View source for Ridgeland, Mississippi

{{distinguish|Richland, Mississippi}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| image_skyline      = File:This is a photo of downtown Ridgeland,MS.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = Downtown Ridgeland
| image_size         = 
| name               = Ridgeland, Mississippi
| settlement_type    = [[City]]
| image_flag         = Flag of Ridgeland, Mississippi.png
| motto              = 
| image_map          = Madison_County_Mississippi_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Ridgeland_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location in Madison County and the state of Mississippi
| pushpin_map        = Mississippi#USA
| pushpin_label      = Ridgeland
| pushpin_map_caption = 
<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Mississippi]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Mississippi|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Madison County, Mississippi|Madison]]
<!-- Government -->
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = Gene F. McGee ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hawkins |first=Scott |date=2021-02-09 |title=Hawkins-Butler, McGee unopposed in mayoral races |url=https://www.onlinemadison.com/stories/hawkins-butler-mcgee-unopposed,32812 |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=Madison County Journal |language=en}}</ref>
| established_title  = City
| established_date   = 
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2023">{{cite web |title=2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Mississippi |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2023_Gazetteer/2023_gaz_place_28.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |accessdate=February 20, 2024}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 
| area_land_km2      = 
| area_water_km2     = 
| area_total_sq_mi   = 28.06
| area_land_sq_mi    = 26.26
| area_water_sq_mi   = 1.80
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_note    = 
| population_total   = 24340
| population_footnotes = <ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=&g=1600000US2862520&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P1| title=P1. Race – Ridgeland city, Mississippi: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| access-date=February 20, 2024}}</ref>
| population_density_km2 = 
| population_density_sq_mi = 926.9
<!-- General information -->
| timezone           = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc_offset         = &minus;6
| timezone_DST       = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]]
| utc_offset_DST     = &minus;5
| coordinates        = {{coord|32|25|12|N|90|7|30|W|region:US-MS_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_footnotes= <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 354
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]s
| postal_code        = 39157, 39158 (Ridgeland)<br/>39110 ([[Madison, Mississippi|Madison]])
| area_code          = [[Area code 601|601]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 28-62520
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2404616<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2404616}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|www.ridgelandms.org}}
| footnotes          = 
}}

'''Ridgeland''' is a city in [[Madison County, Mississippi]], United States. The population was 24,340 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2020"/> It is part of the [[Jackson metropolitan area, Mississippi|Jackson metropolitan area]].

==History==
In 1805, the [[Choctaw]] Indian Agency, headed by [[Silas Dinsmoor]], was located in what is now Ridgeland. The structure was then called "Turner Brashear's Stand" until about 1850. It was adapted for use as a hotel named the King's Inn. During the [[American Civil War]], General [[Stephen D. Lee|Stephen Lee]] used the inn as a headquarters. The hotel continued to operate until 1896, when it was destroyed by fire.

In 1853, James B. Yellowley founded the community of Yellowley's Crossing (later named "Jessamine" after his wife). In 1896, Edward Treakle and Gordon Nichols, two real estate developers from [[Chicago]], purchased the land from Yellowley and established the Highland Colony Company. They created plans for a town to be named "Ridgeland" and launched an advertising campaign to entice people from the northern United States to move south. Agriculture was the community's dominant revenue source, with pears and strawberries as the leading crops grown for sale.

In the early 20th century, Ridgeland was home to a hotel, sawmill, and a canning company. The main business section of Ridgeland was along Jackson Street, due to the [[Illinois Central Railroad]] located on the street. In 1910 a two-room school was created, and the schools combined with those of Madison by 1925. Rapid growth in the city's population began in the 1960s.

[[Northpark Mall (Mississippi)|Northpark Mall]] opened in 1984 and brought more growth to the area. Highland Colony Parkway was built in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visitridgeland.com/about-2/ |title=About Ridgeland &#124; Ridgeland Tourism |website=Visitridgeland.com |date=December 29, 1999 |access-date=May 2, 2017}}</ref>

==Geography==
Ridgeland is a suburban city in southern Madison County, between [[Madison, Mississippi|Madison]] to the north and [[Jackson, Mississippi|Jackson]], the state capital, to the south. The [[Ross Barnett Reservoir]] borders the city to the east.

According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], Ridgeland has a total area of {{convert|28.1|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|26.3|sqmi|km2}} are land and {{convert|1.8|sqmi|1}}, or 6.41%, are water, mostly from Ross Barnett Reservoir, an impoundment on the [[Pearl River (Mississippi–Louisiana)|Pearl River]]. Most of the city drains southward to the Pearl River in Jackson, while the northwest corner of the city is part of the [[Big Black River (Mississippi)|Big Black River]] watershed flowing west to the [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]].

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1910= 158
|1920= 164
|1930= 217
|1940= 233
|1950= 526
|1960= 875
|1970= 1650
|1980= 5461
|1990= 11714
|2000= 20173
|2010= 24047
|2020= 24340
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|author=United States Census Bureau|author-link=United States Census Bureau|access-date=February 5, 2014}}</ref><br>2018 Estimate<ref name="2018 Pop Estimate">{{cite web|title=Population Estimates|url=https://census.gov/data/tables/2018/demo/popest/total-cities-and-towns.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=June 8, 2018}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Ridgeland Racial Composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US2862520&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=2021-12-08|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]]
|11,256
|46.24%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]]
|9,588
|39.39%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|31
|0.13%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|1,029
|4.23%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
|4
|0.02%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|786
|3.23%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|1,646
|6.76%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 24,340 people, 10,632 households, and 6,046 families residing in the city.

