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Biloxi, Mississippi
 
 
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Biloxi is a city in Harrison County
Harrison County, Mississippi

Harrison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of 2000, the population was 189,601. Its county seats are Biloxi, Mississippi and Gulfport, Mississippi....
, Mississippi
Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Deep South of the United States. Jackson, Mississippi is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Anishinaabe language word misi-ziibi ....
, in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. The 2000 census
United States Census

File:Census Bureau seal.svgThe United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States United States Constitution. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate List of United States Congressional districts , U.S....
 recorded the population as 50,644. Biloxi is co–county seat
County seat

A county seat or parish seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there....
 with the larger city Gulfport
Gulfport, Mississippi

Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson, Mississippi. It is the larger of two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area....
, in the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area
Gulfport-Biloxi metropolitan area

The Gulfport-Biloxi Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area in the Mississippi Mississippi Gulf Coast that covers three counties - Hancock County, Mississippi, Harrison County, Mississippi, and Stone County, Mississippi....
, which is included in the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula
Pascagoula, Mississippi

Pascagoula is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Pascagoula metropolitan area, as a part of the Gulfport, Mississippi–Biloxi, Mississippi–Pascagoula, Mississippi Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula combined statistical area....
, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. Pre-Katrina
Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest Atlantic hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest, in the history of the United States....
, Biloxi was the third largest city in Mississippi; but with its population losses following that storm, Hattiesburg
Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Hattiesburg, known as "The Hub City", is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi and Lamar County, Mississippi Counties in the U.S. state of Mississippi....
 now has that distinction.

The beachfront of Biloxi lies directly on the Mississippi Sound
Mississippi Sound

The Mississippi Sound is a sound along the Gulf Coast of the United States. It runs east-west along the southern coasts of Mississippi and Alabama, from Waveland, Mississippi, to the Dauphin Island Bridge, a distance of about 145 kilometers ....
, with barrier islands scattered off the coast and into the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world. Considered a smaller part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is an oceanic basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba....
.

Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base

Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, Mississippi, a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, Mississippi, United States....
 lies within the city and is home to the 81st Training Wing of the U.S. Air Force
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
.

Geography
Biloxi is located at (30.412029, -88.927829) and has an elevation of .

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data....
, the city has a total area of 46.5 mi²(120.5 km² ).






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Encyclopedia


Biloxi is a city in Harrison County
Harrison County, Mississippi

Harrison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of 2000, the population was 189,601. Its county seats are Biloxi, Mississippi and Gulfport, Mississippi....
, Mississippi
Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Deep South of the United States. Jackson, Mississippi is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Anishinaabe language word misi-ziibi ....
, in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. The 2000 census
United States Census

File:Census Bureau seal.svgThe United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States United States Constitution. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate List of United States Congressional districts , U.S....
 recorded the population as 50,644. Biloxi is co–county seat
County seat

A county seat or parish seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there....
 with the larger city Gulfport
Gulfport, Mississippi

Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson, Mississippi. It is the larger of two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area....
, in the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area
Gulfport-Biloxi metropolitan area

The Gulfport-Biloxi Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area in the Mississippi Mississippi Gulf Coast that covers three counties - Hancock County, Mississippi, Harrison County, Mississippi, and Stone County, Mississippi....
, which is included in the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula
Pascagoula, Mississippi

Pascagoula is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Pascagoula metropolitan area, as a part of the Gulfport, Mississippi–Biloxi, Mississippi–Pascagoula, Mississippi Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula combined statistical area....
, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. Pre-Katrina
Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest Atlantic hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest, in the history of the United States....
, Biloxi was the third largest city in Mississippi; but with its population losses following that storm, Hattiesburg
Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Hattiesburg, known as "The Hub City", is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi and Lamar County, Mississippi Counties in the U.S. state of Mississippi....
 now has that distinction.

The beachfront of Biloxi lies directly on the Mississippi Sound
Mississippi Sound

The Mississippi Sound is a sound along the Gulf Coast of the United States. It runs east-west along the southern coasts of Mississippi and Alabama, from Waveland, Mississippi, to the Dauphin Island Bridge, a distance of about 145 kilometers ....
, with barrier islands scattered off the coast and into the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world. Considered a smaller part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is an oceanic basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba....
.

Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base

Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, Mississippi, a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, Mississippi, United States....
 lies within the city and is home to the 81st Training Wing of the U.S. Air Force
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
.

