Lafayette Parish, Louisiana

Lafayette Parish is a parish in Louisiana, United States, about 55 miles west of Baton Rouge
along Interstate 10. It had a population of 241,753 at the 2020 census, an estimated 257,949 by
2025, and covers 269 square miles (700 km2) centred near 30°13′N 92°04′W.

Lafayette is the parish seat; its postal code is 70501. Lafayette city and Lafayette Parish
have operated under a single consolidated city-parish government since 1996, though five other
municipalities inside the parish — Broussard, Carencro, Duson, Scott and Youngsville —
kept their own separate town and city governments and are not part of that consolidation. The
parish holds 1 consolidated city-parish, 4 cities, 1 town and several unincorporated communities,
and it runs on Central Time.

Towns & Villages in Lafayette Parish

Lafayette Parish has 13 named places on record: 6 incorporated cities and towns, 2 census
designated places (CDPs) with their own population counts, and several smaller unincorporated
communities with no local government of their own. CDP stands for census designated place;
Unincorp. covers crossroads and rural settlements with no formal boundary.

Duson straddles the Lafayette–Acadia parish line; its 1,326 residents are the town’s
total across both parishes, with the larger share inside Lafayette Parish. River Ranch is a
master-planned neighborhood inside the city of Lafayette rather than a standalone community, but
it is listed separately because it is commonly searched by name. Several smaller named places
— Capitan, Elks, Larabee, Pilette, Pont Des Mouton, Ridge, Sadou, Stekey and Walroy —
are crossroads and rural localities with no population figures of their own; they are folded into
the surrounding unincorporated area rather than counted separately.

ZIP Codes

• 70501 — Lafayette (downtown; also serves 70502–70509, 70593, 70596 and 70598, mostly PO box and business ZIPs)
• 70518 — Broussard
• 70520 — Carencro
• 70529 — Duson
• 70583 — Scott
• 70592 — Youngsville

Milton, Ossun, Judice and the smaller unincorporated localities have no ZIP of their own; mail
there is delivered under the nearest incorporated city’s code, most often Lafayette or
Broussard.

Geography

Lafayette Parish sits in south-central Louisiana’s Acadiana region, a flat coastal
prairie crossed by bayous and drained toward the Gulf of Mexico. The Vermilion River runs through
the parish’s eastern side, past downtown Lafayette, on its way south to Vermilion Bay. The
terrain is low and level throughout, typical of the prairie country west of the Atchafalaya
Basin, with no significant elevation change across the parish.

St. Landry Parish lies to the north, St. Martin Parish to the east, Iberia Parish to the
southeast, Vermilion Parish to the south, and Acadia Parish to the west. St. Landry Parish, St. Martin Parish, Iberia Parish, Vermilion Parish and Acadia Parish all border Lafayette
directly.

Demographics

Lafayette Parish had a population of 241,753 at the 2020 census, and the latest estimate puts
the parish near 257,949 residents. Lafayette city and Youngsville are the two largest
communities, with Lafayette alone accounting for just over half the parish total. Median household
income runs $67,451, well above Louisiana’s 2023 ACS statewide figure of $58,229. The
parish forms the core of the
Lafayette metropolitan statistical area, Louisiana’s third largest metro, with 478,384
residents across the wider region at the 2020 census.

Economy & Local Life

Health care and social assistance employs the most workers in the parish, about 18,673 people,
followed by retail trade at 13,563 and educational services at 11,939. The University of
Louisiana at Lafayette, with roughly 18,000 students, anchors the education sector and is one of
the parish’s largest single employers alongside Lafayette General Health and the Lafayette
Parish School System. Scott, on the parish’s west side, holds the Louisiana Legislature’s
official designation as the “Boudin Capital of the World,” recognizing its Cajun
sausage producers. The parish’s biggest annual event is Festival International de
Louisiane each April, a free downtown Lafayette music festival celebrating French-speaking
cultures worldwide; Festivals Acadiens et Créoles follows each October with Cajun and
zydeco music and food.

History

The Louisiana legislature organized Lafayette Parish on 17 January 1823, naming it for the
Marquis de Lafayette, the French general who served in the Continental Army during the American
Revolution. The parish seat began as Vermilionville, founded by Acadian settler Jean Mouton, and
was incorporated under that name in 1836. The city renamed itself Lafayette in 1884 to honor the
same French general as the parish. Lafayette city and Lafayette Parish merged into a single
consolidated government in 1996, one of only a handful of Louisiana city-parish consolidations,
while Broussard, Carencro, Duson, Scott and Youngsville stayed outside it as separate
municipalities.

Getting There

Interstate 10 crosses the parish east–west and Interstate 49 runs north from it through
Lafayette, meeting at the parish’s central interchange. US 90 and US 167 also pass through
the parish.

• Baton Rouge — about 55 miles east
• New Orleans — about 135 miles east
• Lake Charles — about 75 miles west
• Opelousas — about 25 miles north

Lafayette Regional Airport, on the city’s north side, offers nonstop commercial flights
to several major hub cities. Amtrak’s Sunset Limited stops at the Lafayette station three
days a week, connecting to New Orleans and points west to Los Angeles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Lafayette Parish located?
It sits in Louisiana’s Acadiana region, about 55 miles west of Baton Rouge, bordered by
St. Landry, St. Martin, Iberia, Vermilion and Acadia parishes.

What is the population of Lafayette Parish?
241,753 at the 2020 census, with a 2025 estimate near 257,949.

How big is Lafayette Parish?
269 square miles (700 km2) of land.

What is the parish seat of Lafayette Parish?
Lafayette, incorporated in 1836 as Vermilionville and renamed in 1884, is the parish seat and
largest city.

How many towns and cities are in Lafayette Parish?
Six incorporated places — Lafayette, Youngsville, Broussard, Carencro, Scott and Duson
— plus the CDPs of Milton and Ossun and several smaller unincorporated communities.

What ZIP codes does Lafayette Parish use?
70501 through 70509, 70593, 70596 and 70598 for Lafayette; 70518 for Broussard; 70520 for
Carencro; 70529 for Duson; 70583 for Scott; and 70592 for Youngsville.

What is Lafayette Parish known for?
Its Cajun and Creole culture, Festival International de Louisiane, and Scott’s legislative
designation as the Boudin Capital of the World.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Louisiana.