Coahoma County was established February 9, 1836, and is located in the northwestern part of the state in the fertile Yazoo Delta region. Coahoma County was established from lands ceded to the U.S. from the Choctaw Indians and derived its name from the Choctaw word meaning "Red Panther." Port Royal was once the county seat of Coahoma County, later replaced by Friars Point, and the present day county seat of Clarksdale.

Coahoma County is known as the "Crossroads" of the blues with a rich heritage in the fertile, rich delta region known as the "land where the blues began." Coahoma County has a population of 30,622 and covers a total area of 583 sq mi. Coahoma County borders the Mississippi River on the west with Tunica County on the northern border, Bolivar County on the south and Quitman County on the east.