Biloxi ( ; ) is a city in

Harrison County, Mississippi Harrison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, Harrison County is the second-most populous county in Mississippi with a population of 208,621; although the most recent population estimate from 202 ...

, United States. It lies on the

Gulf Coast The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South or the South Coast, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Tex ...

in southern Mississippi, bordering the city of Gulfport to its west. The adjacent cities are both designated as

seats A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but may also refer to concentrations of power in a wider sense (i.e " seat (legal entity)"). See disambiguation. Types of seat The ...

of Harrison County. The population of Biloxi was 49,449 at the 2020 census, making it the state's fourth-most populous city. It is a principal city of the

Gulfport–Biloxi metropolitan area The Gulfport–Biloxi Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the Mississippi Gulf Coast region that includes four counties – Hancock, Harrison, Jackson and Stone. The principal cities are Gulfport and Bi ...

, home to 416,259 residents in 2020. The area's first European settlers were French colonists. The beachfront of Biloxi lies directly on the

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 the mouth of the Pearl River at the Mississippi-Louisiana state border to the Dauphin Islan ...

, with

barrier island Barrier islands are a Coast#Landforms, coastal landform, a type of dune, dune system and sand island, where an area of sand has been formed by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of an ...

s scattered off the coast and into the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

Keesler Air Force Base Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, a city along the Gulf Coast in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. The base is named in honor of aviator 2d Lt Samuel Reeves Keesler Jr., a Mississippi nati ...

lies within the city and is home to the

81st Training Wing The 81st Training Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. The 81st Training Wing has the Air Force's largest Technical Training Group and trains more than 40,000 students annually. ...

and the 403rd Wing of the U.S. Air Force Reserve.

History

Colonial era

In 1699, French colonists formed the first permanent, European settlement in

French Louisiana The term French Louisiana ( ; ) refers to two distinct regions: * First, to Louisiana (New France), historic French Louisiana, comprising the massive, middle section of North America claimed by Early Modern France, France during the 17th and 18th ...

, at

Fort Maurepas Fort Maurepas, later known as Old Biloxi, "Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d'Iberville" (biography), ''Catholic Encyclopedia'', 1907, webpage: gives dates: 13 Feb. 1699, went to the mainland Biloxi, with fort completion May 1, 1699; sailed f ...

, now in

Ocean Springs, Mississippi Ocean Springs is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States, approximately east of Biloxi, Mississippi, Biloxi and west of Gautier, Mississippi, Gautier. It is part of the Pascagoula metropolitan area. The population was 18,429 at th ...

, and referred to as "Old Biloxi". The settlement was under the direction of

Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville (16 July 1661 – 9 July 1706) or Sieur d'Iberville was a French soldier, explorer, colonial administrator, and trader. He is noted for founding the colony of Louisiana in New France. He was born in Montreal to French ...

. La Louisiane was separated from

Spanish Florida Spanish Florida () was the first major European land-claim and attempted settlement-area in northern America during the European Age of Discovery. ''La Florida'' formed part of the Captaincy General of Cuba in the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and th ...

at the

Perdido River The Perdido River, also historically known as Rio Perdido or by its native name of Cassaba, is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 15, 2011 river in the U.S. states ...

near

Pensacola Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only city in Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Pensacola metropolitan area, which ha ...

(this was founded by the Spanish 1559 and again in 1698). The name of Biloxi in French was ''Bilocci'', a transliteration of the term for the local Native American tribe in their

language Language is a structured system of communication that consists of grammar and vocabulary. It is the primary means by which humans convey meaning, both in spoken and signed language, signed forms, and may also be conveyed through writing syste ...

. Labeled along with ''"Fort Maurepas"'' on maps dated circa year 1710/1725, the name was sometimes used in English as "Fort Bilocci"."Pas-Kaart Van de Golff van Mexico" (map from Amsterdam/1710), Edge of the Map Incorporated, 2007, webpage:
Raremaps-Archive-3176
."A New Map of as much of North & South America" (London/1725), Edge of the Map Incorporated, 2007, webpage:
Raremaps-Archive-7278
. In 1720, the area of today's city of Biloxi was settled for the first time around Fort Louis, and the administrative capital of French Louisiana was moved to Biloxi from Mobile. French Louisiana, part of

New France New France (, ) was the territory colonized by Kingdom of France, France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Kingdom of Great Br ...

