Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a
city on the
Vermilion River in
Lafayette Parish, in the
U.S. state of
Louisiana. Lafayette is the
parish seat. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 110,257; a 2004 census estimate put the metro area's population at 246,160. It is the fourth largest city in the state.
The city was founded as
Vermilionville in
1821 by a
French-speaking
Acadian named Jean Mouton. In
1884, it was renamed for the
Marquis de Lafayette, who assisted the
United States during its
Revolutionary War. The city's economy was primarily based on
agriculture until the
1940s, when the
petroleum and
natural gas industry became dominant. The city is also home to the
University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Lafayette has a strong tourism industry, attracted by the
Cajun and
Creole cultures of the surrounding region and hosts the annual Festival de Musique Acadienne,
Festivals Acadiens, and the annual
Festival International de Louisiane. It also has one of the highest restaurant counts per capita of cities in the area.
Lafayette is located at (30.213901, -92.029363) in the south central area of Louisiana at the junction of Interstate Highways 10 and 49.
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 123.5
km² (47.7
mi²). 123.3 km² (47.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.19%) is water.
The
Vermilion River passes through the center of Lafayette. Other significant waterways in Lafayette are Isaac Verot Coulee, Coulee Mine, Coulee des Poches, Coulee Ile Des Cannes all of which are natural drainage canals that lead to the Vermilion River.
As of the
census of 2000, there were 110,257 people, 43,506 households, and 27,104 families residing in the city. The
population density was 894.5/km² (2,316.7/mi²). There were 46,865 housing units at an average density of 380.2/km² (984.7/mi²). 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.
Lafayette is the only major city in Louisiana to be growing in population instead of shrinking (even before the
hurricane-caused migration from
New Orleans and surrounding areas).
Lafayette is approximately 90%
Roman Catholic and thus, has a large number of Catholic schools.
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. 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.In the 1970's, Lafayette had the distinction of having more millionaires per capita than any other city in the United States
* Air:
Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT) is on US Highway 90, on the southeast side of the city.
* Interstate Highway:
I-10 and
I-49* Passenger Rail: The
Amtrak Sunset Limited offers service to
Orlando, Florida,
New Orleans, Louisiana and
Los Angeles, CaliforniaLafayette is also served by U.S. Routes 90 (known as the Evangeline Thruway for part of its route) and 167 (also known as Johnston Street).
NativesSome of the notable people born in Lafayette include
*
Jefferson Caffery, former U.S. ambassador
*
Domanick Davis, NFL running back
*
Michael Doucet, Cajun musician
*
Walter Davis, triple jump athlete
*
Kevin Faulk, NFL running back
*
Ron Guidry, former NY Yankees pitcher
*
Angela Kinsey, television actress
ResidentsOther notable residents of Lafayette have included professional makeup artist
Kevyn Aucoin (deceased), Louisiana governor
Kathleen Blanco, Olympic medalist
Hollis Conway, NFL quarterback
Jake Delhomme, and
Ernest Gaines, acclaimed writer.
Lafayette is home to Louisiana's
Ragin' Cajuns. It is also home to the
Lafayette Bayou Bulls semi-pro football program. The Bayou Bulls started in 2003.
*
Lafayette Consolidated Government*
Pelicans on Parade in Lafayette
