Formed January 5, 1819 (15th county)
Covington County (18,339), Collins (2,338)
The red/tan brick Classical Revival courthouse was built in 1907 on a square at Dogwood Avenue, 1st Street, Elm Avenue, and Main Street. United States Highway 84 Business is Main Street. William S. Hull is the building architect. The building was renovated in 1982 and restored in 2005. The structure features columns. A Chauncey Court building was added in 1994. The county was created on January 5, 1819 and named for Congressman Leonard Covington. The county came for parts of Lawrence and Wayne counties as the 15th county. Speedtown, Williamsburg, and Collins have all served as the county seat. The county seat is named for United States Marshall Fred W. Collins.
Covington County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a collector, a coroner, an assessor and a clerk (executive). It has 5 Supervisors (legislative.) Two Chancery Court Judges serve Covington, Jefferson Davis, Lawrence, Simpson, and Smith counties, Two District Court Judges serve Covington, Jasper, Simpson, and Smith counties and a court clerk serve Covington County (judicial.) The county is in the southern part of the state. Jackson, Mississippi is northwest of the county. The county center is in Collins 3 miles Northwest of the city center. The county is surrounded clockwise by Smith, Jones, Forrest, Lamar, Jefferson Davis, and Simpson counties.
The area of the county is 414 square miles. It is 72 out of 82 in the state. It ranks 50 out of 82 in population in the state. It has a density of 44.3 persons per square mile making it 40 out of 82 in the state. Covington County has 19.2% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 49 goes northwest to southeast in the county from Simpson County to Forrest County. United States Highway 84 crosses east to west from Jones County to Jefferson Davis County. The county looks like a funnel slanting east. Collins is located near the center of the county. Collins is the county seat and the largest city. It is 12.8% of the county population.
Collins
Mount Olive
Seminary
