Biloxi, Mississippi: Difference between revisions
Bezbrossett (talk | contribs) the DIOCESE of Biloxi has 15 schools, not the CITY of Biloxi. The diocese covers the entire southern half of the state! Tag: references removed |
No edit summary Tags: Reverted Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
||
(27 intermediate revisions by 8 users not shown) | |||
Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}} |
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}} |
||
{{Infobox settlement |
{{Infobox settlement |
||
| name |
| name = Biloxi, Mississippi |
||
| nicknames |
| nicknames = |
||
| motto |
| motto = |
||
| settlement_type |
| settlement_type = [[City]] |
||
| image_skyline |
| image_skyline = BiloxiLightHouseandVisitorsCenter.jpg |
||
| image_caption |
| image_caption = The Biloxi Visitors Center and the [[Biloxi Light]]house, the city's signature landmark, in November 2011 |
||
| image_flag |
| image_flag = Flag of Biloxi, Mississippi.png |
||
| image_blank_emblem |
| image_blank_emblem = Logo of Biloxi, Mississippi.png |
||
| blank_emblem_type |
| blank_emblem_type = Logo |
||
| image_map |
| image_map = Harrison County Mississippi Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Biloxi Highlighted.svg |
||
| map_caption |
| map_caption = Location in [[Harrison County, Mississippi|Harrison County]] and the state of [[Mississippi]] |
||
| pushpin_map |
| pushpin_map = Mississippi#United States |
||
| pushpin_mapsize = 200px |
|||
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in the United States |
|||
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within Mississippi##Location within the United States |
|||
| subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]] |
|||
| |
| pushpin_label = Biloxi |
||
| pushpin_relief = 1 |
|||
| subdivision_type2 = [[List of counties in Mississippi|County]] |
|||
| subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]] |
|||
| subdivision_name = {{flag|United States}} |
|||
| subdivision_type1 = [[U.S. state|State]] |
|||
| subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Mississippi}} |
|||
| |
| subdivision_type2 = [[List of counties in Mississippi|County]] |
||
| subdivision_name = {{flag|United States}} |
|||
| government_type = |
|||
| subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Mississippi}} |
|||
| leader_title = [[Mayor]] |
|||
| subdivision_name2 = [[Harrison County, Mississippi|Harrison]] |
|||
| leader_name = Andrew Gilich (R) |
|||
| government_type = |
|||
| established_title = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]] |
|||
| |
| leader_title = [[Mayor]] |
||
| leader_name = Andrew Gilich ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2017-05-03 |title=Andrew 'FoFo' Gilich wins republican nomination for Mayor of Biloxi |url=https://www.wlox.com/story/35323956/andrew-fofo-gilichwins-republican-nomination-for-mayor-of-biloxi/ |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=WLOX |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mayor |url=https://biloxi.ms.us/departments/mayor/ |access-date=2024-11-29 |language=en-US}}</ref> |
|||
| area_land_km2 = 111.20 |
|||
| established_title = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]] |
|||
| area_water_km2 = 64.16 |
|||
| |
| established_date = in 1838 as a township |
||
| |
| area_land_km2 = 111.20 |
||
| |
| area_water_km2 = 64.16 |
||
| |
| area_total_sq_mi = 67.71 |
||
| |
| area_magnitude = |
||
| |
| area_total_km2 = 175.36 |
||
| |
| area_land_sq_mi = 42.94 |
||
| area_water_sq_mi = 24.77 |
|||
| coordinates = {{coord|30|24|43|N|88|55|40|W|region:US-MS|display=inline,title}} |
|||
| elevation_m = 6 |
|||
| population_as_of = [[2020 United States Census|2020]] |
|||
| |
| elevation_ft = 20 |
||
| coordinates = {{coord|30|24|43|N|88|55|40|W|region:US-MS|display=inline,title}} |
|||
| population_metro = 416259 (US: [[Metropolitan statistical area|133rd]]) |
|||
| population_as_of = [[2020 United States Census|2020]] |
|||
| pop_est_as_of = |
|||
| |
| population_total = 49449 |
||
| population_metro = 416259 (US: [[Metropolitan statistical area|133rd]]) |
|||
| population_2020 = 49,449 |
|||
| pop_est_as_of = |
|||
| pop_est_footnotes = |
|||
| population_2020 = 49,449 |
|||
| population_density_km2 = 444.67 |
| population_density_km2 = 444.67 |
||
<!--2016 pop est.--> |
<!--2016 pop est.-->| population_density_sq_mi = 1151.69 |
||
| unit_pref = Imperial |
|||
| population_density_sq_mi = 1151.69 |
|||
| |
| timezone = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]] |
||
| |
| utc_offset = −6 |
||
| timezone_DST = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]] |
|||
| |
| utc_offset_DST = −5 |
||
| postal_code_type = [[ZIP Code]]s |
|||
| timezone_DST = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]] |
|||
| |
| postal_code = 39530–39535, 39540 |
||
| |
| area_code = [[Area code 228|228]] |
||
| |
| blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]] |
||
| |
| blank_info = 28-06220 |
||
| |
| blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID |
||
| |
| blank1_info = 0667173 |
||
| |
| website = {{URL|www.biloxi.ms.us}} |
||
| |
| footnotes = |
||
| area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_28.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=July 24, 2022}}</ref> |
|||
| website = {{URL|www.biloxi.ms.us}} |
|||
| |
| population_est = |
||
| population_footnotes = |
|||
|area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_28.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=July 24, 2022}}</ref> |
|||
|population_est = |
|||
|population_footnotes = |
|||
}} |
}} |
||
'''Biloxi''' ({{IPAc-en|b|ɪ|ˈ|l|ʌ|k|s|i}} {{respell|bih|LUK|see}}; {{IPA|fr|bilusi|lang}}) is a city in [[Harrison County, |
'''Biloxi''' ({{IPAc-en|b|ɪ|ˈ|l|ʌ|k|s|i}} {{respell|bih|LUK|see}}; {{IPA|fr|bilusi|lang}}) is a city in [[Harrison County, Mississippi]], United States. It lies on the [[Gulf Coast of the United States|Gulf Coast]] in southern Mississippi, bordering the city of [[Gulfport, Mississippi|Gulfport]] to its west. The adjacent cities are both designated as [[county seat|seats]] of Harrison County. The population of Biloxi was 49,449 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], making it the state's [[List of municipalities in Mississippi|fourth-most populous city]]. It is a principal city of the [[Gulfport–Biloxi metropolitan area]], home to 416,259 residents in 2020. The area's first European settlers were French colonists. |
||
The beachfront of Biloxi lies directly on the [[Mississippi Sound]], with [[barrier island]]s scattered off the coast and into the [[Gulf of |
The beachfront of Biloxi lies directly on the [[Mississippi Sound]], with [[barrier island]]s scattered off the coast and into the [[Gulf of America]]. [[Keesler Air Force Base]] lies within the city and is home to the [[81st Training Wing]] and the [[403rd Wing]] of the [[United States Air Force Reserve|U.S. Air Force Reserve.]] |
||
==History== |
==History== |
||
===Colonial era=== |
===Colonial era=== |
||
{{Main|Fort Maurepas|Louisiana (New France)|New France|Treaty of Paris (1763)|British West Florida}} |
{{Main|Fort Maurepas|Louisiana (New France)|New France|Treaty of Paris (1763)|British West Florida}} |
||
Line 114: | Line 115: | ||
Biloxi's [[casino]] history dates to a period in the 1940s. At the time, open, if technically illegal, gambling took place in a casino within the [[Broadwater Beach Resort]].<ref name="sh-landmark">{{Cite news | url=http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2005_3rd/Aug05_Broadwater.html | title=The Landmark Broadwater Hotel, Once Biloxi's Premier Resort, Shutting Down | author=Wilemon, Tom | publisher=[[The Sun Herald]] | date=2005-06-30 | access-date=2008-09-15 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111013241/http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2005_3rd/Aug05_Broadwater.html | archive-date=2009-01-11 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Open gambling ended during the 1950s.<ref name="sh-before">{{cite web | url=http://www.sunherald.com/images/beforeafter/broadwater.html | title=Before-After: Broadwater | author=Bergeron, Kat | publisher=[[The Sun Herald]] | access-date=2008-09-15 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917050106/http://www.sunherald.com/images/beforeafter/broadwater.html | archive-date=2008-09-17 }}</ref> The [[Mississippi Gulf Coast]] became known as the "Poor Man's Riviera", and was frequented by [[Southern United States|Southern]] families interested in fishing expeditions during the summer.<ref name="nyt-1963"/> Commercially, Biloxi was dominated by shrimp boats and oyster luggers.<ref name="nyt-1963"/> The tradition of [[Blessing of the Fleet|blessing fishing boats]] in the US seems to have first taken place in Biloxi in 1929 and has been practised ever since.<ref name="Melton">{{cite book |last1=Melton |first1=J. Gordon |title=Religious Celebrations An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations |date=13 September 2011 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=9781598842067 |pages=120–121 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lD_2J7W_2hQC |access-date=23 June 2023}}</ref><ref name="WLOX2023">{{cite web |last1=Noble |first1=Noah |title=Biloxi's 94th annual Blessing of the Fleet blesses over 50 boats ahead of shrimp season |url=https://www.wlox.com/2023/05/28/biloxis-94th-annual-blessing-fleet-blesses-over-50-boats-ahead-shrimp-season/ |website=WLOX.COM |publisher=Gray Television, Inc. |access-date=26 June 2023}}</ref> |
