Mississippi

Formed November 1, 1833 (24^th county)

Mississippi County (40,692), Blytheville (13,408), Osceola (6,974)

Two courthouses serve this county.  Blytheville has a tan brick and masonry governmental structure built in 1919.  Osceola has a magnificent domed courthouse built in 1912 and restored in 1991.  Blytheville’s structure is at Walnut and 2^nd streets.  United States Highway 61 is three blocks west of the site.  Selligman and Ellesvard were the Blytheville Classical Revival style courthouse designers.  Osceola’s building is on Hale Street between Walnut and Poplar streets.  Walnut Street is United States Highway 61.  John Gaisford designed the Osceola courthouse in Beaux Arts style.  Osceola has been the county seat since 1833 replacing Chickasawba Bluff.  Blytheville became the shared county seat in 1902 and has had two courthouses.  Mississippi County was formed on November 1, 1833 from Crittenden County as the 22^nd county.  The county’s name comes from the river, which makes the eastern border.  Osceola got its name for the Seminole Native American Chief.  Blytheville was named for settler, Reverend Henry T. Blythe. 

Mississippi County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, treasurer, and coroner (executive).  It has 11 Quorum Court members (legislative.)  Eleven Circuit Court Judges serve Mississippi, Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Greene and Poinsett counties and Two District Court Judges, an Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Mississippi County (judicial.)  The county is in the far northeast bordering Tennessee on the east and Missouri on the north.  Jonesboro, Arkansas is west and Memphis, Tennessee is southeast.  The center of the county is 12.3 miles Southwest of Blytheville nearer Manila.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Missouri and Tennessee and Crittenden, Poinsett, and Craighead counties.  The county has a vase shape with a straight side on the west.  Blytheville is located in the extreme northeast of the county.  Osceola is in the far east, central part of the county on the Mississippi River.  Blytheville is one of the county seats and the largest city.  Osceola is the other county seat.  Blytheville is 33.0% of the county population while Osceola is 17.1% of the county population.  The county seats are pronounced BLIETH-VIL and O-CEE-O-LA.   

The area of the county is 919.7 square miles.  It is 7 of 75 in size.  It ranks 18 out of 75 in population in the state.  It has a density of 44.2 persons per square mile making it 21 out of 75 in the state.  Mississippi County has 81.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 55 crosses from the north to the south, Missouri to Crittenden County.  United States Highway 61 parallels Interstate Highway 55 from Missouri to Crittenden County.  The county is in the Blytheville Micropolitan Statistical Area.