Jefferson County is a county in Mississippi, United States, with the Mississippi River forming its entire western border. It had a population of 7,260 at the 2020 census and covers 527 square miles (1,360 km2) centred near 31°44′N 91°02′W.
Fayette is the county seat and its postal code is 39069. The county has one incorporated city and a handful of unincorporated communities, and it observes Central time.
Towns & Villages in Jefferson County
Fayette is the only incorporated municipality in Jefferson County; every other place on the list below is an unincorporated community or crossroads settlement (Unincorp.). Population and ZIP figures are given only where a reliable count exists — many of these are small rural clusters with no separate census count.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette | City · seat | 1,445 | 39069 |
| Lorman | Unincorp. | — | 39096 |
| Union Church | Unincorp. | — | 39668 |
| Harriston | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cannonsburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Church Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McBride | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Red Lick | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rodney | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ashland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blue Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cadillac | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clifton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dennis Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elmo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Four Forks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McNair | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Melton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Perth | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stampley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stonington | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Violet | Unincorp. | — | — |
Rodney is a historic river-landing settlement once considered for the Mississippi state capital; flooding and the river’s shifting channel left it a near-ghost town by the early 1900s, and it survives today as a scattered handful of houses and a standing 1830s church.
ZIP Codes
- 39069 — Fayette (also serves most of the county’s eastern half)
- 39096 — Lorman (also serves Cannonsburg and the county’s southern reach)
- 39668 — Union Church (also serves Harriston)
Smaller communities such as Church Hill, McBride, Red Lick and Rodney draw mail through one of these three post offices rather than carrying their own ZIP code.
Geography
Jefferson County sits in Mississippi’s bluff-hill country along the east bank of the Mississippi River, with steep loess bluffs giving way to river-bottom farmland along the water. The Mississippi River forms the county’s entire western boundary; smaller streams including Coles Creek and St. Catherine Creek drain the interior toward the river. Roughly 1.4% of the county’s area is water.
Jefferson County borders Claiborne County to the north, Copiah County to the northeast, Lincoln County to the southeast, Franklin County to the south, Adams County to the southwest, and Tensas Parish, Louisiana, across the Mississippi River to the west.
Demographics
Jefferson County had a population of 7,260 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-least populous county in Mississippi. Fayette, the county seat, is by far the largest community, followed by the Lorman area, home to Alcorn State University. The county’s median household income runs well below the Mississippi median of $54,203. With 520 square miles of land, the county’s population density works out to roughly 14 people per square mile, among the lowest in the state.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture and forestry anchor the local economy, alongside county and state government employment centred in Fayette. Alcorn State University, a historically Black land-grant institution founded in 1871 at Lorman, is the county’s largest employer and cultural anchor, drawing students and staff from across the region and hosting the annual Alcorn State University Homecoming.
History
Jefferson County was organized in 1799 as one of the earliest counties in the Mississippi Territory, originally named Pickering County before being renamed for Thomas Jefferson. Its county seat moved to Fayette from the earlier river town of Greenville (Old Greenville) in 1825. Before the Civil War the county’s economy rested on cotton plantations worked by enslaved labor; that history still shapes the county’s demographics today, with one of the highest Black population shares of any county in the United States.
Getting There
U.S. Route 61 runs the length of the county north–south, connecting Fayette to Natchez and Vicksburg; Mississippi Highway 552 crosses east–west through Fayette toward Union Church.
- Natchez, Mississippi — 30 miles southwest
- Vicksburg, Mississippi — 45 miles north
- Port Gibson, Mississippi — 20 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport in Louisiana, roughly 90 miles to the south.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Jefferson County, Mississippi?
It lies in southwestern Mississippi along the east bank of the Mississippi River, between Natchez and Vicksburg.
What is the population of Jefferson County?
7,260 people, per the 2020 census — Mississippi’s fourth-least populous county.
How big is Jefferson County?
527 square miles (1,360 km2) total, of which 520 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Jefferson County?
Fayette is the county seat.
How many towns are in Jefferson County?
Fayette is the only incorporated city; the rest of the county’s roughly 20 named places are unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Jefferson County?
39069 (Fayette), 39096 (Lorman) and 39668 (Union Church).
What university is in Jefferson County?
Alcorn State University, founded in 1871, sits near Lorman and is the county’s largest employer.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Mississippi.