Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Bay St. Louis is a small city in Hancock County, Mississippi, on the Gulf Coast. It sits on the western shore of the Bay of St. Louis and is part of the Gulfport-Biloxi metropolitan area. In 2020, about 9,284 people lived there.
History and culture: The first European settlers were French, and their influence remains in the city. A Louisiana Creole community formed there, mixing people of African, French, and other backgrounds. The county is named after John Hancock, a Founding Father of the United States.
Geography: The city covers about 26.6 square miles, with roughly 14.7 square miles of land and 11.9 square miles of water. It lies near the Jourdan River and the bay, close to Pass Christian and Diamondhead.
Weather: The area has a humid subtropical climate, with hot summers and mild to cool winters.
Big storms: Hurricane Camille hit in 1969, and Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, causing major damage. The 2005 storm surge reached around 30 feet in some places. The Bay St. Louis Bridge was damaged and rebuilt, and the new bridge has a pedestrian walkway with an art walk featuring local artists. The library was damaged but reopened in October 2005.
Education: Most of the city is served by the Bay St. Louis-Waveland School District; Bay High School is there. Private Catholic schools include Saint Stanislaus College and Our Lady Academy. All of Hancock County is in the Pearl River Community College service area.
Transport: Amtrak’s Mardi Gras Service runs between Mobile, Alabama and New Orleans, Louisiana.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 17:17 (CET).