Kosciusko, Mississippi

**Kosciusko**  is a city in Attala County, Mississippi, United States. James Meredith and Oprah Winfrey were born there. The population was 7,114 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Attala County.

## Name

Kosciusko is named for General Tadeusz Kościuszko, a Polish-Lithuanian officer. He served with the Continental Army during the American Revolution. His name was changed to 'Kosciusko' to make it easier to write in English. The settlement was originally named Red Bud Springs for one of three natural springs that were in the city.

## History

Kosciusko first developed along the historic Natchez Trace used by generations of Native Americans and later European settlers. The modern Natchez Trace Parkway also passes through the city.

During the 19th century, cotton was the most common crop. It is still important in the area.

Magnolia Bible College was in the city from 1976 to 2008. Kosciusko is the birthplace of civil rights activist James Meredith and TV series host and cultural leader Oprah Winfrey.

Kosciusko has hosted the Central Mississippi Fair for over 100 years.

## Geography

Kosciusko is at  (33.058108, -89.588301), along the Yockanookany River. It is northeast of Jackson and southwest of Starkville. It is 20 miles / 32 kilometers from I-55 at Durant.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the area of Kosciusko is .   is land and 0.13% is water.

## Education

The city of Kosciusko is part of the Kosciusko School District.

## Blues Highway

Kosciusko has been part of the Mississippi Blues Trail since 2009.

## Notable people

- Dave Barnes, singer-songwriter and musician for Razor & Tie
- Billy Ray Bates, former NBA shooting guard for the Portland Trail Blazers, the Washington Bullets, and the Los Angeles Lakers. He also played in several other countries, most notably for the Crispa Redmanizers and Ginebra San Miguel of the Philippine Basketball Association.
- Eva Webb Dodd, Anna Boyd Ellington, and Mary Comfort Leonard, founders of the Delta Gamma fraternity
- Clarence Harmon, former NFL walking back for the Washington Redskins
- James Meredith, civil rights leader
- Charlie Musselwhite, blues harmonica player and band leader
- Topher Payne, playwright
- Oprah Winfrey, television host, personality, and cultural leader
- Marc Woodard, former NFL linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles

## Climate

The climate is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.  According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Kosciusko has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

The data below are from the WRCC, compiled from 1893 to the time this chart was created (July 2018).

## Other websites

- City of Kosciusko official website

## Infobox (settlement)

- **official name**: Kosciusko, Mississippi
- **settlement type**: City
- **image skyline**: KoscuiskoMSWelcomeSign.jpg
- **image caption**: Welcome sign located on Mississippi Highway 12
- **blank emblem type**: Logo
- **image map**: Attala_County_Mississippi_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Kosciusko_Highlighted.svg
- **mapsize**: 250px
- **map caption**: Location of Kosciusko, Mississippi
- **subdivision type**: List of sovereign states, Country
- **subdivision name**: United States
- **subdivision type1**: U.S. state, State
- **subdivision name1**: Mississippi
- **subdivision type2**: List of counties in Mississippi, County
- **subdivision name2**: Attala County, Mississippi, Attala
- **unit pref**: Imperial
- **area total km2**: 19.56
- **area land km2**: 19.53
- **area water km2**: 0.02
- **area total sq mi**: 7.55
- **area land sq mi**: 7.54
- **area water sq mi**: 0.01
- **population as of**: 2020 United States Census, 2020
- **population total**: 7114
- **population density km2**: 364.22
- **population density sq mi**: 943.38
- **named for**: Tadeusz Kościuszko
- **timezone**: North American Central Time Zone, Central (CST)
- **utc offset**: -6
- **timezone dst**: CDT
- **utc offset dst**: -5
- **elevation m**: 146
- **elevation ft**: 479
- **postal code type**: ZIP code
- **postal code**: 39090
- **area code**: Area code 662, 662
- **blank name**: Federal Information Processing Standard, FIPS code
- **blank info**: 28-38320
- **blank1 name**: Geographic Names Information System, GNIS feature ID
- **blank1 info**: 0672213