Lafayette, Louisiana

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City of Lafayette
Ville de Lafayette
—  City  —
From upper left: Statue in front of downtown fire station, Oak lined street in the University district, Downtown Lafayette, Louisiana, The Cajundome, and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette quad.

Flag
Nickname(s): The Hub City
Motto: The Heart of Cajun Country
Location of Lafayette in Louisiana, within United States.
Coordinates: 30°12′50″N 92°01′46″W / 30.21389°N 92.02944°W / 30.21389; -92.02944Coordinates: 30°12′50″N 92°01′46″W / 30.21389°N 92.02944°W / 30.21389; -92.02944
Country United States
State Louisiana
Parish Lafayette
Founded 1821 as Vermilionville
Renamed 1884 as Lafayette
Founder Jean Mouton
Named for General Gilbert du Motier, Marquis De Lafayette
Government
 • Type Consolidated City-Parish
 • City-Parish President Joey Durel (Republican)
Area
 • City Total 47.7 sq mi (124 km2)
 • Land 47.6 sq mi (123 km2)
 • Water 0.1 sq mi (0 km2)  auto%
 • Metro 5,252 sq mi (13,600 km2)
Elevation 36 ft (11 m)
Population (2010)
 • City Total 120,623
 • Density 2,316.7/sq mi (894.5/km2)
Demonym Lafayettiens
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes 70501-9, 70593, 70596, 70598
Area code(s) 337
Twin cities
 • Le Cannet France
 • Longueuil, Québec Canada
 • Moncton, New Brunswick Canada
 • Poitiers France
 • Namur Belgium
 • Agnibilékrou Côte d'Ivoire
Website www.lafayettela.gov

Lafayette (English: /lɑːfaɪˈɛt/, French: [lafajɛt]) is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States,[1] on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth-largest incorporated city in the state, and is the larger principal city of the Lafayette-Acadiana, LA Combined Statistical Area, which, in 2007, had an estimated total population of 538,470.[2]

This city should not be confused with Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, which was absorbed into New Orleans. It was founded as Vermilionville in 1821 by a French-speaking Acadian named Jean Mouton. In 1884, it was renamed for General Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, a French military hero who fought with and significantly aided the American Army during the American Revolutionary War.[3] The city's economy was primarily based on agriculture until the 1940s, when the petroleum and natural gas industries became dominant. In recent years, the medical profession has taken a more predominant role in the area economy.[citation needed]

Lafayette is the center of Cajun culture in Louisiana and the United States. The city has a strong tourism industry because of the Cajun culture of the surrounding region. There is also a a Creole influence in the area as well, although most Creoles and descendents of such originate to the east in New Orleans. The cuisine of the region, Creole and Cajun cuisine, is one of the most famous regional cuisines in the United States.

Contents

[edit] History

Main article: History of Lafayette, Louisiana

[edit] Geography

Isaac Verot Coulée

Lafayette is located at 30°12′50″N 92°1′46″W / 30.21389°N 92.02944°W / 30.21389; -92.02944 (30.213901, -92.029363)[4] and has an elevation of 36 feet (11.0 m)[5].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 47.7 square miles (124 km2), of which 47.6 square miles (123 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (0.19%) is water.

Lafayette is located on the West Gulf Coastal Plain. What is now Lafayette was part of the seabed during the earlier Quaternary Period. During this time, the Mississippi River cut a 325-foot-deep (99 m) valley between what is now Lafayette and Baton Rouge. This valley was filled and is now the Atchafalaya Basin. Lafayette is located on the western rim of this valley. This land, called the southwestern Louisiana Prairie Terrace, is higher up and not made of wetland like much of the surrounding areas to the south and west of Lafayette. Because of this, Lafayette does not suffer significant flooding problems.

The Vermilion River runs through the center of Lafayette. Other significant waterways in the city are Isaac Verot Coulee, Coulee Mine, Coulee des Poches and Coulee Ile des Cannes, which are natural drainage canals that lead to the Vermilion River.