Geography


Biloxi is located at (30.412029, -88.927829) and has an elevation of .

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data....
, the city has a total area of 46.5 mi²(120.5 km² ). 38.0 mi² (98.5 km²) of it is land and 8.5 mi² (22.0 km²) of it is water. The total area is 18.27% water.

Mississippi Coast Towns Noaa

Colonial era

The history of Biloxi, Mississippi, spans more than 300 years.

The first permanent settlement in French Louisiana
Louisiana (New France)

Louisiana or French Louisiana was the name of an administrative district of New France. Under French control from 1682-1763 and 1803-04, the area was named in honor of Louis XIV of France, by French explorer Ren?-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle....
 was founded at Fort Maurepas
Fort Maurepas

Not to be confused with the Fort Maurepas built in 1699 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville and Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville in present-day Ocean Springs, Mississippi....
, now in Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Ocean Springs, Mississippi

Ocean Springs is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, Mississippi , about east of Biloxi, Mississippi. It is part of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Pascagoula metropolitan area....
 and referred to as Old Biloxi, in 1699 under the direction of Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville
Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville

Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville [#Notes] ,was a soldier, ship captain, explorer, colonizer, knight of the order of Saint-Louis, adventurer, privateer, trader and founder of the colony of French Louisiana . He was born at Ville-Marie, on 16 July 1661....
, with Louisiana separated from Spanish Florida
Florida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
 at the Perdido River near Pensacola
Pensacola, Florida

Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2006, the estimated population was 53,248....
 (founded 1559 & again 1698).

The name of Biloxi in French was "Bilocci" (with "fort Maurepas"), and the name was sometimes translated into English as "Fort Bilocci" on maps updated circa year 1710/1725.

In 1720, the administrative capital of French Louisiana
Louisiana (New France)

Louisiana or French Louisiana was the name of an administrative district of New France. Under French control from 1682-1763 and 1803-04, the area was named in honor of Louis XIV of France, by French explorer Ren?-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle....
 was moved to Biloxi (or Bilocci) from Mobile
Mobile, Alabama

Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern United States United States state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama....
 (or Mobille). French Louisiana (part of New France) was known in French as La Louisiane in colonial times, but in modern times is called "La Louisiane française" to distinguish from the modern state of Louisiana
Louisiana

The State of Louisiana is a U.S. state located in the U.S. Southern States of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans....
 (also "Louisiane" in French).

Due to fears of tides and hurricanes in the 1700s, the capital of French Louisiana was later moved by colonial governor Bienville, in 1723, from Biloxi to a new inland harbor town named La Nouvelle-Orléans (New Orleans), built for the purpose in 1718-1720.

In 1763, France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
 had to cede French Louisiana east of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the longest river in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico....
, except for New Orleans, to Great Britain
Great Britain

Great Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the List of islands by area, and the largest in Europe. With a population of 58.9 million people it is List of islands by population....
. At that same time, the king Louis XV of France
Louis XV of France

Louis XV ruled as List of French monarchs and of List of Navarrese monarchs from 1 September 1715 until his death on 10 May 1774. Coming to the throne at the age of five, Louis reigned until 15 February 1723, the date of his thirteenth birthday, with the aid of the R?gence, Philippe II, Duke of Orl?ans, his Cousin, thereafter taking formal p...
 sold Louisiana west of the Mississippi, including New Orleans, to Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
.

Subsequent history


British rule persisted from 1763 to 1779, and then Spanish rule from 1779 to 1798. Despite this, the character of Biloxi remained mostly French. In 1811, Biloxi came under United States of America control as part of the Mississippi Territory
Mississippi Territory

Mississippi Territory was a historic, organized territory of the United States from April 7, 1798, and expanded twice , until it extended from the Gulf of Mexico to the southern border of Tennessee....
. Mississippi, and Biloxi with it, were then admitted to the union in 1817.

Now that ownership was settled, Biloxi began to grow. It became a summer resort, with the advantages of close proximity to New Orleans and ease of access via water. Summer homes were built by well-to-do farmers and commercial figures. Hotels and rental cottages came into existence to serve those who could not afford their own homes.

One of Biloxi's most known features has been Biloxi Lighthouse, which was built in Baltimore and then shipped south and completed in May 1848. (It and another are the only surviving lighthouses of twelve that once dotted the Mississippi Gulf Coast.)

