Louisiana Destinations ... Travel Across the Bayou State


Louisiana Parishes

Why does Louisiana have parishes, and not counties like other states?

The State of Louisiana does not have "counties" as regional governments below the state level, but instead has "parishes". The only state besides Louisiana not to have counties is Alaska, which has "boroughs".

What is the origin of the term "parish" in Louisiana?

Louisiana was officially Roman Catholic under the rule of both France and Spain. The boundaries dividing the territories generally coincided with church parishes. In 1807, the territorial legislature officially adopted the ecclesiastical term "parish". 

The original parishes were established in 1807. In 1910, the final four parishes were created, i.e., Evangeline, Allen, Beauregard, and Jefferson Davis. 

List of Louisiana Parishes and Parish Seats

Today, Louisiana has 64 parishes, as shown in the table below. Thirteen (13) northwest parishes of Louisiana are considered to be part of the Ark-La-Tex Region.

Parish Names Parish Seats
Acadia
Crowley
Allen
Oberlin
Ascension
Donaldsonville
Assumption
Napoleonville
Avoyelles
Marksville
Beauregard
DeRidder
Bienville
Arcadia
Bossier
Benton
Caddo
Shreveport
Calcasieu
Lake Charles
Caldwell
Columbia
Cameron
Cameron
Catahoula
Harrisonburg
Claiborne
Homer
Concordia
Vidalia
DeSoto
Mansfield
East Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge
East Carroll
Lake Providence
East Feliciana
Clinton
Evangeline
Ville Platte
Franklin
Winnsboro
Grant
Colfax
Iberia
New Iberia
Iberville
Plaquemine
Jackson
Jonesboro
Jefferson
Gretna
Jefferson Davis
Jennings
Lafayette
Lafayette
Lafourche
Thibodaux
Lasalle
Jena
Lincoln
Ruston
Livingston
Livingston
Madison
Tallulah
Morehouse
Bastrop
Natchitoches
Natchitoches
Orleans
New Orleans
Ouachita
Monroe
Plaquemines
Pointe a la Hache
Pointe Coupee
New Roads
Rapides
Alexandria
Rred River
Coushatta
Richland
Rayville
Sabine
Many
Saint Bernard
Chalmette
Saint Charles
Hahnville
Saint Helena
Greensburg
Saint James
Convent
Saint John the Baptist
Edgard
Saint Landry
Opelousas
Saint Martin
Saint Martinville
Saint Mary
Franklin
Saint Tammany
Covington
Tangipahoa
Amite
Tensas
Saint Joseph
Terrebonne
Houma
Union
Farmerville
Vermilion
Abbeville
Vernon
Leesville
Washington
Franklinton
Webster
Minden
West Baton Rouge
Port Allen
West Carroll
Oak Grove
West Feliciana
Saint Francisville
Winn
Winnfield


Map of Louisiana Parishes

Louisiana Parish Map

The Ark-La-Tex

The states of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas meet at the Ark-La-Tex Three States USGS Monument just north of Vivian, Louisiana.

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