, was known in French as ''La Louisiane'' in colonial times. In modern times it is called ''La Louisiane française'' to distinguish it from the modern state of

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

."La Louisiane française" (in French), by Virginie Tanlay, from book ''Histoire de la Louisiane''
flfa-enquete7
: states that Iberville chose "le site de Bilocci" (or Biloxi) Due to fears of tides and hurricanes, colonial governor Bienville moved the capital of French Louisiana in 1722 from Biloxi to a new inland harbor town named ''La Nouvelle-Orléans'' (

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

), built for this purpose in 1718–1720. In 1763, following Britain's victory in the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

had to cede their colonies east of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

, except for New Orleans, to

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

, as part of the Treaty of Paris. At the same time, the French colony west of the Mississippi, plus New Orleans, was ceded to

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

as part of the Treaty of Fontainebleau.

Subsequent history

British rule lasted from 1763 to 1779, followed by Spanish rule from 1779 to 1810. Despite this, the character of Biloxi remained mostly French, as their descendants made up the majority of the population."Biloxi: A Historic & Cultural Overview". City of Biloxi historical pamphlet, 2003. In 1811, the U.S. traded with Spain to take over Biloxi and the related area, making it part of their

Mississippi Territory The Territory of Mississippi was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that was created under an organic act passed by the United States Congress, Congress of the United States. It was approved and signed into law by Presiden ...

. Mississippi, and Biloxi with it, was admitted as a state to the union in 1817. Biloxi began to grow. In the

antebellum period The ''Antebellum'' South era (from ) was a period in the history of the Southern United States that extended from the conclusion of the War of 1812 to the start of the American Civil War in 1861. This era was marked by the prevalent practi ...

of the 19th century, it became known as a summer resort due to its proximity to the breezes and beaches of the coast. It also had the advantages of proximity to New Orleans and ease of access via water. Summer homes were built by wealthy slave-owners and commercial figures, and hotels and rental cottages were developed to serve those who could not afford their own homes. The

Biloxi Light Biloxi Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Biloxi, Mississippi, adjacent to the Mississippi Sound of the Gulf of Mexico. The lighthouse has been maintained by female keepers for more years than any other lighthouse in the United States. It was listed o ...

house was built in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

, Maryland, and shipped south, where it was completed at the site in May 1848."Biloxi Lighthouse". City of Biloxi historical datasheet, 2003. (It is one of two surviving lighthouses on the

Mississippi Gulf Coast The Mississippi Gulf Coast, also known as Mississippi Coast, Mississippi Gulf Coast region, Coastal Mississippi, and The Coast, is the area of Mississippi along the Mississippi Sound at the northern extreme of the Gulf of Mexico. Geography At t ...

, which at one time had twelve.) In the early stages of the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

Ship Island Ship Island is a barrier island off the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, one of the Mississippi–Alabama barrier islands. Hurricane Camille split the island into two separate islands (West Ship Island and East Ship Island) in 1969. In early 2019, ...

was captured by Union forces, enabling them to take control of Biloxi. 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 Canning is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container ( jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans). Canning provides a shelf life that typically ranges from one to five years, although unde ...

was built in the town to process seafood, leading others to join the location. This stimulated development in the city and attracted new immigrants from Europe and various

ethnic group An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, re ...

s who worked in the seafood factories. They processed shrimp and other local seafood. These changes gave Biloxi a more heterogeneous population. Howard Street Biloxi Mississippi 1906

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

built Keesler Field, now

, which became a major

basic training Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique dema ...

site and site for aircraft maintenance. The Biloxi economy boomed as a result,"Biloxi/Gulfport, Mississippi"
, Institute of Southern Jewish Life attracting new residents and businesses. By 1958, the first