In the early stages of the Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
, Ship Island
Ship Island (Mississippi)

Ship Island is the collective name for two barrier islands off the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, part of Gulf Islands National Seashore: East Ship Island and West Ship Island....
 was captured by Union forces, which led to the effective Union capture of Biloxi as well. No major battles were fought in the area, and Biloxi did not suffer direct damage from the war. Some local Union sentiment could be discerned following the war's conclusion.

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, leading to others soon joining the location. Biloxi grew again, and as different national groups came to work in the seafood factories, Biloxi gained a more heterogeneous nature.

During World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
, the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces

The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. The direct precursor to the United States Air Force, its peak size was over 2.4 million men and women in service and nearly 80,000 aircraft in 1944, and 783 domestic bases in December 1943....
 built Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base

Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, Mississippi, a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, Mississippi, United States....
, which became a major basic training
Basic Training

Basic Training may refer to:* Basic Training , an American documentary directed by Frederick Wiseman* Basic Training , an American sex comedy...
 site and site for aircraft maintenance. The Biloxi economy boomed as a result, againing bring more diverse groups to the area. By 1958, the first Jewish synagogue had been built in the town.

Biloxi's casino
Casino

A casino is, in the modern sense of the word, a facility that houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships and other tourist attractions....
 history dates back to a period in the 1940s, when open if technically illegal gambling took place in a casino within the Broadwater Beach Resort. Open gambling ended during the 1950s. The Mississippi Gulf Coast
Mississippi Gulf Coast

The Mississippi Gulf Coast refers to the three Mississippi county which lie on the Gulf of Mexico: Hancock County, Mississippi, Harrison County, Mississippi and Jackson County, Mississippi counties....
 became known as the "Poor Man's Riviera", and was frequented by Southern families interested in fishing expeditions during the summer. Commercially, Biloxi was dominated by shrimp boats and oyster luggers.

In the early 1960s, the Gulf Coast again emerged as a prime alternative to Florida
Florida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
 as a southern vacation destination among Northerners, with Biloxi a center of the focus. 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.

With the introduction of legal gambling in Mississippi in the 1990s, Biloxi was again transformed. It became an important center for casinos, and the hotels and complexes brought millions of dollars in tourism revenue to the city. The more famous casino complexes were the Beau Rivage
Beau Rivage

The Beau Rivage is a waterfront casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, Mississippi, United States. It is owned and operated by MGM Mirage. Beau Rivage was rebuilt and re-opened in 2006, a year after Hurricane Katrina....
 casino resort, the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Biloxi), Casino Magic
Casino Magic Biloxi Casino & Hotel

Casino Magic Biloxi Casino & Hotel was a permanently moored casino barge located on Casino Row, along the Mississippi Gulf Coast in Biloxi, Mississippi, Mississippi with an adjoining 378 room hotel located on of land....
, Grand Casino
Grand Casino Biloxi

Grand Biloxi Casino Hotel and Spa is the name of a gambling establishment in Biloxi, Mississippi, Mississippi. It is owned and operated by Harrah's Entertainment....
, Isle of Capri Casino Resort, Boomtown Casino, President Casino Broadwater Resort
President Casino Broadwater Resort

The President Casino Broadwater Resort was a combined casino and resort that was located in Biloxi, Mississippi.It began as the Broadwater Beach Hotel and Broadwater Beach Resort in 1939, and was built in Art Deco style....
, and Imperial Palace
IP Hotel and Casino

The IP Casino Resort Spa is a resort located in Biloxi, Mississippi. It was founded by Minnesota businessman Ralph Engelstad....
. Like Tunica County
Tunica County, Mississippi

Tunica County is a county located in the Mississippi Delta region of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of 2000, the population was 9,227. Its county seat is Tunica, Mississippi....
 in the northern part of the state, Biloxi and the surrounding Gulf Coast region was considered a leading gambling center in the Southern United States
Southern United States

The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive region in the southeastern and south-central 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.

By the early 2000s, Biloxi's economy rested on the three prongs of seafood, tourism, and gaming.

