Bay St. Louis, Hancock County, Mississippi, USA

Bay St. Louis is a small Gulf Coast city on the western shore of its namesake bay in Hancock County. Beaches, marshes, live oaks and a walkable waterfront give the community an easy connection to Mississippi Sound. Established as a coastal settlement before Mississippi statehood, it developed through fishing, trade, rail access and its popularity as a retreat from New Orleans. Art galleries, restaurants, boating, tourism and resilient historic neighborhoods define much of its contemporary character.