Corinth, Mississippi

Corinth, Mississippi
City
Downtown Corinth
Crossroads Museum
Coliseum Theatre
Flag of Corinth, Mississippi
Flag
Official seal of Corinth, Mississippi
Seal
Nickname: 
Crossroads of the South
Motto: 
Pride, Service
Location in Alcorn County and Mississippi
Location in Alcorn County and Mississippi
Corinth is located in the United States
Corinth
Corinth
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 34°56′50″N 88°30′12″W / 34.94722°N 88.50333°W / 34.94722; -88.50333
Country United States
State Mississippi
CountyAlcorn
Founded1853 (1853)
IncorporatedMarch 12, 1856 (1856-03-12)
Named forCorinth, Greece
Government
 • MayorRalph Dance (R)
Area
 • Total
30.29 sq mi (78.44 km2)
 • Land30.16 sq mi (78.12 km2)
 • Water0.12 sq mi (0.32 km2)
Elevation
495 ft (151 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
14,622
 • Density484.8/sq mi (187.18/km2)
DemonymCorinthian
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
38834–38835
Area code662
FIPS code28-15700
GNIS feature ID2404132
Websitecorinthms.gov

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.

The Tishomingo Hotel, c. 1862.

Confederate General P. G. T. Beauregard retreated to Corinth after the Battle of Shiloh (April 1862), 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 (north/south) U.S. Route 45 and (east/west) U.S. Route 72. U.S. 45 runs to the west of the city as a bypass, leading north 19 mi (31 km) to Selmer, Tennessee, and south 21 mi (34 km) to Booneville. U.S. 72 runs through the southern part of the city, leading southeast 14 mi (23 km) to Burnsville and west 23 mi (37 km) 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 30.3 square miles (78.4 km2), of which 30.2 square miles (78.1 km2) is land and 0.12 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.43%, is water.

Downtown Corinth
Downtown Corinth (2026)

Communities near Corinth

Rivers and streams

Climate

The climate is humid subtropical (Köppen: Cfa) like all of Mississippi but with frequent and regular gusts of snow.

Climate data for Corinth, Mississippi (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1895–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 80
(27)		 86
(30)		 89
(32)		 97
(36)		 100
(38)		 106
(41)		 111
(44)		 110
(43)		 105
(41)		 96
(36)		 88
(31)		 80
(27)		 111
(44)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 49.2
(9.6)		 54.0
(12.2)		 63.0
(17.2)		 72.6
(22.6)		 80.2
(26.8)		 86.9
(30.5)		 90.0
(32.2)		 89.7
(32.1)		 84.5
(29.2)		 73.7
(23.2)		 61.4
(16.3)		 52.1
(11.2)		 71.4
(21.9)
Daily mean °F (°C) 39.8
(4.3)		 43.7
(6.5)		 51.6
(10.9)		 60.5
(15.8)		 69.2
(20.7)		 76.5
(24.7)		 79.9
(26.6)		 78.9
(26.1)		 72.5
(22.5)		 61.0
(16.1)		 49.6
(9.8)		 42.6
(5.9)		 60.5
(15.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 30.4
(−0.9)		 33.5
(0.8)		 40.1
(4.5)		 48.4
(9.1)		 58.2
(14.6)		 66.0
(18.9)		 69.7
(20.9)		 68.0
(20.0)		 60.5
(15.8)		 48.2
(9.0)		 37.7
(3.2)		 33.2
(0.7)		 49.5
(9.7)
Record low °F (°C) −19
(−28)		 −6
(−21)		 9
(−13)		 25
(−4)		 35
(2)		 43
(6)		 51
(11)		 47
(8)		 33
(1)		 21
(−6)		 4
(−16)		 −6
(−21)		 −19
(−28)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 4.89
(124)		 5.01
(127)		 5.42
(138)		 5.54
(141)		 5.67
(144)		 5.02
(128)		 4.57
(116)		 3.57
(91)		 4.12
(105)		 4.26
(108)		 4.43
(113)		 6.32
(161)		 58.82
(1,494)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.4
(1.0)		 0.3
(0.76)		 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)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.7
(1.8)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 9.8 9.0 10.1 9.2 9.4 8.9 8.9 7.4 5.4 7.0 8.0 10.2 103.3
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5
Source: NOAA

