Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the most populous city in the southwest Louisiana. It is the second most populous city in the Acadiana (after Lafayette). It is the fifth most populous city in the U.S. state of Louisiana (after New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport and Lafayette). The actual population is about 85,000. The city was founded as Charleston, March 7, 1861. The name was changed to Lake Charles on March 16, 1867. The city was founded by and named for Charles Sallier.
| File:Zephyr's 20190224 69 Lake Charles, Louisiana.jpg | |
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| Coordinates: 30°12′53″N 93°12′31″W / 30.21472°N 93.20861°WCoordinates: 30°12′53″N 93°12′31″W / 30.21472°N 93.20861°W | |
| Country | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States |
| State |  Louisiana |
| Parish | Calcasieu |
| Founded | March 7, 1861 as Charleston |
| Renamed | March 16, 1867 as Lake Charles |
| Founded by | Charles Sallier |
| Named for | Charles Sallier |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Nicholas E. "Nic" Hunter (R) |
| • City Council[1] | Members list
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| Area | |
| • City | 48.5 sq mi (125.5 km2) |
| • Land | 45.7 sq mi (118.2 km2) |
| • Water | 2.8 sq mi (7.3 km2) |
| Elevation | 15 ft (5 m) |
| Population | |
| • City | 84,872 |
| • Estimate (2024)[4] | 81,157 |
| • Rank | CA: 1st LA: 5th |
| • Density | 1,749.9/sq mi (676.27/km2) |
| • Urban | 162,501 |
| • Metro | 254,652 |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CST) |
| ZIP Codes | 70601, 70602, 70605, 70606, 70607, 70609, 70615, 70616, 70629 |
| Primary airport | Lake Charles Regional Airport |
| Interstates | 26px 26px |
| U.S. Route | 26px 26px |
| Waterways | Calcasieu River |
| Website | www |
Lake Charles, Louisiana Media
- Ryan Street Lake Charles 1903.jpg
Ryan Street in Lake Charles, 1903
- Ryan Street Crowd.jpg
Downtown Lake Charles, c. 1917
- Henderson Bayou.JPG
Henderson Bayou, located in Lake Charles, Louisiana
- Israel LaFleur Bridge.jpg
Israel LaFleur Bridge in Lake Charles, LA
- Heavy Rainfall in Lake Charles, Louisiana.jpg
Heavy rainfall in Lake Charles
- SWIMMING IN POLLUTED LAKE CHARLES. OLIN-MATHIESON PLANT IN BACKGROUND - NARA - 546145.jpg
Swimming in polluted Lake Charles opposite the Olin Mathieson chemical plant in 1972: Cleanup efforts of Lake Charles' waterways have been so successful that Prien Lake now supports both recreational and commercial fishing, and has a safe public beach.
- Golden Nugget Lake Charles.JPG
Golden Nugget Casino in Lake Charles
- Old City Hall LC.JPG
City Hall Arts and Cultural Center
- Lake Charles Mardi Gras Museum 05.jpg
Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu
- Calcasieu Parish Public Library.jpg
Calcasieu Parish Public Library
References
- ↑ "City of Lake Charles". Cityoflakecharles.com. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ↑ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ↑ "QuickFacts: Lake Charles city, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
- ↑ "City and Town Population Totals: 2020−2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
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