Hurricane Katrina

Katrina 14629
Ms Beauvoir Home
Hurricane Katrina Grand Casino Biloxi Noaa
Hurricane Katrina Biloxi Sharkheads Souvenirs Noaax
On August 29 2005, Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest Atlantic hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest, in the history of the United States....
 hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast
Mississippi Gulf Coast

The Mississippi Gulf Coast refers to the three Mississippi county which lie on the Gulf of Mexico: Hancock County, Mississippi, Harrison County, Mississippi and Jackson County, Mississippi counties....
 with high winds, heavy rains and a storm surge, causing massive damage to the area. Katrina came ashore during the high tide of 6:56AM, +2.3 feet more. Commenting on the power of the storm and the damage, Mayor A.J. Holloway said, "This is our tsunami
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

The was an undersea earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 Coordinated Universal Time on December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia....
." Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour
Haley Barbour

Haley Reeves Barbour is an United States politician currently serving as the List of Governors of Mississippi of Mississippi. He gained a national spotlight in August 2005 after Mississippi was hit by Hurricane Katrina....
 was quoted as saying the destruction of the Mississippi coastline by Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest Atlantic hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest, in the history of the United States....
 looked like an American Hiroshima
Hiroshima

The Japanese city of is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chugoku region of western Honshu, the largest of Japan's islands....
.

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
Gulfport, Mississippi

Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson, Mississippi. It is the larger of two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area....
 had been destroyed by the hurricane. Several of the "floating" casinos were torn off their supports and thrown inland, contributing to the damage. All coastal churches were destroyed or severely damaged.

Many churches were damaged, including St. Michael's Catholic Church (see photo at right), 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, flooding several feet in the Biloxi Public Library and breaking windows, beyond repair, requiring a total rebuild.

Hurricane-force winds persisted for 17 hours and tore the branches off many coastal oak trees, but the tree trunks survived the flood and many have since regrown smaller branches. Some reconstructed homes still have the antebellum
Antebellum

"Antebellum" is an expression derived from Latin that means "before war" .In United States history and historiography, "antebellum" is commonly used, in lieu of "pre-Civil War," in reference to the period of increasing sectionalism that led up to the American Civil War....
 appearance, and miles inland, with less flooding, shopping centers have re-opened.

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. Of the 53 confirmed fatalities in Biloxi, a figure that includes one unidentified male, Hargrove said the average age was 58, with youngest being 22 and oldest, 90; and 14 were females and 39 were males.

Biloxi is also the site of a well-known memorial to the Katrina victims, built by the crew and volunteers of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition , is an Emmy Award winning reality television series providing home renovations for deserving families, hosted by Ty Pennington....
.

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 Isle of Capri Casino and Resort, the Palace Casino Resort, the IP Casino Resort Spa (formerly known as Imperial Palace), Treasure Bay Casino, Boomtown Casino, and the Beau Rivage, which re-opened on the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

Multiple plans have been laid out to rebuild the waterfront areas of Biloxi, and the federal government has recently announced that it is considering giving up to 17,000 Mississippi coast homeowners the option to sell their properties so that a vast hurricane-protection zone can be implemented. Meanwhile, the city of Biloxi is rapidly implementing plans to allow the redevelopment of commercial properties south of highway 90.

Katrina 14588
Air Force Globemasters Unload Supplies in Mississippi Aug 31 2005
Beach Cleanup 060302 N 9246w 0061

Demographics


Biloxi is the smaller of two principal cities of the Gulfport
Gulfport, Mississippi

Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson, Mississippi. It is the larger of two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area....
-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulport-Biloxi-Pascagoula Combined Statistical Area
Combined Statistical Area

The United States Office of Management and Budget defines United States micropolitan area and United States metropolitan area. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties ....
.

As of the census
Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population....
 of 2000, there were 50,644 people, 19,588 households, and 12,379 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans....
 was 1,331.8/sq mi (514.2/km²). There were 22,115 housing units at an average density of 581.6/sq mi (224.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 71.43% White, 19.04% African American, 0.49% Native American, 5.11% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 1.43% from other races, and 2.38% from two or more races. 3.65% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 19,588 households, out of which 31.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples
Marriage

Marriage is a social, spirituality, or law union of individuals. This union may also be called matrimony, while the ceremony that marks its beginning is usually called a wedding and the married status created is sometimes called wedlock....
 living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% are non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size is 3.02.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 14.3% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 101.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,106, and the median income for a family was $40,685.

