Lincoln County is a county in Mississippi, United States, along Interstate 55 in the southwestern part of the state. It had a population of 34,907 at the 2020 census and covers 586 square miles (1,520 km2) centred near 31°32′N 90°27′W.
Brookhaven is the county seat, and its postal code is 39601. The county has one incorporated city, one incorporated town shared with neighboring Copiah County, and more than two dozen unincorporated communities. Lincoln County is in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Lincoln County
Lincoln County lists 32 named places below: one city (Brookhaven, the county seat), one town (Wesson, mostly in Copiah County), and the rest unincorporated communities (Unincorp.) with no municipal government of their own. Most of the county’s smaller communities have never been separately counted by the Census Bureau, so their population cells read —.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookhaven | City · seat | — | 39601 |
| Wesson | Town | — | — |
| Arlington | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Auburn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blueberry Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bogue Chitto | Unincorp. | — | 39629 |
| Bristerville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cam | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Carlos | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Caseyville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Center Point | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cobbs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| East Lincoln | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Enterprise | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fair Oak Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fair River | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Friendship | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Harmony | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hartman | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Loyd Star | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Montgomery | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Sight | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Norfield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pearlhaven | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rafn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ruth | Unincorp. | — | 39662 |
| Thayer | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vaughn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wellman | Unincorp. | — | — |
| West Lincoln | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wilkinson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Williams | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Woolworth | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Zetus | Unincorp. | — | — |
Wesson straddles the Lincoln–Copiah county line; most of its residents and its post office are on the Copiah side, so its ZIP code is not counted among Lincoln County’s own. Woolworth is a recognized ghost town rather than a living community — it is kept in the list for search and mapping purposes.
ZIP Codes
- 39601 — Brookhaven
- 39602 — Brookhaven (PO Box)
- 39603 — Brookhaven (PO Box)
- 39629 — Bogue Chitto
- 39662 — Ruth
Every other community on the list above shares a Brookhaven or Bogue Chitto ZIP code rather than having its own; the county has five ZIP codes in total, three of them standard delivery codes.
Geography
Lincoln County sits on the rolling, pine-covered uplands of Mississippi’s East Gulf Coastal Plain, drained mainly by the Bogue Chitto River and its tributaries in the south and east of the county. Of its 588 square miles, 586 square miles are land and 2.1 square miles are water. Interstate 55 and U.S. Highways 51 and 84 cross near Brookhaven, along with Mississippi Highways 184 and 583.
Lincoln County borders Copiah County to the north, Lawrence County to the east, Walthall County to the southeast, Pike County to the south, Amite County to the southwest, Franklin County to the west, and Jefferson County to the northwest.
Demographics
Lincoln County had 34,907 residents at the 2020 census. Brookhaven, the county seat, is by far the largest community, followed by Wesson on the Copiah County line. Lincoln County’s median household income runs below the Mississippi median of $54,203, consistent with most rural counties in the southwestern part of the state. Spread across 586 square miles of land, the county’s population density works out to roughly 60 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Brookhaven anchors the county’s economy as a regional trade and healthcare hub for southwest Mississippi, with manufacturing, timber, and agriculture (poultry and row crops) supporting the surrounding communities. The city was long associated with the headquarters of MCI Worldcom before the company’s collapse in the early 2000s. Copiah-Lincoln Community College’s main campus sits just north of the county line in Wesson, drawing students and staff from across Lincoln County.
History
The Mississippi legislature organized Lincoln County on April 7, 1870, during Reconstruction, carving it from parts of Lawrence, Pike, Franklin, Copiah, and Amite counties. It was named for Abraham Lincoln, the 16th U.S. president. On May 27, 2017, a spree shooting in the county left eight people dead; the gunman was later convicted and sentenced to death.
Getting There
Interstate 55 runs the length of the county past Brookhaven, with U.S. Highways 51 and 84 crossing near the same point.
- Jackson — 60 miles north
- McComb — 25 miles south
- Natchez — 45 miles west
- Hattiesburg — 65 miles east
The nearest commercial airport is Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport, about an hour’s drive north of Brookhaven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Lincoln County, Mississippi?
It is in the southwestern part of the state, on Interstate 55 between Jackson and McComb.
What is the population of Lincoln County?
34,907 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Lincoln County?
586 square miles of land (1,520 km2), plus 2.1 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Lincoln County?
Brookhaven is the county seat.
How many towns and communities are in Lincoln County?
One incorporated city (Brookhaven), one incorporated town shared with Copiah County (Wesson), and about 30 unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Lincoln County?
39601, 39602, and 39603 (all Brookhaven), 39629 (Bogue Chitto), and 39662 (Ruth).
What river runs through Lincoln County?
The Bogue Chitto River drains the southern and eastern parts of the county.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Mississippi.