Itawamba County, Mississippi

Itawamba County is a county in Mississippi, United States, on the Alabama state line in the hill country of the Tennessee–Tombigbee watershed. It had a population of 23,863 at the 2020 census and covers 540 square miles (1,400 km2), of which 533 square miles (1,380 km2) are land and 7.7 square miles (20 km2) are water, centred near 34°17′N 88°22′W.

Fulton is the county seat and its postal code is 38843. The county has 1 city, 2 towns, 1 census-designated place and roughly two dozen unincorporated communities. Itawamba County sits in the Central time zone and its FIPS code is 28057; it is part of the Tupelo, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Towns & Villages in Itawamba County

Itawamba County has one incorporated city (Fulton, the seat), two incorporated towns (Mantachie and Tremont), and Kirkville as a census-designated place. The rest of the list below is small unincorporated crossroads and farm communities named on county maps; most have no separate population count or ZIP code of their own and are served by the post office of the nearest incorporated place.

The old list’s second “Kirkville” entry was a duplicate and has been dropped; Kirkville appears once above as the county’s census-designated place.

ZIP Codes

• 38843 — Fulton (also serves the surrounding unincorporated communities)
• 38855 — Mantachie

Tremont and the small crossroads communities elsewhere in the county are not confirmed to hold separate ZIP codes and are most often reached through the Fulton or Mantachie post offices.

Geography

Itawamba County lies in the hill country of northeastern Mississippi, drained by the Tombigbee River and its tributary creeks along the eastern edge of the Black Prairie and Pontotoc Ridge physiographic sections. The terrain is gently rolling, with pine and hardwood forest covering much of the upland away from the river bottoms. The Tenn-Tom Waterway follows the Tombigbee corridor through the county’s eastern side.

The county borders Tishomingo County to the north, Prentiss County to the northwest, Lee County to the west, Monroe County to the south, and Marion and Franklin counties in Alabama to the east. Lee County (Towns and villages in Lee County, Mississippi) and Monroe County (Towns and villages in Monroe County, Mississippi) both have their own profiles on this site; Tishomingo and Prentiss counties do not yet have a published page.

Demographics

Itawamba County had 23,863 residents at the 2020 census, spread across roughly 44 people per square mile. Fulton, the county seat, is the largest community, followed by Mantachie. The county’s median household income runs below the Mississippi median of $54,203, consistent with its largely rural, agricultural economic base.

Economy & Local Life

Agriculture, forestry and light manufacturing anchor the local economy, with poultry operations and timber processing among the county’s steadiest employers. Itawamba Community College, headquartered in Fulton, is both a major employer and the hub of local civic life, drawing students from across northeastern Mississippi. Fulton’s proximity to Tupelo, the regional hub of the Tupelo Micropolitan Statistical Area, gives many residents access to healthcare, banking and retail jobs a short commute away.

History

Itawamba County was organized in 1836 from land ceded by the Chickasaw Nation. It is named for Itawamba, a Chickasaw leader also known to English-speaking settlers as Levi Colbert, who was prominent in the early 19th century but died before his people were removed from the region during the Indian Removal era. The county’s Pharr Mounds site, an 85-acre complex of Middle Woodland-period earthwork burial mounds, is one of the largest ceremonial mound groups in the southeastern United States and is preserved along the Natchez Trace Parkway.

Getting There

U.S. Route 78/Interstate 22 crosses the southern part of the county, and Mississippi Highways 23, 25 and 76 connect Fulton to surrounding towns. The Natchez Trace Parkway also passes through the county.

• Tupelo — 20 miles west
• Amory — 25 miles south
• Corinth — 35 miles north
• Columbus — 60 miles south

The nearest commercial airport is Tupelo Regional Airport.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Itawamba County, Mississippi?
It is in the northeastern hill country of Mississippi, on the Alabama state line, part of the Tupelo Micropolitan Statistical Area.

What is the population of Itawamba County?
23,863 residents at the 2020 census.

How big is Itawamba County?
540 square miles (1,400 km2) in total, of which 533 square miles are land.

What is the county seat of Itawamba County?
Fulton is the county seat.

How many towns are in Itawamba County?
One city (Fulton), two towns (Mantachie and Tremont), one census-designated place (Kirkville), and roughly two dozen small unincorporated communities.

What ZIP codes are in Itawamba County?
38843 for Fulton and 38855 for Mantachie are the confirmed ZIP codes; other communities are typically served through those post offices.

Where does the county’s name come from?
It is named for Itawamba, a Chickasaw leader known to English-speaking settlers as Levi Colbert, prominent during the early 19th-century Indian Removal era.

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