[edit] Climate

Lafayette's climate is described as humid subtropical using Köppen climate classification. Lafayette is typical of areas along the Gulf of Mexico in that it has hot, humid summers and mild winters. (See table below for average temperatures for Lafayette.)


Climate data for Lafayette, Louisiana
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 89
(32)		 87
(31)		 93
(34)		 93
(34)		 98
(37)		 106
(41)		 107
(42)		 103
(39)		 101
(38)		 96
(36)		 92
(33)		 89
(32)		 107
(42)
Average high °F (°C) 64
(18)		 66
(19)		 72
(22)		 79
(26)		 86
(30)		 91
(33)		 92
(33)		 92
(33)		 89
(32)		 82
(28)		 72
(22)		 64
(18)		 79
(26)
Average low °F (°C) 43
(6)		 45
(7)		 51
(11)		 57
(14)		 64
(18)		 70
(21)		 72
(22)		 72
(22)		 67
(19)		 57
(14)		 48
(9)		 43
(6)		 57
(14)
Record low °F (°C) 10
(−12)		 2
(−17)		 24
(−4)		 32
(0)		 42
(6)		 53
(12)		 57
(14)		 53
(12)		 41
(5)		 27
(−3)		 21
(−6)		 14
(−10)		 6
(−14)
Precipitation inches (cm) 5
(13)		 4.5
(11)		 4.2
(11)		 4.3
(11)		 4.8
(12)		 5.5
(14)		 6.7
(17)		 5.6
(14)		 4.1
(10)		 3.3
(8)		 3.9
(10)		 5.4
(14)		 57.3
(146)
Source: Weatherbase[6]

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1890 2,106
—
1900 3,314 57.4%
1910 6,392 92.9%
1920 7,855 22.9%
1930 14,635 86.3%
1940 19,210 31.3%
1950 33,541 74.6%
1960 40,400 20.4%
1970 68,908 70.6%
1980 81,961 18.9%
1990 96,022 17.2%
2000 110,257 14.8%
2010 120,623 9.4%
St John's Cathedral of Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 110,257 people, 43,506 households, and 27,104 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,316.7 people per square mile (894.5/km²). There were 46,865 housing units at an average density of 984.7 per square mile (380.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 68.23% White, 28.51% African American, 0.25% Native American, 1.44% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.58% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.88% of the population. In 2005, 84.2% of the population over the age of five spoke English at home, and 11.5% of the population spoke French or Cajun.[8]

There were 43,506 households out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. Nearly 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,996, and the median income for a family was $47,783. Males had a median income of $37,729 versus $23,606 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,031. About 11.6% of families and 16.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.3% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Education and healthcare

[edit] Primary and secondary schools

Public schools

See Lafayette Parish School System for more information.

The public schools in the parish are run by the Lafayette Parish School System. The system has 33 schools, 21 elementary schools, 12 middle schools, and seven high schools. The LPSS offers nine career academies at the high school level, school curricula designed to prepare students in certain career fields.[9]

The nine academies are:

The LPSS also offer schools of choice, a program to improve racial diversity at schools and to provide a more exciting educational experience. Accepted students are allowed to attend schools outside their school zone (but still within the parish) to receive their state mandated core curriculum using specialized themes or programs. This is available at all levels, elementary, middle, and high schools, and is designed to provide a more interesting learning experience for the students in the program.[10]

Lafayette Christian Academy

Private schools

See Lafayette Parish Private Schools for list of schools.

Lafayette is home to a large Roman Catholic population and, because of this, Lafayette Parish has many private schools, with grades from kindergarten through twelfth grade.

[edit] Universities and colleges

Lafayette has one university, one community college and two vocational colleges.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is part of the University of Louisiana System. It's the second largest university in the state, with an enrollment of approximately 16,000. The university has been a part of Lafayette since 1900. It is one of the top-ranked universities in the south. It has nationally-ranked nursing, architecture, biology and computer sciences colleges.