Jewish synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

had been built in the town. Biloxi's

casino A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...

history dates to a period in the 1940s. At the time, open, if technically illegal, gambling took place in a casino within the Broadwater Beach Resort. Open gambling ended during the 1950s. The

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. The tradition of blessing fishing boats in the US seems to have first taken place in Biloxi in 1929 and has been practised ever since. In 1959, Biloxi was the site of "Mississippi's first public assault on racial barriers in its 15-year civil rights struggle." Gilbert R. Mason, a black physician in Biloxi, went swimming at a local beach with seven black friends. They were ordered to leave by a city policeman, who told them that "Negroes don't come to the sand beach". Mason reacted by leading a series of protests, known as the Biloxi Wade-Ins. The protests were followed in 1960 by the worst racial riot in Mississippi history, during which ten people died. Ultimately, the protests led to the

desegregation Racial integration, or simply integration, includes desegregation (the process of ending systematic racial segregation), leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws ...

of the beaches of Biloxi. In the early 1960s, the Gulf Coast again emerged as a prime alternative to

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

as a southern vacation destination among Northerners, with Biloxi a favored destination. Biloxi hotels upgraded their amenities and hired chefs from France and

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

in an effort to provide some of the best seafood cuisine in the country.

Edgewater Mall Edgewater Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located in Biloxi, Mississippi, United States. Opened in 1963, its anchor stores are Belk, Dillard's, JCPenney, and Premiere Cinemas. History The mall was built in 1963 as Edgewater Plaza. Among its ...

was built in 1963. The

Biloxi Dragway The Biloxi Dragway was a NHRA/AHRA-sanctioned Quarter-Mile Drag Strip located in Biloxi, Mississippi, United States and operated from August 18, 1957 to July 1, 1967. History Many drag racing pioneers raced at Biloxi. "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, ...

hosted drag races between 1957 and 1967. With the introduction of legal gambling in Mississippi in the 1990s, Biloxi was again transformed. It became an important center in the resort casino industry. The new hotels and gambling complexes brought millions of dollars in tourism revenue to the city. The more famous casino complexes were the Beau Rivage casino resort, the

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hard Rock Cafe, Inc. is a chain of theme bar-restaurants, memorabilia shops, casinos, hotels and museums founded in 1971 by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton in London. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and roll memorabilia, a ...

, Casino Magic, Grand Casino, Isle of Capri Casino Resort Biloxi, Boomtown Casino, President Casino Broadwater Resort, and Imperial Palace. Like

Tunica County Tunica County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,782. Its county seat is Tunica. The county is named for the Tunica Native Americans. Most migrated to central Louisiana during t ...

in the northern part of the state, Biloxi and the surrounding Gulf Coast region were considered a leading gambling center in the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Cens ...

. 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

Hurricanes

Scores of hurricanes have hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast, but the most destructive, as measured by storm surge levels in the

house, occurred in 1855, 1906, 1909, 1947, 1969 (

Hurricane Camille Hurricane Camille was a powerful, deadly and destructive tropical cyclone which became the second most intense on record to strike the United States (behind the 1935 Labor Day hurricane) and is one of the four Category 5 hurricanes to make ...

), and 2005 (Hurricane Katrina) On August 29, 2005,

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...

hit the

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 A tsunami ( ; from , ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and underwater explosions (including detonations, ...

." Mississippi Governor

Haley Barbour Haley Reeves Barbour (born October 22, 1947) is an American attorney, politician, and lobbyist who served as the 63rd governor of Mississippi from 2004 to 2012. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he previously ser ...

was quoted as saying the destruction of the Mississippi coastline by Hurricane Katrina looked like an American

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has b ...

