Ocean Springs, Mississippi
| Ocean Springs, Mississippi | ||
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| City | ||
| City of Ocean Springs | ||
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| Nickname(s): City of Discovery | ||
 Location of Ocean Springs, Mississippi |
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 Ocean Springs, Mississippi
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| Coordinates: 30°24′36″N 88°47′51″W / 30.41000°N 88.79750°WCoordinates: 30°24′36″N 88°47′51″W / 30.41000°N 88.79750°W | ||
| Country |  United States of America |
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| State |
 Mississippi
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| County | Jackson | |
| Unofficially incorporated (settlement) | April, 1699 | |
| Incorporated (village) | 1843 | |
| Incorporated (city) | September 9, 1892 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Commission-Manager | |
| • Mayor | Connie Moran | |
| • Commissioners | Rickey Authement, Dr. W.F. Pontius, and Melanie Allen | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 15.2 sq mi (39.5 km2) | |
| • Land | 11.6 sq mi (30.1 km2) | |
| • Water | 3.6 sq mi (9.3 km2) | |
| Elevation | 23 ft (7 m) | |
| Population (2010) | ||
| • Total | 17,442 | |
| • Estimate (2012) | 17,461 | |
| • Density | 1,524/sq mi (588/km2) | |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) | |
| ZIP codes | 39564-39566 | |
| Area code(s) | 228 | |
| FIPS code | 28-53520 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0675137 | |
| Website | www.oceansprings-ms.gov | |
Ocean Springs is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, about 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Biloxi and west of Gautier. It is part of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 17,225 at the 2000 U.S. Census. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the city of Ocean Springs had a population of 17,442.
The town has a reputation as an arts community. The town was recently voted as a top 10 Happiest Seaside Towns by Coastal Living. Its historic and secluded downtown area, with streets lined by live oak trees, is home to several art galleries and shops. It is also home to a number of ethnic restaurants relatively uncommon in surrounding communities.
Ocean Springs was the hometown of the late Walter Inglis Anderson, a nationally renowned painter and muralist who died in 1965 from lung cancer. The town plays host to several festivals, including its Peter Anderson Festival and The Herb Festival.
Ocean Springs was severely damaged on August 29, 2005, by Hurricane Katrina, which destroyed many buildings along the shoreline, including the Ocean Springs Yacht Club, and the wooden replica of Fort Maurepas, and gutted or flooded other buildings. Katrina's 28 ft (8.5 m) storm surge also destroyed the Biloxi Bay Bridge, which connected Biloxi to Ocean Springs.
The settlement of Fort Maurepas or Old Biloxi, in colonial French Louisiana (New France), began in April 1699 at present-day Ocean Springs, under the authority of King Louis XIV, as Fort Maurepas by Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville. It was the first permanent French outpost in French Louisiana and was established as a foothold to prevent Spanish encroachment on France's colonial claims. The site was maintained well into the early 18th century.
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