Biloxi's [[casino]] history dates to a period in the 1940s. At the time, open, if technically illegal, gambling took place in a casino within the [[Broadwater Beach Resort]].<ref name="sh-landmark">{{Cite news | url=http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2005_3rd/Aug05_Broadwater.html | title=The Landmark Broadwater Hotel, Once Biloxi's Premier Resort, Shutting Down | author=Wilemon, Tom | publisher=[[The Sun Herald]] | date=2005-06-30 | access-date=2008-09-15 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111013241/http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2005_3rd/Aug05_Broadwater.html | archive-date=2009-01-11 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Open gambling ended during the 1950s.<ref name="sh-before">{{cite web | url=http://www.sunherald.com/images/beforeafter/broadwater.html | title=Before-After: Broadwater | author=Bergeron, Kat | publisher=[[The Sun Herald]] | access-date=2008-09-15 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917050106/http://www.sunherald.com/images/beforeafter/broadwater.html | archive-date=2008-09-17 }}</ref> The [[Mississippi Gulf Coast]] became known as the "Poor Man's Riviera", and was frequented by [[Southern United States|Southern]] families interested in fishing expeditions during the summer.<ref name="nyt-1963"/> Commercially, Biloxi was dominated by shrimp boats and oyster luggers.<ref name="nyt-1963"/> The tradition of [[Blessing of the Fleet|blessing fishing boats]] in the US seems to have first taken place in Biloxi in 1929 and has been practised ever since.<ref name="Melton">{{cite book |last1=Melton |first1=J. Gordon |title=Religious Celebrations An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations |date=13 September 2011 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=9781598842067 |pages=120–121 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lD_2J7W_2hQC |access-date=23 June 2023}}</ref><ref name="WLOX2023">{{cite web |last1=Noble |first1=Noah |title=Biloxi's 94th annual Blessing of the Fleet blesses over 50 boats ahead of shrimp season |url=https://www.wlox.com/2023/05/28/biloxis-94th-annual-blessing-fleet-blesses-over-50-boats-ahead-shrimp-season/ |website=WLOX.COM |publisher=Gray Television, Inc. |access-date=26 June 2023}}</ref> |
||
In 1959, Biloxi was the site of "Mississippi's first public assault on racial barriers in its 15-year civil rights struggle."<ref>{{cite news |title=Watch for 'The Good Doctors' to be out soon |publisher=DeSoto Times-Tribune |date=May 20, 2009 |author=Bill Minor}}</ref> [[Gilbert R. Mason]], a black physician in Biloxi, went swimming at a local beach with seven black friends. They were ordered to leave by a city policeman, who told them that "Negroes don't come to the sand beach |
In 1959, Biloxi was the site of "Mississippi's first public assault on racial barriers in its 15-year civil rights struggle."<ref>{{cite news |title=Watch for 'The Good Doctors' to be out soon |publisher=DeSoto Times-Tribune |date=May 20, 2009 |author=Bill Minor}}</ref> [[Gilbert R. Mason]], a black physician in Biloxi, went swimming at a local beach with seven black friends. They were ordered to leave by a city policeman, who told them that "Negroes don't come to the sand beach".<ref name=gestapo>{{cite journal |title=The Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission and Beach Integration, 1959-1963: A Cotton-Patch Gestapo? |author=J. Michael Butler |journal=The Journal of Southern History |volume=68 |number=1 |date=February 2002 |pages=107–148 |jstor=3069692 |doi=10.2307/3069692}}</ref> Mason reacted by leading a series of protests, known as the [[Biloxi Wade-Ins]]. The protests were followed in 1960 by the worst [[race riot|racial riot]] in Mississippi history, during which ten people died.<ref name=denies>{{cite news |newspaper=New York Times |page=30 |date=April 26, 1960 |title=NAACP Denies Biloxi Riot Role |id={{ProQuest|114995603}} }}{{subscription required}}</ref> Ultimately, the protests led to the [[Desegregation in the United States|desegregation]] of the beaches of Biloxi.<ref name="gestapo"/> |
||
In the early 1960s, the Gulf Coast again emerged as a prime alternative to [[Florida]] as a southern vacation destination among [[Northern United States|Northerners]], with Biloxi a favored destination.<ref name="nyt-1963">{{cite news| url=https://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=FA0C16FC3E5B1A7B93C7A81789D95F478685F9 | title=Mississippi Gulf Coast Woos Vacationists | author=Janson, Donald | newspaper=The New York Times | date=1963-12-15}}</ref> Biloxi hotels upgraded their amenities and hired chefs from France and [[Switzerland]] in an effort to provide some of the best seafood cuisine in the country.<ref name="nyt-1963"/> [[Edgewater Mall]] was built in 1963. |
In the early 1960s, the Gulf Coast again emerged as a prime alternative to [[Florida]] as a southern vacation destination among [[Northern United States|Northerners]], with Biloxi a favored destination.<ref name="nyt-1963">{{cite news| url=https://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=FA0C16FC3E5B1A7B93C7A81789D95F478685F9 | title=Mississippi Gulf Coast Woos Vacationists | author=Janson, Donald | newspaper=The New York Times | date=1963-12-15}}</ref> Biloxi hotels upgraded their amenities and hired chefs from France and [[Switzerland]] in an effort to provide some of the best seafood cuisine in the country.<ref name="nyt-1963"/> [[Edgewater Mall]] was built in 1963. The [[Biloxi Dragway]] hosted [[Drag racing|drag races]] between 1957 and 1967. |
||
With the introduction of legal gambling in Mississippi in the 1990s, Biloxi was again transformed.<ref name="isjl"/> It became an important center in the resort casino industry. The new hotels and gambling complexes brought millions of dollars in tourism revenue to the city. The more famous casino complexes were the [[Beau Rivage (Mississippi)|Beau Rivage]] casino resort, the [[Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Biloxi)|Hard Rock Hotel and Casino]], [[Casino Magic Biloxi Casino & Hotel|Casino Magic]], [[Grand Casino Biloxi|Grand Casino]], [[Isle of Capri Casinos|Isle of Capri Casino Resort Biloxi]], [[Penn National Gaming|Boomtown Casino]], [[President Casino Broadwater Resort]], and [[IP Casino Resort & Spa|Imperial Palace]]. Like [[Tunica County, Mississippi|Tunica County]] in the northern part of the state, Biloxi and the surrounding Gulf Coast region were considered a leading gambling center in the [[Southern United States]]. |
With the introduction of legal gambling in Mississippi in the 1990s, Biloxi was again transformed.<ref name="isjl"/> It became an important center in the resort casino industry. The new hotels and gambling complexes brought millions of dollars in tourism revenue to the city. The more famous casino complexes were the [[Beau Rivage (Mississippi)|Beau Rivage]] casino resort, the [[Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Biloxi)|Hard Rock Hotel and Casino]], [[Casino Magic Biloxi Casino & Hotel|Casino Magic]], [[Grand Casino Biloxi|Grand Casino]], [[Isle of Capri Casinos|Isle of Capri Casino Resort Biloxi]], [[Penn National Gaming|Boomtown Casino]], [[President Casino Broadwater Resort]], and [[IP Casino Resort & Spa|Imperial Palace]]. Like [[Tunica County, Mississippi|Tunica County]] in the northern part of the state, Biloxi and the surrounding Gulf Coast region were considered a leading gambling center in the [[Southern United States]]. |
||
Line 123: | Line 124: | ||
===Hurricanes=== |
===Hurricanes=== |
||
Scores of hurricanes have hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast, but the most destructive, as measured by storm surge levels in the [[Biloxi Light]]house, occurred in 1855, 1906, 1909, 1947, 1969 ([[Hurricane Camille]]), and 2005 ( |
Scores of hurricanes have hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast, but the most destructive, as measured by storm surge levels in the [[Biloxi Light]]house, occurred in 1855, 1906, 1909, 1947, 1969 ([[Hurricane Camille]]), and 2005 (Hurricane Katrina)<ref>Debbie Stringer. 2010. "Biloxi's Guiding Light". ''Today in Mississippi'' (Ridgeland, MS), Volume 63, Number 5, May 2010.</ref> |
||
====Hurricane Katrina==== |
|||
On August 29, 2005, [[Hurricane Katrina]] hit the [[Mississippi Gulf Coast]] with high winds, heavy rains and a {{convert|30|ft|m|adj=on}} storm surge, causing massive damage to the area. Katrina came ashore during the high tide of 6:56{{nbsp}}am, +2.3 feet more.<ref>"2005 NOAA Tide Predictions: Biloxi (Cadet Point), Biloxi Bay" (2005), tide on 29-Aug-2005, ''NOAA'', web: [http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/get_predictions.shtml?year=2005&stn=0551+South+Pass&secstn=Biloxi+(Cadet+Point),+Biloxi+Bay&thh=%2b2&thm=4&tlh=%2b1&tlm=30&hh=*1.38&hl=*1.38 NOAA-tide-tables] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310234239/http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/get_predictions.shtml?year=2005&stn=0551+South+Pass&secstn=Biloxi+(Cadet+Point),+Biloxi+Bay&thh=%2b2&thm=4&tlh=%2b1&tlm=30&hh=*1.38&hl=*1.38 |date=2007-03-10 }}.</ref> Commenting on the power of the storm and the damage, Mayor [[A. J. Holloway]] said, "This is our [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami|tsunami]]."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/special_packages/hurricane_katrina/12514756.htm |title=Herald.com | 08/30/2005 | Rooftop rescues mount along with fires, floods |access-date=2005-08-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050906041201/http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/special_packages/hurricane_katrina/12514756.htm |archive-date=2005-09-06 }}</ref> Mississippi Governor [[Haley Barbour]] was quoted as saying the destruction of the Mississippi coastline by Hurricane Katrina looked like an American [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|Hiroshima]]. |
