Grant Parish is a parish in Louisiana, United States, in the north-central part of the state along the Red River. It had a population of 22,169 at the 2020 census and covers 643 square miles (1,670 km2) of land, centred near 31°35′N 92°34′W.
Colfax is the parish seat, and its postal code is 71417. The parish has 3 incorporated towns, 3 villages and 2 census-designated places. It sits in the Central time zone, FIPS code 22043.
Towns & Villages in Grant Parish
Grant Parish has 8 recognized places on the U.S. Census Bureau’s rolls, plus a number of unincorporated crossroads communities long used by residents. The table below covers the incorporated towns, villages and CDPs; the unincorporated communities are listed underneath. Louisiana parishes have no civil townships, so that column is dropped.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colfax | Town · seat | 1,404 | 71417 |
| Montgomery | Town | 716 | 71454 |
| Pollock | Town | 378 | 71467 |
| Creola | Village | — | — |
| Dry Prong | Village | 431 | 71423 |
| Georgetown | Village | 207 | 71432 |
| Prospect | CDP | — | — |
| Rock Hill | CDP | — | — |
Beyond the incorporated places, longtime local names for unincorporated communities and crossroads include Aloha, Antonia, Bagdad, Bentley, Bob, Boley, Breezy Hill, Camp Hardtner, Fairfield, Fairmount, Farmland, Fishville, Grandstaff, Hargis, Howcott, Iatt, Kadesh, Kateland, Lincecum, Lutes, Magnolia Park, McNeely, Mudville, New Verda, Nugent, Oak Grove, Ravencamp, Rochelle, Sand Spur, Selma, Simms, Stay, Summerfield, The Rock, Verda, Waddel, Wetzlar, Williana and Zion. These have no incorporated status and no separate census figures; several are little more than a church, a store or a Red River landing today.
ZIP Codes
- 71417 — Colfax (parish seat)
- 71454 — Montgomery
- 71467 — Pollock
- 71423 — Dry Prong
- 71432 — Georgetown
- 71407 — Bentley
Every other place in the parish, including Creola, Prospect and Rock Hill, receives mail through one of these six delivery zones rather than its own ZIP code.
Geography
Grant Parish lies in the pine hills and Red River bottomland of north-central Louisiana, with Kisatchie National Forest land covering much of its western and northern reaches. Iatt Lake, near the community of the same name, is the parish’s largest natural water body, and the Red River forms part of its eastern edge. Land makes up 643 square miles of the parish’s total 665 square miles, with the remaining 22 square miles in water.
Grant Parish borders Winn Parish to the north, LaSalle Parish to the east, Rapides Parish to the south and Natchitoches Parish to the west.
Demographics
Grant Parish had a population of 22,169 at the 2020 census, a density of about 34 people per square mile. Colfax, the seat, and Montgomery are the two largest communities. Household income in the parish runs well below the Louisiana median of $58,229, reflecting the rural, timber- and farm-based local economy.
Economy & Local Life
Timber and forest products are the parish’s traditional economic base, drawing on the pine stands of Kisatchie National Forest and privately held timberland. Poultry farming, cattle grazing and small-scale row-crop agriculture round out the rural economy, alongside parish government and school-system employment centered in Colfax. Hunting and fishing on the national forest and Iatt Lake draw visitors from across central Louisiana.
History
Grant Parish was organized on March 4, 1869, during Reconstruction, carved from parts of Winn and Rapides parishes and named for President Ulysses S. Grant. The parish is the site of the Colfax Massacre of Easter Sunday, April 13, 1873, in which a white paramilitary force killed dozens of Black freedmen who had gathered to defend the local Republican government — one of the deadliest episodes of Reconstruction-era violence in the United States, and the basis of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1876 United States v. Cruikshank decision.
Getting There
U.S. Highways 71 and 165, along with Louisiana Highways 8 and 471, are the parish’s principal roads.
- Alexandria, Louisiana — 25 miles south
- Natchitoches, Louisiana — 30 miles west
- Winnfield, Louisiana — 25 miles north
- Jena, Louisiana — 20 miles east
The nearest commercial airport is Alexandria International Airport (AEX), south of the parish in Rapides Parish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Grant Parish?
It is in north-central Louisiana, along the Red River, bordered by Winn, LaSalle, Rapides and Natchitoches parishes.
What is the population of Grant Parish?
22,169 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Grant Parish?
643 square miles (1,670 km2) of land, plus 22 square miles of water.
What is the Grant Parish seat?
Colfax is the parish seat.
How many towns are in Grant Parish?
Three incorporated towns (Colfax, Montgomery, Pollock), three villages (Creola, Dry Prong, Georgetown) and two census-designated places (Prospect, Rock Hill), plus numerous unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Grant Parish?
71417 (Colfax), 71454 (Montgomery), 71467 (Pollock), 71423 (Dry Prong), 71432 (Georgetown) and 71407 (Bentley).
What happened at Colfax in 1873?
The Colfax Massacre, one of the deadliest incidents of Reconstruction-era racial violence in the United States, took place there on Easter Sunday, 1873.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Louisiana.