Covington County, Mississippi

Covington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 19,568. Its county seat is Collins. The county is named for U.S. Army officer and Congressman Leonard Covington.HistoryCovington County was established on January 5, 1819, less than two years after Mississippi earned statehood into the Union. The county was one of the first counties established out of the vast non-agricultural lands in the more eastern part of the state. Covington was originally cut out of Lawrence and Wayne Counties, and encompassed what is now Jefferson Davis, Covington, and Jones Counties.In 1823, part of Covington County became Bainbridge County, most likely named after William Bainbridge, who became an American naval hero during the War of 1812. The next year, in 1824, the Mississippi legislature did away with Bainbridge County, giving its lands back to Covington County.GeographyAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (0.3%) is water.Adjacent countiesSmith County (north)Jones County (east)Forrest County (southeast)Lamar County (south)Jefferson Davis County (west)Simpson County (northwest)