Okolona, Mississippi
Okolona is a city of 2,430 people in Chickasaw County, Mississippi.
Why visit Okolona
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail, 2 places to eat and 1 place to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Elliott-Donaldson House, Merchants and Farmers Bank Building and Wilson Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 92°F; January lows average 32°F.
Weather in Okolona
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Okolona
Okolona is a city in and one of the two county seats of Chickasaw County, Mississippi, United States. It is located near the eastern border of the county. As of the 2020 census, Okolona had a population of 2,513. It had a large furniture industry and the Wilson Park resort.
From the Wikipedia article Okolona, Mississippi (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks3
Elliott-Donaldson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic mansion in Okolona, Mississippi
Merchants and Farmers Bank Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Former bank building in Okolona, Mississippi
Okolona College
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes2
1817 Brewery
Brewery and winery · 0.4 mi
106 North Church Street, Okolona
Where to stay1
History
Okolona was named as Rose Hill in 1845 early in its settlement, but residents later discovered that another location had this name. When a US post office was established here on March 23, 1846, a new name was needed to avoid confusion in mail delivery. According to the Okolona Area Chamber of Commerce, Colonel Josiah N. Walton, postmaster of nearby Aberdeen, Mississippi, remembered an encounter with a Chickasaw warrior years earlier. The man's name was Oka-laua, meaning peaceful, yellow, or blue water. Walton renamed Rose Hill as Okolona in his honor. According to another account, Okalona is a Native American placename, possible from the Choctaw, meaning "people gathered together."
The Mobile and Ohio Railroad completed its tracks though Okolona by July 1860, making the town a center for the ginning of cotton and its shipment to markets. The town grew along Main Street as a result of the railroad. Most commercial buildings from this period, including the depot, were burned during the Civil War.
Due to the destruction brought to the area by the Civil War, few structures from the antebellum period remain. The Elliott-Donaldson House, constructed in 1850, survives and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. A few other homes have also survived.
From the History section of Okolona, Mississippi on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship11
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Map of Okolona
23 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53°F | 32°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 57°F | 35°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 66°F | 43°F | 5.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 75°F | 51°F | 5.5 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 83°F | 60°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 90°F | 68°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 92°F | 72°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 92°F | 70°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 88°F | 64°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 77°F | 51°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 65°F | 41°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 56°F | 35°F | 6.1 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Verona Exp Stn (11 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Chickasaw County has had 17 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-02-06: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2021-10-22: Hurricane Ida (Hurricane)
- 2021-08-28: Hurricane Ida (Hurricane)
- 2020-04-16: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-04-05: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Tupelo Regional Airport (TUP) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 18 miles away.
- Nettleton 9 mi northeast, about 14 min by car
- Amory 15 mi east, about 25 min by car
- Houston 16 mi southwest, about 27 min by car
- Tupelo 18 mi north, about 30 min by car
- Fulton 27 mi northeast, about 43 min by car
- Guntown 31 mi north, about 50 min by car
- Baldwyn 35 mi north, about 56 min by car
- New Albany 37 mi northwest, about 1 h by car
- Starkville 38 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Columbus 40 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Elliott-Donaldson House-Okolona MS, rossograph, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.