South Louisiana Community College (Lafayette campus) is one of the newest college systems in Louisiana. SLCC partnered with Acadian Ambulance to form the National EMS Academy. The academy offers EMT-Basic and EMT-Paramedic certification. SLCC is part of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System.

Louisiana Technical College (Lafayette campus) is part of the Louisiana Technical College system, which in turn is part of the Louisiana Community and Technical college system. It offers associate degrees in several fields.

Remington College (Lafayette campus) is a vocational school that offers a few bachelor's degree programs, many associate degree programs, along with a few diploma programs.

[edit] Public library system

Main article: Lafayette Public Library

[edit] Healthcare

Major healthcare clinics are listed below:

[edit] Government and politics

See also Notable local politicians

Since the consolidation of city and parish governments, Lafayette has had a city-parish president as its chief executive, rather than a mayor as it had previously. The current city-parish president is Republican Joey Durel. On Saturday, October 22, 2011, Lafayette parish had its election day, and the people of Lafayette voted against de-consolidating the current government.

Under consolidation the City of Lafayette and Parish of Lafayette have a common representative body and executive officer. Public Works and other services such as Land Use and Plat Review are operated by Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG) to serve the City of Lafayette and unincorporated areas of Lafayette Parish and by contract to some but not all of the area municipalities. Zoning Rules apply only within the City of Lafayette. Some neighboring municipalities have adopted their own planning and zoning protocol. The suburban and rural cities and towns maintain independent city councils, local executives, police and fire departments as well as other public services. The Lafayette Parish School System operates independently of any municipality and its jurisdiction is coterminous with the Parish of Lafayette.

[edit] Law enforcement

Lafayette is served by five police agencies:

[edit] Military

Lafayette is the home of the National Guard headquarters of the 256th Infantry Brigade, a military unit of over 3,000 soldiers that served in Iraq in the years of 2004-2005. The brigade was again deployed in January, 2010.

Lafayette is also home to the United States Marine Corps Reserve Unit, F. Co. Anti-Terrorism Battalion commanded by Captain Cole Clements. This unit has been on several deployments, many involving the Iraq War.

[edit] Utilities

Electricity, water, and waste water service

Lafayette is served by Lafayette Utilities System, a city-parish government run, publicly owned utility company. Started over 100 years ago as an electrical company, LUS has expanded into a full service utilities company. It provides electricity, drinking water, and sewage treatment throughout the City of Lafayette as well some unincorporated parts of the parish, along with bulk sales to the water systems of most surrounding municipalities. LUS is currently installing infrastructure for a fiber telecommunications network. Called LUSFiber, the network will provide digital cable, telephone service, and high speed internet to all households in Lafayette. It will offer individual services as well as bundles.[11]

Natural gas service

Natural gas service is supplied by Atmos Energy.

Telephone service

Local land line telephone service is served by AT&T. Cox Communications and Lafayette Utilities System (aka LUS Fiber) provide Voice over Internet Protocol phone service.

Television

Cable television service in Lafayette is provided by Cox Communications. Lafayette Utilities System provides FTTH video services through LUSFiber. DirecTV and Dish Network both include Lafayette TV stations in their local packages, though DirecTV does not yet offer local high definition stations.

[edit] State representation

The Council for the Development of French in Louisiana, a state agency devoted to the preservation of the French language in Louisiana, has its headquarters in Lafayette.[12]

[edit] Economy

[edit] Retail and shopping

Downtown Lafayette from the air
Lafayette is the location of the only remaining Borden's Ice Cream outlet in the United States.

