Avoyelles Parish is a parish in Louisiana, United States, straddling the Red River where it becomes the Atchafalaya River in the central part of the state. It had a population of 39,693 at the 2020 census and covers 866 square miles (2,240 km2) centred near 31°04′N 92°00′W.
Marksville is the parish seat, and its postal code is 71351. The parish contains two cities, four towns, three villages, three census-designated places, and about twenty unincorporated communities. Avoyelles Parish is in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Avoyelles Parish
Avoyelles Parish has 31 named places on record: 2 cities, 4 towns, 3 villages, 3 census-designated places (CDPs, unincorporated but statistically tracked by the Census Bureau) and about 19 smaller unincorporated communities with no municipal government of their own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marksville | City · seat | 5,065 | 71351 |
| Bunkie | City | 3,346 | 71322 |
| Cottonport | Town | — | 71327 |
| Evergreen | Town | — | 71333 |
| Mansura | Town | — | 71350 |
| Simmesport | Town | — | 71369 |
| Hessmer | Village | — | 71341 |
| Moreauville | Village | — | 71355 |
| Plaucheville | Village | — | 71362 |
| Bordelonville | CDP | — | 71320 |
| Center Point | CDP | — | 71323 |
| Fifth Ward | CDP | — | — |
| Belle d’Eau | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Belleville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Big Bend | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bodoc | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brouillette | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cassandra | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dupont | Unincorp. | — | 71329 |
| Effie | Unincorp. | — | 71331 |
| Eola | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hamburg | Unincorp. | — | 71339 |
| Long Bridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Moncla | Unincorp. | — | — |
| North Point | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Odenburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oklahoma | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rexmere | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vick | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Whitehall | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Yellow Bayou | Unincorp. | — | — |
A note on the community called simply “Oklahoma”: it is an unincorporated settlement inside Avoyelles Parish, unrelated to the western state that shares its name. Yellow Bayou, near the parish’s southwestern edge, is the site of the last major Civil War engagement fought on Louisiana soil, the Battle of Yellow Bayou (May 1864).
ZIP Codes
- 71351 — Marksville (parish seat)
- 71322 — Bunkie
- 71327 — Cottonport
- 71333 — Evergreen
- 71350 — Mansura
- 71369 — Simmesport
- 71341 — Hessmer
- 71355 — Moreauville
- 71362 — Plaucheville
- 71320 — Bordelonville (P.O. box ZIP)
- 71323 — Center Point
- 71331 — Effie (P.O. box ZIP)
- 71339 — Hamburg (P.O. box ZIP)
- 71329 — Dupont (P.O. box ZIP)
Smaller unincorporated places such as Belle d’Eau, Big Bend, Moncla, Vick and Yellow Bayou are served by the ZIP code of the nearest post-office town rather than one of their own.
Geography
Avoyelles Parish sits on the flat, alluvial land between the Red and Mississippi river systems, where the Red River becomes the Atchafalaya. Bayous, oxbow lakes and old river cutoffs cross the parish, and its low-lying eastern and southern edges flood periodically; about 3.8% of the parish’s total area is water. The parish is bordered by Rapides Parish to the west, LaSalle Parish to the north, Catahoula Parish to the northeast, Concordia Parish to the east, Pointe Coupee Parish to the southeast, West Feliciana Parish touching a narrow southeastern corner, St. Landry Parish to the south, and Evangeline Parish to the southwest.
Demographics
Avoyelles Parish had 39,693 residents at the 2020 census, spread over 832 square miles of land for a density of about 48 people per square mile. Marksville (5,065) and Bunkie (3,346) are the parish’s two largest communities, together holding roughly a fifth of its population. Median household income in the parish runs below the Louisiana median of $58,229, reflecting the area’s agricultural economic base.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture anchors the parish economy — cotton, soybeans, corn and cattle on the bottomland farms around Bunkie, Cottonport and Simmesport. Paragon Casino Resort, owned and operated by the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana near Marksville, is the parish’s largest single employer and its best-known destination. Marksville also hosts Avoyelles Hospital and the parish’s public school system offices. The annual Louisiana Yambilee-style fall harvest festivals and the Tunica-Biloxi Pow Wow draw visitors from across central Louisiana.
History
Avoyelles Parish was organized on March 31, 1807, one of the original parishes created after the Louisiana Purchase. Its name comes from the Avoyel, a small Native American tribe living along the Red River when French settlers arrived in the early 18th century; the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe, now headquartered at Marksville, holds federal recognition and operates the parish’s largest employer. The Battle of Yellow Bayou, fought near the parish’s southwestern boundary on May 18, 1864, was the last significant Civil War combat on Louisiana soil, part of the retreat following the Red River Campaign.
Getting There
Interstate 49 crosses the western edge of the parish, and US Highway 71 and Louisiana Highways 1, 29, 107, 114 and 115 connect its towns.
- Alexandria — 30 miles west
- Opelousas — 35 miles south
- Natchez, Mississippi — 55 miles east
- Baton Rouge — 75 miles southeast
The nearest commercial airport is Alexandria International Airport, about 30 miles west of Marksville.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Avoyelles Parish?
It is in central Louisiana, on the Red and Atchafalaya rivers, about 30 miles east of Alexandria.
What is the population of Avoyelles Parish?
39,693 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Avoyelles Parish?
866 square miles (2,240 km2), of which 832 square miles are land.
What is the Avoyelles Parish seat?
Marksville is the parish seat.
How many towns are in Avoyelles Parish?
The parish has 2 cities, 4 towns, 3 villages, 3 census-designated places and roughly 19 smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Avoyelles Parish?
Fourteen ZIP codes serve the parish, led by 71351 (Marksville) and 71322 (Bunkie).
What is Avoyelles Parish’s biggest attraction?
Paragon Casino Resort, operated by the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe near Marksville, is the parish’s largest employer and top visitor draw.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Louisiana.