. Hurricane Katrina damaged over 40 Mississippi libraries beyond repair, breaking windows and flooding several feet in the Biloxi Public Library, requiring a total rebuild. Biloxi is the site of a memorial to Katrina victims, created by a team of local artists with assistance from the crew and volunteers of '' Extreme Makeover: Home Edition''. Multiple plans were laid out to rebuild the waterfront areas of Biloxi, and in 2007 the federal government announced it was considering buying out up to 17,000 Mississippi coast homeowners to form a hurricane protection zone. Meanwhile, the city of Biloxi is rapidly implementing plans to allow the redevelopment of commercial properties south of Highway 90. File:Katrina-14588.jpg, Hurricane Katrina pushed houses inland along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, including at Biloxi. File:Katrina-biloxi-miss-grand-casino2-2005.jpg, Casino barges floated ashore in Biloxi during Hurricane Katrina's storm surge. File:US Navy 050905-N-0000X-003 U.S. Navy Sailors, assigned to the amphibious transport dock USS Shreveport (LPD 12), perform a search and rescue mission following Hurricane Katrina in Biloxi, Miss.jpg,

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

personnel perform a search and rescue mission in Biloxi after Hurricane Katrina. File:Beach Cleanup 060302-N-9246W-0061.jpg, Biloxi beach during cleanup of storm debris File:Beauvoir-Biloxi-Mississippi-Hurricane-Katrina-FEMA-2006-585px.jpg, Front view of Beauvoir in Biloxi, 7 months after Hurricane Katrina

Geography

Biloxi is located in southeastern Harrison County, bordered to the south by

(part of the

) and to the northeast partially by Biloxi Bay, which forms part of the Jackson County line. To the northeast, across Biloxi Bay, are the Jackson County city of

Ocean Springs Ocean Springs is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States, approximately east of Biloxi and west of Gautier. It is part of the Pascagoula metropolitan area. The population was 18,429 at the 2020 U.S Census, down from 18,434 in 201 ...

and the unincorporated community of St. Martin. The Back Bay of Biloxi continues west from the Jackson County line, crossing the city of Biloxi to Big Lake on the city's western boundary, where the Biloxi and Tchoutacabouffa rivers join. The Tchoutacbouffa flows from east to west across the city and forms part of the city's eastern boundary. Biloxi is bordered to the north and east by the city of D'Iberville and to the west by the city of Gulfport. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, Biloxi has a total area of , of which are land and , or 18.14%, are water. Mississippi-Coast-towns-NOAA

Biloxi has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Cfa'') that is heavily influenced by the

. Winter days are mild and wet. Snow is extremely rare in Biloxi. Summers are hot and humid, bearing the brunt of tropical storms during the late summer to fall. Biloxi's record low of was recorded on February 12, 1899, and the record high of was recorded on August 29, 2000, and tied again on August 26, 2023.

Demographics

Biloxi is the smaller of two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula Combined Statistical Area.

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 49,449 people, 17,923 households, and 10,922 families residing in the city. Places of worship in Biloxi include Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the First Baptist Church of Biloxi.

Economy

Biloxi is home to eight

resort hotels, with 24-hour

gambling Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of Value (economics), value ("the stakes") on a Event (probability theory), random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy (ga ...

, concert entertainment shows, and several restaurants. Many casinos were damaged or destroyed by

, but eventually reopened."Tentative re-opening plans for Biloxi casino resorts" (2006), City of Biloxi, www.Biloxi.ms.us, webpage
Biloxi-Casinos
. * Beau Rivage Resort & Casino * Golden Nugget Biloxi *

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hard Rock Cafe, Inc. is a chain of theme bar-restaurants, memorabilia shops, casinos, hotels and museums founded in 1971 by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton in London. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and roll memorabilia, a ...

* Harrah's Gulf Coast * IP Casino Resort & Spa * Palace Casino Resort * Boomtown Casino * Treasure Bay Casino

Arts and culture

* 2010 saw the grand opening of the new Frank Gehry designed Ohr-O'Keefe Museum Of Art. OhrOkeefe 3

* Biloxi is the setting of

Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He received three ...

's play and film ''

Biloxi Blues ''Biloxi Blues'' is a semi-autobiographical play by Neil Simon. It portrays the conflict of Sergeant Merwin J. Toomey and Arnold Epstein, one of many privates enlisted in the military stationed in Biloxi, Mississippi, seen through the eyes of E ...

