Natchez, Mississippi

Natchez, Mississippi
Pearl Street, Natchez

Nicknames: 
The Bluff City, The Trace City, The River City, Antebellum Capital of the World, Historic Natchez on the Mississippi
Motto: 
"On the Mighty Mississippi"
Location of Natchez in Adams County
Coordinates: 31°33′16″N 91°23′15″W / 31.55444°N 91.38750°W / 31.55444; -91.38750
Country United States
State Mississippi
CountyAdams
Founded1716 as Fort Rosalie, renamed Fort Panmure in 1763
Louisiana (New France)
Establishedc. 1790 as the capital of the Natchez District
Spanish West Florida
IncorporatedMarch 10, 1803 (1803-03-10)
Government
 • MayorDan M. Gibson (D)
Area
 • City
16.41 sq mi (42.49 km2)
 • Land15.81 sq mi (40.96 km2)
 • Water0.59 sq mi (1.53 km2)
Elevation
217 ft (66 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City
14,520
 • Estimate 
(2022)
13,812
 • Density918.1/sq mi (354.48/km2)
 • Urban
25,902
 • Metro
53,611 (US: 200th)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
39120-39122
Area code(s)601 & 769
FIPS code28-50440
GNIS feature ID0691586
Websitenatchez.ms.us

Natchez (/ˈnæɪz/ NATCH-iz) is the only city in and the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,520 at the 2020 census. Located on the Mississippi River across from Vidalia, Louisiana, Natchez was a prominent city in the antebellum years, a center of cotton planters and Mississippi River trade.

Natchez is approximately 90 miles (140 km) southwest of the capital of Jackson and 85 miles (137 km) north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, located on the lower Mississippi River. Natchez is the 28th-largest city in the state. The city was named for the Natchez people, who with their ancestors, inhabited much of the area from the 8th century AD through the French colonial period.