Jones County is a county in Mississippi, United States, in the southeastern part of the state. It had a population of 67,246 at the 2020 census and covers 700 square miles (1,813 km2) centred near 31°37′N 89°10′W.
Ellisville is the county seat, and Laurel serves alongside it as a second county seat — a dual-seat arrangement dating to an 1885 county-line dispute. Ellisville’s postal code is 39437; Laurel’s ZIP codes include 39440, 39441 and 39442. The county has 4 incorporated cities and towns plus more than 50 unincorporated communities, sits in the Central time zone, and carries FIPS code 28067.
Towns & Villages in Jones County
Jones County has 56 named places on record: 2 cities (Ellisville and Laurel, both county seats), 2 towns (Sandersville and Soso), and 52 unincorporated communities and crossroads settlements scattered across the county’s timberland. Most of the unincorporated places below have no separate census count; where the Census Bureau tracks a population it is shown, otherwise the cell reads —.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ellisville | City · seat | 4,050 | 39437 |
| Laurel | City · seat | 17,161 | 39440 |
| Sandersville | Town | 1,725 | 39477 |
| Soso | Town | 354 | 39480 |
| Albeison | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Amy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Antioch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Benson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blodgett | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bonner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Calhoun | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cleo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crotts | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Currie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eastabuchie | Unincorp. | — | 39436 |
| Eastview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Errata | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Flynt | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gitano | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Glade | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Glaston | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Haney | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hawkes | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hebron | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hoy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jenkins | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Johnson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lanham | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Matthews | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mill Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Monarch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Moselle | Unincorp. | — | 39459 |
| Mount Olive | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Zion | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Myrick | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Bowery | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ovett | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pecan Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pendorff | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Powers | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Queensburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rainey | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sand Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Service | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shady Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sharon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shelton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Springhill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tallahomo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tawanta | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tuckers Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Union | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Walters | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Whitfield | Unincorp. | — | — |
Two of the old list’s entries were duplicate rows (Moselle and Ovett each appeared twice) and have been merged into single listings here.
ZIP Codes
- 39437 — Ellisville
- 39440, 39441, 39442 — Laurel
- 39477 — Sandersville (also serves nearby rural addresses)
- 39480 — Soso
- 39459 — Moselle
- 39436 — Eastabuchie
Most of the county’s smaller unincorporated communities do not have their own ZIP code and share one of the codes above depending on which post office serves the address.
Geography
Jones County sits on the piney-woods uplands of southeastern Mississippi, drained by the Tallahala and Leaf creeks along with numerous smaller branches. The terrain is gently rolling, historically covered in longleaf and loblolly pine forest that still supports the county’s timber industry today.
Jones County borders Jasper County to the north, Wayne County to the east, Perry County to the southeast, Forrest County to the southwest, Covington County to the west, and Smith County to the northwest.
Demographics
The county had a population of 67,246 at the 2020 census, spread across roughly 700 square miles for a density of about 97 people per square mile. Laurel, with 17,161 residents, is the largest community, followed by Ellisville at 4,050. Median household income in Jones County runs below the Mississippi median of $54,203, reflecting the county’s rural, timber- and manufacturing-based economy.
Economy & Local Life
Manufacturing and healthcare anchor the local economy. Howard Industries, an electrical-transformer manufacturer headquartered in Laurel, is the county’s largest private employer with roughly 3,700 workers. South Central Regional Medical Center in Laurel and Ellisville State School, a residential facility for people with intellectual disabilities, are also major employers. Timber and agriculture remain part of the rural economy outside the two seats. Laurel’s restored downtown, home to the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art and the HGTV-famous Laurel Mercantile district associated with the show “Home Town,” draws regional visitors.
History
Jones County was organized in 1826 and named for John Paul Jones, the Revolutionary War naval officer. During the Civil War the county became notorious as the base of a band of Confederate deserters and Unionist sympathizers led by Newton Knight who resisted Confederate conscription and, by some accounts, briefly declared local independence from the Confederacy — an uprising later nicknamed for a breakaway “free” territory it claimed to form, dramatized in a 2016 feature film that used the nickname as its title, and still central to the county’s identity. Laurel grew rapidly after the arrival of the railroad and sawmill industry in the 1880s, eventually overtaking Ellisville in population even though Ellisville kept its status as a county seat.
Getting There
Interstate 59 runs through the county connecting Laurel and Ellisville to Hattiesburg and Meridian. U.S. Routes 11 and 84 and Mississippi Highways 15, 28 and 29 provide additional access.
- Hattiesburg — 25 miles southwest
- Meridian — 45 miles northeast
- Jackson — 90 miles northwest
- Mobile, Alabama — 110 miles south
Hattiesburg Bobby L. Chain Municipal Airport is the nearest regional airport with commercial service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Jones County, Mississippi?
It is in the southeastern part of Mississippi, along Interstate 59 between Hattiesburg and Meridian.
What is the population of Jones County?
67,246 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Jones County?
700 square miles (1,813 km2), of which about 695 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Jones County?
Ellisville is the county seat, with Laurel serving as a second, co-equal county seat.
How many towns are in Jones County?
Two cities (Ellisville and Laurel) and two towns (Sandersville and Soso), plus more than 50 unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Jones County?
Including 39437 (Ellisville), 39440–39442 (Laurel), 39477 (Sandersville) and 39480 (Soso).
Why does Jones County have a “breakaway state” nickname?
Because of an 1863–1864 uprising by Confederate deserters and Unionist locals under Newton Knight, who resisted Confederate rule from the swamps along the Leaf River and, by some accounts, briefly declared local independence.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Mississippi.