'', which starred Mathew Broderick. ''Biloxi Blues'' is the story of army recruits during World War II training at Keesler Field, the present-day

. * Biloxi is the setting of several

John Grisham John Ray Grisham Jr. (; born February 8, 1955) is an American novelist, lawyer, and former politician, known for his best-selling legal thrillers. According to the Academy of Achievement, American Academy of Achievement, Grisham has written 37 ...

novels, including '' The Runaway Jury'' (1996), '' The Partner'' (1997), and ''The Boys from Biloxi'' (2022). * A substantial portion of Larry Brown's novel '' Fay'' is set in Biloxi. * American singer-songwriter

Jesse Winchester James Ridout "Jesse" Winchester Jr. (May 17, 1944 – April 11, 2014) was an American-Canadian musician and songwriter. He was born and raised in the southern United States. Opposed to the Vietnam War, he moved to Canada in 1967 to avoid ...

wrote and recorded a song called "Biloxi", for which he was inspired by a few images he saw of the city. The song was recorded by

country rock Country rock is a music genre that fuses rock and country. It was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal sty ...

singer

Iain Matthews Iain Matthews (born Ian Matthews MacDonald, 16 June 1946) is an English musician and singer-songwriter. He was an original member of the British folk rock band Fairport Convention from 1967 to 1969 before leaving to form his own band, Matthew ...

for his 1974 album ''

Some Days You Eat the Bear ''Some Days You Eat the Bear and Some Days the Bear Eats You'' is the 1974 album by country rock/folk rock musician Ian Matthews. The original vinyl album was released worldwide by Elektra Records, the second of two Ian Matthews solo albums re ...

''. * On his largest-selling regular album, '' Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes'' (1977),

Jimmy Buffett James William Buffett (December 25, 1946 – September 1, 2023) was an American singer-songwriter, author, and businessman. He was known for his tropical rock sound and persona, which often portrayed a lifestyle described as "island escapis ...

included a cover of "Biloxi" (see above); also, a compilation album of his digitally remastered greatest hits was released in 1995 called ''

Biloxi Biloxi ( ; ) is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. It lies on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast in southern Mississippi, bordering the city of Gulfport, Mississippi, Gulfport to its west. The adjacent cities ar ...

''. * The song "Louisiana", by The Loved Ones, is about the rebuilding of the hurricane ravaged areas on the Gulf Coast. Louisiana, Biloxi, and Alabama are specifically used by name. * From 1990 to 1994, Biloxi served as home to the Miss Teen USA Pageant. * American journalist and essayist

Joan Didion Joan Didion (; December 5, 1934 – December 23, 2021) was an American writer and journalist. She is considered one of the pioneers of New Journalism, along with Gay Talese, Truman Capote, Norman Mailer, Hunter S. Thompson, and Tom Wolfe. Didio ...

mentioned Biloxi and the Edgewater Plaza mall in her 1979 collection of essays '' The White Album''. Didion also wrote about her visit to the city in 1970 in her book ''

South and West ''South and West: From a Notebook'' is a 2017 non-fiction book authored by Joan Didion, with a preface by Nathaniel Rich. It is based on notes Didion took while traveling in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana in the 1970s as well as her sense of ...

'', published in 2017. * Order of Mithras Carnival Association, since 1924. * The tradition of the

Blessing of the Fleet The Blessing of the Fleet is a tradition that began centuries ago in Mediterranean fishing communities. The practice began predominantly Catholic, but is now practiced by all Christians as a blessing from the local priest and pastors that is mean ...

, going back to 1929, takes place every year in late May/early June before the shrimp seasons to usher in a safe and prosperous season for each boat. The event is connected with the Shrimp festival as well as the ceremonial dropping of a

wreath A wreath () is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs, or various materials that is constructed to form a ring shape. In English-speaking countries, wreaths are used typically as household ornaments, most commonly as an Advent and C ...

in remembrance of fishermen who have died.