On August 29, 2005, [[Hurricane Katrina]] hit the [[Mississippi Gulf Coast]] with high winds, heavy rains and a {{convert|30|ft|m|adj=on}} storm surge, causing massive damage to the area. Katrina came ashore during the high tide of 6:56{{nbsp}}am, +2.3 feet more.<ref>"2005 NOAA Tide Predictions: Biloxi (Cadet Point), Biloxi Bay" (2005), tide on 29-Aug-2005, ''NOAA'', web: [http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/get_predictions.shtml?year=2005&stn=0551+South+Pass&secstn=Biloxi+(Cadet+Point),+Biloxi+Bay&thh=%2b2&thm=4&tlh=%2b1&tlm=30&hh=*1.38&hl=*1.38 NOAA-tide-tables] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310234239/http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/get_predictions.shtml?year=2005&stn=0551+South+Pass&secstn=Biloxi+(Cadet+Point),+Biloxi+Bay&thh=%2b2&thm=4&tlh=%2b1&tlm=30&hh=*1.38&hl=*1.38 |date=2007-03-10 }}.</ref> Commenting on the power of the storm and the damage, Mayor [[A. J. Holloway]] said, "This is our [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami|tsunami]]."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/special_packages/hurricane_katrina/12514756.htm |title=Herald.com | 08/30/2005 | Rooftop rescues mount along with fires, floods |access-date=2005-08-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050906041201/http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/special_packages/hurricane_katrina/12514756.htm |archive-date=2005-09-06 }}</ref> Mississippi Governor [[Haley Barbour]] was quoted as saying the destruction of the Mississippi coastline by Hurricane Katrina looked like an American [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|Hiroshima]]. |
||
On the morning of August 31, 2005, in an interview on [[MSNBC]], Governor Barbour stated that 90% of the buildings along the coast in Biloxi and neighboring [[Gulfport, Mississippi|Gulfport]] had been destroyed by the hurricane.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}} Several of the "floating" casinos were torn off their supports and thrown inland, contributing to the damage. |
|||
Many churches were destroyed or severely damaged, including St. Michael's Catholic Church, which was gutted by the storm surge, breaking the entry doors and stained-glass windows along the first floor; however, the interior was later removed, and the structure was still solid enough to allow repairing the church. |
|||
Hurricane Katrina damaged over 40 Mississippi libraries beyond repair, breaking windows and flooding several feet in the Biloxi Public Library, requiring a total rebuild.<ref>"Hurricane Katrina Related Damages to Public Libraries in Mississippi" (September 2005), Mississippi Library Commission, web: [http://www.ala.org/ala/cro/katrina/MSPL_Katrina_Damage.pdf ALA-Katrina] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031143618/http://www.ala.org/ala/cro/katrina/MSPL_Katrina_Damage.pdf |date=2007-10-31 }}.</ref> |
Hurricane Katrina damaged over 40 Mississippi libraries beyond repair, breaking windows and flooding several feet in the Biloxi Public Library, requiring a total rebuild.<ref>"Hurricane Katrina Related Damages to Public Libraries in Mississippi" (September 2005), Mississippi Library Commission, web: [http://www.ala.org/ala/cro/katrina/MSPL_Katrina_Damage.pdf ALA-Katrina] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031143618/http://www.ala.org/ala/cro/katrina/MSPL_Katrina_Damage.pdf |date=2007-10-31 }}.</ref> |
||
Biloxi is the site of a memorial to Katrina victims, created by a team of local artists with assistance from the crew and volunteers of ''[[Extreme Makeover: Home Edition]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gulf-coast.com/Attractions/KatrinaMemorialBiloxi.html |title=Katrina Memorial Biloxi |access-date=2007-04-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070506221227/http://www.gulf-coast.com/Attractions/KatrinaMemorialBiloxi.html |archive-date=2007-05-06 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://biloxi.ms.us/katrina-biloxi/architect/|title=Hurricane Katrina Memorial Design Narrative|website=biloxi.ms.us|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190902124723/https://biloxi.ms.us/katrina-biloxi/architect/|archive-date=2019-09-02|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://biloxi.ms.us/katrina-biloxi/creative/|title=Creative Team{{!}}Hurricane Katrina Memorial|website=biloxi.ms.us|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190902124923/https://biloxi.ms.us/katrina-biloxi/creative/|archive-date=2019-09-02|url-status=live}}</ref> |
|||
Hurricane-force winds persisted for 17 hours and tore the branches off many coastal oak trees, but the tree trunks survived the {{convert|30|ft|m|adj=on}} flood and many have since regrown smaller branches. Some reconstructed homes still have their [[Antebellum architecture|antebellum]] appearance, and miles inland, with less flooding, shopping centers have reopened. |
|||
Harrison County [[Coroner]] Gary T. Hargrove told the mayor and City Council that Hurricane Katrina had claimed 53 victims in Biloxi, as of January 30, 2006.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}} Of the 53 confirmed fatalities in Biloxi, a figure that includes one unidentified male, Hargrove said the average age was 58, with the youngest being 22 and the oldest 90; 14 were female and 39 were male. |
|||
Biloxi is the site of a well-known memorial to Katrina victims. The memorial was created by a team of local artists (Elizabeth Veglia and Aaron Kramer), an architect (Dennis Cowart), a contractor (Roy Anderson Corporation), and city liaison (Nathan Sullivan), with assistance from the crew and volunteers of ''[[Extreme Makeover: Home Edition]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gulf-coast.com/Attractions/KatrinaMemorialBiloxi.html |title=Katrina Memorial Biloxi |access-date=2007-04-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070506221227/http://www.gulf-coast.com/Attractions/KatrinaMemorialBiloxi.html |archive-date=2007-05-06 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://biloxi.ms.us/katrina-biloxi/architect/|title=Hurricane Katrina Memorial Design Narrative|website=biloxi.ms.us|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190902124723/https://biloxi.ms.us/katrina-biloxi/architect/|archive-date=2019-09-02|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://biloxi.ms.us/katrina-biloxi/creative/|title=Creative Team{{!}}Hurricane Katrina Memorial|website=biloxi.ms.us|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190902124923/https://biloxi.ms.us/katrina-biloxi/creative/|archive-date=2019-09-02|url-status=live}}</ref> |
|||
Many casinos were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Of the casinos that were located in Biloxi, eight have reopened since Katrina. They are the Grand Biloxi Casino Hotel Spa (formerly known as Grand Casino Biloxi), the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, the Golden Nugget, the Palace Casino Resort, the IP Casino Resort Spa (formerly known as Imperial Palace), Treasure Bay Casino, Boomtown Casino, and the Beau Rivage, which reopened on the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.<ref name=BixCasinos>"Tentative re-opening plans for Biloxi casino resorts" (2006), City of Biloxi, www.Biloxi.ms.us, webpage: [http://www.biloxi.ms.us/Casinos/ Biloxi-Casinos] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061010004424/http://www.biloxi.ms.us/Casinos/ |date=2006-10-10 }}.</ref> |
|||
Multiple plans |
Multiple plans were been laid out to rebuild the waterfront areas of Biloxi, and in 2007 the federal government announced it was considering buying out up to 17,000 Mississippi coast homeowners to form a hurricane protection zone.<ref>[http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ib5MyH-XXFnw4D_gLfXvd4hmx4SQD8S64ME80 "Gov't May Buy Thousands of Miss. Homes"] AP via Google News. Retrieved October 17, 2007. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012234808/http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ib5MyH-XXFnw4D_gLfXvd4hmx4SQD8S64ME80 |date=October 12, 2007 }}</ref> Meanwhile, the city of Biloxi is rapidly implementing plans to allow the redevelopment of commercial properties south of [[U.S. Route 90|Highway 90]].<ref>[http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=7222173&nav=6DJI Beachfront Development On Biloxi's Front Burner] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090919135848/http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=7222173&nav=6DJI |date=2009-09-19 }} [http://www.wlox.com/ WLOX News] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071020203036/http://wlox.com/ |date=2007-10-20 }}. Retrieved on October 17, 2007.</ref> |
||
<gallery widths="thumb" heights="thumb" perrow="5"> |
<gallery widths="thumb" heights="thumb" perrow="5"> |
||
Line 152: | Line 142: | ||
</gallery> |
</gallery> |
||
==Geography |
==Geography== |
||
Biloxi is located in southeastern Harrison County, bordered to the south by [[Mississippi Sound]] (part of the [[Gulf of Mexico]]) and to the northeast partially by Biloxi Bay, which forms part of the [[Jackson County, Mississippi|Jackson County]] line. To the northeast, across Biloxi Bay, are the Jackson County city of [[Ocean Springs, Mississippi|Ocean Springs]] and the unincorporated community of [[St. Martin, Mississippi|St. Martin]]. The Back Bay of Biloxi continues west from the Jackson County line, crossing the city of Biloxi to Big Lake on the city's western boundary, where the Biloxi and [[Tchoutacabouffa River|Tchoutacabouffa]] rivers join. The Tchoutacbouffa flows from east to west across the city and forms part of the city's eastern boundary. Biloxi is bordered to the north and east by the city of [[D'Iberville, Mississippi|D'Iberville]] and to the west by the city of [[Gulfport, Mississippi|Gulfport]]. |
