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Background • Federal Census Summary • State Map with County Boundaries • Counties • Links to State Resources Background
Most of present-day Mississippi was part of Georgia until the south-central portions of Mississippi and Alabama were established as Mississippi Territory, authorized by Congress in 1798 and agreed to by Georgia in 1802. In 1804, the Territory was expanded to include the northern parts of the two future States. The Gulf Coast portions were added in 1812, although still in dispute with Spain until 1819. Mississippi was admitted as a State on December 10, 1817 with essentially its present boundaries.
| Capital: Jackson | Total Area: 48,434 sq mi | ||
| Latitude: 30°13'N to 35°N | Longitude: 88°7'W to 91°41'W | ||
| Last Significant Boundary Change: 1820 | |||
Census coverage of present-day Mississippi began in 1800 in the southwestern section close to the Mississippi River. The populations shown for 1800 and 1810 exclude counties now in Alabama. The central and northern portions were not fully covered by the census until 1840.
| 1790: --- | 1800: 7,600 | 1810: 31,306 | 1820: 75,448 |
| 1830: 136,621 | 1840: 375,651 | 1850: 606,526 | 1860: 791,305 |
| 1870: 827,922 | 1880: 1,131,597 | 1890: 1,289,600 | 1900: 1,551,270 |
| 1910: 1,797,114 | 1920: 1,790,618 | 1930: 2,009,821 | 1940: 2,183,796 |
| 1950: 2,178,914 | 1960: 2,178,141 | 1970: 2,216,912 | 1980: 2,520,638 |
| 1990: 2,573,216 | 2000: 2,844,658 |