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States census]], there were 24,047 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 57.5% White, 32.5% Black, 0.2% Native American, 4.0% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% from some other race and 1.0% from two or more races. 4.7% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]] of 2000, there were 20,173 people, 9,267 households, and 9,022 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,267.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 9,930 housing units at an average density of {{convert|623.9|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 77.05% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 18.44% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.15% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 2.95% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.04% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.55% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.82% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.55% of the population.

There were 9,267 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.8% were non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.4% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 40.3% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.

The median incomes for a household in the city was $43,066, and the median income for a family was $59,249. Males had a median income of $40,632 versus $29,634 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $28,704. About 5.5% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

==Economy==
[[Bomgar]], a tech company,<ref name=bomgarcontact>{{cite web|title=Contact Sales: US Offices|url=https://www.bomgar.com/contact|website=Bomgar|access-date=January 22, 2016}}</ref> [[C Spire Wireless]], the sixth largest wireless provider in the United States, and Cal-Maine Foods, the largest shell egg producer in the United States, are all headquartered in Ridgeland.

The largest mall in the Jackson metro area, [[Northpark Mall (Mississippi)|Northpark Mall]], is located on County Line Road in southern Ridgeland. Another shopping center, Renaissance at Colony Park, is in central Ridgeland.

==Education==
Ridgeland is served by the [[Madison County School District (Mississippi)|Madison County School District]], as well as by two private schools: [[St. Andrew's Episcopal School (Mississippi)|Saint Andrew's Episcopal School]] and Christ Covenant School. [[Veritas School (Ridgeland, Mississippi)|The Veritas School]] was a private school which closed in 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2015/01/22/veritas-school-closing/22179527/|title=The Veritas School closes|newspaper=[[The Clarion-Ledger]]|access-date=July 6, 2016}}</ref>

Ridgeland has a campus of [[Holmes Community College]]. It also has a campus of [[Delta Technical College]].

Ridgeland is home of the Baptist Children's Village, which provides short-term and long-term care for abandoned, neglected, or abused children and counseling to broken families.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baptistchildrensvillage.com/about_staff.asp|title=Dr. Rory Lee|publisher=baptistchildrensvillage.com|access-date=July 29, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101119223720/http://baptistchildrensvillage.com/about_staff.asp|archive-date=November 19, 2010}}</ref>

Ridgeland made national headlines in 2022 when mayor Gene F. McGee refused to send $110,000 in approved city funding to the Madison County Library System because the library system contained books that "went against his Christian beliefs".<ref>{{Cite web|date=2022-01-26|title=Mayor withholds $100,000 from libraries 'until homosexual materials removed'|url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2022/01/26/mayor-library-funds-homosexual-materials-lgbt/|access-date=January 26, 2022|website=PinkNews }}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[The Band Perry]]
* [[Faith Hill]], country music singer; born and raised in Ridgeland until moving to nearby [[Star, Mississippi|Star]] when she was in the 8th grade
* [[George Jackson (songwriter)|George Jackson]], songwriter and singer; died at his home in Ridgeland
* [[Bianca Knight]], track and field athlete
* [[David McRae]], [[Mississippi State Treasurer]]<ref>{{cite news |title=David McRae wins Republican nomination for Mississippi treasurer |url=https://www.wxxv25.com/david-mcrae-wins-republican-nomination-mississippi-treasurer/ |access-date=May 20, 2023 |work=WXXV |date=August 6, 2019}}</ref>
* [[J. Walter Michel]], member of the [[Mississippi State Senate]]<ref>{{cite web |title=J. Walter Michel |url=http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/members/senate/michel.xml |website=Mississippi Senate |access-date=May 20, 2023}}</ref>
* [[David H. Nutt]], lawyer and philanthropist, the richest person in Mississippi as of 2014<ref>Warren Kulo, [http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/11/ridgeland_attorney_david_h_nut.html Ridgeland attorney David H. Nutt is the wealthiest Mississippian, study shows], gulflive.com, November 11, 2014</ref>
* [[Jim Pace (racing driver)|Jim Pace]], racing driver<ref>{{cite news |last1=Watkins |first1=Billy |title=From med school to the racetrack: Mississippian lives dream at 221 mph |url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/magnolia/2017/09/24/race-car-driver-lives-dream-221-mph/677617001/ |access-date=May 20, 2023 |work=Clarion-Ledger |date=September 24, 2017}}</ref>
* [[Rubel Phillips]], [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] gubernatorial nominee in 1963 and 1967; spent his last years in retirement in Ridgeland<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/clarionledger/obituary.aspx?n=rubel-phillips&pid=152099370 |title=Rubel Phillips Obituary: View Rubel Phillips's Obituary by ''The Clarion Ledger'' |publisher=Legacy.com |access-date=2011-12-19}}</ref><ref>Billy Hathorn, "Challenging the Status Quo: Rubel Lex Phillips and the Mississippi Republican Party (1963-1967)", ''The Journal of Mississippi History'' XLVII, November 1985, No. 4, pp. 240-264</ref>

==References==
{{Portal|Mississippi}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Madison County, Mississippi}}
{{Mississippi}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Mississippi]]
[[Category:Cities in Madison County, Mississippi]]
[[Category:Cities in Jackson metropolitan area, Mississippi]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1805]]
[[Category:1805 establishments in Mississippi Territory]]