Jackson Parish is a parish in Louisiana, United States, in the north-central part of the state along the Caney Lakes and the Dugdemona River. It had a population of 15,031 at the 2020 census and covers 569 square miles (1,470 km2) of land, centred near 32°18′N 92°33′W.
Jonesboro is the parish seat, and its postal code is 71251. The parish has 3 incorporated towns, 4 villages and several unincorporated communities. Jackson Parish sits in the Central Time zone (UTC−6, UTC−5 during daylight saving), and its FIPS code is 22049.
Towns & Villages in Jackson Parish
Jackson Parish has 7 incorporated municipalities — three towns and four villages — plus a scatter of unincorporated crossroads communities. CDP/Unincorp. below marks places with no municipal government of their own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jonesboro | City · seat | 3,614 | 71251 |
| Hodge | Village | 754 | 71247 |
| Chatham | Town | 653 | 71226 |
| Eros | Town | 253 | — |
| Quitman | Village | 216 | 71268 |
| East Hodge | Village | 209 | — |
| North Hodge | Village | 130 | — |
| Ansley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Antioch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bear Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beech Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cartwright | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clay | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Concord | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ebenezer | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Evergreen | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gulf Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hebron | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hilltop | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kelleys | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lakefield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Longstraw | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lyons | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Hebron | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Moriah | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Punkin Center | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rockfield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Saint Claire | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Saint Rest | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Siloam Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Spring Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vernon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Walker | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Weston | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Womack | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wood Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wyatt | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Zoar | Unincorp. | — | — |
Hodge, East Hodge and North Hodge are three separate villages clustered together on the same stretch of US 167 just south of Jonesboro — a legacy of the sawmill era, when each grew up around its own mill company town rather than merging into one municipality.
ZIP Codes
- 71251 — Jonesboro (also serves Ansley, Bear Creek and most of the parish’s rural south)
- 71226 — Chatham (also serves Antioch and Beech Springs)
- 71268 — Quitman (also serves Weston and the parish’s western edge)
- 71247 — Hodge, East Hodge and North Hodge (post-office-box service only)
Eros and the smaller crossroads communities have no ZIP code of their own and are served by a neighboring town’s post office.
Geography
Jackson Parish sits in the West Gulf Coastal Plain, its rolling pine hills cut by the Dugdemona River and dotted with the man-made Caney Lakes, part of the Kisatchie National Forest’s Caney Ranger District. The parish covers 569 square miles of land and 11 square miles of water. It borders Lincoln Parish to the north, Ouachita Parish to the northeast, Caldwell Parish to the southeast, Winn Parish to the south, and Bienville Parish to the west; live cross-links to Lincoln, Ouachita, Caldwell and Winn Parishes are also above.
Demographics
Jackson Parish had 15,031 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 26 people per square mile. Jonesboro, the parish seat, is by far the largest community with roughly 3,600 residents; Hodge is the second-largest at around 750. Parish household income runs well under the Louisiana median of $58,229, reflecting the timber-belt economy typical of north-central Louisiana.
Economy & Local Life
Timber and forest products anchor the parish economy — loblolly and shortleaf pine plantations cover much of Jackson Parish, feeding sawmills and pulpwood haulers much as they did when Hodge, East Hodge and North Hodge grew up as separate mill towns. State and parish government, the parish school system, and Jackson Parish Hospital in Jonesboro are the other major employers. Caney Lakes Recreation Area draws boaters and campers from across north Louisiana.
History
Jackson Parish was created in 1845 from parts of Claiborne, Ouachita and Union Parishes and named for President Andrew Jackson. Jonesboro was founded soon after and grew as a sawmill and rail town once the railroad reached it in the 1880s. In November 1964, Jonesboro residents Frederick Douglass Kirkpatrick and Earnest “Chilly Willy” Thomas founded the Deacons for Defense and Justice, an armed African-American self-defense organization that protected civil rights workers and Black communities across the Jim Crow South.
Getting There
US Highway 167 runs north–south through the parish and US 84 crosses it east–west, meeting at Jonesboro.
- Ruston — 20 miles north
- Monroe — 35 miles east
- Winnfield — 25 miles south
- Shreveport — 75 miles west
Monroe Regional Airport is the nearest commercial airport, about 40 miles from Jonesboro.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Jackson Parish?
It is in north-central Louisiana, about 35 miles west of Monroe.
What is the population of Jackson Parish?
15,031 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Jackson Parish?
569 square miles of land, plus 11 square miles of water.
What is the Jackson Parish seat?
Jonesboro is the parish seat.
How many towns and villages are in Jackson Parish?
Three towns (Jonesboro, Chatham, Eros) and four villages (Hodge, East Hodge, North Hodge, Quitman), plus about 30 unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Jackson Parish?
71251 (Jonesboro), 71226 (Chatham), 71268 (Quitman) and 71247 (Hodge area).
Why are there three separate Hodge villages?
Hodge, East Hodge and North Hodge grew up as distinct sawmill company towns rather than merging into one municipality.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Louisiana.