Males had a median income of $28,046 versus $21,267 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income

Per capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone....
 for the city was $17,809. 14.6% of the population and 11.2% of families lived below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 19.6% of those under the age of 18 and 11.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Biloxi is served by Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport, Mississippi

Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson, Mississippi. It is the larger of two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area....
's Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport
Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport

Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport is a joint civil-military public use airport located three nautical miles northeast of the central business district of Gulfport, Mississippi, a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, Mississippi, United States....
.

Education

The City of Biloxi is served by the Biloxi Public School District
Biloxi Public School District

The Biloxi Public School District is a public school district based in Biloxi, Mississippi, Mississippi . Most of the district serves Biloxi....
 and the Harrison County School District
Harrison County School District

The Harrison County School District is a public school district based in Gulfport, Mississippi, Mississippi .In addition to serving portions of Gulfport, Mississippi, the district also serves the city of D'Iberville, Mississippi, the communities of Lyman, Mississippi and Saucier, Mississippi, and portions of Biloxi, Mississippi as well as m...
.

Casinos

Biloxi has become home to several casino resort hotels, with 24-hour gambling, concert entertainment shows, and several restaurants. Some of the casino resorts are the following:

  • IP Casino Resort Spa re-opened on Dec. 22, 2005, formerly Imperial Palace
    IP Hotel and Casino

    The IP Casino Resort Spa is a resort located in Biloxi, Mississippi. It was founded by Minnesota businessman Ralph Engelstad....
    .
  • Isle of Capri Casino Resort re-opened in late December 2005.
  • Palace Casino Resort re-opened in late December 2005.
  • Beau Rivage
    Beau Rivage

    The Beau Rivage is a waterfront casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, Mississippi, United States. It is owned and operated by MGM Mirage. Beau Rivage was rebuilt and re-opened in 2006, a year after Hurricane Katrina....
     Resort & Casino re-opened August 29, 2006, on the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
  • Boomtown Casino re-opened in 2006.
  • Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, which had initially hoped to open for post-Katrina business in Summer 2005, but opened later than expected in June 2007.
  • Treasure Bay Casino Resort re-opened in summer 2006.
  • Grand Biloxi
    Grand Casino Biloxi

    Grand Biloxi Casino Hotel and Spa is the name of a gambling establishment in Biloxi, Mississippi, Mississippi. It is owned and operated by Harrah's Entertainment....
     is re-opened and has built a casino in its formerly named Bayview Hotel.
  • Bacaran Bay Resort is being redesigned and will soon be under construction on Caillavet Street between IP Hotel and Casino
    IP Hotel and Casino

    The IP Casino Resort Spa is a resort located in Biloxi, Mississippi. It was founded by Minnesota businessman Ralph Engelstad....
     and Beau Rivage
    Beau Rivage

    The Beau Rivage is a waterfront casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, Mississippi, United States. It is owned and operated by MGM Mirage. Beau Rivage was rebuilt and re-opened in 2006, a year after Hurricane Katrina....
    .
  • Jimmy Buffett's
    Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville

    Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville is the name of a United States-based casual dining United States restaurant chain and a chain of stores selling Jimmy Buffett-themed merchandise....
     Margaritaville Casino and Resort
    Margaritaville Casino and Resort

    The Margaritaville Casino and Resort is a casino resort presently under construction in Biloxi, Mississippi in the United States, to open in 2010....
    , announced by Harrah's to be built on the site of the old Grand Casino Biloxi
    Grand Casino Biloxi

    Grand Biloxi Casino Hotel and Spa is the name of a gambling establishment in Biloxi, Mississippi, Mississippi. It is owned and operated by Harrah's Entertainment....
     and Casino Magic
    Casino Magic Biloxi Casino & Hotel

    Casino Magic Biloxi Casino & Hotel was a permanently moored casino barge located on Casino Row, along the Mississippi Gulf Coast in Biloxi, Mississippi, Mississippi with an adjoining 378 room hotel located on of land....
     properties.
  • Island View Casino
    Island View Casino

    The Island View Casino is a casino and hotel located in Gulfport, Mississippi.The Island View is the successor to the Copa Casino, which was first located on a docked cruise ship and then a barge-based building at the Mississippi State Docks, across U.S....
     Resort is nearby Gulfport's only casino and home to one of world-famous chef Emeril Lagasse's restaurants.
  • Hollywood Casino
    Hollywood Casino Bay St. Louis

    Hollywood Casino is a hotel-casino complex located in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi owned by Penn National Gaming.The property was once occupied by Casino Magic, which was largely destroyed by Hurricane Katrina....
     is located in Bay St. Louis
    Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

