Petal is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, along the Leaf River.

[citation needed] The International Checker Hall of Fame was located in Petal until September 29, 2007, when 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) of the 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m2) building caught fire.

Major sub-communities as of the annex are Macedonia, Barrontown, Sunrise, and Leeville.

The Harvey community (currently downtown Petal) hosts city departments.

39.3% of all households were made up of individuals under 18 and 26.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 11,010 people, 3,655 households, and 2,746 families residing in the city.