Monroe County is a county in Mississippi, United States, on the Alabama state line along the Tombigbee River. It had a population of 34,180 at the 2020 census and covers 772 square miles (2,000 km2), of which 765 square miles (1,980 km2) is land, centred near 33°53′N 88°29′W.
Aberdeen is the county seat and its postal code is 39730. The county holds 4 cities, 2 towns, 1 village, and roughly 50 unincorporated communities. It sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Monroe County
Monroe County’s settlements split between four incorporated cities along the Tombigbee River corridor, two small towns, one village, and a long list of rural crossroads and mill communities scattered through the farmland east and west of the river. CDP = census-designated place; Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | City · seat | — | 39730 |
| Amory | City | — | 38821 |
| Nettleton | City | — | 38858 |
| Hatley | Town | — | 38822 |
| Smithville | Town | — | 38870 |
| Gattman | Village | — | — |
| Athens | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Becker | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bigbee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Binford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bristow | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Central Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Central Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Colonial Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cotton Hill Gin Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Darracott | Unincorp. | — | — |
| East Aberdeen | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Easthaven | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Evergreen | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Flinn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gibson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Glenwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Green Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Greenwood Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hamilton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hedgemoor | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Highland Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hillcrest | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lackey | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lakewood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Longview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mormon Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Muldon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Hamilton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Wren | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Parham | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Parkview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pinehurst | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Piney Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Prairie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Quincy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Riggins | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sipsey Fork | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Splunge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stanford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Strong | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tanglewood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tranquil | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tucker Place | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vasser | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Westville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wildwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wise Gap | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Woodcrest | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Woodland Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wren | Unincorp. | — | — |
Nettleton straddles the Monroe/Lee county line, with most of its built-up area and city hall on the Monroe County side; the small crossroads of New Wren is distinct from the older community of Wren a few miles north.
ZIP Codes
- 39730 — Aberdeen (also serves East Aberdeen, Athens, Prairie)
- 38821 — Amory (also serves Muldon, Wren, New Wren, Greenwood Springs)
- 38858 — Nettleton (also serves Bigbee, Splunge)
- 38822 — Hatley
- 38870 — Smithville
Most of the smaller crossroads communities have no post office of their own and share a ZIP code with the nearest city or town listed above.
Geography
Monroe County lies in northeast Mississippi on the Alabama line, split by the Tombigbee River, which was historically the county’s main transport artery and today feeds the Tenn-Tom Waterway. The eastern third of the county, once part of Alabama Territory and administered from Marion County, was set inside Mississippi’s borders when the state line was fixed in 1821. Terrain runs from river bottomland along the Tombigbee to gently rolling prairie and pine hills further from the water.
Monroe County borders Lee County to the north, Itawamba County to the northeast, Chickasaw County to the west, Clay County to the southwest, and Lowndes County to the south, all in Mississippi; across the state line to the east it borders Lamar and Marion Counties, Alabama. Lee County, Chickasaw County, Clay County, and Lowndes County all have their own Towns & Villages pages on this site; Itawamba County does not yet.
Demographics
Monroe County had 34,180 residents at the 2020 census. Amory is the largest city, followed by Aberdeen, the county seat. Median household income in the county runs below the Mississippi median of $54,203, reflecting the area’s agricultural and light-manufacturing economic base. Population density is roughly 45 people per square mile, concentrated along the U.S. 45 corridor between Aberdeen and Amory.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture remains central to Monroe County’s economy, with corn, soybeans, and cattle operations spread across the prairie land west of the Tombigbee. Industry clusters around Amory and Aberdeen, including furniture and metal fabrication plants that have long served as the county’s manufacturing base. Near Aberdeen, US Silica operates a bentonite mining and processing operation that supplies material used in petrochemical drilling and animal feed. The Tenn-Tom Waterway, which runs through the county along the old Tombigbee channel, supports barge traffic and industrial river frontage.
History
Monroe County was organized in 1821 and named for James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States. Its eastern section, lying across the Tombigbee, had briefly belonged to Alabama Territory’s Marion County before the Mississippi-Alabama boundary was surveyed and the land placed inside Mississippi. Aberdeen, settled on a Tombigbee River bluff, grew as a 19th-century steamboat landing and cotton-shipping point, and its historic downtown retains antebellum and Victorian-era commercial buildings from that riverboat trade.
Getting There
U.S. Highway 45 runs north-south through the county connecting Amory and Nettleton toward Tupelo; U.S. Highway 278 and Mississippi Highways 6, 8, 25, and 145 cross the county east-west, linking Aberdeen to the Alabama line and to Chickasaw County.
- Tupelo — 25 miles north via US-45
- Columbus — 25 miles south via US-45
- Starkville — 35 miles southwest
- Amory to Aberdeen — 10 miles northwest via US-45
The nearest commercial airport is Tupelo Regional Airport (TUP), roughly 30 miles north of Aberdeen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Monroe County, Mississippi?
It is in the northeastern part of Mississippi, on the Alabama state line along the Tombigbee River.
What is the population of Monroe County?
It had a population of 34,180 at the 2020 census.
How big is Monroe County?
It covers 772 square miles (2,000 km2), of which 765 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Monroe County?
Aberdeen is the county seat.
How many towns and communities are in Monroe County?
The county has 4 cities, 2 towns, 1 village, and roughly 50 unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Monroe County?
Major ZIP codes include 39730 (Aberdeen), 38821 (Amory), 38858 (Nettleton), 38822 (Hatley), and 38870 (Smithville).
What is Monroe County’s largest city?
Amory is the county’s largest city, ahead of the county seat, Aberdeen.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Mississippi.