Walnut sits in the northern part of Tippah County, Mississippi, where U.S. Highway 72 crosses Mississippi Highway 15 — the main route between Memphis and Corinth. That junction has made Walnut the county's northern gateway and given a town of a few hundred residents an outsized amount of through traffic, truck stops and roadside business.
Walnut by the numbers
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Population (2020 census) | 704 |
| County | Tippah |
| Status | Town |
| Established | 1872 |
| Area | 5.45 square miles |
| ZIP code | 38683 |
| Area code | 662 |
| School district | North Tippah School District |
| Highways | U.S. 72, Mississippi Highway 15, Mississippi Highway 354 |
History
The community was settled in 1872 under the name Hopkins and renamed Walnut in 1876. The older business district grew up along what is now Mississippi Highway 354, away from the four-lane; the newer commercial strip follows U.S. 72.
Schools and the Wildcats
Walnut is served by the North Tippah School District through Walnut Attendance Center, a K-12 campus whose teams compete as the Wildcats.
Walnut football has been one of the more consistent programs in the county. Head coach John Meeks, who took over in 2012, is the winningest football coach in Tippah County history, and every one of his career victories has come at Walnut. RCTV19 follows the Wildcats through football, volleyball and basketball season on the Tippah County sports page.
Community services
The Walnut Fire Department, at 27880 Highway 15, doubles as the site of regular food pantry distributions run by North Mississippi Primary Health Care and the Mid-South Food Bank. Those distributions are announced on RCTV19 as they are scheduled — see the community events page.
Useful numbers
| Office | Phone |
|---|---|
| Emergency | 911 |
| Tippah County Sheriff | 662-837-9336 |
| Tippah County Emergency Management | 662-587-0325 |
| Tippah County Hospital (Ripley) | 662-837-9221 |
| Tippah County Solid Waste | 662-837-1013 |
More county offices are listed in the Tippah County guide.
Nearby
Chalybeate lies just outside Walnut on Highway 354, and Tiplersville and Falkner are the next communities south. Ripley, the county seat, is about 12 miles south on Highway 15.
Walnut news from RCTV19
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