Lee County is a county in Mississippi, United States, anchored by the city of Tupelo near the middle of the northeastern part of the state. It had a population of 83,343 at the 2020 census and covers 453 square miles (1,173 km2), of which 450 square miles (1,166 km2) is land, centred near 34°15′N 88°43′W.
Tupelo is the county seat, and its postal code is 38801. Lee County has 8 incorporated cities and towns, 1 census-designated place, and dozens of smaller unincorporated communities and residential subdivisions. The county sits in the Central time zone and forms the core of the Tupelo Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Towns & Villages in Lee County
Lee County has 8 incorporated municipalities, one census-designated place (Mooreville), and a long list of unincorporated communities and subdivisions scattered mostly around Tupelo. Population figures below are the 2020 census count where verified; unincorporated places carry no official census count of their own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tupelo | City · seat | 37,923 | 38801 |
| Baldwyn | City | — | 38824 |
| Saltillo | City | — | 38862 |
| Verona | Town | — | 38879 |
| Nettleton | Town | — | 38858 |
| Guntown | Town | — | 38843 |
| Plantersville | Town | — | 38860 |
| Shannon | Town | — | 38866 |
| Mooreville | CDP | — | 38857 |
| Ackia Gardens | Unincorp. | — | 38801 |
| Allyson Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Applewood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Auburn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beech Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Belden | Unincorp. | — | 38826 |
| Belledeer Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bethany | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Birmingham | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bissell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blair | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Boggan Bend | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Boggan Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brewer | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Briarwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bristow Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cedar Cove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chapelville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chateau Le Blanc | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clark Place | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Confederate Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Corrona | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eastwood Place | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Edgemont | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eggville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Flowerdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Forest Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Foxmoor | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Frog Island | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Graves | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Green Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Harrisburg Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Haven Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Highland Circle | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Indian Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Johnson Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jug Fork | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Knights Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lake Appaloosa Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lake Piomingo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lakeview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lakewood Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lar-Eli-Do | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lee Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Macedonia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Madison Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Meadowview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Vernon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| North Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Northwood Drive | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Northwood Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Grove Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oakcliff Villas | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oakridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Old Union | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Palmetto | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Palmetto Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Park Monceau | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Parkway | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pine Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pine Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pinecrest | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pinehurst | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Post Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Praise Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pratts | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Presley Circle | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Priceville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rebecca Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Richmond | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rogers Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Savery Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shady Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sharon Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shiloh | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Skyline | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Suburban Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Terrace Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Traceland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tracewood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Union | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Unity | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Verona Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wildwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wilemon | Unincorp. | — | — |
Two of the incorporated towns straddle county lines: Baldwyn sits mostly in Lee County but also reaches into neighboring Prentiss County, and Nettleton sits mostly in Lee County but also extends into Monroe County. Both are counted here as Lee County towns since their post offices and town halls are on the Lee County side.
ZIP Codes
- 38801 — Tupelo (also serves surrounding unincorporated Lee County)
- 38804 — Tupelo (west side)
- 38824 — Baldwyn
- 38826 — Belden
- 38843 — Guntown
- 38857 — Mooreville
- 38858 — Nettleton
- 38860 — Plantersville
- 38862 — Saltillo
- 38866 — Shannon
- 38879 — Verona
A handful of additional ZIP codes (38828, 38849, 38868) also touch Lee County for outlying rural addresses; the county’s unincorporated subdivisions generally use the ZIP code of their nearest post office town above rather than one of their own.
Geography
Lee County lies in the Black Prairie and Pontotoc Ridge transition zone of northeastern Mississippi, gently rolling terrain drained by the Tombigbee River, Old Town Creek, and Chiwapa Creek. The county’s total area is 453 square miles, of which 450 square miles is land and 3.2 square miles (0.7%) is water. Tupelo, the seat, sits near the geographic middle of the county along U.S. Highway 45.
Lee County borders six other Mississippi counties: Prentiss County to the north, Itawamba County to the east, Monroe County to the southeast, Chickasaw County to the southwest, Pontotoc County to the west, and Union County to the northwest.
Demographics
Lee County had a population of 83,343 at the 2020 census, spread across a land area of 450 square miles for a density of about 185 people per square mile. Tupelo is by far the largest community, followed by Saltillo. Median household income in Lee County runs above the Mississippi median of $54,203, reflecting Tupelo’s role as a regional banking, healthcare, and manufacturing center rather than a purely agricultural county.
Economy & Local Life
Healthcare, banking, and manufacturing anchor the local economy. North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo is the largest non-metropolitan hospital in the United States and one of the county’s biggest employers. Two regional bank holding companies, Cadence Bank and Renasant Bank, are headquartered in Tupelo, and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi operates a large assembly plant just outside the city. Itawamba Community College and a University of Mississippi satellite campus serve the county’s higher-education needs. Tupelo hosts the annual Elvis Presley Festival each June, marking the singer’s 1956 homecoming concert, and the Gumtree Arts Festival, named for the city’s original “Gum Pond” settlement.
History
Lee County was created by the Mississippi Legislature on October 26, 1866, formed out of parts of Itawamba and Pontotoc counties and named for Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Because the county was carved out of those two older counties, early land and family records for the Lee County area are often filed under Itawamba or Pontotoc county archives rather than Lee’s own. The Battle of Tupelo, fought nearby in July 1864, is commemorated at a small national battlefield site within the city.
Getting There
Interstate 22 and U.S. Highways 45, 78, and 278 all pass through Lee County, along with a stretch of the Natchez Trace Parkway. Tupelo Regional Airport offers commercial air service.
- Corinth — 45 miles north
- Columbus — 45 miles south
- Oxford — 45 miles west
- Memphis, Tennessee — 100 miles northwest
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Lee County, Mississippi?
It is in northeastern Mississippi, centred on the city of Tupelo, along Interstate 22 and U.S. Highway 45.
What is the population of Lee County?
83,343 people, according to the 2020 census.
How big is Lee County?
453 square miles (1,173 km2) total, of which 450 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Lee County?
Tupelo is the county seat.
How many towns are in Lee County?
Eight incorporated cities and towns — Tupelo, Baldwyn, Saltillo, Verona, Nettleton, Guntown, Plantersville, and Shannon — plus the census-designated place of Mooreville and dozens of smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Lee County?
Tupelo uses 38801 and 38804; other towns include Baldwyn 38824, Saltillo 38862, Nettleton 38858, Guntown 38843, Verona 38879, Shannon 38866, Plantersville 38860, and Mooreville 38857.
Who is Lee County named after?
Confederate General Robert E. Lee, when the Mississippi Legislature created the county on October 26, 1866.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Mississippi.