Oktibbeha County is a county in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census the population was 51,788. The county seat is Starkville. The county's name is derived from a Choctaw word meaning "icy creek". The Choctaw had long occupied much of this territory prior to European exploration and United States acquisition. Mississippi State University, a public research university and land-grant institution, is in Oktibbeha County.