    Bay Saint Louis is a city located in Hancock County, Mississippi. It is part of the Gulfport, Mississippi–Biloxi, Mississippi, Mississippi Gulfport-Biloxi metropolitan area....
     and includes an on-site golf course and movie cinema decor.
  • The Silver Slipper was the first land-based casino to open following Hurricane Katrina. This beachfront resort is located just outside Bay St. Louis, west of Biloxi.
  • Biloxi's neighbor D'Iberville will be home to former MGM exec Peter Simon's newly approved casino The Monarch.
  • D'Iberville will also be the future home of Royal D'Iberville Casino Resort, a newly approved project.
  • Bayview Casino Resort will begin construction in January 2008 on the Back Bay of Biloxi.
  • Vue Crescente Resort has begun its application to house a casino within its new twin 30 floor condo towers that are being built on the Back Bay of Biloxi.
  • Tivoli Resort, The Ocean Club, and a Long Beach project are recently proposed casino additions to the metro area.


Transportation

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
Ocean Springs, Mississippi

Ocean Springs is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, Mississippi , about east of Biloxi, Mississippi. It is part of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Pascagoula metropolitan area....
 and Pascagoula
Pascagoula, Mississippi

Pascagoula is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Pascagoula metropolitan area, as a part of the Gulfport, Mississippi–Biloxi, Mississippi–Pascagoula, Mississippi Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula combined statistical area....
 to the east. The Biloxi-Ocean Springs Bridge across Biloxi Bay was rebuilt following Hurricane Katrina, and was fully reopened in April 2008.

Through the northern sections of the city, Interstate 10
Interstate 10

Interstate 10 is the southernmost east-west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway in the United States. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at California State Route 1 in Santa Monica, California, California to Interstate 95 in Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, Florida....
 passes through, connecting the city to New Orleans, Houston, Mobile and Jacksonville. Interstate 110
Interstate 110 (Mississippi)

Interstate 110 is a freeway spur route in Biloxi, Mississippi, running south from Interstate 10 to U.S. Highway 90. It is one of very few places on the U.S....
 splits off from I-10 at D'Iberville
D'Iberville, Mississippi

D'Iberville is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, Mississippi, United States, immediately north of Biloxi, Mississippi, across the back bay....
 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.

Other highways serving the area include:
  • Mississippi Highway 15 (Runs concurrent with I-110 for the first few miles)
  • Mississippi Highway 67


Sports

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
Spotted Seatrout

The spotted seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus, is a common estuary fish found in the southern United States. While most of these fish are caught on shallow, grassy flats, spotted seatrout reside in virtually any inshore waters, from the surf of outside islands to far up coastal rivers, where they often come for shelter during cold weather....
, red drum
Red Drum

The Red Drum , also known as Channel Bass, Redfish, Spottail Bass or just Reds, is a game fish that is found in the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Northern Mexico....
, Spanish and king mackerel
King mackerel

The king mackerel is a migratory species of mackerel that lives its entire life in the open waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico....
, flounder
Flounder

Flounder are flatfish that live in ocean waters ie., Northern Atlantic and waters along the east coast of the United States and Canada, and the Pacific Ocean, as well....
, snapper, grouper
Grouper

For other meanings, see Grouper .Groupers are fish of any of a number of genus in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes....
, shark
Shark

Sharks are a type of fish with a full Cartilage skeleton and a highly Streamlines, streaklines and pathlinesd body. They respire with the use of five to seven gill slits....
s, and more are all available to anglers during the fishing season. It is not known how Hurricane Katrina affected this ecosystem
Ecosystem

An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants, animals and micro-organisms in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical factors of the environment....
.

The city is home to the Mississippi Sea Wolves
Mississippi Sea Wolves

The Mississippi Sea Wolves are a professional hockey team based in Biloxi, Mississippi and playing in the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. The Sea Wolves are members of the ECHL and are an affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League and the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League....
, an ECHL
ECHL

The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada, generally regarded as a tier below the American Hockey League....
 minor league hockey team.

