 59 F
Apr Temp50 to 77 F
Jul Temp69 to 92 F
Oct Temp50 to 79 F
Annual Precip59.7 inches
StationPOPLARVILLE EXP STN
Distance36.4 miles
Jan Temp38 to 60 F
Apr Temp54 to 77 F
Jul Temp71 to 92 F
Oct Temp55 to 80 F
Annual Precip63.1 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
Ellisville4,815$37,127
New Augusta688$41,050
Petal10,669$62,392
Purvis2,493$51,033
Seminary439$70,096
Sumrall1,635$64,609

Hattiesburg Public Libraries

The Library Of Hattiesburg, Petal & Forrest C
329 HARDY STREET
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
(601) 582-4461

library logo

More Information for Librarians

Hattiesburg Hospitals

Forrest General Hospital
(Government - Local)
6051 U. S. Highway 49
(601) 288-7000
Regency Hospital Of Southern Mississippi
(Proprietary)
6051 U.s. Hwy 49
(601) 288-8510
Wesley Medical Center
(Proprietary)
5001 Hardy Street
(601) 268-8000

Hattiesburg Public Schools

Burney Elementary School
901 Ida Avenue
ZIP: 39401
(601) 582-5291
Primary
Total Enrollment 391
Dixie Attendance Center
790 Elks Lake Road
ZIP: 39401
(601) 582-4890
Primary
Total Enrollment 557
Earl Travillion Attendance Center
316 Travillion Drive
ZIP: 39401
(601) 584-9303
Primary
Total Enrollment 330
Grace Christian Elementary School
2207 W 7th Street
ZIP: 39401
(601) 583-0662
Primary
Total Enrollment 545
Hattiesburg High School
301 Hutchinson Ave
ZIP: 39401
(601) 544-0811
High
Total Enrollment 1100
Hawkins Elementary School
526 Forrest Street
ZIP: 39401
(601) 583-4311
Primary
Total Enrollment 362
Mary Bethune Alternative
610 Dumas Ave
ZIP: 39401
(601) 584-6311
Other
N R Burger Middle School
174 Wsf Tatum Drive
ZIP: 39401
(601) 582-0536
Middle
Total Enrollment 622
North Forrest Attendance Center
702 Eatonville Road
ZIP: 39401
(601) 584-6466
Primary
Total Enrollment 309
North Forrest High School
693 Eatonville Road
ZIP: 39401
(601) 545-9304
High
Total Enrollment 356
Rowan Elementary School
500 Martin Luther King Drive
ZIP: 39401
(601) 583-0960
Primary
Total Enrollment 442
Woodley Elementary School
2006 O Ferrell St
ZIP: 39401
(601) 583-8112
Primary
Total Enrollment 352
Longleaf Elementary
5279 W. 4th Street
ZIP: 39402
(601) 264-3858
Primary
Total Enrollment 745
Oak Grove High School
5198 Old Highway11
ZIP: 39402
(601) 264-7232
High
Total Enrollment 1728
Oak Grove Lower Elementary
1762 Old Highway 24
ZIP: 39402
(601) 268-3862
Primary
Total Enrollment 700
Oak Grove Middle School
2543 Old Hwy.24
ZIP: 39402
(601) 264-4634
Middle
Total Enrollment 1334
Oak Grove Primary
70 Leaf Lane
ZIP: 39402
(601) 264-9764
Primary
Total Enrollment 743
Oak Grove Upper Elementary
1760 Old Hwy. 24
ZIP: 39402
(601) 264-6724
Middle
Total Enrollment 649
Rawls Springs Attendance Center
10 Archie Smith Road
ZIP: 39402
(601) 268-2217
Primary
Total Enrollment 207
Thames Elementary School
2900 Jamestown Road
ZIP: 39402
(601) 582-6655
Primary
Total Enrollment 703

Hattiesburg Private Schools

Alpha Christian School
1101 N Main St
ZIP: 39401
Elementary
Total Enrollment 6
Central Baptist School
35 P D Freeman Rd
ZIP: 39401
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 84
Montessori Childrens House
323 S 23rd Ave
ZIP: 39401
Elementary
Total Enrollment 4
Sacred Heart Catholic School
608 Southern Ave
ZIP: 39401
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 641
Word Of Faith Christian Academy
2105 Country Club Rd
ZIP: 39401
Elementary
Total Enrollment 10
Sources :
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