Panola County is a county in Mississippi, United States, split into two halves by the Tallahatchie River. It had a population of 33,208 at the 2020 census and covers 705 square miles (1,830 km2) centred near 34°22′N 89°57′W.
Batesville and Sardis both serve as county seats — Batesville’s postal code is 38606 and Sardis’s is 38666. The county has 6 incorporated cities and towns plus the village of Pope, and several unincorporated communities, and sits in the Central time zone (FIPS code 28107).
Towns & Villages in Panola County
Panola County has 7 incorporated municipalities — one city (Batesville), five towns, and a village (Pope) — plus a scatter of unincorporated crossroads communities dating back to the county’s plantation-era settlement pattern. The list below carries the names from the county’s own community record; CDP = census-designated place, Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batesville | City · seat | 7,523 | 38606 |
| Sardis | Town · seat | 1,748 | 38666 |
| Como | Town | 1,118 | 38619 |
| Courtland | Town | 470 | 38620 |
| Crenshaw | Town | 638 | 38621 |
| Crowder | Town | 573 | — |
| Pope | Village | 268 | 38658 |
| Askew | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ballentine | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Buxton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Curtis Station | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Glenville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Horatio | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Locke Station | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Longtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Terza | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tocowa | Unincorp. · ghost town | — | — |
Panola is unusual among Mississippi counties in having two county seats. The Tallahatchie River bisects the county and made travel between its northern and southern halves difficult in the 19th century, so Batesville serves the south side and Sardis the north.
ZIP Codes
- 38606 — Batesville (also serves Askew, Pleasant Grove)
- 38666 — Sardis (also serves Curtis Station, Longtown)
- 38619 — Como
- 38620 — Courtland
- 38621 — Crenshaw
- 38658 — Pope
- 38665 — Sarah (also serves the county’s western unincorporated communities)
Crowder and smaller unincorporated communities such as Buxton, Glenville, Horatio and Terza have no ZIP code of their own and use the ZIP code of the nearest town listed above.
Geography
Panola County lies in the northern hill country of Mississippi, on the eastern edge of the Mississippi Delta. The Tallahatchie River flows southwest through the middle of the county, dividing it into a Delta-influenced western half and a hillier eastern half; Sardis Lake, a large Army Corps flood-control reservoir on the river just north of Batesville, is the county’s dominant water feature. The county covers 705 square miles, of which about 20 square miles is water.
Panola County borders Tunica County and Tate County to the north, Lafayette County to the east, Yalobusha County to the southeast, Tallahatchie County to the south, and Quitman County to the west.
Demographics
Panola County had 33,208 residents at the 2020 census. Batesville, with 7,523 people, is the largest community, followed by Sardis at 1,748. Median household income in the county runs below the Mississippi median of $54,203, consistent with the largely agricultural economy of the surrounding hill and Delta country. Population density is about 47 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture — cotton, soybeans, and catfish farming — remains central to the county’s economy, alongside light manufacturing and distribution jobs drawn by Interstate 55 running through Batesville. Sardis Lake supports fishing, boating, and camping tourism, drawing visitors from Memphis and the Mid-South. Panola Partnership, the county’s economic development arm, is based in Batesville.
History
Panola County was organized on February 9, 1836, from land ceded by the Chickasaw and Choctaw nations in the Treaty of Pontotoc Creek and the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek. Its name is an anglicization of the Choctaw and Chickasaw word ponolo, meaning “thread” in old Choctaw and “cotton” in modern Choctaw usage. The Tallahatchie River’s tendency to flood and its lack of reliable crossings led the state legislature to create two county seats, Batesville and Sardis, an arrangement Panola has kept ever since.
Getting There
Interstate 55 runs north-south through the county, with a Batesville exit serving both seats via Mississippi Highway 6. US Routes 51 and 278 and state highways 3, 35 and 315 cross the county as well.
- Memphis, Tennessee — 55 miles north
- Oxford, Mississippi — 25 miles southeast
- Grenada, Mississippi — 35 miles south
- Clarksdale, Mississippi — 30 miles west
The nearest commercial airport is Memphis International Airport, about an hour’s drive north on I-55.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Panola County?
It is in the hill country of north Mississippi, on the edge of the Mississippi Delta, about 55 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee.
What is the population of Panola County?
33,208 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Panola County?
705 square miles (1,830 km2), including about 20 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Panola County?
Panola County has two: Batesville and Sardis, split by the Tallahatchie River.
How many towns are in Panola County?
Six incorporated municipalities — Batesville, Sardis, Como, Courtland, Crenshaw and Crowder — plus the village of Pope and about a dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Panola County?
38606 (Batesville), 38666 (Sardis), 38619 (Como), 38620 (Courtland), 38621 (Crenshaw), 38658 (Pope), and 38665 (Sarah).
Why does Panola County have two county seats?
The Tallahatchie River splits the county and made travel between the halves difficult in the 1800s, so lawmakers set up separate seats at Batesville and Sardis.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Mississippi.