The city is named for the Greek seaport of Lepanto, the site of a great sea battle in 1571.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2), all land.

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,732 people, 713 households, and 533 families residing in the city.

Lepanto is the home of the East Poinsett County School District that provides elementary and secondary education from prekindergarten through grade 12, with students graduating from East Poinsett County High School.

[7] Lepanto was a site for the filming of the TV movie adaptation of John Grisham's book A Painted House.