Biloxi is located in
Harrison County and it is the county seat. It lies on Mississippi Sound, along Interstate 10.
Biloxi was among the first European settlements in the Mississippi Valley. In 1717, French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste le Moyne helped settle Biloxi. The name is taken from a Lakota Indian word for "original people." Hurricanes have ravaged the Mississippi Coast. Among the most damaging were the 1722, 1893, 1915, 1947 and 1969 storms. Shrimp and oyster fishing were the economic mainstay of Biloxi for many years.
Today, the city is the site of nine dockside casinos, which enhance a longstanding tourist trade. Major employment sources are tourism, hospitality, gaming, gaming support, construction and affiliate businesses. Keesler Air Force Base hosts several technical schools and provides jobs for many residents. A significant local attraction is the Beauvoir, Jefferson Davis Home & Presidential Library.
Biloxi is part of the Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula, Mississippi metro area.
