Overview
The Mississippi Gulf Coast is the southernmost region of Mississippi along the Gulf of Mexico.
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May, Oct–Nov. Summer highs reach about 91°F; winter lows dip to about 38°F. Very hot (Jun, Jul, Aug) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Jan and Jul.
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- PIB Hattiesburg Laurel Regional Airport, Moselle — 35 mi away. Directions
- GPT Gulfport Biloxi International Airport, Gulfport — 41 mi away. Directions
- MSY Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, New Orleans — 96 mi away (major hub). Directions
Sample 3-day trip
- Day 1: Biloxi — Beauvoir, Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art, Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum.
- Day 2: Hattiesburg — African American Military History Museum, Hattiesburg Zoo, Paul B Johnson State Park.
- Day 3: Gulfport — Mississippi Aquarium, TrainTastic, Island View Casino Resort.
Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.
Places in Gulf Coast
Biloxi
City / town · 34 listings
Hattiesburg
City / town · 22 listings
Gulfport
City / town · 18 listings
Gulf Islands National Seashore
Park · 11 listings
Laurel
City / town · 8 listings
Bay St. Louis
City / town · 6 listings
Stone County
Rural area · 6 listings
Pascagoula
City / town · 6 listings
D'Iberville
City / town · 5 listings
Waveland
City / town · 4 listings
Ocean Springs
City / town · 3 listings
Gautier
City / town · 2 listings
Picayune
City / town · 1 listings
Collins
Place · 1 listings
Cities
- Bay St Louis - despite taking a hard hit from Hurricane Katrina, the town still has lots of charm and a local art scene.
- Biloxi
- Collins
- D'Iberville
- Gautier
- Gulfport - Mississippi's 2nd largest city is on the coast.
- Hattiesburg - Mississippi's 3rd largest city is inland, home to University of Southern Mississippi
- Laurel
- Ocean Springs
- Pascagoula
- Picayune
- Waveland
Other destinations
- Gulf Islands National Seashore
Get in
By car
- traverses the coast from west to east. It is the quickest way in coming from Baton Rouge, New Orleans, or Mobile. The cities along the Gulf Coast on US Hwy 90 are connected to I-10 through various north-south roads.
- parallels the coastline, and offers a scenic drive of the beach, connecting the cities along the Gulf Coast.
- passes through Hattiesburg, heading towards Slidell, LA to the southwest and Birmingham, AL to the northeast.
- begins in Gulfport at the intersection of and extends north through Hattiesburg and on to Jackson.
By plane
- Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (GPT): Direct flights are available from Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Dallas, Nashville, Orlando, and seasonal flights from Minneapolis. The next nearest airport for commercial flights to the area is in New Orleans (MSY)
See
The world's largest man-made beach stretches 26 miles from Pass Christian in the west, to Biloxi in the east.
Biloxi is well known for its lighthouse, as well as its many casinos. Gulfport, D'Iberville, Bay St. Louis, and Waveland also have casinos.
The barrier islands of Mississippi, 7 miles from the mainland, and part of Gulf Islands National Seashore, are home to diverse wildlife, white sand beaches, and turquoise water.
Beauvoir is an antebellum mansion in Biloxi, famous for being the final home of Confederate president Jefferson Davis.
Do
- The casino resorts along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They offer slots, all types of tables, high limits and liberal rules. The resorts also offer buffets, fine dining, boutique shops, entertainment for children and headlining entertainment.
- The Mississippi Sound and its associated bays are world class fisheries and draw in anglers from all over. Many fishing charters are located in harbors all along the coast.
- The Ship Island Excursion is a ferry from Gulfport to Ship Island. Ship Island is home to Fort Massachusetts and is part of Gulf Islands National Seashore along with Cat Island, Horn Island, and Petit Bois Island.
- Towns such as Ocean Springs, Pass Christian, and Bay Saint Louis are home to art galleries, boutique shops, and high end dining. These towns are great to visit if you wish to escape the somewhat hectic and loud atmosphere of the bigger cities on the coast.
- Stennis Space Center is located in Hancock County off of Interstate 10.
- The Mississippi Aquarium is set to open in the summer of 2020 in downtown Gulfport.
- For a geologic anomaly (erosion basically), try the Red Bluff, also known as the Little Grand Canyon, it's on private land but still accessible from a parking area. The ruggedness is out of character with the flat surroundings.
Nearby
Slidell
City / town · 5 listings · 63 mi away
Abita Springs
City / town · 9 listings · 64 mi away
Mobile
City / town · 41 listings · 68 mi away
Covington
City / town · 11 listings · 68 mi away
Monticello
City / town · 25 listings · 70 mi away
Mandeville
City / town · 12 listings · 71 mi away
Fairhope
City / town · 2 listings · 80 mi away
My experience
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