DeSoto

Formed February 9, 1836 (47^th county)

DeSoto County (185,317), Hernando (17,135), Southaven (54,647)

The red brick Colonial Revival courthouse was built in 1941 on a square at United States Highway 51, Commerce, Caffey, and Losier streets.  There was an 1872 version of the courthouse.  Robert W. Naef is the building designer featuring columns.  The building was enlarged in 1985.  A County Administration building was added in 2000.  The county is named for explorer Hernando De Soto.  He is also the source of the county seat’s name.  The county was formed on February 9, 1836 originally as Jefferson from parts of Monroe and Washington counties as the 47^th county.  Hernando has always been the county seat. 

DeSoto County government consists of a sheriff and 5 Supervisors.  Three Chancery Court Judges serve DeSoto, Grenada, Montgomery, Panola, Tate, and Yalobusha counties, Four District Court Judges serve DeSoto, Panola, Tallahatchie, Tate, and Yalobusha counties, and One County Court Judge serves DeSoto County.  The county is in the northwest corner of the state.  Memphis, Tennessee is directly north of the county.  Tennessee is on its northern border and Arkansas is on its western border.  The county center is 7.7 miles North-Northeast of Hernando in Southaven.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Tennessee and Marshall, Tate, and Tunica counties and Arkansas. 

The area of the county is 478 square miles.  It is 52 out of 82 in the state.  It ranks 3 out of 82 in population in the state.  It has a density of 387.7 persons per square mile making it 1 out of 82 in the state.  DeSoto County has 78.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 55 travels north to south through the county from Tennessee to Tate County.  United States Highway 51 parallels Interstate Highway 55 from Tennessee to Tate County.  United States Highway 61 goes north to south from Tennessee to Tunica County.  United States Highway 78 cuts the northeast corner from Tennessee, north, to Marshall County, east.  The county looks like a hand with two fingers sticking west.  Hernando is slightly south of center in the county.  Southaven is on the northern border of the county.  Hernando is the county seat and Southaven is the largest city.  Hernando is 9.3% of the county population while Southaven is 29.5% of the county population.  The county is pronounced DE SOE-TOE.  The county seat is pronounced HER-NAN-DOE.  This county is in the Memphis Metropolitan Statistical Area.