Yazoo County is a county in Mississippi, United States, on the boundary between the loess bluff hills and the Mississippi Delta about 40 miles northwest of Jackson. It had a population of 26,743 at the 2020 census and covers 934 square miles (2,420 km2), making it the largest county by area in Mississippi, centred near 32°47′N 90°24′W.
Yazoo City is the county seat, and its postal code is 39194. The county has two incorporated municipalities — a city and a town — alongside a scatter of small unincorporated communities strung along the Yazoo River and the old Illinois Central rail line. The whole county sits in the Central time zone; its FIPS code is 28163.
Towns & Villages in Yazoo County
Yazoo City anchors the county’s population and economy; the rest of Yazoo County is rural, with a handful of small unincorporated crossroads communities that never grew large enough to incorporate.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yazoo City | City · seat | 10,316 | 39194 |
| Bentonia | Town | 319 | 39040 |
| Anding | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Benton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eden | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Holly Bluff | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Little Yazoo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Satartia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vaughan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Midway | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 39194 — Yazoo City (also serves Anding, Benton, Little Yazoo and most of the county’s rural southeast)
- 39040 — Bentonia (also serves Eden and nearby farmland)
Satartia, Holly Bluff, Vaughan and Midway have no post office of their own and are served by the nearest Yazoo City or Bentonia route.
Geography
Yazoo County straddles the line where the loess hills of central Mississippi drop into the flat alluvial Delta. The eastern third of the county is bluff and hill country; the western two-thirds flattens into Delta farmland drained by the Yazoo River, which forms much of the county’s western edge and gives it its name. Of the county’s 934 square miles, 922 are land and about 11 are water, mostly the river itself and oxbow lakes such as those near Holly Bluff.
Yazoo County borders seven other Mississippi counties: Holmes County to the north, Humphreys County to the northwest, Issaquena County to the west, Sharkey County to the southwest, Warren County to the south-southwest, Hinds County to the south, and Madison County to the east.
Demographics
Yazoo County had 26,743 residents at the 2020 census; more recent estimates put the county closer to 22,900, continuing a long decline from its mid-20th-century peak. Yazoo City is by far the largest community, followed by Bentonia. The county’s median household income runs well below the Mississippi state figure of $54,203, reflecting the Delta’s persistent rural poverty. Population density is light for the eastern half of the state, at roughly 29 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture — cotton, soybeans, corn and catfish ponds — still drives much of the rural economy, worked from the Delta bottomland west of Yazoo City. The single largest employer in the county is the federal government: the Federal Correctional Complex at Yazoo City runs four separate facilities (a low-security prison, a medium-security prison, a satellite camp and a penitentiary) and employs hundreds of staff. Yazoo City’s downtown also serves as the county’s retail and medical hub. Bentonia is known well beyond its size for the “Bentonia school” of country blues, and its Bentonia Blues Festival draws visitors to the Blue Front Cafe every June.
History
Yazoo County was created on January 21, 1823, the 19th county formed in Mississippi, and takes its name from the Yazoo River — itself likely from a Choctaw or Yazoo-language word meaning “river of death” or referring to the historic Yazoo people who once lived along its banks. A downtown fire destroyed much of Yazoo City in 1904, and the county was fought over repeatedly during Union river campaigns in 1863 and 1864. Bentonia grew up as a railroad depot on the Illinois Central line in the late 19th century and became the unlikely home of a distinct blues guitar style carried on today by musicians such as Jimmy “Duck” Holmes.
Getting There
U.S. Route 49 runs north-south through the county and U.S. Route 49E/Mississippi Highway 3 skirt Yazoo City, giving quick access to Jackson and the central Delta.
- Jackson, Mississippi — 40 miles southeast
- Greenwood, Mississippi — 45 miles north
- Vicksburg, Mississippi — 40 miles southwest
- Canton, Mississippi — 25 miles east
The nearest commercial airport is Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport. Amtrak’s City of New Orleans line stops at the Yazoo City station.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Yazoo City postcode?
39194.
What is the Bentonia postcode?
39040.
What county is Yazoo City in?
Yazoo City is the seat of Yazoo County, Mississippi.
How big is Yazoo County?
It covers 922 square miles of land, the largest land area of any county in Mississippi.
What is Yazoo County’s population?
26,743 at the 2020 census.
What is Yazoo County named after?
The Yazoo River, whose name likely comes from a Choctaw or Yazoo-language word meaning “river of death.”
What is Bentonia known for?
The “Bentonia school” of country blues guitar, celebrated each June at the Bentonia Blues Festival.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Mississippi.