Kosciusko, Mississippi

Kosciusko /ˌkɒsiˈʌsk/ is a city in Attala County, Mississippi, United States. James Meredith and Oprah Winfrey were born there. The population was 7,114 at the 2020 census.[2] It is the county seat of Attala County.[3]

KoscuiskoMSWelcomeSign.jpg
Location of Kosciusko, Mississippi
Location of Kosciusko, Mississippi
Coordinates: 33°3′29″N 89°35′18″W / 33.05806°N 89.58833°W / 33.05806; -89.58833Coordinates: 33°3′29″N 89°35′18″W / 33.05806°N 89.58833°W / 33.05806; -89.58833
CountryUnited States
StateMississippi
CountyAttala
Named forTadeusz Kościuszko
Area
 • Total7.55 sq mi (19.56 km2)
 • Land7.54 sq mi (19.53 km2)
 • Water0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation
479 ft (146 m)
Population
 • Total7,114
 • Density943.38/sq mi (364.22/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
39090
FIPS code28-38320
GNIS feature ID0672213
Websitekosciusko.ms

Name

Kosciusko is named for General Tadeusz Kościuszko, a Polish-Lithuanian officer. He served with the Continental Army during the American Revolution.[4] His name was changed to 'Kosciusko' to make it easier to write in English. The settlement was originally named Red Bud Springs for one of three natural springs that were in the city.[source?]

History

Kosciusko first developed along the historic Natchez Trace used by generations of Native Americans and later European settlers. The modern Natchez Trace Parkway also passes through the city.

During the 19th century, cotton was the most common crop. It is still important in the area.[source?]

Magnolia Bible College was in the city from 1976 to 2008. Kosciusko is the birthplace of civil rights activist James Meredith and TV series host and cultural leader Oprah Winfrey.

Kosciusko has hosted the Central Mississippi Fair for over 100 years.[5]

Geography

Kosciusko is at 33°3′29″N 89°35′18″W / 33.05806°N 89.58833°W / 33.05806; -89.58833 (33.058108, -89.588301),[6] along the Yockanookany River. It is northeast of Jackson and southwest of Starkville. It is 20 miles / 32 kilometers from I-55 at Durant.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the area of Kosciusko is 7.6 square miles (20 km2). 7.5 square miles (19 km2) is land and 0.13% is water.

Education

The city of Kosciusko is part of the Kosciusko School District.

Blues Highway

Kosciusko has been part of the Mississippi Blues Trail since 2009.[7]

Notable people

Climate

The climate is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Kosciusko has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[10]

The data below are from the WRCC, compiled from 1893 to the time this chart was created (July 2018).[11]

Climate data for Kosciusko, MS
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 85
(29.4)
85
(29.4)
92
(33.3)
98
(36.7)
102
(38.9)
109
(42.8)
108
(42.2)
109
(42.8)
109
(42.8)
98
(36.7)
89
(31.7)
84
(28.9)
109
(-17.8)
Average high °F (°C) 55.5
(13.06)
58.8
(14.89)
67.5
(19.72)
75.5
(24.17)
82.5
(28.06)
89.4
(31.89)
91.5
(33.06)
91.6
(33.11)
87.2
(30.67)
77.3
(25.17)
65.9
(18.83)
57.0
(13.89)
74.98
(23.875)
Average low °F (°C) 33.6
(0.89)
35.7
(2.06)
42.8
(6)
50.7
(10.39)
58.8
(14.89)
66.4
(19.11)
69.4
(20.78)
68.6
(20.33)
62.6
(17)
50.1
(10.06)
40.8
(4.89)
34.8
(1.56)
51.19
(10.662)
Record low °F (°C) -14
(-25.6)
-8
(-22.2)
10
(-12.2)
24
(-4.4)
36
(2.2)
41
(5)
53
(11.7)
50
(10)
37
(2.8)
20
(-6.7)
12
(-11.1)
0
(-17.8)
-14
(-17.8)
Precipitation inches (mm) 5.36
(136.1)
5.27
(133.9)
5.99
(152.1)
5.35
(135.9)
4.68
(118.9)
3.66
(93)
5.00
(127)
3.76
(95.5)
3.33
(84.6)
3.19
(81)
4.45
(113)
5.41
(137.4)
55.45
(1,408.4)
Snowfall inches (cm) 1.2
(3)
0.3
(0.8)
0.3
(0.8)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0.4
(1)
2.2
(5.6)
Source: https://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ms4776

Gallery

References

  1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "QuickFacts: Kosciusko city, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  3. National Association of Counties. "NACo County Explorer". Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Government Printing Office. p. 177.
  5. "Central Mississippi Fair". Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  6. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  7. Dees, Leslie N. (January 23, 2009) Kosciusko to be featured on Blues Trail. The Star Herald
  8. "NBA Players: Billy Ray Bates Profile and Basic Stats". Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  9. Topher Payne - Mississippi Arts & Entertainment Center Archived 2015-12-10 at the Wayback Machine. Msarts.org (2013-11-21). Retrieved on 2015-12-25.
  10. "Kosciusko, Mississippi Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  11. "KOSCIUSKO, MISSISSIPPI - Climate Summary". wrcc.dri.edu. Retrieved 2018-07-24.

Other websites

Template:Mississippi county seats