Biloxi is located in southeastern Harrison County, bordered to the south by [[Mississippi Sound]] (part of the [[Gulf of Mexico]]) and to the northeast partially by Biloxi Bay, which forms part of the [[Jackson County, Mississippi|Jackson County]] line. To the northeast, across Biloxi Bay, are the Jackson County city of [[Ocean Springs, Mississippi|Ocean Springs]] and the unincorporated community of [[St. Martin, Mississippi|St. Martin]]. The Back Bay of Biloxi continues west from the Jackson County line, crossing the city of Biloxi to Big Lake on the city's western boundary, where the Biloxi and [[Tchoutacabouffa River|Tchoutacabouffa]] rivers join. The Tchoutacbouffa flows from east to west across the city and forms part of the city's eastern boundary. Biloxi is bordered to the north and east by the city of [[D'Iberville, Mississippi|D'Iberville]] and to the west by the city of [[Gulfport, Mississippi|Gulfport]]. |
||
Line 305: | Line 295: | ||
Biloxi is the smaller of two principal cities of the [[Gulfport, Mississippi|Gulfport]]-Biloxi, Mississippi [[Metropolitan Statistical Area]], which is included in the [[Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula, MS Combined Statistical Area|Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula]] [[Combined Statistical Area]]. |
Biloxi is the smaller of two principal cities of the [[Gulfport, Mississippi|Gulfport]]-Biloxi, Mississippi [[Metropolitan Statistical Area]], which is included in the [[Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula, MS Combined Statistical Area|Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula]] [[Combined Statistical Area]]. |
||
=== 2020 census === |
|||
{| class="wikitable" |
|||
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsed collapsible" style="font-size: 90%;" |
|||
|+Biloxi racial composition as of 2020<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US2806220&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=2021-12-16|website=data.census.gov}}</ref> |
|||
!Race |
|||
!Num. |
|||
!Perc. |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
! Historical racial composition !! 1970<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 13, 2005 |title=Table 25. Mississippi - Race and Hispanic Origin for Selected Large Cities and Other Places: Earliest Census to 1990 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/MStab.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170725010733/https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/MStab.pdf |archive-date=July 25, 2017 |access-date=November 3, 2024 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau}}</ref>!! 1990<ref name=historicaldemographics>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/TNtab.pdf |title=Table 25. Mississippi - Race and Hispanic Origin for Selected Large Cities and Other Places: Earliest Census to 1990 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |date=July 13, 2005 |access-date=November 3, 2024|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170725010733/https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/MStab.pdf|archivedate=July 25, 2017}}</ref>!! 2000<ref name=censussite>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|title=Biloxi city, Mississippi|author=<!--Not stated-->|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=December 29, 2019}}</ref> !! 2010<ref name=censussite/> !! 2019 est.<ref>{{cite web |title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Biloxi city, Mississippi|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/biloxicitymississippi |website=census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=July 18, 2020}}</ref> |
|||
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic) |
|||
|28,771 |
|||
|58.18% |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[White Americans|White]] || 85.6% || 74.6% || 60.0% || 58.0% || 65.0% |
|||
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic) |
|||
|10,779 |
|||
|21.8% |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[African Americans|Black]] || 13.6% || 18.6% || 35.8% || 34.9% || 20.7% |
|||
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]] |
|||
|148 |
|||
|0.3% |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Asian |
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]] || 0.4% || 5.7% || 1.6% || 2.0% || 3.7% |
||
|2,123 |
|||
|4.29% |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[Native Americans in the United States|Native]] || 0.1% || 0.3% || 0.3% || 0.4% || 0.4% |
|||
|[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]] |
|||
|67 |
|||
|0.14% |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[Native Hawaiian]] and<br />[[Pacific Islander|other Pacific Islander]] || - || - || 0.1% || 0.1% || 0.0% |
|||
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]] |
|||
|2,876 |
|||
|5.82% |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Other race]] || 0.3% || 0.7% || 1.0% || 2.8% || 1.0% |
|||
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] |
|||
|- |
|||
|4,685 |
|||
| [[Multiracial Americans|Two or more races]] || - || – || 1.3% || 1.9% || 7.4% |
|||
|9.47% |
|||
|} |
|} |
||
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 49,449 people, 17,923 households, and 10,922 families residing in the city. |
|||
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |
|||
==Economy== |
|||
|+'''Biloxi city, Mississippi – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small> |
|||
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small> |
|||
!Pop 2000<ref>{{Cite web |title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Biloxi city, Mississippi |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2000.PL001?g=160XX00US2806220&y=2000&d=DEC%20Redistricting%20Data%20(PL%2094-171) |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> |
|||
!Pop 2010<ref>{{Cite web |title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Biloxi city, Mississippi |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2010.P2?g=160XX00US2806220&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2 |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> |
|||
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Biloxi city, Mississippi|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US2806220&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=December 16, 2021|archive-date=April 10, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220410071420/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US2836000&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|url-status=live}}</ref> |
|||
!% 2000 |
|||
!% 2010 |
|||
!{{partial|% 2020}} |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH) |
|||
|35,292 |
|||
|28,402 |
|||
| style="background: #ffffe6; " |28,771 |
|||
|69.69% |
|||
|64.47% |
|||
| style="background: #ffffe6; " |58.18% |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH) |
|||
|9,569 |
|||
|8,491 |
|||
| style="background: #ffffe6; " |10,779 |
|||
|18.89% |
|||
|19.27% |
|||
| style="background: #ffffe6; " |21.80% |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH) |
|||
|232 |
|||
|160 |
|||
| style="background: #ffffe6; " |148 |
|||
|0.46% |
|||
|0.36% |
|||
| style="background: #ffffe6; " |0.30% |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH) |
|||
|2,558 |
|||
|1,923 |
|||
| style="background: #ffffe6; " |2,123 |
|||
|5.05% |
|||
|4.37% |
|||
| style="background: #ffffe6; " |4.29% |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH) |
|||
|50 |
|||
|84 |
|||
| style="background: #ffffe6; " |67 |
|||
|0.10% |
|||
|0.19% |
|||
| style="background: #ffffe6; " |0.14% |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Some Other Race]] alone (NH) |
|||
|75 |
|||
|68 |
|||
| style="background: #ffffe6; " |208 |
|||
|0.15% |
|||
|0.15% |
|||
| style="background: #ffffe6; " |0.42% |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed Race or Multi-Racial]] (NH) |
|||
|1,020 |
|||
|1,079 |
|||
| style="background: #ffffe6; " |2,668 |
|||
|2.01% |
|||
|2.45% |
|||
| style="background: #ffffe6; " |5.40% |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race) |
|||
|1,848 |
|||
|3,847 |
|||
| style="background: #ffffe6; " |4,685 |
|||
|3.65% |
|||
|8.73% |
|||
| style="background: #ffffe6; " |9.47% |
|||
|- |
|||
|'''Total''' |
|||
|'''50,644''' |
|||
|'''44,054''' |
|||
| style="background: #ffffe6; " |'''49,449''' |
|||
|'''100.00%''' |
|||
|'''100.00%''' |
|||
| style="background: #ffffe6; " |'''100.00%''' |
|||
|} |
|||
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 49,449 people, 17,923 households, and 10,922 families residing in the city. |
|||
===Casinos=== |
|||
Biloxi is home to eight [[casino]] resort hotels, with 24-hour [[gambling]], concert entertainment shows, and several restaurants. Some of the current casino resorts include (dates reflect business status after Hurricane Katrina):<ref name=BixCasinos/> |
|||
Places of worship in Biloxi include [[Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Biloxi, Mississippi)|Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary]] and the [[First Baptist Church of Biloxi]]. |
|||
[[File:Biloxi Casinos.JPG|thumb|right|Biloxi casinos]] |
|||
==Economy== |
|||
[[File:Biloxi Casinos.JPG|thumb|Biloxi casinos]] |
|||
Biloxi is home to eight [[casino]] resort hotels, with 24-hour [[gambling]], concert entertainment shows, and several restaurants. Many casinos were damaged or destroyed by [[Hurricane Katrina]]<ref name=BixCasinos>"Tentative re-opening plans for Biloxi casino resorts" (2006), City of Biloxi, www.Biloxi.ms.us, webpage: [http://www.biloxi.ms.us/Casinos/ Biloxi-Casinos] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061010004424/http://www.biloxi.ms.us/Casinos/ |date=2006-10-10 }}.</ref> Some of the current casino resorts include (dates reflect business status after Hurricane Katrina):<ref name=BixCasinos/> |
|||
* [[Beau Rivage (Mississippi)|Beau Rivage Resort & Casino]] (Reopened August 29, 2006, on the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina). |
