Hinds

Formed January 1, 1821 (17^th county)

Hinds County (227,750), Jackson (153,705), Raymond (1,942)

The governmental masonry and concrete Jackson Art Deco courthouse was built in 1931 and sits on Pascagoula Street between President Street and Congress Street.  United States Highway 51 is one block to the east of the site.  The Jackson courthouse was renovated in 1988.  The Raymond courthouse is on Oak Street at Main Street.  Mississippi State Highway 467 is Main Street in the town.  There was also a 1902 courthouse in Jackson.  The Jackson courthouse was designed by Claude H. Lindsley.  The Raymond white brick courthouse was constructed in 1857 using the designs of William Weldon.  A Chauncey Court building was added in Jackson in 1955.  An annex was built in Raymond in 1949.  Both facilities feature veteran’s memorials.  The county was formed on January 1, 1821 from Native American Territory as the 17^th county.  Jackson and Raymond have both been the county seat since 1821.  The county is named for Congressman Thomas Hinds.  Jackson is named for United States President Andrew Jackson.  He is also the namesake of Jackson County.  Raymond is named for landowner, General Raymond Robinson.  Hinds County was the birthplace for 1 Mississippi Governor, John B. Williams.  The Mississippi state capitol is located in this county. 

Hinds 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.)  Four Chancery Court Judges, Two District Court Judges, Three County Court Judges and a court clerk serve Hinds County (judicial.) The county is in western Mississippi.  Memphis, Tennessee is north and New Orleans, Louisiana is south of the county.  The county center is 13.1 miles West-Southwest of Jackson nearer Raymond.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Madison, Rankin, Simpson, Copiah, Claiborne, Warren, and Yazoo counties. 

The area of the county is 869 square miles.  It is 3 out of 82 in the state.  It ranks 1 out of 82 in population in the state.  It has a density of 262.1 persons per square mile making it 3 out of 82 in the state.  Hinds County has 87.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 20 crosses the county east to west from Rankin County to Warren County.  Interstate Highway 55 passes north to south from Madison County to Copiah County.  United States Highway 49 travels northwest to southeast from Madison County to Rankin County.  United States Highway 51 parallels Interstate Highway 55 from Madison to Copiah counties.  United States Highway 80 enters from Rankin County, east, and joins Interstate Highway 20 into Warren County, west.  The county is shaped like a fat pistol facing east.  Jackson occupies most of the eastern border and extends into Madison and Rankin counties.  Raymond is slightly east of center in the county.  Jackson is one of the county seats and the largest city.  Raymond is the other county seat.  Jackson is 67.5% of the county population while Raymond is 0.9% of the county population.  The county is pronounced HIENZ.  This county is in the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.