Formed December 31, 1830 (26th county)
Lowndes County (58,882), Columbus (24,070)
The Classical Revival red brick courthouse was built in 1847 and remodeled in 1901 and 1976. The building is on 2nd Avenue between 5th and 6th streets. United States Highway 45 Business passes as 5th Street. It features a tower and working clock. James S. Lull is the architect. A Justice Center was added in 2012. Lowndes County was founded on December 31, 1830 from parts of Monroe County and Native American Territory as the 26th county. Columbus has always been the county seat. The county is named for Congressman William Jones Lowndes. The county seat is named for explorer Christopher Columbus.
Lowndes 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.) Three Chancery Court Judges serve Lowndes, Chickasaw, Clay, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, and Webster counties, Three District Court Judges serve Lowndes, Clay, Noxubee, and Oktibbeha counties, and One County Court Judge and a court clerk serve Lowndes County (judicial.) Lowndes County is on the eastern border with Alabama. Jackson, Mississippi is southwest and Birmingham, Alabama is east of the county. The county center is in Columbus 2.7 miles South-Southwest of the city center. The county is surrounded clockwise by Monroe County and Alabama and Noxubee, Oktibbeha, and Clay counties.
The area of the county is 502 square miles. It is 48 out of 82 in the state. It ranks 12 out of 82 in population in the state. It has a density of 117.3 persons per square mile making it 10 out of 82 in the state. Lowndes County has 44.1% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 45 goes north to south through the county from Monroe County to Noxubee County. United States Highway 45 Alternate travels north to south from Clay County to Noxubee County. United States Highway 82 passes east to west from Alabama to Oktibbeha County. The county’s overall shape looks like a reclining chair. Columbus is in the eastern half of the county. Columbus is the county seat and the largest city. It is 40.9% of the county population. The county is pronounced LOHN-DES. This county is in the Columbus Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Artesia
Caledonia
Columbus
Crawford
