STONE COUNTY, MS
County Offices
323 East Cavers Avenue
Wiggins 601-928-5266
https://www.stonecounty.com
Chamber of Commerce
115 Hatten Avenue E
Wiggins 601-928-5418
https://www.stonecounty.com
Rural Stone County welcomes newcomers to country pleasures, small-town living, close proximity to urban advantages, and a growing base of thriving business and industries. Timber and related industries are traditional economic drivers, joined today by manufacturing, trade, leisure and hospitality, healthcare, and educational enterprises. The majority of Stone County residents are commuters to regional employment centers, returning each evening to the quiet countryside. Recent years have seen residential growth within the county, which offers a sparsely populated inland location near the Gulf Coast’s heavily populated cities.
Services
Stone County provides opportunities for residents of all ages to access quality educational experiences, from the public school system to the main campus for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston. MGCCC meets the needs of a diverse student body with two-year university transfer programs, career and technical programs, workforce development, and lifelong-learning courses. Consistently listed among the Top 100 associate degree producers in the nation, MGCCC is a frequent finalist for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. The sleepy rural community of Perkinston is just five miles from the county seat of Wiggins, providing a picturesque setting for MGCCC’s only residential campus with comprehensive amenities and a vibrant student life. Just 37 miles north of Wiggins, Hattiesburg offers the main campus for the University of Southern Mississippi, with nationally recognized programs such as polymer science, chemistry, fine arts, business administration, computer science, and nursing. USM is also well known for having the largest ROTC program in the nation. Hattiesburg is also home to the main campus for William Carey University, a highly respected institution that offers diverse undergraduate and graduate programs that now include a College of Osteopathic Medicine—the first in Mississippi. Adjacent Hancock County is the proud home of the Center of Learning at Stennis Space Center, a consortium of three universities and one community college for a coordinated approach to interdisciplinary education that benefits the entire Gulf Coast region.
Quality healthcare is available locally at Stone County Hospital and Clinic, where a highly skilled team utilizes the latest in technology to deliver compassionate, patient-centered care. The 32,000-square-foot hospital and adjacent 13,000-square-foot clinic provide a continuum of care that includes inpatient, extended stay, outpatient, clinical services, and 24-hour emergency care. Serving a regional population that includes Stone County, George Regional Hospital in Lucedale provides a 24-hour Level IV trauma unit and advancements that include nuclear stress testing, a 16-slice CT scanner, and laparoscopic or minimally invasive surgical procedures. Bay Saint Louis is home to the 104-bed Hancock Medical Center, part of the nationally recognized Ochsner Health System with access to Ochsner physicians for primary and family care. Gulfport Memorial Hospital features a 303-bed, acute-care hospital with a 33-bed inpatient rehabilitation unit, an outpatient surgery center, medical offices, and satellite outpatient diagnostic centers. Gulfport is also home to Garden Park Medical Center, a 130-bed, acute-care hospital with a welcoming Family Birth Center. Select Specialty Hospital, also in Gulfport, focuses on caring for patients with acute or chronic respiratory disorders. Biloxi is home to Biloxi Regional Medical Center and the sprawling medical campus for the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System.
Lifestyle
Newcomers to Stone County will discover friendly rural communities anchored by the leading City of Wiggins—still a small town by most standards. Convenient shops and services, a community hospital, and a wonderful local library with free public computer and Internet access are a few of the amenities. Residents of Stone County enjoy country pleasures, farm-fresh produce, quiet streets, unspoiled landscapes, lush greenery, towering trees, and spectacular recreational sites just beyond their front doorstep. While this area offers a refreshing change from urban bustle, it is in no way isolated from cosmopolitan amenities. Easy commutes to Gulf Coast destinations including Gulfport-Biloxi provide expanded shopping in contemporary malls and exclusive boutiques, stellar entertainment, and cultural enrichment in performing and visual arts. Regional first-class family attractions include the nationally recognized Lynn Meadows Discovery Center in Gulfport and INFINITY at the NASA Stennis Space Center, a 72,000-square-foot science center filled with opportunities to explore and discover.
Stone County is brimming over with scenic backdrops for outdoor enjoyment from deep forests to sparkling lakes and rolling rivers. The Desoto National Forest near Wiggins offers a 19-mile Bethel Mountain Biking Trail and the 41-mile Black Creek Wilderness Hiking Trail through pristine terrain—one of the premier trails in the entire Southeast. Landings are available for boating and swimming, while the Black Creek Scenic River invites canoeing and kayaking along 100 miles of wilderness beauty. Developed recreational amenities include beautiful Blaylock Park in the downtown district, Wiggins Skate Park, and the regional attraction of Flint Creek Waterpark & Campgrounds. Covering 1,900 acres, this expansive outdoor playground includes a 600-acre lake with 13 miles of shoreline for boating, water-skiing, and swimming along with world-class fishing. Flint Creek’s Water Town combines kiddy and adult waterslides, while camping and picnicking is available around the four seasons. Golfers will appreciate the jewel of Pine Burr Country Club in a landscape of rolling hills, towering pines and abundant water features. Those who are looking for a rural paradise in close proximity to big-city amenities may find the ideal small community or country retreat in Stone County.
COMMUNITY PROFILES
Wiggins, Perkinston, McHenry
City Offices
601-928-7221
https://www.cityofwiggins.com
Chamber of Commerce
601-928-5418
https://www.stonecounty.com
Taking for its slogan “Gateway to the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” the charming City of Wiggins is the hub of commerce, healthcare, and government for Stone County. Less than an hour’s drive from Hattiesburg and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, residents enjoy small-town living and country charm in a growing community. The downtown district is a centerpiece of activity, home to unique local treasures like the lovely Blaylock Park, wonderful boutiques, and Serendipity—an antique shop and popular deli where Telling Trees actors relate stories from the area’s colorful past. This wonderful small city is a gracious host for annual celebrations and colorful events like the Mardi Gras Parade, the Christmas Parade, and Fourth of July Fireworks on Flint Creek. Just five miles south of Wiggins, the unincorporated rural community of Perkinston is best known for the residential campus of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College—home to 10 collegiate sports teams that provide opportunities for spectator sports excitement. The rural community of McHenry is just 10 miles from Wiggins, providing pristine landscapes for new construction and opportunities for spacious country lots or acreage.
