Chickasaw County is a county in Mississippi, United States, crossed by the Natchez Trace Parkway in the northeastern part of the state. It had a population of 17,106 at the 2020 census and covers 504 square miles (1,310 km2) centred near 33°55′N 88°57′W.
Houston is the county seat, one of two the county has — Okolona is its co-seat — a pairing shared by only a handful of Mississippi counties, and Houston’s postal code is 38851. The county has two incorporated cities, one town, one village, one census-designated place, and more than twenty unincorporated communities. Chickasaw County is in the Central time zone, and its FIPS code is 28013.
Towns & Villages in Chickasaw County
Six places in Chickasaw County are recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau: two incorporated cities (both county seats), a town, a village, and a census-designated place. The rest are unincorporated crossroads and rural communities with no municipal government of their own; several nonetheless keep an independent post office and ZIP code.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | City · seat | — | 38851 |
| Okolona | City · seat | — | 38860 |
| New Houlka | Town | — | 38850 |
| Woodland | Village | — | 39776 |
| Van Vleet | CDP | — | 38877 |
| Anchor | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Atlanta | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Buena Vista | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Egypt | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Enon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hall | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Holladay | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Houlka | Unincorp. | — | 38850 |
| Jolly | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Leotis | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Macedonia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McCondy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Old Houlka | Unincorp. | — | 38850 |
| Parkersburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Poplar Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pyland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sonora | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sparta | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tabbville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Thelma | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Thorn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Trebloc | Unincorp. | — | 38875 |
Three similarly named places sit close together in the county’s north: New Houlka is the incorporated town, chartered in 1902 along the Illinois Central rail line, while Houlka and Old Houlka are older, unincorporated settlements nearby that predate the railroad town and are not the same place as it.
ZIP Codes
- 38851 — Houston (also serves the rural south of the county)
- 38860 — Okolona
- 38850 — Houlka (also serves New Houlka and Old Houlka)
- 39776 — Woodland
- 38875 — Trebloc (PO Box delivery only)
- 38877 — Van Vleet (PO Box delivery only)
Communities without their own post office, such as Atlanta, Egypt, McCondy and Sparta, use the ZIP code of the nearest town listed above.
Geography
Chickasaw County lies on the Black Prairie and the Pontotoc Ridge, drained by Chuquatonchee Creek and other tributaries of the Tombigbee River. The Natchez Trace Parkway runs the length of the county on its way between Tupelo and the Jackson area. Of the county’s 504 square miles, 502 are land and 2.5 are water.
Chickasaw County borders Pontotoc County to the north, Lee County to the northeast, Monroe County to the east, Clay County to the southeast, Webster County to the southwest, and Calhoun County to the west.
Demographics
Chickasaw County had a population of 17,106 at the 2020 census, down slightly from 2010, for a density of about 34 people per square mile. Houston and Okolona are its two largest communities. Median household income in the county runs below the Mississippi median of $54,203, consistent with the largely rural, agricultural economy of the surrounding Black Prairie region.
Economy & Local Life
Houston and Okolona anchor the county’s economy as its retail, government and healthcare centers; North Mississippi Medical Center–Chickasaw operates a hospital in Houston. The Chickasaw County School District serves the county outside the Okolona Municipal School District, which runs its own schools in Okolona. Agriculture remains central to the county’s rural economy, with row crops, cattle, and poultry houses spread across the Black Prairie and hill land, alongside timber operations in the more wooded south and west.
History
The Mississippi legislature created Chickasaw County in February 1836, on land ceded by the Chickasaw people, for whom the county is named, following the 1832 Treaty of Pontotoc Creek. Most Chickasaw people were forced west to Indian Territory in the 1830s, though some remained and became state and U.S. citizens. Like several other Mississippi counties, Chickasaw is divided into two judicial districts, each with its own courthouse, which is why both Houston and Okolona hold county-seat status. The county is the birthplace of blues musician Bukka White and singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry.
Getting There
U.S. Route 45 Alternate and Mississippi Highways 8, 15, 32, 41 and 47 cross the county, along with the Natchez Trace Parkway.
- Tupelo — about 25 miles northeast
- Starkville — about 35 miles south
- Columbus — about 40 miles east
- Grenada — about 40 miles west
The nearest commercial airport is Tupelo Regional Airport, with Golden Triangle Regional Airport near Columbus as an alternative.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Chickasaw County, Mississippi?
It is in the northeastern part of the state, along the Natchez Trace Parkway, about 25 miles southwest of Tupelo.
What is the population of Chickasaw County?
17,106 people, according to the 2020 census.
How big is Chickasaw County?
504 square miles (1,310 km2), of which 502 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Chickasaw County?
Chickasaw County has two county seats, Houston and Okolona, each with its own courthouse and judicial district.
How many towns are in Chickasaw County?
Two incorporated cities, one town, one village, one census-designated place, and more than twenty unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Chickasaw County?
The main ZIP codes are 38851 (Houston), 38860 (Okolona), 38850 (Houlka/New Houlka), and 39776 (Woodland).
Why does Chickasaw County have two county seats?
Mississippi law splits the county into two judicial districts, each with its own courthouse, a structure it shares with several other counties in the state.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Mississippi.