Bay Saint Louis is a city in and the county seat of Hancock County, Mississippi, in the United States. It is part of the Gulfport-Biloxi Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 9,260.
The city is recovering population lost in 2005 due to Hurricane Katrina, and the Census Bureau's 2016 population estimate was 12,667.
Video Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Geography
Bay St. Louis is located in southeastern Hancock County at 30°18'53" North, 89°20'39" West (30.314696, -89.344096). It is situated on west side of the Bay of Saint Louis, which empties into the Mississippi Sound. The city is bordered to the north by the Jourdan River, the primary inlet of the bay. The eastern border of the city is the Harrison County line in the middle of the bay.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.6 square miles (69.0 km2), of which 14.7 square miles (38.1 km2) are land and 11.9 square miles (30.9 km2), or 44,82%, are water.
Major highways
- Interstate 10 passes through the northern extension of the city, 10 miles (16 km) northwest of downtown, with access from Exit 13 (Highway 603). I-10 leads east 37 miles (60 km) to Biloxi and southwest 54 miles (87 km) to New Orleans.
- U.S. Highway 90 passes just north of downtown Bay St. Louis, leading east across the St. Louis Bay Bridge to Pass Christian. Via US 90 it is 15 miles (24 km) east to Gulfport and 60 miles (97 km) southwest to New Orleans.
- Mississippi Highway 603 runs along the western edge of the Bay St. Louis city limits, connecting US 90 and Interstate 10.
Adjacent cities and towns
- Diamondhead (north)
- Pass Christian (east)
- Waveland (west)
Maps Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,209 people, 3,271 households, and 2,064 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,342.1 people per square mile (517.9/km²). There were 3,817 housing units at an average density of 624.1 per square mile (240.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 80.23% White, 16.59% African American, 0.40% Native American, 1.11% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. 1.68% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 3,271 households out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% have someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size is 3.05.
In the city, the population was 24.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $34,106, and the median income for a family was $41,957. Males had a median income of $32,261 versus $21,308 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,483. 13.2% of the population and 10.0% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 17.2% of those under the age of 18 and 11.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Education
The city of Bay St. Louis is served by the Bay St. Louis-Waveland School District.
It is the home of Bay High School, St. Stanislaus College Prep, a residency and day school for boys grades 7-12, and Our Lady Academy, a day school for girls grades 7-12. The latter two share some classrooms as well as a Roman Catholic curriculum.
Hurricane Camille
On August 17, 1969, Hurricane Camille made landfall at the tip of Louisiana before continuing to Bay St. Louis.
Hurricane Katrina
On August 29, 2005, at 10:00 a.m. CDT, Hurricane Katrina made its final landfall just west of Bay St. Louis, at the mouth of the Pearl River, with a 28-foot (8.5 m) storm surge. Hurricane Katrina came ashore during the high tide of 9:15AM, +2.3 feet more, causing a storm tide over 30 feet (9.1 m) deep. USGS topographic maps show a common 25-foot (7.6 m) elevation contour line running throughout a ridge along the former routing of Highway 90 (Old Spanish Trail) on the western edge of the city. It was primarily this area which did not see the surge inundation of Hurricane Katrina.
Katrina damaged over 40 Mississippi libraries, with severe roof and water damage to the Bay St. Louis Public Library. The library reopened to the public on October 12, 2005.
The Bay St. Louis Bridge on US Highway 90 was severely damaged, with many bridge sections down-dropped at the west edges. The destroyed bridge was replaced by a new Bay St. Louis Bridge, which was awarded America's Transportation Award. It includes a pedestrian bridge with an art walk featuring the works of local artists.
The underground utility infrastructure in Bay St. Louis received a federally-funded total overhaul and replacement.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Bay St. Louis has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
References
Source of article : Wikipedia