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 (''Cynoscion nebulosus''), also known as speckled trout, is a common estuarine fish found in the southern United States along coasts of Gulf of Mexico and the coastal Atlantic Ocean from Maryland to Florida. While most of these ...

red drum The red drum (''Sciaenops ocellatus''), also known as redfish, channel bass, puppy drum, spottail bass, or simply red, is a game fish found in the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to northern Mexi ...

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

and

king mackerel The king mackerel (''Scomberomorus cavalla'') surmayi or kingfish, is a migratory species of mackerel of the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. It is an important species to both the commercial and recreational fishing industries. Descri ...

flounder Flounders are a group of flatfish species. They are demersal fish, found at the bottom of oceans around the world; some species will also enter estuary, estuaries. Taxonomy The name "flounder" is used for several only distantly related speci ...

, snapper,

grouper Groupers are a diverse group of marine ray-finned fish in the family Epinephelidae, in the order Perciformes. Groupers were long considered a subfamily of the seabasses in Serranidae, but are now treated as distinct. Not all members of this f ...

shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch cartilaginous fish characterized by a ribless endoskeleton, dermal denticles, five to seven gill slits on each side, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the ...

s, and more are all available to anglers during the fishing season. It is not known how Hurricane Katrina affected this

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...

. The

Biloxi Shuckers The Biloxi Shuckers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League (1964–present), Southern League and the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Biloxi, Mississippi, and are named in ref ...

, the Double-A Southern League affiliate of the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

play at

Keesler Federal Park Keesler Federal Park, formerly known as MGM Park, is a baseball park in Biloxi, Mississippi. The home of the Double-A (baseball), Double-A Biloxi Shuckers of the Southern League (1964–present), Southern League, it opened on June 6, 2015, and ca ...

. The

Mississippi Sea Wolves The Mississippi Sea Wolves were a professional hockey team based in Biloxi, Mississippi, and played in the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. The Sea Wolves were members of the ECHL. The Sea Wolves were founded in 1996 and had considerable success ove ...

of the

Federal Prospects Hockey League The Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) is a professional ice hockey independent minor league with teams in the Midwestern, Southern, and Northeastern United States. The FPHL began operations in November 2010 as the Federal Hockey League. ...

have played at the

Mississippi Coast Coliseum Mississippi Coast Coliseum is an 11,500-seat reserved seating, 15,000 festival seating, multi-purpose arena in Biloxi, Mississippi. It was built in 1977. It hosted the World Championship Wrestling, WCW Beach Blast in 1993 and the Sun Belt Confere ...

since 2022. Biloxi was previously home to the original Sea Wolves team of the

ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a minor professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...

, and the

Mississippi Surge The Mississippi Surge were a professional hockey team in the Southern Professional Hockey League that began play in the 2009–10 season and folded on May 2, 2014. Playing for five seasons, the Surge was based in Biloxi, Mississippi, Biloxi and h ...

of the

Southern Professional Hockey League The SPHL (formerly the Southern Professional Hockey League) is a professional ice hockey independent minor league based in Huntersville, North Carolina, with teams located primarily in the southeastern United States as well as Illinois and Indian ...

. Biloxi was the host city of the 2009 Women's

World Military Cup The World Military Cup is an international association football competition contested by national military teams. Organized by the International Military Sports Council (CISM), the tournament was first held in 1946 under the title World Military ...

. Biloxi City Futbol Club is set to join the Louisiana Premier League for the fall of 2016.

Government

The Bolton State Office Building in Biloxi includes the headquarters of the

Mississippi Department of Marine Resources The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) is a state agency of Mississippi headquartered in the Eldon Bolton State Office building in Biloxi, Mississippi. It was created by the legislature as a new state agency in 1994 to manage Missis ...

and the South Regional Office of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

operates the Biloxi Post Office and other area post offices.

