Copiah County is a county in Mississippi, United States, on the Pearl River’s western border in the south-central part of the state. It had a population of 28,368 at the 2020 census and covers 777 square miles (2,010 km2) of land, centred near 31°52′N 90°26′W.
Hazlehurst is the county seat, and its postal code is 39083. Copiah County has two cities, two towns, one census-designated place, and more than two dozen unincorporated communities. The county lies in the Central time zone and is part of the Jackson metropolitan area.
Towns & Villages in Copiah County
Copiah County’s map carries a handful of incorporated cities and towns along Interstate 55 and Mississippi Highway 51, with the rest of the county made up of small unincorporated communities and rural crossroads settlements. The table below lists every place with a verified 2020 census figure first, followed by the county’s other named communities.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hazlehurst | City · seat | 3,619 | 39083 |
| Crystal Springs | City | 4,862 | 39059 |
| Wesson | Town | 1,833 | 39191 |
| Georgetown | Town | 252 | 39078 |
| Gallman | CDP | — | 39077 |
| Allen | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ashley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Barlow | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beauregard | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beech Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bowerton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Browns Wells | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Carpenter | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Conn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cowanville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dentville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Egypt Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gallatin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gatesville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Glancy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hoodtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hopewell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jack | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Martinsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Midway | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Myles | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rockport | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ruby | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sand Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sardis | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shady Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Smyrna | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stronghope | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tillman | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Willing | Unincorp. | — | — |
Mississippi has no civil townships, so places here are organized directly under the county rather than a township layer. Gallman is a census-designated place rather than an incorporated town, and its ZIP code (39077) is a post-office-box-only delivery point rather than street delivery.
ZIP Codes
- 39083 — Hazlehurst
- 39059 — Crystal Springs
- 39191 — Wesson
- 39078 — Georgetown
- 39077 — Gallman (PO Box only)
The county’s smaller unincorporated communities do not have their own ZIP codes; residents there are served by the nearest of the five post offices above.
Geography
Copiah County sits in the piney-woods country of south-central Mississippi, mostly gently rolling upland cut by small streams. The Pearl River runs along the county’s eastern edge, forming part of the boundary with Simpson and Lawrence counties. Of the county’s 779 square miles, 777 are land and about 2.2 are water.
Copiah County borders Hinds County to the north, Simpson County to the east, Lawrence County to the southeast, Lincoln County to the south, Jefferson County to the southwest, and Claiborne County to the west.
Demographics
Copiah County had 28,368 residents at the 2020 census, a population density of about 37 people per square mile of land. Crystal Springs (4,862) and Hazlehurst (3,619) are the two largest communities, together holding roughly 30 percent of the county’s population. The county’s median household income runs below the Mississippi median of $54,203 — Copiah is a majority-rural county without the state’s larger urban wage base.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture anchors the county’s economy, especially the truck-farming of tomatoes and cabbage around Crystal Springs, long marketed as “The Tomato Capital of the World.” An annual Tomato Festival, revived in June 2000, draws visitors for tastings, contests, and a parade. Interstate 55 and the CN railroad give the county’s manufacturing and logging operations a direct freight corridor north to Jackson and south to McComb.
History
Copiah County was organized in 1823 as Mississippi’s 18th county. Its name comes from a Choctaw word meaning “calling panther.” Hazlehurst was struck by an F4 tornado on January 23, 1969, which killed 11 people and damaged or destroyed 175 homes on the town’s south side.
Getting There
Interstate 55, U.S. Highway 51, and Mississippi Highways 18, 27, 28, and 844 cross the county. Amtrak’s City of New Orleans line stops at Hazlehurst.
- Jackson — about 30 miles north
- McComb — about 25 miles south
- Brookhaven — about 20 miles south
- Natchez — about 45 miles southwest
The nearest commercial airport is Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN).
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Copiah County, Mississippi?
It is in south-central Mississippi, about 30 miles south of Jackson along Interstate 55, with the Pearl River forming its eastern edge.
What is the population of Copiah County?
28,368 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Copiah County?
777 square miles of land (2,010 km2), plus about 2.2 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Copiah County?
Hazlehurst is the county seat.
How many towns are in Copiah County?
Two cities (Hazlehurst and Crystal Springs), two towns (Wesson and Georgetown), one census-designated place (Gallman), and more than two dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Copiah County?
39083 (Hazlehurst), 39059 (Crystal Springs), 39191 (Wesson), 39078 (Georgetown), and 39077 (Gallman, PO Box only).
Why is Crystal Springs called the Tomato Capital of the World?
Local truck farmers shipped tomatoes north by rail in huge volume from the late 1800s through the 1930s, and the town revived the title with an annual Tomato Festival starting in June 2000.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Mississippi.