Lafayette serves as the retail hub of the five parish Acadiana area. One of the major retail areas in Lafayette is the Mall of Acadiana. Northgate Mall in the north section of Lafayette is the second mall. The mall of Acadiana features department stores Macy's, Dillard's, JC Penney, and Sears. It also includes over 100 specialty stores, such as Express, Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle Outfitters, Talbots, Chico's, Nine West, and Coldwater Creek. Other stores that have recently located in Lafayette include Kohl's and Plato's Closet. Academy Sports and Outdoors' Lafayette location is the largest discount store in the Academy chain.

In 1999, the Village of River Ranch, a model new urbanist development was founded to the south of the Vermilion River near the intersection of Kaliste Saloom and Camellia Blvd. The development is home to around 30 independent small retail shops and restaurants and provides a more specialized environment to Lafayette shoppers: Bonefish Grill, Zoe's Kitchen, Shoe La La and Bath Haus to name a few.

Downtown Lafayette, The Oil Center, and River Ranch offer a more specialized and unique shopping experience.

[edit] Manufacturing

Lafayette has some manufacturing and fabrication businesses, including:

[edit] Information technology

The city also has an IT community including such businesses as:

[edit] Culture and contemporary life

[edit] Cultural Venues

[edit] Sports

The Cajundome

Lafayette is home to the Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns, the athletic teams of The University of Louisiana at Lafayette. It is home to the Louisiana Hurricanes , a semi-pro football team that plays at STM Stadium. Between the years of 1995 and 2005, Lafayette was home to the Louisiana IceGators ECHL hockey team; in 2009, the IceGators returned as a member of the Southern Professional Hockey League.[13] As of 2009, Lafayette is home to the Lafayette Wildcatters of the Southern Indoor Football League. It is also home to the Lafayette Bayou Bulls, a semi-pro football program that started in 2003. Lafayette is home to three sports venues: the Cajundome, Cajun Field and Blackham Coliseum.

[edit] Nightlife

The Lost Bayou Ramblers playing at the Blue Moon Saloon

On weekend nights, Downtown Lafayette turns into a nightlife hub in the Acadiana region. Downtown Lafayette offers a diverse range of dance clubs and sports bars, including iconic live music venue tourist destinations such as Grant Street Dancehall and The Blue Moon Saloon. Outside of the downtown area, other establishments are found. Those along the McKinley Street Strip historically catered to a university crowd within walking distance. Other venues and establishments are found dispersed along Johnston Street, in and around River Ranch, along Ambassador Caffery, the Simcoe Street Strip and also a scattered collection of neighborhood dives and watering holes. There are many drive-through daiquiri shops—from roadside stands to establishments large enough to have live entertainment. [14]

[edit] Media

[edit] Print

[edit] Television

Currently, Lafayette is served by Cox Communications, as well as Lafayette Utilities System's LUSFiber fiber optic network.[15]

Lafayette is home to:

Lafayette is also served by:

[edit] Radio

See List of Lafayette radio stations for full list.

Popular radio stations in Lafayette:

Other:

[edit] Points of interest

This historical marker outside the Cajundome honors Medal of Honor recipient Stephen Logan Bennett (1946-1972) of Lafayette, an heroic soldier who lost his life at Quang Tri in the Vietnam War.

Lafayette is the heart of Acadiana and the center of Cajun culture in Louisiana and the United States. As such, Lafayette has many cultural places of interest.

