Gulfport, Mississippi


 * "Gulfport" redirects here. For the city in Florida, see Gulfport, Florida.

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.

History
Gulfport was incorporated on July 28, 1898. Gulfport was founded by two men: William H. Hardy who was president of the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad (G&SIRR) that connected inland lumber mills to the coast, and 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 that now accounts for millions of dollars in annual sales and tax revenue for the state of Mississippi.

From its beginnings as a lumber port, Gulfport evolved into a diversified city. With about 6.7 miles (10.7 kilometers) 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.

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.

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

On August 29, 2005, Gulfport was hit by the strong east side of Hurricane Katrina, and much of Gulfport was flooded or destroyed (see details below). Much of Gulfport was also severely damaged by Hurricane Camille on August 17, 1969.

Geography
Gulfport is located at 30°24'6" North, 89°4'34" W (30.401641,  -89.076169).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 64.2 square miles (166.4 km²), of which 56.9 square miles (147.4 km²) is land and 7.3 square miles (19.0 km²) is water. The total area was 11.40% water.



Demographics
According to the census of 2010, there were 67,793 people residing in the city. The population density was 1,191.4 people per square mile (459.9/km²). The city had 50,825 or 74.97% of its population at the age of 18 and above. The racial makeup of the city was 56.86% White, 36.07% African American, 0.39% Native American, 1.69% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 2.13% from other races, and 2.73% from two or more races. Results show that 5.19% of the population was Hispanic/Latino of any race.

There were 31,602 housing units at an average density of 555.4 per square mile (214.4/km²). The city had 83.24% of housing units occupied. There were an average of 2.57 persons living in each occupied housing unit.

Comparing the 2000 and 2010 Census, the population of the city went down while the total number of housing units rose. This can be attributed to Hurricane Katrina, which destroyed housing and displaced people. New housing development has continued with a mixture of redevelopment from hurricane damage, though not all of the displaced population returned.

As of the census of 2000, there were 26,943 households out of which 32.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.07.

In Gulfport, the population dispersal was 26.0% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $32,779, and the median income for a family was $39,213. Males had a median income of $29,220 versus $21,736 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,554. 17.7% of the population and 14.1% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 25.8% of those under the age of 18 and 13.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Gulfport is the location of Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. The airport suffered extensive damage due to Hurricane Katrina. A major renovation project is for the most part completed and it has resumed commercial air service. New airlines are being regularly added.

Education
The City of Gulfport is served by the Gulfport School District and the Harrison County School District. Gulfport is also home to William Carey, a private Baptist College. Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Jefferson Davis Campus is also located in Gulfport.

The USM Gulf Coast Student Service Center (occupying 50,000 sqft in the Healthmark Center at 1520 Broad Avenue in Gulfport) has been configured to provide classrooms and other re-educational resources to the Southern Miss Gulf Coast student population in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Gulfport Police
The Gulfport Police Department has 201 sworn personnel and 92 civilian staff to serve the city.

U.S. Coast Guard
The U.S. Coast Guard operates 7 boats out of the port of Gulfport 2 of which are Patrol Boats. The Gulfport station has 110 members which include Active, Reserve and Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Media
Gulfport's local newspaper is The Sun Herald. It is also served by two television stations, the ABC affiliate WLOX, the Fox affiliate WXXV, and WXXV Digital signal on Channel 25.2 mynetworktv affiliate. There are also seven radio stations in the Gulfport area.

Air
Gulfport/Biloxi and the Gulf Coast area is served by the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport.

Scheduled passenger service

 * AirTran Airways (Gate 2) (Atlanta and Tampa)
 * American Airlines (Gate 1)
 * American Eagle (Dallas/Fort Worth)
 * Continental Airlines (Gate 3)
 * Continental Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines (Houston-Intercontinental)
 * Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) (Gate 5 and 6)
 * Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Atlanta)
 * Delta Connection operated by Pinnacle Airlines (Memphis)
 * US Airways (Gate 2)
 * US Airways Express operated by PSA Airlines (Charlotte)
 * Vision Airlines (Gate 7) (St. Petersburg)

Military

 * Naval Construction Battalion Center (Navy)
 * 890th Engineer Battalion Mississippi Army National Guard
 * 1108th Theater Aviation Support Maintenance Group (TASMG) (Army)
 * 255th Air Control Squadron (Air Force)
 * 209th Civil Engineer Squadron (Air Force)
 * U.S Coast Guard

State and Federal Law Enforcement

 * MEMA
 * FEMA

Hurricane Katrina
On August 29, 2005, Gulfport was hit by the strong eastern side of Hurricane Katrina. Much of the city was flooded or destroyed in one day by the strong, hurricane-force winds which lasted over 16 hours and a storm surge exceeding 28 feet (9 m) in some sections.

Hurricane Katrina damaged over 40 Mississippi libraries, gutting the Gulfport Public Library, first floor, and breaking windows on the second floor, beyond repair, requiring total reconstruction.

The Sun Herald newspaper in Biloxi-Gulfport, under the executive editor Stanley R. Tiner, won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in journalism for its Katrina coverage.

Notable residents (past and present)

 * Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (birth name: Chris Jackson), former NBA point guard for the Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings and Vancouver Grizzlies.
 * Jonathan Aldridge, Professional Athlete & Entertainer.
 * Thomas H. Anderson, Jr., Ambassador of the United States to Barbados, Dominica, St Lucia, Antigua, St. Vincent, and St. Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla from 1984 to 1986, was born in Gulfport.
 * William Joel Blass, Attorney and educator.
 * Timmy Bowers, Basketball player.
 * Rod Davis, National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings
 * Brett Favre, Quarterback in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers, New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings, was born in Gulfport.
 * William H. Hardy, co-founder of the city of Gulfport.
 * Boyce Holleman, Attorney and Actor.
 * Joseph T. Jones, co-founder of the city of Gulfport.
 * Matt Lawton, former Major League Baseball player best known for his stint with the Minnesota Twins.
 * Brittney Reese, American Olympian and current World Record Holder in the Women's Long Jump]].
 * Stuart Roosa, Colonel, US Air Force, Apollo 14 astronaut, Command Module Pilot. Brought seeds to moon that germinated in space. Now these moon trees are growing here on Earth.
 * Patrick X. J. Thompson Javier Professor of Telecommunications at Alabama A&M University, Author of How to Love a Good Woman: On a Shoestring Budget, Filmmaker., Small Business Owner Studio 7 films, Graduate of Gulfport High School.
 * Natasha Trethewey, Pulitzer Prize winning poet and Professor at Emory University. Born in Gulfport.