* [[Beau Rivage (Mississippi)|Beau Rivage Resort & Casino]] (Reopened August 29, 2006, on the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina). |
||
Line 410: | Line 468: | ||
The [[United States Postal Service]] operates the Biloxi Post Office and other area post offices.<ref>"[http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/biloxi-135-main-st-biloxi-ms-1354972 Post Office Location - BILOXI] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100926033426/http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/biloxi-135-main-st-biloxi-ms-1354972 |date=September 26, 2010 }}." [[United States Postal Service]]. Retrieved on September 22, 2010.</ref> |
The [[United States Postal Service]] operates the Biloxi Post Office and other area post offices.<ref>"[http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/biloxi-135-main-st-biloxi-ms-1354972 Post Office Location - BILOXI] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100926033426/http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/biloxi-135-main-st-biloxi-ms-1354972 |date=September 26, 2010 }}." [[United States Postal Service]]. Retrieved on September 22, 2010.</ref> |
||
==Education |
==Education== |
||
The city is served by the [[Biloxi Public School District]] and the [[Harrison County School District]]. |
The city is served by the [[Biloxi Public School District]] and the [[Harrison County School District]]. The Gulf Coast has a large Catholic school system, 15 of which are in Biloxi.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://education.biloxidiocese.org/index.cfm?section%3Dcontact.cfm |title=Department of Education |access-date=2010-11-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725073538/http://education.biloxidiocese.org/index.cfm?section=contact.cfm |archive-date=2011-07-25 }}</ref> |
||
Places of worship in Biloxi include Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Biloxi, Mississippi) and the [[First Baptist Church of Biloxi]]. The Catholic Diocese of Biloxi had the first black Bishop, Bishop Howze. The diocese is considered an Irish mission and has had priests from Ireland here since the 1950's. |
|||
== Media == |
|||
==Media== |
|||
{{see also|List of newspapers in Mississippi|List of radio stations in Mississippi|List of television stations in Mississippi}} |
{{see also|List of newspapers in Mississippi|List of radio stations in Mississippi|List of television stations in Mississippi}} |
||
=== Newspaper === |
|||
Biloxi has one daily newspaper, the ''[[Sun Herald]]'', which is headquartered in nearby [[Gulfport, Mississippi|Gulfport]]. |
Biloxi has one daily newspaper, the ''[[Sun Herald]]'', which is headquartered in nearby [[Gulfport, Mississippi|Gulfport]]. |
||
=== Radio === |
|||
20 [[FM broadcasting|FM]] and 7 [[AM broadcasting|AM]] radio stations operate in and/or serve the Biloxi area. |
20 [[FM broadcasting|FM]] and 7 [[AM broadcasting|AM]] radio stations operate in and/or serve the Biloxi area. |
||
{{Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula Radio}} |
{{Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula Radio}} |
||
=== Television === |
|||
According to [[Nielsen Media Research]], the Biloxi market, as of the 2015–2016 season, is the third largest of five television markets in Mississippi, and the 158th largest in the country.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tvb.org/Portals/0/media/file/DMA/2015-2016-dma-ranks.pdf |title=Local Television Market Universe Estimated |date=January 1, 2016 |website=Tvb.org |access-date=2017-05-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220065846/https://www.tvb.org/Portals/0/media/file/DMA/2015-2016-dma-ranks.pdf |archive-date=December 20, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> Three major television stations serve the Biloxi area. [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] and [[CBS]] affiliate [[WLOX]] 13 and [[PBS]]/[[Mississippi Public Broadcasting|MPB]] member station [[Mississippi Public Broadcasting|WMAH-TV]] 19 are located in Biloxi, while [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]/[[MyNetworkTV]] affiliate [[WXXV-TV]] 25 is located in Gulfport. In addition to the stations' main programming, WLOX and WXXV-TV broadcast programming from other networks on digital subchannels. [[WLOX-DT2]] serves as the market's [[CBS]] affiliate, while WXXV-TV operates the market's respective [[NBC]] and [[The CW|CW]] affiliates on [[WXXV-DT2|DT2]] and [[WXXV-DT3|DT3]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rabbitears.info/market.php?request=print_market&mktid=196 |title=Stations for Biloxi, Mississippi |website=Rabbitears.info |access-date=2017-05-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822055825/http://rabbitears.info/market.php?request=print_market&mktid=196 |archive-date=2017-08-22 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
According to [[Nielsen Media Research]], the Biloxi market, as of the 2015–2016 season, is the third largest of five television markets in Mississippi, and the 158th largest in the country.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tvb.org/Portals/0/media/file/DMA/2015-2016-dma-ranks.pdf |title=Local Television Market Universe Estimated |date=January 1, 2016 |website=Tvb.org |access-date=2017-05-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220065846/https://www.tvb.org/Portals/0/media/file/DMA/2015-2016-dma-ranks.pdf |archive-date=December 20, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> Three major television stations serve the Biloxi area. [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] and [[CBS]] affiliate [[WLOX]] 13 and [[PBS]]/[[Mississippi Public Broadcasting|MPB]] member station [[Mississippi Public Broadcasting|WMAH-TV]] 19 are located in Biloxi, while [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]/[[MyNetworkTV]] affiliate [[WXXV-TV]] 25 is located in Gulfport. In addition to the stations' main programming, WLOX and WXXV-TV broadcast programming from other networks on digital subchannels. [[WLOX-DT2]] serves as the market's [[CBS]] affiliate, while WXXV-TV operates the market's respective [[NBC]] and [[The CW|CW]] affiliates on [[WXXV-DT2|DT2]] and [[WXXV-DT3|DT3]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rabbitears.info/market.php?request=print_market&mktid=196 |title=Stations for Biloxi, Mississippi |website=Rabbitears.info |access-date=2017-05-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822055825/http://rabbitears.info/market.php?request=print_market&mktid=196 |archive-date=2017-08-22 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
||
Line 435: | Line 484: | ||
{{Biloxi/Gulfport TV}} |
{{Biloxi/Gulfport TV}} |
||
== |
==Transportation== |
||
===Transportation=== |
|||
Biloxi is served by the [[Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport]] in [[Gulfport, Mississippi|Gulfport]]. |
Biloxi is served by the [[Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport]] in [[Gulfport, Mississippi|Gulfport]]. |
||
Line 468: | Line 516: | ||
* [[Damion Fletcher]], [[University of Southern Mississippi]] [[running back]] |
* [[Damion Fletcher]], [[University of Southern Mississippi]] [[running back]] |
||
* [[The Gambler (wrestler)|Jeff Gann]], professional wrestler known as "The Gambler" |
* [[The Gambler (wrestler)|Jeff Gann]], professional wrestler known as "The Gambler" |
||
* [[Mary S. Graham]], academic administrator |
|||
* [[Fred Haise]], [[Apollo 13]] and [[Space Shuttle Enterprise|Space Shuttle ''Enterprise'']] astronaut |
* [[Fred Haise]], [[Apollo 13]] and [[Space Shuttle Enterprise|Space Shuttle ''Enterprise'']] astronaut |
||
* [[Ted Hawkins]], singer-songwriter |
* [[Ted Hawkins]], singer-songwriter |
Revision as of 03:21, 8 January 2025
Biloxi, Mississippi | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 30°24′43″N 88°55′40″W / 30.41194°N 88.92778°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Mississippi |
County | Harrison |
Incorporated | in 1838 as a township |
Government | |
• Mayor | Andrew Gilich (R)[1][2] |
Area | |
• City | 67.71 sq mi (175.36 km2) |
• Land | 42.94 sq mi (111.20 km2) |
• Water | 24.77 sq mi (64.16 km2) |
Elevation | 20 ft (6 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• City | 49,449 |
• Density | 1,151.69/sq mi (444.67/km2) |
• Metro | 416,259 (US: 133rd) |
Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
ZIP Codes | 39530–39535, 39540 |
Area code | 228 |
FIPS code | 28-06220 |
GNIS feature ID | 0667173 |
Website | www |
Biloxi (/bɪˈlʌksi/ bih-LUK-see; French: [bilusi]) is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. It lies on the Gulf Coast in southern Mississippi, bordering the city of Gulfport to its west. The adjacent cities are both designated as seats of Harrison County. The population of Biloxi was 49,449 at the 2020 census, making it the state's fourth-most populous city. It is a principal city of the Gulfport–Biloxi metropolitan area, home to 416,259 residents in 2020. The area's first European settlers were French colonists.
The beachfront of Biloxi lies directly on the Mississippi Sound, with barrier islands scattered off the coast and into the Gulf of America. Keesler Air Force Base lies within the city and is home to the 81st Training Wing and the 403rd Wing of the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
History
Colonial era
In 1699, French colonists formed the first permanent, European settlement in French Louisiana, at Fort Maurepas, now in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and referred to as "Old Biloxi". The settlement was under the direction of Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville. La Louisiane was separated from Spanish Florida at the Perdido River near Pensacola (this was founded by the Spanish 1559 and again in 1698).
