Benton County, Mississippi
Benton County | |
|---|---|
The Old Benton County courthouse in Ashland | |
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi | |
Mississippi's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 34°49′N 89°11′W / 34.82°N 89.19°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| Founded | 1870 |
| Named after | Samuel Benton |
| Seat | Ashland |
| Largest town | Hickory Flat |
| Area | |
• Total | 409 sq mi (1,060 km2) |
| • Land | 407 sq mi (1,050 km2) |
| • Water | 2.0 sq mi (5 km2) 0.5% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 7,646 |
• Estimate (2023) | 7,438 |
| • Density | 19/sq mi (7.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | bentoncountyms |
Benton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,646. Its county seat is Ashland. It is locally believed that residents convinced the post-Civil War Reconstruction government that Benton County was named after U.S. Senator Thomas Hart Benton, but the name actually honored Confederate Brigadier General Samuel Benton of nearby Holly Springs in Marshall County, nephew of the senator. Benton County is included in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR Metropolitan Statistical Area.