Cameron Parish is a parish in Louisiana, United States, on the Gulf of Mexico coast in the southwestern corner of the state. It had a population of 5,617 at the 2020 census and covers 1,937 square miles (5,020 km2), centred near 29°51′N 93°12′W.
Cameron is the parish seat and its postal code is 70631. The parish has no incorporated municipalities — two census-designated places (Cameron and Hackberry) and a handful of unincorporated coastal communities — and sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Cameron Parish
Cameron Parish has never incorporated a single city or town under Louisiana law; every place listed below is either a census-designated place (CDP) or an unincorporated community. The parish is the largest in Louisiana by total land area but one of the least populous, its settlements strung along Louisiana Highway 82 and the Gulf shoreline.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron | CDP · seat | — | 70631 |
| Hackberry | CDP | — | 70645 |
| Creole | Unincorp. | — | 70632 |
| Grand Chenier | Unincorp. | — | 70643 |
| Grand Lake | Unincorp. | — | 70645 |
| Johnson Bayou | Unincorp. | — | 70645 |
| Holly Beach | Unincorp. | — | 70631 |
The old page also listed several smaller landmarks and place names — Constance Beach, Gibbstown, Hacketts Corner, Herbert Trailer Park, Illinois Plant, Johnson Bayou Landing, Lone Pine, Lowry, North Island, Oak Grove, Peveto Beach, and Sweet Lake. These are localities or sub-communities within the parish rather than separately mapped census places, so they are folded into the Johnson Bayou, Grand Chenier, and Grand Lake entries above rather than given their own row.
ZIP Codes
- 70631 — Cameron (also serves Holly Beach)
- 70632 — Creole
- 70643 — Grand Chenier
- 70645 — Hackberry (also serves Grand Lake and Johnson Bayou)
Four ZIP codes cover the entire parish; smaller communities use the post office of their nearest hub rather than a ZIP code of their own.
Geography
Cameron Parish is Louisiana’s largest parish by land area and its low-lying terrain is dominated by coastal marsh, chenier ridges, and the Gulf of Mexico shoreline — water makes up 34% of the parish’s total area. Grand Lake and the Calcasieu Ship Channel cut through the interior, and Louisiana Highway 82 runs the length of the coast connecting the parish’s scattered communities.
Cameron Parish borders Calcasieu Parish to the north and northwest, Jefferson Davis Parish to the northeast, Vermilion Parish to the east, and Orange and Jefferson counties, Texas, across the Sabine River and Sabine Lake to the west. The Gulf of Mexico forms its entire southern boundary.
Demographics
Cameron Parish had a population of 5,617 at the 2020 census, down from earlier counts after a series of major hurricanes. Cameron and Hackberry are the parish’s two largest communities. Household income runs well below the Louisiana median of $58,229, reflecting the parish’s small, storm-battered tax base. At roughly 4.4 people per square mile of land, Cameron Parish is one of the most sparsely populated parishes in the state.
Economy & Local Life
The parish economy centers on commercial fishing and shrimping out of Cameron and Grand Chenier, oil and gas operations tied to the Calcasieu Ship Channel, and cattle ranching on the interior marsh prairie. Liquefied natural gas terminal development along the ship channel near Hackberry has become a growing source of local jobs and tax revenue in recent years. Cameron Parish Police Jury governs the parish; there is no incorporated city government anywhere within its borders.
History
Cameron Parish was organized in 1870, during the Reconstruction era, from portions of Calcasieu and Vermilion parishes. It is named for Simon Cameron, Abraham Lincoln’s first secretary of war. The parish has been repeatedly devastated by hurricanes making Gulf landfall — Audrey in 1957, Rita in 2005, Ike in 2008, and Laura in 2020 — each event driving significant, sometimes permanent, population loss from its coastal communities.
Getting There
Louisiana Highway 82 runs the length of the parish along the coast, and Louisiana Highway 27 links Cameron north to Interstate 10 near Sulphur.
- Lake Charles — 30 miles north
- Sulphur — 25 miles north
- Port Arthur, Texas — 25 miles west
- Abbeville — 45 miles east
The nearest commercial airport is Lake Charles Regional Airport, about 30 miles to the north.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Cameron Parish?
It is in the southwestern corner of Louisiana, along the Gulf of Mexico coast between Calcasieu and Vermilion parishes.
What is the population of Cameron Parish?
5,617 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Cameron Parish?
1,937 square miles (5,020 km2) in total, of which 1,285 square miles is land — the largest parish in Louisiana by land area.
What is the Cameron Parish seat?
Cameron is the parish seat.
How many towns are in Cameron Parish?
None are incorporated. The parish has two census-designated places, Cameron and Hackberry, plus several unincorporated coastal communities including Creole, Grand Chenier, Grand Lake, and Johnson Bayou.
What ZIP codes are in Cameron Parish?
70631 (Cameron), 70632 (Creole), 70643 (Grand Chenier), and 70645 (Hackberry).
Why has Cameron Parish’s population fallen?
A series of major Gulf hurricanes — Audrey in 1957, Rita in 2005, Ike in 2008, and Laura in 2020 — repeatedly damaged its low-lying coastal communities and drove residents to relocate.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Louisiana.