Corinth, Mississippi


Corinth is a city in and the county seat of Alcorn County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,622 at the 2020 census. Its ZIP codes are 38834 and 38835. It lies on the state line with Tennessee.

History

Established in 1853, Corinth was first named Cross City for its location at the junction of the Mobile & Ohio and Memphis & Charleston railroads, it was renamed Corinth after the famous Greek crossroads city. Because of the town’s strategic location, it was a center of contention between Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War and was ultimately occupied by Union troops from 1862 to 1864.
Confederate General P. G. T. Beauregard retreated to Corinth after the Battle of Shiloh, pursued by Union Major General Henry W. Halleck. General Beauregard abandoned the town on May 29 when General Halleck approached, letting it fall into the Union's hands. Since Halleck had approached so cautiously, digging entrenchments at every stop for over a month, this action has been known as the Siege of Corinth.
The Union sent Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans to Corinth as well and concentrated its forces in the city. The Second Battle of Corinth took place on October 3−4, 1862, when Confederate Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn attempted to retake the city. Corinth ultimately became a destination for refugees from slavery called contrabands and their camp was "widely regarded as a 'model' camp."

Locales on the National Register of Historic Places

Geography

Corinth is located in northeast Mississippi at the intersection of U.S. Route 45 and U.S. Route 72. U.S. 45 runs to the west of the city as a bypass, leading north to Selmer, Tennessee, and south to Booneville. U.S. 72 runs through the southern part of the city, leading southeast to Burnsville and west to Walnut. It is the county seat of Alcorn County, which is the smallest county by area in the state of Mississippi.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which is land and, or 0.43%, is water.

Communities near Corinth

Rivers and streams

  • Bridge Creek
  • Elam Creek
  • Phillips Creek
  • Turner Creek

Climate

The climate is humid subtropical like all of Mississippi but with frequent and regular gusts of snow.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,622 people, 6,087 households, and 3,555 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 14,054 people, 6,220 households, and 3,800 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 7,058 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 76.28% White, 21.60% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 0.84% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.73% of the population.
There were 6,220 households, out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. Of all households, 35.6% were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,436, and the median income for a family was $35,232. Males had a median income of $29,027 versus $21,071 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,452. About 18.2% of families and 22.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.2% of those under age 18 and 23.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools

  • Corinth High School—grades 9–12 with an enrollment of 473
  • Corinth Middle School-grades 5–8 with an enrollment of 265
  • Corinth Elementary School—grades K–4
  • Easom High School
Alcorn School District:
  • Alcorn Alternative School
  • Alcorn Central Elementary—grades K–4, with enrollment of 520
  • Alcorn Central Middle School—grades 5–8 with an enrollment of 539
  • Alcorn Central High School—grades 9–12 with an enrollment of 515
  • Biggersville Elementary—grades K–6 with an enrollment of 161
  • Biggersville High School—grades 7–12 with an enrollment of 236
  • Kossuth Elementary School—grades K–4 with an enrollment of 562
  • Kossuth High School—grades 9–12 with an enrollment of 438
  • Kossuth Middle School—grades 5–8 with an enrollment of 499

Libraries

  • Corinth Public Library—part of the Northeast Regional Library System

Museums

  • Northeast Mississippi Museum
  • Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center
  • Artist Guild Museum and Shop
  • Museum of Southern Culture
  • Black History Museum

Health care

  • Veranda Health Center
  • Magnolia Regional Health Center

Transportation

Highways

Air travel

is a general aviation airport just outside Corinth. The nearest airports with regularly scheduled commercial service are Tupelo Regional Airport, about south of Corinth, and Memphis International Airport, about west of Corinth.

Media

Newspapers

FM and AM radio stations

Notable people