Notable residents

  • Jessica Alba
    Jessica Alba

    Jessica Marie Alba is an United States television and film actor. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack ....
    , actress
  • Matt Barlow
    Matt Barlow

    Matt Barlow is an American heavy metal singer and police officer. He currently is the lead singer for Iced Earth. He is a dark-sounding baritone and has a roughly 4-octave vocal range ....
    , heavy metal singer
  • Edward Charles Edmond Barq
    Barq's

    Barq's is an American soft drink company. "Barq's" was long the name of the company's signature product, now known as Barq's Famous Olde Tyme Root Beer, a brand name of root beer notable for being the first major North American root beer to contain caffeine....
    , entrepreneur and co-creator of Barq's Root Beer
  • Belladonna
    Belladonna (porn star)

    Belladonna is an United States pornographic actor....
    , adult film star
  • Jimmy Bertrand
    Jimmy Bertrand

    Jimmy Bertrand was an United States jazz and blues drummer.Bertrand was born in Biloxi, Mississippi, Mississippi and was active on the Chicago blues/jazz scene of the 1920s....
    , jazz drummer
  • Jimmy Buffett
    Jimmy Buffett

    James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer, songwriter, author, businessman, and recently a movie producer best known for his "island escapism" lifestyle and music including hits such as "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday." He has a devoted base of Fan known as "Parrotheads." His band is called the Coral Reefer Band....
    , singer and writer
  • Hector Camacho
    Héctor Camacho

    H?ctor Camacho , nicknamed "Macho Camacho" , is a Puerto Rican people professional boxing. His son, H?ctor Camacho Jr., is also a boxer....
    , former world champion boxer
  • Jefferson Davis
    Jefferson Davis

    Jefferson Finis Davis was an United States politician who served as President of the Confederate States of America for its entire history, 1861 to 1865, during the American Civil War....
    , US Army General and West Point graduate; U.S. Secretary of War (Defense); first and only President of the Confederate States of America
    Confederate States of America

    The Confederate States of America formed as the government set up from 1861 to 1865 by eleven Southern United States U.S. state of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S....
  • Ronald Dupree
    Ronald Dupree

    Ronald Edmund Dupree is an United States professional basketball player. A 6'7" small forward, he has played for a number of NBA teams....
    , a professional basketball
    Basketball

    Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a basketball through a 10 feet  high hoop under organized rules....
     player.
  • Damion Fletcher
    Damion Fletcher

    Damion Fletcher is an American football Running back at Southern Miss Golden Eagles....
    , University of Southern Mississippi award winning running back
    Running back

    A running back is the position of a player on an American football or Canadian football team who usually lines up in the History of American football positions#Offensive Backfield....
  • Francis Grevemberg
    Francis Grevemberg

    Francis Carroll Grevemberg , was the superintendent of the Louisiana State Police from 1952 to 1955, best remembered for his fight against organized crime....
    , former superintendent of Louisiana
    Louisiana

    The State of Louisiana is a U.S. state located in the U.S. Southern States of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans....
     state police
    State police

    State police are a type of sub-national territorial police force, particularly in Australia and the United States. Some other countries have analogous police forces, such as the provincial police in some Canada provinces, while in other places, the same responsibilities are held by national police forces....
  • Fred Haise
    Fred Haise

    Fred Wallace Haise, Jr. is a former NASA astronaut. He is one of only List_of_Apollo_astronauts#People_who_flew_around_the_Moon_without_landing....
    , Apollo 13
    Apollo 13

    Apollo 13 was the third manned lunar-landing mission, part of Project Apollo under NASA in the United States. The crew members were Commander Jim Lovell, Command Module pilot Jack Swigert, and Lunar Module pilot Fred W....
    /Space Shuttle Enterprise
    Space Shuttle Enterprise

    The Space Shuttle Enterprise was the first space shuttle built for NASA. It was constructed without engines or a functional heat shield, and was therefore not capable of space operations; its purpose was to perform test flights in the atmosphere....
     astronaut
  • Chris LeDoux
    Chris LeDoux

    Chris LeDoux was an United States country music singer-songwriter, Bronze sculpture and rodeo champion.During his career LeDoux recorded thirty-six albums which have sold more than six million units in the United States as of January 2007....
    , country singer
  • George E. Ohr
    George E. Ohr

    George E. Ohr was an early United States Pottery who broke new ground in the late 1890s as he experimented with modern clay forms. Some consider him the father of the American Abstract-Expressionism movement....
    , artist who broke new ground in the late 1890s with his experimental modern clay forms
  • Eric Roberts
    Eric Roberts

