Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital, Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city of Gulfport had a total population of 67,793. Gulfport is co-county seat with Biloxi of Harrison County, Mississippi. Gulfport is also home to the US Navy Atlantic Fleet Seabees.

From its beginnings as a lumber port, Gulfport evolved into a diversified city. With about 6.7 miles (10.7 kilometres) of white sand beaches along the Gulf of Mexico, Gulfport has become a tourism destination, due in large part to Mississippi’s Coast Casinos. Gulfport has served as host to popular cultural events such as the “World’s Largest Fishing Rodeo,” “Cruisin’ the Coast” (a week of classic cars), and “Smokin’ the Sound” (speedboat races). Gulfport is a thriving residential community with a strong mercantile center.

There are historic neighborhoods and home sites, as well as diverse shopping opportunities and several motels scattered throughout to accommodate golfing, gambling, and water-sport tourism. (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulfport,_Mississippi)

SIGHTS AND ACTIVITIES

GULFPORT BEACH

With miles of shoreline, Gulfport Beach offers a white, sandy beach for lounging in the sun.

LYNN MEADOWS DISCOVERY CENTER

Lynn Meadows Discovery Center is the only children’s museum in Mississippi.

THE INSTITUTE FOR MARINE MAMMAL RESEARCH

Established in 1984, The Institute for Marine Mammal Research offers plenty of opportunities for people of all ages to learn about the aquatic wildlife.

HARBOR SQUARE PARK

With ample opportunity to get outside and enjoy mother nature, Harbor Square Park offers a number of outdoor amenities and attractions, including: backpacking, picnicking, saltwater fishing, beaches, and a boat launch.

EDUCATION

SCHOOLS:

• Gulfport School District
• Harrison County Library System
• Harrison County School District

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ON THE MS GULF COAST:

• Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
• Tulane University – School of Continuing Studies
• University of Southern Mississippi – Gulf Coast
• William Carey University
• Troy University

NEIGHBORHOOD

Gulfport is a larger medium-sized coastal city (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Mississippi. With a population of 71,856 people and 21 constituent neighborhoods, Gulfport is the second largest community in Mississippi.

Gulfport real estate is some of the most expensive in Mississippi, although Gulfport house values don’t compare to the most expensive real estate in the U.S.

Unlike some cities where white-collar or blue-collar occupations dominate the local economy, Gulfport is neither predominantly one nor the other. Instead, it has a mixed workforce of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Gulfport is a city of sales and office workers, service providers, and professionals. There are especially a lot of people living in Gulfport who work in office and administrative support (14.65%), sales jobs (12.80%), and food service (10.09%).

One of the nice things about Gulfport is that it is nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Because of this, visitors and locals will often go to these areas to take in the scenery or to enjoy waterfront activities.

Important ancestries of people in Gulfport include German, French , English, and Italian.

POPULAR REAL ESTATE

• City Center
• New Hope / Landon
• Commisson Rd / Colby Ave
• Broad Ave / W Railroad St
• Hewes Ave / E Railroad St
• Airport Rd / Washington Ave
• Harrison Dr / 34th Ave
• Dedeaux Rd / Three Rivers Rd
• 25th Ave / 28th St
• Route 49 / N Swan Rd

The percentage of adults in Gulfport who are college-educated is close to the national average for all communities of 21.84%: 20.75% of the adults in Gulfport have a bachelor’s degree or advanced degree.

The per capita income in Gulfport in 2010 was $20,825, which is upper middle income relative to Mississippi, and lower middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $83,300 for a family of four.

However, Gulfport contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

HISTORY

This area was occupied by indigenous cultures for thousands of years, culminating in the historic Choctaw encountered by European explorers. Along the Gulf Coast, French colonists founded nearby Biloxi, Mississippi, and Mobile, Alabama before the area was acquired by the United States in 1803. By the Indian Removal Act of 1830, the United States completed treaties to extinguish their land claims and removed them to Indian Territory, now Oklahoma. In that period, the other four of the Five Civilized Tribes in the Southeast were also removed, to make way for European Americans to take over the lands.

An early settlement near this location, known as Mississippi City, appeared on a map of Mississippi from 1855. Mississippi City was the county seat of Harrison County from 1841 to 1902, but is now a suburb in east Gulfport.

Gulfport was incorporated on July 28, 1898. Gulfport was founded by William H. Hardy who was president of the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad (G&SIRR) that connected inland lumber mills to the coast. He was joined by Joseph T. Jones, who later took over the G&SIRR, dredged the harbor in Gulfport, and opened the shipping channel to the sea. In 1902, the harbor was completed and the Port of Gulfport became a working seaport. It now accounts for millions of dollars in annual sales and tax revenue for the state of Mississippi.

In 1910, the U.S. Post Office and Customhouse was built. The Gulfport Post office was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

In March 1916, Mayor George M. Foote announced that the Andrew Carnegie Corporation was going to place a Carnegie Library in Gulfport. The city had agreed to providing matching funds for the construction and committed to operating funds. In the 20th century, the city developed as an important port; as it was served by railroads from the interior, it stimulated town growth by providing a way to get products to markets.

On August 17, 1969 Gulfport and the Mississippi Gulf Coast were hit by Hurricane Camille. Measured by central pressure, Camille was the second-strongest hurricane to make U.S. land fall in recorded history. The area of total destruction in Harrison County, Mississippi was 68 square miles (180 km2).[11] The total estimated cost of damage was $1.42 billion (1969 USD, $9 billion 2012 USD).[12] This made Camille the second-most expensive hurricane in the United States, up to that point (behind Hurricane Betsy).[13] The storm directly killed 143 people in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

In December 1993, the City annexed 33 square miles (85 km2) north of Gulfport, making it the second-largest city in Mississippi.