Choctaw County, Mississippi

Choctaw County is a county in Mississippi, United States, in the central part of the state along the Big Black River. It had a population of 8,246 at the 2020 census and covers 418 square miles (1,080 km2) of land plus 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2) of water, centred near 33°21′N 89°15′W.

Ackerman is the county seat and its postal code is 39735. The county has four incorporated towns and several unincorporated communities, and sits in the Central time zone.

Towns & Villages in Choctaw County

Choctaw County has four incorporated towns — Ackerman, French Camp, Mathiston (most of which lies across the line in Webster County) and Weir — plus a handful of smaller unincorporated communities scattered through the county’s timberland. CDP = census-designated place; Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no municipal government.

Mathiston straddles the Choctaw–Webster county line, and most of the town’s built-up area and post office lie in Webster County — the piece counted here is the small Choctaw County share.

ZIP Codes

• 39735 — Ackerman (also serves the surrounding rural county seat area)
• 39745 — French Camp (also serves the Natchez Trace Parkway corridor nearby)
• 39752 — Mathiston (post office town; also serves the Choctaw County edge of the community)
• 39772 — Weir

The smaller unincorporated communities — Bywy, Chester, Fentress, Fulcher, Kerr, Reform, Sherwood, Tollison, Tomnolen, Tuscan, Williams and Wood Springs — don’t have their own post offices and are served by the nearest of these four ZIP codes.

Geography

Choctaw County sits in the hill country of central Mississippi, on the boundary between the Black Prairie and the North Central Hills. The Big Black River forms most of the county’s northern edge, flowing southwest toward its eventual junction with the Mississippi River south of Vicksburg. Part of Tombigbee National Forest and a stretch of the Natchez Trace Parkway both fall within the county, and the terrain is largely wooded, with farmland and pasture in the river bottoms.

Choctaw County borders Webster County to the north, Oktibbeha County to the east, Winston County to the southeast, Attala County to the southwest, and Montgomery County to the west.

Demographics

Choctaw County had 8,246 residents at the 2020 census, down from a peak of 14,357 in 1910. Ackerman and Mathiston are the county’s two largest towns. Census figures put the population at 67.8% White and 28.4% Black or African American, with a median age of 44.1. Choctaw County’s median household income runs below the Mississippi median of $54,203, typical of a rural, timber- and farm-dependent county. Density works out to roughly 20 people per square mile.

Economy & Local Life

Timber and forestry are central to the county’s economy, alongside cattle farming and row-crop agriculture in the river-bottom land. Ackerman, the county seat, anchors local government, schools and retail. French Camp is home to French Camp Academy, a Christian boarding and day school founded in the 1880s that remains one of the county’s best-known institutions. Natchez Trace Parkway traffic brings some seasonal visitors through the county’s eastern edge.

History

Choctaw County was organized in 1833, formed from land ceded by the Choctaw Nation, and takes its name directly from that tribe. Ackerman became the county seat in the 1880s after the courthouse moved from the original seat of Greensboro following a railroad-driven shift in population. Like much of hill-country Mississippi, the county’s population has declined steadily since its early-20th-century peak as farming mechanized and residents moved to larger towns and cities.

Getting There

U.S. Route 82 crosses the county east–west, connecting Ackerman toward Columbus in one direction and Winona in the other; Mississippi Highway 15 runs north–south through French Camp along the Natchez Trace Parkway corridor.

• Starkville — 25 miles east
• Winona — 20 miles west
• Louisville — 25 miles southeast
• Kosciusko — 30 miles south

The nearest commercial airport is Golden Triangle Regional Airport near Columbus, about an hour’s drive east.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Choctaw County?
It’s in the central hill country of Mississippi, along U.S. Route 82 between Winona and Starkville.

What is the population of Choctaw County?
8,246 people, per the 2020 census.

How big is Choctaw County?
418 square miles (1,080 km2) of land, plus 1.7 square miles of water.

What is the county seat of Choctaw County?
Ackerman.

How many towns are in Choctaw County?
Four incorporated towns — Ackerman, French Camp, Mathiston and Weir — plus about a dozen smaller unincorporated communities.

What ZIP codes are in Choctaw County?
39735 (Ackerman), 39745 (French Camp), 39752 (Mathiston) and 39772 (Weir).

What river runs through Choctaw County?
The Big Black River forms most of the county’s northern border.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Mississippi.