Education

The city is served by the

Biloxi Public School District The Biloxi Public School District is a public school district based in Biloxi, Mississippi. Most of the district serves Biloxi. Schools High school *Grades 9-12 ** Biloxi Senior High School Junior high schools *Grades 7-8 **Biloxi Junior High ...

and the

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

. The Gulf Coast has a large Catholic school system, 15 of which are in Biloxi.

Media

Biloxi has one daily newspaper, the ''

Sun Herald The ''Sun Herald'' is a U.S. newspaper based in Biloxi, Mississippi, that serves readers along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The paper's current executive editor and general manager is Blake Kaplan, and its headquarters is in the city of Gulfpo ...

'', which is headquartered in nearby Gulfport. 20 FM and 7 AM radio stations operate in and/or serve the Biloxi area. According to

Nielsen Media Research Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...

, the Biloxi market, as of the 2015–2016 season, is the third largest of five television markets in Mississippi, and the 158th largest in the country. Three major television stations serve the Biloxi area.

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

and

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

affiliate

WLOX WLOX (channel 13) is a television station licensed to Biloxi, Mississippi, United States, serving the Mississippi Gulf Coast as an affiliate of ABC and CBS. It is owned by Gray Media alongside low-power MeTV affiliate WTBL-LD (channel 51) ...

13 and

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

/ MPB member station WMAH-TV 19 are located in Biloxi, while

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

MyNetworkTV MyNetworkTV (stylized as mynetworkTV; unofficially abbreviated MNT or MNTV) is an American commercial broadcast television syndication service and former television network owned by Fox Corporation, operated by its Fox Television Stations ...

affiliate

WXXV-TV WXXV-TV (channel 25) is a television station licensed to Gulfport, Mississippi, United States, serving the Mississippi Gulf Coast as an affiliate of Fox, MyNetworkTV, NBC and The CW Plus. The station is owned by Morris Multimedia, and mainta ...

25 is located in Gulfport. In addition to the stations' main programming, WLOX and WXXV-TV broadcast programming from other networks on digital subchannels. WLOX-DT2 serves as the market's

affiliate, while WXXV-TV operates the market's respective

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

and CW affiliates on DT2 and DT3.

Transportation

Biloxi is served by the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport in Gulfport. The Coast Transit Authority provides bus service to the region with fixed-route and paratransit services. Biloxi's main highway is

U.S. Highway 90 U.S. Route 90 or U.S. Highway 90 (US 90) is an east–west major United States highway in the Southern United States. Despite the "0" in its route number, US 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route. It generally travels near Int ...

(Beach Boulevard), which runs along the beach and by the casinos. It connects the city to Gulfport and points westward and to

and

Pascagoula The Pascagoula (also Pascoboula, Pacha-Ogoula, Pascagola, Pascaboula, Paskaguna) were an indigenous group living in coastal Mississippi on the Pascagoula River. The name ''Pascagoula'' is a Choctaw term meaning "bread eater". Choctaw native Am ...

to the east. The

Biloxi Bay Bridge The Biloxi Bay Bridge is a bridge in the U.S. state of Mississippi which carries U.S. Route 90 in Mississippi, U.S. Route 90 (US 90) over Biloxi Bay between Biloxi, Mississippi, Biloxi and Ocean Springs, Mississippi, Ocean Springs. Th ...

, connecting Biloxi and Ocean Springs, was rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina, and was fully reopened in April 2008.

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...

passes through the northern sections of the city, leading west to

and east to

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...

. Interstate 110 splits off from I-10 at D'Iberville 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. North–south highways serving the area include: *

Mississippi Highway 15 Mississippi Highway 15 (MS 15) is a state highway in Mississippi. At almost , it is the longest highway in the Mississippi Highway System. MS 15 is divided into two sections due to a large gap between Stone County and Perry County. The south ...

(runs concurrently with I-110 for the first few miles) * Mississippi Highway 67

Notable people

Jessica Alba Jessica Marie Alba ( ; born April 28, 1981) is an American actress and businesswoman. She began her acting career at age 13 in ''Camp Nowhere'', followed up by ''The Secret World of Alex Mack'' (both 1994), and rose to prominence at age 19 as ...