    Eric Anthony Roberts is an American actor. His career began with King of the Gypsies , earning a Golden Globe nomination for best actor debut....
    , actor
  • Robin Roberts
    Robin Roberts (newscaster)

    Robin Rene Roberts is an United States television broadcaster. Roberts is the co-anchor of American Broadcasting Company's morning show Good Morning America....
    , TV/Radio/Media personality for ABC and ESPN.
  • Ted Hawkins
    Ted Hawkins

    Ted Hawkins an United States singer-songwriter, was born in Biloxi, Mississippi, Mississippi on 28 October 1936 and died on 1 January 1995, aged 58....
    , singer/songwriter


In fiction

  • Biloxi is the setting of Neil Simon
    Neil Simon

    Marvin Neil Simon is an American playwright and screenwriter. He is one of the most reliable hitmakers in Broadway history, as well as one of the most performed playwrights in the world....
    's play and film Biloxi Blues
    Biloxi Blues

    Biloxi Blues is a 1988 in film United States comedy film directed by Mike Nichols. The screenplay by Neil Simon is based on his semi-autobiography Biloxi Blues ....
    , which starred Mathew Broderick. Biloxi Blues is the story of army recruits training at Keesler Field, the former name of the present day Keesler Air Force Base during World War II.
  • Biloxi is the setting of several John Grisham
    John Grisham

    John Ray Grisham is an United States ex-politician, lawyer and novelist is best known for his works of modern legal drama. As of 2008, his books have sold over 250 million copies worldwide....
     novels, including The Runaway Jury
    The Runaway Jury

    The Runaway Jury is a legal thriller novel written by United States author John Grisham. The hardcover first edition was published by Doubleday Books in 1996 ....
    , The Summons
    The Summons

    The Summons is a legal thriller novel written in December 2002 by noted American author John Grisham....
    , The Firm, The Partner
    The Partner

    The Partner is a legal/thriller novel by noted United States author John Grisham....
    , and The Last Juror
    The Last Juror

    The Last Juror is a novel by John Grisham first published by Doubleday on February 3 2004. The book is a legal thriller and is written in the first-person narrative....
    .
  • In F. Scott Fitzgerald
    F. Scott Fitzgerald

    Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an United States writer of novels and short stories, whose works are evocative of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself....
    's The Great Gatsby
    The Great Gatsby

    The Great Gatsby is a novel by the United States author F. Scott Fitzgerald. First published on April 10, 1925, it is set in Long Island's North Shore and New York City during the summer of 1922....
    , a man named "Blocks" Biloxi from Biloxi, Mississippi (mislabeled as Biloxi, Tennessee in the novel) crashes Tom and Daisy Buchanon's wedding.
  • The G.I. Joe
    G.I. Joe

    G.I. Joe is a line of military-themed articulated "action figures" produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S....
     character Marvin F. Hinton ("Roadblock
    Roadblock (G.I. Joe)

    Roadblock is a character from Hasbro's G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series of toys, comics and cartoon. He is one of the most prominent African-Americans in the series....
    ") was born in Biloxi, Mississippi.
  • The film Private Benjamin
    Private Benjamin

    Private Benjamin is a 1980 comedy film starring Goldie Hawn. The film was one of the biggest box office hits of 1980, and also spawned a short-lived television series....
     starring Goldie Hawn
    Goldie Hawn

    Goldie Jean Hawn is an Academy Award- and Golden Globe- winning United Statesn actress, film director and film producer, best known for her 'dumb blonde' persona in a series of popular comedy....
     is partially set in Biloxi.
  • In the Twilight series, the character Alice Cullen was born in Biloxi and has a niece living there.
  • In the show Family Matters, Steve Urkel's cousin Myrtle Urkel, who frequently chases Eddie Winslow when she visits Chicago, is from Biloxi, Mississippi.
  • American singer/songwriter Jesse Winchester
    Jesse Winchester

    Jesse Winchester is the stage name of musician James Ridout Winchester Winchester was raised in northern Mississippi and the city of Memphis, Tennessee....
     once wrote and recorded a song called Biloxi, for which he was inspired by a few images he saw of the city.
  • RFC 3261 SIP: Session Initiation Protocol, the authors use Biloxi in an example to explain how a call is made through two SIP proxies.
  • In the television show the Venture Bros. character Brock Sampson is mentioned as having trained in Biloxi.


External links

  • from davidmetraux.com
  • (from the Institute of Southern Jewish Life)