The name of Biloxi in French was Bilocci, a transliteration of the term for the local Native American tribe in their language. Labeled along with "Fort Maurepas"[4] on maps dated circa year 1710/1725, the name was sometimes used in English as "Fort Bilocci".[5][6]
In 1720, the area of today's city of Biloxi was settled for the first time around Fort Louis, and the administrative capital of French Louisiana was moved to Biloxi from Mobile. French Louisiana, part of New France, was known in French as La Louisiane in colonial times. In modern times it is called La Louisiane française to distinguish it from the modern state of Louisiana.[4]
Due to fears of tides and hurricanes, colonial governor Bienville moved the capital of French Louisiana in 1722 from Biloxi to a new inland harbor town named La Nouvelle-Orléans (New Orleans), built for this purpose in 1718–1720.[citation needed]
In 1763, following Britain's victory in the Seven Years' War/French and Indian War, France had to cede their colonies east of the Mississippi River, except for New Orleans, to Great Britain, as part of the Treaty of Paris. At the same time, the French colony west of the Mississippi, plus New Orleans, was ceded to Spain as part of the Treaty of Fontainebleau.
Subsequent history
British rule lasted from 1763 to 1779, followed by Spanish rule from 1779 to 1810. Despite this, the character of Biloxi remained mostly French, as their descendants made up the majority of the population.[7] In 1811, the U.S. traded with Spain to take over Biloxi and the related area, making it part of their Mississippi Territory. Mississippi, and Biloxi with it, was admitted as a state to the union in 1817.
Biloxi began to grow. In the antebellum period of the 19th century, it became known as a summer resort due to its proximity to the breezes and beaches of the coast. It also had the advantages of proximity to New Orleans and ease of access via water. Summer homes were built by wealthy slave-owners and commercial figures, and hotels and rental cottages were developed to serve those who could not afford their own homes.[7]
The Biloxi Lighthouse was built in Baltimore, Maryland, and shipped south, where it was completed at the site in May 1848.[8] (It is one of two surviving lighthouses on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, which at one time had twelve.[8])
In the early stages of the Civil War, Ship Island was captured by Union forces, enabling them to take control of Biloxi. No major battles were fought in the area, and Biloxi did not suffer direct damage from the war.[7] Some local Union sentiment could be discerned following the war's conclusion.[8]
In the postbellum period, Biloxi again emerged as a vacation spot. Its popularity as a destination increased with railroad access. In 1881, the first cannery was built in the town to process seafood, leading others to join the location. This stimulated development in the city and attracted new immigrants from Europe and various ethnic groups who worked in the seafood factories. They processed shrimp and other local seafood. These changes gave Biloxi a more heterogeneous population.[7]
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces built Keesler Field, now Keesler Air Force Base, which became a major basic training site and site for aircraft maintenance. The Biloxi economy boomed as a result,[9] attracting new residents and businesses. By 1958, the first Jewish synagogue had been built in the town.[9]
Biloxi's casino history dates to a period in the 1940s. At the time, open, if technically illegal, gambling took place in a casino within the Broadwater Beach Resort.[10] Open gambling ended during the 1950s.[11] The Mississippi Gulf Coast became known as the "Poor Man's Riviera", and was frequented by Southern families interested in fishing expeditions during the summer.[12] Commercially, Biloxi was dominated by shrimp boats and oyster luggers.[12] The tradition of blessing fishing boats in the US seems to have first taken place in Biloxi in 1929 and has been practised ever since.[13][14]
In 1959, Biloxi was the site of "Mississippi's first public assault on racial barriers in its 15-year civil rights struggle."[15] Gilbert R. Mason, a black physician in Biloxi, went swimming at a local beach with seven black friends. They were ordered to leave by a city policeman, who told them that "Negroes don't come to the sand beach".[16] Mason reacted by leading a series of protests, known as the Biloxi Wade-Ins. The protests were followed in 1960 by the worst racial riot in Mississippi history, during which ten people died.[17] Ultimately, the protests led to the desegregation of the beaches of Biloxi.[16]
In the early 1960s, the Gulf Coast again emerged as a prime alternative to Florida as a southern vacation destination among Northerners, with Biloxi a favored destination.[12] Biloxi hotels upgraded their amenities and hired chefs from France and Switzerland in an effort to provide some of the best seafood cuisine in the country.[12] Edgewater Mall was built in 1963. The Biloxi Dragway hosted drag races between 1957 and 1967.
With the introduction of legal gambling in Mississippi in the 1990s, Biloxi was again transformed.[9] It became an important center in the resort casino industry. The new hotels and gambling complexes brought millions of dollars in tourism revenue to the city. The more famous casino complexes were the Beau Rivage casino resort, the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Casino Magic, Grand Casino, Isle of Capri Casino Resort Biloxi, Boomtown Casino, President Casino Broadwater Resort, and Imperial Palace. Like Tunica County in the northern part of the state, Biloxi and the surrounding Gulf Coast region were considered a leading gambling center in the Southern United States.
To celebrate the area's tricentennial in 1998/99, the city's tourism promotion agency invited the nationally syndicated Travel World Radio Show to broadcast live from Biloxi, with co-host Willem Bagchus in attendance
Hurricanes
Scores of hurricanes have hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast, but the most destructive, as measured by storm surge levels in the Biloxi Lighthouse, occurred in 1855, 1906, 1909, 1947, 1969 (Hurricane Camille), and 2005 (Hurricane Katrina)[18]
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast with high winds, heavy rains and a 30-foot (9.1 m) storm surge, causing massive damage to the area. Katrina came ashore during the high tide of 6:56 am, +2.3 feet more.[19] Commenting on the power of the storm and the damage, Mayor A. J. Holloway said, "This is our tsunami."[20] Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour was quoted as saying the destruction of the Mississippi coastline by Hurricane Katrina looked like an American Hiroshima.
Hurricane Katrina damaged over 40 Mississippi libraries beyond repair, breaking windows and flooding several feet in the Biloxi Public Library, requiring a total rebuild.[21]
Biloxi is the site of a memorial to Katrina victims, created by a team of local artists with assistance from the crew and volunteers of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.[22][23][24]
Multiple plans were been laid out to rebuild the waterfront areas of Biloxi, and in 2007 the federal government announced it was considering buying out up to 17,000 Mississippi coast homeowners to form a hurricane protection zone.[25] Meanwhile, the city of Biloxi is rapidly implementing plans to allow the redevelopment of commercial properties south of Highway 90.[26]
-
Hurricane Katrina pushed houses inland along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, including at Biloxi.
-
Casino barges floated ashore in Biloxi during Hurricane Katrina's storm surge.
-
U.S. Navy personnel perform a search and rescue mission in Biloxi after Hurricane Katrina.
-
Biloxi beach during cleanup of storm debris
-
Front view of Beauvoir in Biloxi, 7 months after Hurricane Katrina
Geography
Biloxi is located in southeastern Harrison County, bordered to the south by Mississippi Sound (part of the Gulf of Mexico) and to the northeast partially by Biloxi Bay, which forms part of the Jackson County line. To the northeast, across Biloxi Bay, are the Jackson County city of Ocean Springs and the unincorporated community of St. Martin. The Back Bay of Biloxi continues west from the Jackson County line, crossing the city of Biloxi to Big Lake on the city's western boundary, where the Biloxi and Tchoutacabouffa rivers join. The Tchoutacbouffa flows from east to west across the city and forms part of the city's eastern boundary. Biloxi is bordered to the north and east by the city of D'Iberville and to the west by the city of Gulfport.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Biloxi has a total area of 46.7 square miles (120.9 km2), of which 38.2 square miles (99.0 km2) are land and 8.5 square miles (21.9 km2), or 18.14%, are water.[27]
Biloxi has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa) that is heavily influenced by the Gulf of Mexico. Winter days are mild and wet. Snow is extremely rare in Biloxi. Summers are hot and humid, bearing the brunt of tropical storms during the late summer to fall. Biloxi's record low of 1 °F (−17.2 °C) was recorded on February 12, 1899, and the record high of 104 °F (40 °C) was recorded on August 29, 2000, and tied again on August 26, 2023.
Climate data for Biloxi, Mississippi (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 82 (28) |
87 (31) |
89 (32) |
91 (33) |
98 (37) |
102 (39) |
103 (39) |
104 (40) |
101 (38) |
98 (37) |
88 (31) |
83 (28) |
104 (40) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 59.8 (15.4) |
63.2 (17.3) |
69.3 (20.7) |
75.8 (24.3) |
82.8 (28.2) |
88.0 (31.1) |
89.7 (32.1) |
89.9 (32.2) |
86.9 (30.5) |
79.1 (26.2) |
69.2 (20.7) |
62.2 (16.8) |
76.3 (24.6) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 51.7 (10.9) |
55.2 (12.9) |
61.3 (16.3) |
68.1 (20.1) |
75.6 (24.2) |
80.9 (27.2) |
82.5 (28.1) |
82.5 (28.1) |
79.2 (26.2) |
70.5 (21.4) |
60.2 (15.7) |
54.0 (12.2) |
68.5 (20.3) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 43.6 (6.4) |
47.3 (8.5) |
53.4 (11.9) |
60.4 (15.8) |
68.3 (20.2) |
73.8 (23.2) |
75.3 (24.1) |
75.1 (23.9) |
71.5 (21.9) |
61.9 (16.6) |
51.2 (10.7) |
45.9 (7.7) |
60.6 (15.9) |
Record low °F (°C) | 10 (−12) |
1 (−17) |
22 (−6) |
30 (−1) |
42 (6) |
54 (12) |
60 (16) |
61 (16) |
44 (7) |
32 (0) |
24 (−4) |
9 (−13) |
1 (−17) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 5.37 (136) |
4.37 (111) |
5.72 (145) |
5.65 (144) |
5.25 (133) |
7.13 (181) |
8.09 (205) |
6.93 (176) |
5.24 (133) |
3.68 (93) |
4.36 (111) |
5.03 (128) |
66.80 (1,697) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.5 | 8.9 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.1 | 11.9 | 13.9 | 12.7 | 8.6 | 6.5 | 7.3 | 9.2 | 110.6 |
Source: NOAA[28][29] |
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1870 | 954 | — | |
1880 | 1,540 | 61.4% | |
1890 | 3,234 | 110.0% | |
1900 | 5,457 | 68.7% | |
1910 | 8,049 | 47.5% | |
1920 | 10,937 | 35.9% | |
1930 | 14,850 | 35.8% | |
1940 | 17,475 | 17.7% | |
1950 | 37,425 | 114.2% | |
1960 | 44,035 | 17.7% | |
1970 | 48,486 | 10.1% | |
1980 | 49,311 | 1.7% | |
1990 | 46,319 | −6.1% | |
2000 | 50,644 | 9.3% | |
2010 | 44,054 | −13.0% | |
2020 | 49,449 | 12.2% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[30] 2018 Estimate[31][27] |
Biloxi is the smaller of two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula Combined Statistical Area.
