Vancleave is an unincorporated community in Jackson County, Mississippi located off a tributary of the Pascagoula River and Highway 57. The first European settlement occurred in 1721 when French colonists came to the area. In 1812, Jackson County was created and became part of the State of Mississippi in 1817. Settlers in this period were primarily Protestant subsidence farmers and hunter-gatherers. 

Originally known as Bluff Creek, the area got the name of Vancleave in 1870 when the postmaster, former slave Hector Fairley, named the region after Robert A. Van Cleave. Van Cleave was a Civil War veteran from Hinds County and merchant who served as postmaster and the first mayor of nearby Ocean Springs. 

As of 2016, there is a locally recognized tribe, the Vancleave Live Oak Chocktaw, in Vancleave. They were historically known as the Vancleave Indians or Vancleave Creoles. During the period of segregation, a sperate school was created called Live Oak Pond for Creole children. 

Timber, charcoal, and wool were the dominant economic exports, especially with access to the river. In the 1950 and 60s, Bluff Creek Canning Company produced cat food and Gulf tuna. The population and status quo in the region remained fairly constant until the late 1980s. People from the coastal areas began to move north, seeking cheaper land. The expansion of the US Naval presence, oil and gas drilling, and continued shipbuilding at Pascagoula has continued to fuel the migration into Vancleave. 

Vancleave offers access to the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Refuge, several you-pick blueberry farms, The Shed Barbeque and Blues Joint, and other outdoor recreational opportunities.