[edit] Events

[edit] Regional and Local Transportation

  • Air: Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT) is located on US Highway 90, on the southeast side of the city with daily scheduled passenger airline services to Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Atlanta, as well as twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas. Charter services depart Lafayette Regional as well as helicopter services and cargo jets.
  • Interstate Highway: I-10 and I-49 (Lafayette serves as I-49's southern terminus, at its intersection with I-10)
  • Passenger Rail: The Amtrak Sunset Limited offers service from New Orleans, Louisiana and Los Angeles, California with selected stops in Louisiana, Texas, Arizona and California. The 2004 Route Guide describes service eastward to Orlando, Florida, but this has not been restored in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
  • Intercity Passenger Bus: Greyhound operates a station downtown on Lee Avenue with destinations east and west on I-10, north on I-49 and southeast on US Hwy 90
  • Public Transit: Lafayette Transit System[1] provides bus service, (formerly City of Lafayette Transit (COLT). Public transportation is provided only within Lafayette City Limits.
  • Bicycle Facilities: Lafayette has a limited number of dedicated commuter and recreational bicycling facilities, including a bicycle lane on each side of Johnston Street from UL-Lafayette area at Lewis Street to near Ambassador Caffery, ending at Ridge Road. UL-Lafayette has recently installed an off-road paved bicycle path beginning at it's Horticultural Center on Johnston Street extending up Cajundome Boulevard to Eraste Landry Road. A number of out of use bicycle/pedestrian sidewalk paths remain from the 1970's and 80's but are unsigned. A recreational trail extending from Downtown Lafayette into the Cypress Island region of Saint Martin Parish is under development. This path will connect neighboring Breaux Bridge and Saint Martinville with Lafayette.
  • Main Road Arteries: U.S. Routes 90 (co-signed with Evangeline Thruway, Mudd Avenue and Cameron Street within the city limits) and 167 (co-signed with I-49, Evangeline Thruway and Johnston Street). Ambassador Caffery Parkway, named for Jefferson Caffery, serves as a partial loop connecting I-10 at Exit 100 on the west and US 90 on the south. Other arterial roads include Verot School Road (LA 339), West Congress Street, Kaliste Saloom Road (LA 3095), Ridge Road, Carmel Drive/Breaux Bridge Highway (LA 94), University Avenue (LA 182), Pinhook Road (LA 182), Camellia Boulevard, Guilbeau Road, Moss Street, Willow Street, Louisiana Avenue, Pont Des Mouton Road, Eraste Landry Road, and South College Road.

[edit] Sister cities

Lafayette has six sister cities:[16]

Six intersections in the downtown area are each named after one of its sister cities.[citation needed]

[edit] See also

Portal icon Louisiana portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
  2. ^ "Table 2. Annual Estimates of the Population of Combined Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007 (CBSA-EST2007-02)" (CSV). 2007 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2008-03-27. http://www.census.gov/popest/metro/tables/2007/CBSA-EST2007-02.csv. Retrieved 2008-09-02. 
  3. ^ Niles' Weekly Register, BALTIMORE, June 26, 1824; LAFAYETTE
  4. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
  5. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  6. ^ "Historical Weather for Lafayette, Louisiana, United States of America". Weatherbase.com. 2009. http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=12237&refer=&units=us. Retrieved 2009-07-20. 
  7. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  8. ^ http://www.mla.org/cgi-shl/docstudio/docs.pl?map_data_results
  9. ^ "LPSS Career Academies". http://www.lpssonline.com/site482.php. Retrieved July 20, 2009. 
  10. ^ "Lafayette Schools of Choice". http://www.lafayettechoice.com/site2.php. Retrieved July 20, 2009. 
  11. ^ "LUS Services". http://www.lus.org/site33.php. Retrieved July 21, 2009. 
  12. ^ "Home." Council for the Development of French in Louisiana. Retrieved on June 21, 2011. "CODOFIL Council for the Development of French in Louisiana 217 West Main Street Lafayette, LA 70501"
  13. ^ Foote, Kevin (May 15, 2009). "IceGators to skate again; join the discussion". Lafayette Daily Advertiser. http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20090515/NEWS01/905150326. Retrieved May 15, 2009. [dead link]
  14. ^ "Nightlife - Downtown Lafayette Directory". http://downtownlafayette.org/Links/LinksDisplay.asp?p1=627. Retrieved July 20, 2009. 
  15. ^ "LUSFiber". http://lusfiber.com/. Retrieved July 20, 2009. 
  16. ^ "Lafayette's six sister cities". http://www.lecentre.org/discover_lecentre_english_sister.asp. Retrieved October 16, 2009. 

[edit] External links

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