2020 census
Historical racial composition | 1970[32] | 1990[33] | 2000[34] | 2010[34] | 2019 est.[35] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
White | 85.6% | 74.6% | 60.0% | 58.0% | 65.0% |
Black | 13.6% | 18.6% | 35.8% | 34.9% | 20.7% |
Asian | 0.4% | 5.7% | 1.6% | 2.0% | 3.7% |
Native | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander |
- | - | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
Other race | 0.3% | 0.7% | 1.0% | 2.8% | 1.0% |
Two or more races | - | – | 1.3% | 1.9% | 7.4% |
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[36] | Pop 2010[37] | Pop 2020[38] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
White alone (NH) | 35,292 | 28,402 | 28,771 | 69.69% | 64.47% | 58.18% |
Black or African American alone (NH) | 9,569 | 8,491 | 10,779 | 18.89% | 19.27% | 21.80% |
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 232 | 160 | 148 | 0.46% | 0.36% | 0.30% |
Asian alone (NH) | 2,558 | 1,923 | 2,123 | 5.05% | 4.37% | 4.29% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 50 | 84 | 67 | 0.10% | 0.19% | 0.14% |
Some Other Race alone (NH) | 75 | 68 | 208 | 0.15% | 0.15% | 0.42% |
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | 1,020 | 1,079 | 2,668 | 2.01% | 2.45% | 5.40% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,848 | 3,847 | 4,685 | 3.65% | 8.73% | 9.47% |
Total | 50,644 | 44,054 | 49,449 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 49,449 people, 17,923 households, and 10,922 families residing in the city.
Places of worship in Biloxi include Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the First Baptist Church of Biloxi.
Economy
Biloxi is home to eight casino resort hotels, with 24-hour gambling, concert entertainment shows, and several restaurants. Many casinos were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina[39] Some of the current casino resorts include (dates reflect business status after Hurricane Katrina):[39]
- Beau Rivage Resort & Casino (Reopened August 29, 2006, on the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina).
- Golden Nugget Biloxi [40]
- Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (Opened June 2007)
- Harrah's Gulf Coast
- IP Casino Resort & Spa (Reopened December 22, 2005)
- Palace Casino Resort
- Boomtown Casino (Reopened 2006)
- Treasure Bay Casino
Arts and culture
- 2010 saw the grand opening of the new Frank Gehry designed Ohr-O'Keefe Museum Of Art.[41]
- Biloxi is the setting of Neil Simon's play and film Biloxi Blues, which starred Mathew Broderick. Biloxi Blues is the story of army recruits during World War II training at Keesler Field, the present-day Keesler Air Force Base.
- Biloxi is the setting of several John Grisham novels, including The Runaway Jury (1996), The Partner (1997), and The Boys from Biloxi (2022).
- A substantial portion of Larry Brown's novel Fay is set in Biloxi.
- American singer-songwriter Jesse Winchester wrote and recorded a song called "Biloxi", for which he was inspired by a few images he saw of the city. The song was recorded by country rock singer Iain Matthews for his 1974 album Some Days You Eat the Bear.
- On his largest-selling regular album, Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes (1977), Jimmy Buffett included a cover of "Biloxi" (see above); also, a compilation album of his digitally remastered greatest hits was released in 1995 called Biloxi.
- The song "Louisiana", by The Loved Ones, is about the rebuilding of the hurricane ravaged areas on the Gulf Coast. Louisiana, Biloxi, and Alabama are specifically used by name.
- From 1990 to 1994, Biloxi served as home to the Miss Teen USA Pageant.
- American journalist and essayist Joan Didion mentioned Biloxi and the Edgewater Plaza mall in her 1979 collection of essays The White Album.[42] Didion also wrote about her visit to the city in 1970 in her book South and West, published in 2017.[43]
- Order of Mithras Carnival Association, since 1924.
- The tradition of the Blessing of the Fleet, going back to 1929, takes place every year in late May/early June before the shrimp seasons to usher in a safe and prosperous season for each boat. The event is connected with the Shrimp festival as well as the ceremonial dropping of a wreath in remembrance of fishermen who have died.[44]
Sports
Club | League | Sport | Venue | Founded | Affiliate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Biloxi Shuckers | SL | Baseball | Keesler Federal Park | 2015 | Milwaukee Brewers |
Mississippi Sea Wolves | FPHL | Ice hockey | Mississippi Coast Coliseum | 2022 |
In the center of what fisheries biologists term "The Fertile Fisheries Crescent", Biloxi offers some of the finest sportsfishing along the entire northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Spotted seatrout, red drum, Spanish and king mackerel, flounder, snapper, grouper, sharks, and more are all available to anglers during the fishing season. It is not known how Hurricane Katrina affected this ecosystem.[citation needed]
The Biloxi Shuckers, the Double-A Southern League affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers play at Keesler Federal Park.[45]
The Mississippi Sea Wolves of the Federal Prospects Hockey League have played at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum since 2022. Biloxi was previously home to the original Sea Wolves team of the ECHL, and the Mississippi Surge of the Southern Professional Hockey League.
Biloxi was the host city of the 2009 Women's World Military Cup.
Biloxi City Futbol Club is set to join the Louisiana Premier League for the fall of 2016.[46]
Government
The Bolton State Office Building in Biloxi includes the headquarters of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the South Regional Office of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.[47][48][49]
The United States Postal Service operates the Biloxi Post Office and other area post offices.[50]
Education
The city is served by the Biloxi Public School District and the Harrison County School District. The Gulf Coast has a large Catholic school system, 15 of which are in Biloxi.[51]
Media
Biloxi has one daily newspaper, the Sun Herald, which is headquartered in nearby Gulfport.
20 FM and 7 AM radio stations operate in and/or serve the Biloxi area.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the Biloxi market, as of the 2015–2016 season, is the third largest of five television markets in Mississippi, and the 158th largest in the country.[52] Three major television stations serve the Biloxi area. ABC and CBS affiliate WLOX 13 and PBS/MPB member station WMAH-TV 19 are located in Biloxi, while Fox/MyNetworkTV affiliate WXXV-TV 25 is located in Gulfport. In addition to the stations' main programming, WLOX and WXXV-TV broadcast programming from other networks on digital subchannels. WLOX-DT2 serves as the market's CBS affiliate, while WXXV-TV operates the market's respective NBC and CW affiliates on DT2 and DT3.[53]
Transportation
Biloxi is served by the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport in Gulfport.
The Coast Transit Authority provides bus service to the region with fixed-route and paratransit services.
Biloxi's main highway is U.S. Highway 90 (Beach Boulevard), which runs along the beach and by the casinos. It connects the city to Gulfport and points westward and to Ocean Springs and Pascagoula to the east. The Biloxi Bay Bridge, connecting Biloxi and Ocean Springs, was rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina, and was fully reopened in April 2008.
Interstate 10 passes through the northern sections of the city, leading west 85 miles (137 km) to New Orleans and east 60 miles (97 km) to Mobile, Alabama. Interstate 110 splits off from I-10 at D'Iberville and heads south across the Back Bay of Biloxi to U.S. 90 near Beau Rivage, providing the city with an important hurricane evacuation route.
North–south highways serving the area include:
- Mississippi Highway 15 (runs concurrently with I-110 for the first few miles)
- Mississippi Highway 67
Notable people
- Jessica Alba, model and actress, lived in Biloxi while her father was stationed at Keesler Air Force Base
- Lionel Antoine, Chicago Bears third overall pick in 1972 NFL Draft
- Laura Bailey, voice actress and the wife of Travis Willingham
- Matt Barlow, heavy metal singer
- Alan Belcher, MMA fighter with UFC
- Belladonna, retired pornographic actress, director, producer, and model
- Jimmy Bertrand, jazz drummer
- Malcolm Brown, NFL running back for Los Angeles Rams
- Hector Camacho, world champion boxer
- Isaiah Canaan, NBA point guard, Olympiacos B.C.
