Lowndes County is a county in Mississippi, United States, on the eastern edge of the state along the Alabama line. It had a population of 58,879 at the 2020 census and covers 517 square miles (1,338 km2), of which 506 square miles (1,310 km2) are land and 11 square miles (28 km2) are water, centred near 33°28′N 88°26′W.
Columbus is the county seat, and its postal code is 39701. The county holds one city, three towns, and two census-designated places, plus dozens of unincorporated subdivisions and rural communities. Lowndes County anchors the Columbus, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area and is one of the three counties that make up the region known as the Golden Triangle. The county observes Central time.
Towns & Villages in Lowndes County
Columbus is the only incorporated city; Artesia, Caledonia, and Crawford are incorporated towns. Columbus Air Force Base and New Hope are census-designated places. The remaining entries below are unincorporated communities and residential subdivisions recognized in county and postal records; population figures are shown only where a verified 2020 census count exists.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus | City · seat | 24,084 | 39701 / 39702 / 39703 / 39704 / 39705 |
| Caledonia | Town | — | 39740 |
| Crawford | Town | — | 39743 |
| Artesia | Town | — | 39736 |
| Columbus AFB | CDP | — | 39710 |
| New Hope | CDP | — | — |
| Mayhew | Unincorp. | — | 39753 |
| Steens | Unincorp. | — | 39766 |
| Kolola Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McCrary | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Billups | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wells | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eskridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Forreston | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Penns | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ridgeland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Whitebury | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Woodlawn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Plum Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bunker Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Flint Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Arrington Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Babsit Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Battery Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bent Oak | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bent Tree Plantation | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bluecutt Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Briarwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brookwood Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cady Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cedar View | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Christopher Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crescent Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dean Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Doyle Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eastwood Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fox Run | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fox Run Colony | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Greenacres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Holly Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kerry Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Labelle Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lakeover Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lynn Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Hope Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Northaven Woods | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oakdale Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pinecrest | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pinehaven | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pineview Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Propst Highlands | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Remunda Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Roanoke Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rolling Fork Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sherwood Forest | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sleepy Hollow | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sweedenburg Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Woodland Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
Most of the “Estates,” “Hills,” and “Park” names above are residential subdivisions clustered around Columbus and Columbus AFB rather than historic communities, and they share the city’s ZIP codes even though they are not separately incorporated.
ZIP Codes
- 39701, 39702, 39703, 39704, 39705 — Columbus (city and surrounding subdivisions)
- 39710 — Columbus Air Force Base
- 39740 — Caledonia
- 39743 — Crawford
- 39736 — Artesia
- 39753 — Mayhew
- 39766 — Steens
Smaller unincorporated communities without their own ZIP code are served by the nearest listed post office town.
Geography
Lowndes County sits on the eastern edge of Mississippi’s Black Prairie, where the prairie meets the hills of the Tombigbee River valley. The Tombigbee River, canalized as part of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, runs through the county past Columbus and forms part of its water area. The terrain is a mix of river bottomland along the Tombigbee and its tributaries and gently rolling upland farther from the river.
Lowndes County borders Monroe County to the north, Clay County and Oktibbeha County to the west, Noxubee County to the south, and Alabama’s Lamar County to the northeast and Pickens County to the southeast. Of these, Monroe County and Clay County, along with Oktibbeha County and Noxubee County, are covered elsewhere on this site; Lamar County and Pickens County, Alabama, are not yet published here.
Demographics
Lowndes County had 58,879 residents at the 2020 census, spread across roughly 106 people per square mile of land. Columbus, the county seat, is by far the largest community at 24,084 people; Caledonia is the largest of the three incorporated towns. The county’s median household income runs below the Mississippi median of $54,203, reflecting the mix of military, manufacturing, and agricultural employment that dominates the local economy.
Economy & Local Life
Columbus Air Force Base, home to the 14th Flying Training Wing, is the county’s largest single employer and shapes much of its economy and population. Columbus itself hosts Mississippi University for Women and the Golden Triangle Regional Airport industrial corridor, while East Mississippi Community College’s Golden Triangle campus in Mayhew trains workers for the area’s manufacturing plants. Agriculture, including row crops and timber, remains important outside the Columbus urban area.
History
Lowndes County was organized in 1830 and named for William Jones Lowndes, a U.S. congressman from South Carolina. Columbus, its seat, developed as a river port on the Tombigbee and later as a manufacturing and military town after Columbus Air Force Base opened during World War II. Like much of the region, the county’s history includes a documented record of racial violence during the late 19th and early 20th centuries that historians have researched and catalogued alongside the county’s broader civic history.
Getting There
U.S. Route 45 and U.S. Route 82 cross the county and meet near Columbus, with Mississippi Highway 12 and Mississippi Highway 50 providing additional east-west and north-south routes.
- Starkville — 23 miles west
- Tupelo — 60 miles northwest
- Tuscaloosa, Alabama — 60 miles southeast
- Jackson — 145 miles southwest
Golden Triangle Regional Airport, west of Columbus near the Lowndes/Oktibbeha county line, offers the nearest commercial air service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Lowndes County, Mississippi?
It is in east-central Mississippi on the Alabama border, part of the Golden Triangle region.
What is the population of Lowndes County?
58,879 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Lowndes County?
516 square miles (1,336 km2), of which 506 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Lowndes County?
Columbus is the county seat.
How many towns are in Lowndes County?
One city (Columbus) and three incorporated towns (Artesia, Caledonia, and Crawford), plus two census-designated places and dozens of unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Lowndes County?
39701 through 39705 and 39710 cover Columbus and Columbus AFB; Artesia, Caledonia, Crawford, Mayhew, and Steens each have their own ZIP code.
What is Lowndes County known for?
Columbus Air Force Base and its 14th Flying Training Wing, Mississippi University for Women, and the county’s role as the population center of the Golden Triangle.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Mississippi.