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18701,512—
18802,27550.5%
18902,111−7.2%
19003,66173.4%
19105,02037.1%
19205,4989.5%
19306,22013.1%
19407,81825.7%
19509,78525.2%
196011,45317.0%
197011,5811.1%
198013,18013.8%
199011,820−10.3%
200014,05418.9%
201014,5733.7%
202014,6220.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

Racial and ethnic composition

Corinth city, Mississippi – Racial and ethnic composition
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.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000 Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 10,616 10,163 9,477 75.54% 69.74% 64.81%
Black or African American alone (NH) 3,023 3,374 3,570 21.51% 23.15% 24.42%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 12 18 33 0.09% 0.12% 0.23%
Asian alone (NH) 49 74 121 0.35% 0.51% 0.83%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) 12 3 10 0.09% 0.02% 0.07%
Other race alone (NH) 12 10 23 0.09% 0.07% 0.16%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 87 162 508 0.62% 1.11% 3.47%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 243 769 880 1.73% 5.28% 6.02%
Total 14,054 14,573 14,622 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Corinth had a population of 14,622. The median age was 39.7 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.5 males age 18 and over.

79.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 20.8% lived in rural areas.

There were 6,145 households in Corinth, including 3,555 families. Of all households, 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 34.6% were married-couple households, 19.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 39.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 6,976 housing units, of which 11.9% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.0%.


Racial composition as of the 2020 census
RaceNumberPercent
White9,61465.8%
Black or African American3,58524.5%
American Indian and Alaska Native720.5%
Asian1220.8%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander100.1%
Some other race5493.8%
Two or more races6704.6%

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 461.5 people per square mile (178.2 people/km2). There were 7,058 housing units at an average density of 231.8 per square mile (89.5/km2). 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.

Economy

Key Tronic has a printed circuit board assembly plant in Corinth. Keytronic acquired this Ayrshire Electronics facility in 2014, which previously opened in 1961.

Education

Public schools

Corinth School District:

Alcorn School District:

Libraries

Museums

Health care

Transportation

Highways

Air travel

Roscoe Turner Airport is a general aviation airport just outside Corinth. The nearest airports with regularly scheduled commercial service are Tupelo Regional Airport, about 54 miles (87 km) south of Corinth, and Memphis International Airport, about 90 miles (140 km) west of Corinth.

Media

Newspapers

FM and AM radio stations

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ↑ Moore, William (August 2, 2022). "Dance holds slim lead for Corinth mayor". Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. Archived from the original on August 3, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  2. ↑ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  3. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Corinth, Mississippi
  4. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  5. ↑ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Corinth city, Mississippi". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 31, 2025. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
  6. ↑ Manning, Chandra (December 19, 2017), "Contraband Camps and the African American Refugee Experience during the Civil War", Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199329175.013.203, ISBN 978-0-19-932917-5, retrieved July 29, 2023
  7. ↑ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Corinth city, Mississippi". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved June 18, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  8. ↑ "Corinth climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Corinth weather averages - Climate-Data.org". en.climate-data.org. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  9. ↑ "NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Station: Corinth 7 SW, MS". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  12. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Corinth city, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau.
  13. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Corinth city, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau.
  14. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Corinth city, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau.
  15. 1 2 3 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  16. 1 2 "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  17. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  18. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  19. ↑ Corinth Mississippi; Keytronic.
  20. ↑ Keytronic Completes Acquisition of Ayrshire Electronics; September 3, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Corinth School District :: Welcome to Corinth School District". Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Alcorn School District". www.alcornschools.org. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  23. ↑ "Alcorn School District ::". Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Alcorn School District ::". Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Alcorn School District ::". Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  26. ↑ Northeast Mississippi Museum Archived 2005-03-08 at the Wayback Machine
  27. ↑ "Corinth". Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  28. ↑ "AirNav: KCRX - Roscoe Turner Airport". Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  29. ↑ 'Illinois Blue Book 1977–1978,' Biographical Sketch of Peggy Smith Martin, pg. 119

Further reading