- Chris Carson, NFL running back for Seattle Seahawks
- Gary Collins, actor and television personality
- Jefferson Davis, U.S. Army general and West Point graduate; U.S. Secretary of War (Defense); only president of Confederate States of America
- Gwen Dickey, singer best known as the front-woman of the R&B band Rose Royce
- Ronald Dupree, professional basketball player
- Leonard Fairley, football player
- Damion Fletcher, University of Southern Mississippi running back
- Jeff Gann, professional wrestler known as "The Gambler"
- Mary S. Graham, academic administrator
- Fred Haise, Apollo 13 and Space Shuttle Enterprise astronaut
- Ted Hawkins, singer-songwriter
- Michael Janus, Mississippi state legislator
- Tim Jones (American football), wide receiver NFL player for Jacksonville Jaguars
- Chris LeDoux, country singer
- Barry Lyons, catcher for New York Mets
- James Millhollin, character actor, died in Biloxi in 1993
- Mark Miloscia, former Washington State Senator
- Mary Ann Mobley, actress and Miss America
- Russell D. Moore, President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC)
- Francis D. Moran, third director of NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps
- Jack Nelson, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who began career at Biloxi Daily Herald
- George E. Ohr, groundbreaking potter and father of American Abstract-Expressionism movement
- Mathieu Olivier, ice hockey player
- Chuck Pfarrer, former Navy SEAL, Hollywood screenwriter, New York Times best selling author, novelist
- Eric Roberts, Oscar-nominated actor
- Wes Shivers, NFL player for Tennessee Titans and mixed martial artist
- John Kennedy Toole, author of A Confederacy of Dunces, committed suicide in Biloxi in 1969
- Brenda Venus, model and actress
Filming location
Several films have been produced in Biloxi, including:
- Stone Cold, 1991 film starring Brian Bosworth.[54]
- Mississippi Masala, 1992 film starring Denzel Washington.
- Arsenal, 2017 film starring Adrian Grenier, John Cusack, and Nicolas Cage.[55]
- Vanquish, 2021 film starring Morgan Freeman and Ruby Rose.[56]
See also
- Dixie Mafia
- Pete Halat
- Historic Grand Hotels on the Mississippi Gulf Coast
- List of mayors of Biloxi, Mississippi
- List of tallest buildings in Biloxi
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Harrison County, Mississippi
- Old Brick House (Biloxi, Mississippi)
- Pleasant Reed House
- Tivoli Hotel (Biloxi, Mississippi)
- Tullis-Toledano Manor
- United States Post Office, Courthouse, and Customhouse (Biloxi, Mississippi)
- USS Biloxi
References
- ^ "Andrew 'FoFo' Gilich wins republican nomination for Mayor of Biloxi". WLOX. May 3, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ "Mayor". Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
- ^ a b "La Louisiane française" (in French), by Virginie Tanlay, from book Histoire de la Louisiane, flfa-enquete7 Archived March 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine: states that Iberville chose "le site de Bilocci" (or Biloxi)
- ^ "Pas-Kaart Van de Golff van Mexico" (map from Amsterdam/1710), Edge of the Map Incorporated, 2007, webpage: Raremaps-Archive-3176 Archived 2009-01-13 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "A New Map of as much of North & South America" (London/1725), Edge of the Map Incorporated, 2007, webpage: Raremaps-Archive-7278 Archived 2009-01-13 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b c d "Biloxi: A Historic & Cultural Overview". City of Biloxi historical pamphlet, 2003.
- ^ a b c "Biloxi Lighthouse". City of Biloxi historical datasheet, 2003.
- ^ a b c "Biloxi/Gulfport, Mississippi" Archived October 5, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Institute of Southern Jewish Life
- ^ Wilemon, Tom (June 30, 2005). "The Landmark Broadwater Hotel, Once Biloxi's Premier Resort, Shutting Down". The Sun Herald. Archived from the original on January 11, 2009. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
- ^ Bergeron, Kat. "Before-After: Broadwater". The Sun Herald. Archived from the original on September 17, 2008. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
- ^ a b c d Janson, Donald (December 15, 1963). "Mississippi Gulf Coast Woos Vacationists". The New York Times.
- ^ Melton, J. Gordon (September 13, 2011). Religious Celebrations An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations. ABC-CLIO. pp. 120–121. ISBN 9781598842067. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
- ^ Noble, Noah. "Biloxi's 94th annual Blessing of the Fleet blesses over 50 boats ahead of shrimp season". WLOX.COM. Gray Television, Inc. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
- ^ Bill Minor (May 20, 2009). "Watch for 'The Good Doctors' to be out soon". DeSoto Times-Tribune.
- ^ a b J. Michael Butler (February 2002). "The Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission and Beach Integration, 1959-1963: A Cotton-Patch Gestapo?". The Journal of Southern History. 68 (1): 107–148. doi:10.2307/3069692. JSTOR 3069692.
- ^ "NAACP Denies Biloxi Riot Role". New York Times. April 26, 1960. p. 30. ProQuest 114995603.(subscription required)
- ^ Debbie Stringer. 2010. "Biloxi's Guiding Light". Today in Mississippi (Ridgeland, MS), Volume 63, Number 5, May 2010.
- ^ "2005 NOAA Tide Predictions: Biloxi (Cadet Point), Biloxi Bay" (2005), tide on 29-Aug-2005, NOAA, web: NOAA-tide-tables Archived 2007-03-10 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Herald.com | 08/30/2005 | Rooftop rescues mount along with fires, floods". Archived from the original on September 6, 2005. Retrieved August 31, 2005.
- ^ "Hurricane Katrina Related Damages to Public Libraries in Mississippi" (September 2005), Mississippi Library Commission, web: ALA-Katrina Archived 2007-10-31 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Katrina Memorial Biloxi". Archived from the original on May 6, 2007. Retrieved April 21, 2007.
- ^ "Hurricane Katrina Memorial Design Narrative". biloxi.ms.us. Archived from the original on September 2, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
- ^ "Creative Team|Hurricane Katrina Memorial". biloxi.ms.us. Archived from the original on September 2, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
- ^ "Gov't May Buy Thousands of Miss. Homes" AP via Google News. Retrieved October 17, 2007. Archived October 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Beachfront Development On Biloxi's Front Burner Archived 2009-09-19 at the Wayback Machine WLOX News Archived 2007-10-20 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on October 17, 2007.
- ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Biloxi city, Mississippi". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
- ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ^ "Station: Biloxi AP, MS". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ^ United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Retrieved September 2, 2013.
- ^ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
- ^ "Table 25. Mississippi - Race and Hispanic Origin for Selected Large Cities and Other Places: Earliest Census to 1990" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. July 13, 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ "Table 25. Mississippi - Race and Hispanic Origin for Selected Large Cities and Other Places: Earliest Census to 1990" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. July 13, 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ a b "Biloxi city, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
- ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Biloxi city, Mississippi". census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
- ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Biloxi city, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Biloxi city, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
- ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Biloxi city, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 10, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
- ^ a b "Tentative re-opening plans for Biloxi casino resorts" (2006), City of Biloxi, www.Biloxi.ms.us, webpage: Biloxi-Casinos Archived 2006-10-10 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Isle of Capri selling Coast casino for $45M to Golden Nugget - Mississippi Business Journal". Msbusiness.com. Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
- ^ "Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art - Biloxi, Mississippi". Archived from the original on November 16, 2009. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
- ^ Didion, Joan (1979). The White Album. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 186. ISBN 978-0374532079.
- ^ Didion, Joan (2017). South and West: From a Notebook. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 30–39. ISBN 978-1524732790.
- ^ "Biloxi Shrimp Industry Traditions: The Blessing of the Fleet". Biloxi Shrimp Co. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
- ^ "It's official: Huntsville Stars sold, expected to move to Biloxi in 2015". Ballpark Digest. January 11, 2014. Archived from the original on January 12, 2014. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
- ^ "Biloxi City Futbol Club second expansion team to join LPL for 2016–2017 season". Louisiana Premier League. April 6, 2016. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
- ^ "Contact Us Archived September 15, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. Retrieved on November 9, 2010. "Included are the phone numbers of each department within the agency. A map and directions to the Bolton Building can be found here: directions. 1141 Bayview Avenue Biloxi MS 39530."
- ^ "Directions Archived July 4, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. Retrieved on November 9, 2010.
- ^ "South Regional Office Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine." Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. Retrieved on September 21, 2010.
- ^ "Post Office Location - BILOXI Archived September 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on September 22, 2010.
- ^ "Department of Education". Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
- ^ "Local Television Market Universe Estimated" (PDF). Tvb.org. January 1, 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
- ^ "Stations for Biloxi, Mississippi". Rabbitears.info. Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
- ^ "AFI Catalog of Feature Films". Retrieved October 20, 2023.
- ^ "Seal Ave. residents get first hand look at movie production". Retrieved October 8, 2020.
- ^ Landry, Chet (September 22, 2020). "South Mississippi home featured in latest Morgan Freeman movie". wlox.com. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
External links
- Official website
- Photographs and Video of Hurricane Katrina's Aftermath from photosfromkatrina.com
- City of Biloxi at the Wayback Machine (archived January 10, 1998)
- Biloxi, Mississippi
- Populated places established in 1720
- Cities in Mississippi
- Cities in Harrison County, Mississippi
- Gambling in Mississippi
- Former colonial and territorial capitals in the United States
- County seats in Mississippi
- Gulfport–Biloxi metropolitan area
- French-American culture in Mississippi
- Populated coastal places in Mississippi
- 1720 establishments in the French colonial empire
- Mississippi placenames of Native American origin