Gautier (pronounced go-shay) is a city located in Jackson County, Mississippi, west of Pascagoula and the Pascagoula River and east of Ocean Springs, with a population of approximately 19,000. Incorporated in 1986, the city got its name from a family from Lyons, France who owned the Fernando Gautier and Sons Sawmill, established in 1867. The mill was the largest in the area and even had its own railroad stop. The Gautier family house is now a private home and event venue, La Maison or The Old Place. During World War 2, Gautier began to grow as shipyard workers from Ingalls began to move to the area, and yet again in the 1960’s when the shipyard expanded. 

Pascagoula River, bordering the east side of Gautier, is also known by locals as the Singing River after a strange humming noise heard over the river and the legend involving the Pascagoula and Biloxi tribe. Learn more about the Singing River here!

Gautier offers a range of recreational activities; go camping at Shepard State Park, explore trails at the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge, visit the G. I. Museum, catch live music at the Sound Ampitheater, or learn about the Gautier historic schoolhouse.