Lafayette Parish, Louisiana

Lafayette Parish, Louisiana
Lafayette Parish Courthouse
Location in the U.S. state of Louisiana
Louisiana's location in the U.S.
Founded	January 17, 1823
Named for	Marquis de la Fayette
Seat	Lafayette
Largest city	Lafayette
Area
• Total	269 sq mi (697 km2)
• Land	269 sq mi (697 km2)
• Water	0.5 sq mi (1 km2), 0.2%
Population
• (2010)	221,578
• Density	825/sq mi (319/km²)
Congressional district	3rd
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Website	www.lafayettela.gov

Lafayette Parish (French: Paroisse de Lafayette) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 221,578. The parish seat is Lafayette. The parish was founded in 1823. It was named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, the French general who rendered assistance to the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War.

Lafayette Parish is part of the Lafayette, LA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

See History of Lafayette, Louisiana for main article.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 269 square miles (700 km²), of which 269 square miles (700 km²) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) (0.2%) is water. It is the fifth-smallest parish in Louisiana by land area and third-smallest by total area.

Major highways

• Interstate 10
• Interstate 49
• U.S. Highway 90
• U.S. Highway 167
• Louisiana Highway 89
• Louisiana Highway 92
• Louisiana Highway 93
• Louisiana Highway 96
• Louisiana Highway 182

Adjacent parishes

• St. Landry Parish (north)
• St. Martin Parish (east)
• Iberia Parish (southeast)
• Vermilion Parish (south)
• Acadia Parish (west)

National protected area

• Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (part, in Lafayette)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1830	5,653		—
1840	7,841		38.7%
1850	6,720		−14.3%
1860	9,003		34.0%
1870	10,388		15.4%
1880	13,235		27.4%
1890	15,966		20.6%
1900	22,825		43.0%
1910	28,733		25.9%
1920	30,841		7.3%
1930	38,827		25.9%
1940	43,941		13.2%
1950	57,743		31.4%
1960	84,656		46.6%
1970	109,716		29.6%
1980	150,017		36.7%
1990	164,762		9.8%
2000	190,503		15.6%
2010	221,578		16.3%
Est. 2014	235,644		6.3%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

Home to a number of Cajun peoples, as of the census of 2000, there were 190,503 people, 72,372 households, and 48,851 families residing in the parish. The population density was 706 people per square mile (273/km²). There were 78,122 housing units at an average density of 290 per square mile (112/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 73.36% White, 23.80% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 1.08% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. 1.74% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 14.37% reported speaking French or Cajun French at home, while 1.73% speak Spanish.[1]

There were 72,372 households out of which 36.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.20% were married couples living together, 14.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.50% were non-families. 25.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the parish the population was spread out with 27.40% under the age of 18, 11.70% from 18 to 24, 31.20% from 25 to 44, 20.20% from 45 to 64, and 9.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.40 males.

The median income for a household in the parish was $36,518, and the median income for a family was $45,158. Males had a median income of $36,428 versus $22,751 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $19,371. About 11.80% of families and 15.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.20% of those under age 18 and 15.60% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

The parish often went for the Democratic candidate before the 1970s, but has trended Republican since that time. The parish went for the Republican Presidential candidate from 1992 to 2000 and did so by generally increasing margins. The results in 2004 gave Republican George W. Bush 64% of the vote and 57,732 votes while Democrat John F. Kerry won 35% of the vote and 31,210 votes. In the 2008 election Lafayette Parish cast the majority of its votes for Republican John McCain. He won 65% of the vote and 62,055 votes. Democrat Barack Obama finished far behind him winning 34% of the vote and 32,145 votes.

National Guard

The HQ and other units of the 256th IBCT reside in the city of Lafayette, Louisiana. This unit of over 3,500 Soldiers has deployed twice to Iraq, 2004-5 and 2010. This unit has also responded to disasters such as: Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Gustav, Hurricane Isaac, and the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill.

Communities

Map of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana With Municipal Labels

Cities

• Broussard
• Carencro
• Lafayette (parish seat)
• Scott
• Youngsville

Town

• Duson

Census-designated places

• Milton
• Ossun

Unincorporated communities

• Capitan
• Elks
• Gloria
• Judice
• Larabee
• Long Bridge
• Mouton
• Pilette
• Pont Des Mouton
• Ridge
• River Ranch
• Sadou
• Stekey
• Vatican
• Walroy

Prison

County

Name	Address	Zip	Aged
Lafayette Parish Correctional Center	916 Lafayette St, Lafayette, Louisiana	70501	13+

Notable residents

• Jefferson Caffery, (1886-1974), U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador, Colombia, Cuba, Brazil, France and Egypt
• Jerry Luke LeBlanc (born 1956), former state legislator and vice president of administration and finance at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
• Alexandre Mouton, (1804–1885), born in Attakapas, United States Senator and Governor of Louisiana.

See also

• Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana

External links

• Lafayette Consolidated Government
• Lafayette Economic Development Authority
• Lafayette Convention and Visitors Center
• Lafayette Public Library
• Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court
• Lafayette Parish American History and Genealogy Project

Geology

• Heinrich, P. V., and W. J. Autin, 2000, Baton Rouge 30 x 60 minute geologic quadrangle. Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
• Heinrich, P. V., J. Snead, and R. P. McCulloh, 2003, Crowley 30 x 60 minute geologic quadrangle. Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.