, model and actress, lived in Biloxi while her father was stationed at

* Lionel Antoine,

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

third overall pick in 1972 NFL Draft *

Laura Bailey Laura Bailey (born May 28, 1981) is an American voice actress. She made her voice acting debut as Trunks (Dragon Ball), Kid Trunks in the Funimation dub of ''Dragon Ball Z'' and has since voiced List of Gunslinger Girl characters#First Generati ...

, voice actress and the wife of

Travis Willingham Travis Willingham is an American voice actor known for his character portrayals in video games and English anime Dubbing, dubs. His notable roles include Roy Mustang in the ''Fullmetal Alchemist'' franchise, Cleo in ''Glass Fleet'', Ginko in ''L ...

* Matt Barlow, heavy metal singer * Alan Belcher, MMA fighter with UFC * Belladonna (actress), Belladonna, retired pornographic actress, director, producer, and model * Jimmy Bertrand, jazz drummer * Malcolm Brown (American football), Malcolm Brown, NFL running back for Los Angeles Rams * Hector Camacho, world champion boxer * Isaiah Canaan, NBA point guard, KK Crvena zvezda * Chris Carson, NFL running back for Seattle Seahawks * Gary Collins (actor), Gary Collins, actor and television personality * Jefferson Davis, U.S. Army general and West Point graduate; U.S. Secretary of War (Defense); only president of Confederate States of America * Gwen Dickey, singer best known as the front-woman of the R&B band Rose Royce * Ronald Dupree, professional basketball player * Leonard Fairley, football player * Damion Fletcher, University of Southern Mississippi running back * The Gambler (wrestler), Jeff Gann, professional wrestler known as "The Gambler" * Mary S. Graham, academic administrator * Fred Haise, Apollo 13 and Space Shuttle Enterprise, Space Shuttle ''Enterprise'' astronaut * Ted Hawkins, singer-songwriter * Michael Janus, Mississippi state legislator * Tim Jones (American football), wide receiver NFL player for Jacksonville Jaguars * Chris LeDoux, country singer * Barry Lyons (baseball), Barry Lyons, catcher for New York Mets * James Millhollin, character actor, died in Biloxi in 1993 * Mark Miloscia, former Washington State Senate, Washington State Senator * Mary Ann Mobley, actress and Miss America * Russell D. Moore, President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) * Francis D. Moran, third director of NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps * Jack Nelson (journalist), Jack Nelson, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who began career at Biloxi ''Daily Herald'' * George E. Ohr, groundbreaking potter and father of American Abstract-Expressionism movement * Mathieu Olivier, ice hockey player * Chuck Pfarrer, former Navy SEAL, Hollywood screenwriter, New York Times best selling author, novelist * Eric Roberts, Oscar-nominated actor, brother of Oscar-winning actress Julia Roberts, and father of actress Emma Roberts * Wes Shivers, NFL player for Tennessee Titans and mixed martial artist * John Kennedy Toole, author of ''A Confederacy of Dunces'', committed suicide in Biloxi in 1969 * Brenda Venus, model and actress

Filming location

Several films have been produced in Biloxi, including: *''Stone Cold (1991 film), Stone Cold'', 1991 film starring Brian Bosworth. *''Mississippi Masala'', 1992 film starring Denzel Washington. *''Arsenal (2017 film), Arsenal'', 2017 film starring Adrian Grenier, John Cusack, and Nicolas Cage. *''Vanquish (film), Vanquish'', 2021 film starring Morgan Freeman and Ruby Rose.

References

External links

*
Photographs and Video of Hurricane Katrina's Aftermath
from photosfromkatrina.com * {{Authority control Biloxi, Mississippi, Populated places established in 1720 Cities in Mississippi Cities in Harrison County, Mississippi Gambling in Mississippi Former colonial and territorial capitals in the United States County seats in Mississippi Gulfport–Biloxi metropolitan area French-American culture in Mississippi Populated coastal places in Mississippi 1720 establishments in the French colonial empire Mississippi placenames of Native American origin