Iberia Parish is a parish in Louisiana, United States, on the Bayou Teche in the Cajun heartland southeast of Lafayette. It had a population of 69,929 at the 2020 census and covers 574 square miles (1,490 km2) of land plus 456 square miles (1,180 km2) of water, centred near 29°47′N 91°47′W.
New Iberia is the parish seat, and its postal code is 70560. The parish has three incorporated municipalities (two cities and one village), one partial town, and dozens of unincorporated communities. Louisiana parishes have no civil townships, so this parish is organised directly into wards rather than township government.
Towns & Villages in Iberia Parish
Iberia Parish counts three incorporated cities and villages plus a large number of unincorporated communities and bayou settlements. New Iberia is the seat and by far the largest city; Jeanerette and Loreauville anchor the sugar-growing country downstream on Bayou Teche. “Unincorp.” below marks places with no municipal government of their own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Iberia | City · seat | — | 70560 |
| Jeanerette | City | — | 70544 |
| Loreauville | Village | — | 70552 |
| Delcambre | Town (partial, shared with Vermilion Parish) | — | 70528 |
| Avery Island | Unincorp. | — | 70513 |
| Belle Place | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Berard | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bob Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Boudreaux | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bourgeois Landing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brannon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bronson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brousville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Burke | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Caroline | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Charlotte | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Coopersville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Coteau | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Daspit | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dauterive Landing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Davids | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Delaware | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dennison | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Derouen | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Deslatte | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Duboin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Emma | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fish Island | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gajan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gall | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Georgetown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Greig | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hope | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hubertville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Independent | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jefferson Island | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lasalle | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Leesburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Leleux | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lifenite | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Little Valley Plantation | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Loisel | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lozes | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ludger | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lydia | Unincorp. | — | 70569 |
| Lyons | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Marce | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Masters | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mestayer | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Migues | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Morbihan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nicholas | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Norbert | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Numa | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Olivier | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oubre | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Patoutville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pesson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Port of Iberia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Poufette | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rynella | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sandager | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Santiague | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Segura | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sumerall | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tony | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ulyssee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vida | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Walet | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Weeks | Unincorp. | — | — |
Fourteen entries from the old list were private mobile-home parks and trailer courts (Boudreauxs MH Park, Canebrake MH Park, Charlies MH Village, Daspit MH Park, Iberia MH Park, Kiper MH Park, M and T MH Park, New Horizon MH Park, Oliva MH Park, Plantation Village MH Park, Teche Valley MH Park, Thibodeaux MH Park, Tree Lawn Trailer Court, Westland MH Park) rather than named unincorporated communities, so they are omitted here.
ZIP Codes
- 70560 — New Iberia (parish seat)
- 70544 — Jeanerette
- 70552 — Loreauville
- 70528 — Delcambre (also serves the Vermilion Parish side of town)
- 70513 — Avery Island
- 70569 — Lydia
Most of the smaller bayou communities listed above have no ZIP code of their own and are served by the New Iberia or Jeanerette post offices.
Geography
Iberia Parish sits on the Bayou Teche in the Louisiana coastal marsh belt, roughly halfway between Lafayette and the Gulf of Mexico. Water covers nearly 44 percent of the parish’s total area, and the low salt-dome ridge of Avery Island rises out of the marsh southwest of New Iberia. The Port of Iberia, on the Freshwater Bayou Canal, gives the parish direct water access to the Gulf Coast, and Marsh Island lies within the parish’s southern reach.
Iberia Parish borders Lafayette Parish to the north, St. Martin Parish to the northeast, Iberville Parish to the east, Assumption Parish to the southeast, St. Mary Parish to the south, and Vermilion Parish to the west.
Demographics
Iberia Parish had 69,929 residents at the 2020 census. New Iberia is by far the largest community, followed by Jeanerette. Louisiana’s statewide median household income is the Louisiana median of $58,229; Iberia Parish, with its mix of agricultural and oilfield-service employment, has historically run somewhat below that figure. With 574 square miles of land, the parish has a density of roughly 122 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Sugarcane farming and processing anchor the rural parish economy — Iberia Parish is one of Louisiana’s leading sugar producers, and cane fields ring New Iberia and Jeanerette. The Port of Iberia is a major hub for offshore oil-and-gas fabrication and service companies. Avery Island is home to the McIlhenny Company, maker of Tabasco brand pepper sauce, and its Jungle Gardens are a long-running local tourist draw. New Iberia hosts the annual Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival and Fair each September.
History
Iberia Parish was created on October 30, 1868, during the Reconstruction era, from parts of St. Martin Parish. Its name honours the Iberian Peninsula, in recognition of Spanish and Canary Islander (Isleno) settlers in the New Iberia area during the Spanish colonial period. The parish has long depended on Bayou Teche for transportation and settlement, and its sugar and salt-dome economy (Avery Island’s rock-salt mine and pepper industry among them) took shape through the 19th century.
Getting There
U.S. Highway 90 (upgrading toward the future Interstate 49 South corridor) runs through the parish along with Louisiana Highways 14, 31, 83, 85, 86, and 87.
- Lafayette — about 20 miles northwest
- Jeanerette — about 10 miles southeast of New Iberia
- Franklin — about 20 miles southeast, in St. Mary Parish
- Abbeville — about 20 miles west, in Vermilion Parish
The nearest commercial airport is Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT).
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Iberia Parish?
It is in south-central Louisiana, on Bayou Teche southeast of Lafayette.
What is the population of Iberia Parish?
69,929 at the 2020 census.
How big is Iberia Parish?
574 square miles (1,490 km2) of land plus 456 square miles (1,180 km2) of water.
What is the Iberia Parish seat?
New Iberia is the county seat.
How many towns are in Iberia Parish?
Three incorporated municipalities — New Iberia, Jeanerette, and Loreauville — plus part of Delcambre and dozens of unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Iberia Parish?
Main ones include 70560 (New Iberia), 70544 (Jeanerette), 70552 (Loreauville), 70528 (Delcambre), 70513 (Avery Island), and 70569 (Lydia).
What is Avery Island known for?
It is a salt-dome community in the parish and home to the McIlhenny Company’s Tabasco pepper sauce factory and Jungle Gardens.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Louisiana.