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Lafayette is located in the heart of Cajun Country and Acadiana, on the banks of the Vermilion River, and at the junction of Interstate Highway I-10 and I-49.
Lafayette's first settlers were French Acadians ("Cajuns") who came to the area in the 1700s. Originally founded in 1821 as Vermilionville, the settlement was renamed Lafayette in 1884.
 Acadian Village, Lafayette, Louisiana |
Today a popular tourist attraction called "Vermilionville" recreates the Cajun lifestyle and folklore in a series of restored buildings. Other attractions include:
- Acadian Cultural Center
- Acadian Village
- Acadiana Center for the Arts
- Cathedral of St. John
- Evangeline State Park
- Children's Museum of Acadiana
- University Art Museum
- Alexandre Mouton House
- Lafayette Science Museum
- Cajundome and Convention Center
Lafayette is known for its Cajun and Creole culture, and its legendary Cajun cooking.
Dining establishments featuring outstanding cuisine are widely known in Acadiana and nationwide, such as:
- Prejean's Restaurant
- Randol's Restaurant
- Blue Dog Cafe
- Don's Seafood Restaurant
- Poupart's Bakery
- and Cafe des Amis (in Breaux Bridge)
And we can't count the number of times we've had great crawfish at Pat's Fisherman's Wharf Restaurant in nearby Henderson in the Atchafalaya River Basin!
Lafayette serves a large, regional retail and tourism industry. Its economy today is diverse, including large onshore and offshore drilling, production and support services for the oil and gas industry.
Lafayette is also the home of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL) and its Ragin Cajuns sports program. ULL is the second largest university in Louisiana, with an enrollment of approximately 16,000.
 Campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette |
The university has been located in Lafayette since 1900, and was previously known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana, and also Southwestern Louisiana Institute. It is one of the top-ranked universities in the south, and has nationally-ranked nursing, architecture, biology and computer sciences programs.
Lafayette is located midway between Houston and New Orleans and 35 miles from the Gulf of
Mexico, at the intersection of I-10 and I-49.
The parish seat of Lafayette Parish, the City of Lafayette is located near St. Martinville, Abbeville, Breaux Bridge, Henderson, Scott, Crowley, Rayne and Kaplan. We know the famous streets of Lafayette well, including Evangeline Thruway, Kaliste Saloom, Congress Street, Ambassador Caffery Boulevard, and Johnston Street downtown. See Lafayette area map below.
The population of Lafayette was 120,623 in the 2010 census, while the Lafayette-Acadiana area has a population of over half-million residents.
Lafayette Zip Codes include 70501-9, 70593, 70596, 70598, and the Area Code is 337.
Lafayette Regional Airport
Lafayette Regional Airport is a public use, primary commercial service, and short-haul airport as
designated by the Federal Aviation Administration's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems.
The airport's International Air Transport Association (IATA) code is "LFT". It is located just off Evangeline Thruway, at 200 Terminal Drive.
The facility was originally known as Lafayette Municipal Airport, dedicated on November 29, 1930. Since that time, the airport has increased in size to approximately 1,116 acres at present.
Commercial flights are offered by Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and American Airlines. Lafayette Regional Airport offers flights to major domestic destinations and connecting service to points around the globe. More than 400,000 thousand travelers utilize LFT annually and that number continues to grow.
Amtrak in Lafayette
Amtrak's station is located at 100 Lee Avenue, and provides service to New Orleans and California via the Sunset Limited.
Commercial Bus Service
Greyhound Bus Lines operates a local station at 315 Lee Avenue in Lafayette.
Acadian Village
Lafayette, Louisiana |
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Acadian Village
Lafayette, Louisiana |
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Acadian Village
Lafayette, Louisiana |
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Acadian Cultural Center, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
Lafayette, Louisiana |
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Vermilionville
Lafayette, Louisiana |
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Vermilionville entrance, Lafayette, Louisiana |
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The University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana |
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Immaculata Minor Seminary
Lafayette, Louisiana |
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Gordon Hotel
Lafayette, Louisiana |
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Evangeline Hotel
Lafayette, Louisiana |
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Southern Pacific Railroad Depot
Lafayette, Louisiana |
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U.S. Post Office
Lafayette, Louisiana |
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Evangeline Courts
U.S. Highway 90 East
Lafayette, Louisiana |
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Lafayette Parish Court House
Lafayette, Louisiana |
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St. John's Cathedral
Lafayette, Louisiana |
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St. John's Catholic Cathedral
Lafayette, Louisiana |
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Stephen's Memorial Library
Lafayette, Louisiana |
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Plantation Court
"On the Old Spanish Trail"
Lafayette, Louisiana |
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Howard Johnsons Motor Lodge
Lafayette, Louisiana |
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South Wind Motel
Lafayette, Louisiana |
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Acadian Motel
Lafayette, Louisiana |
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De Rousselle's Restaurant
Lafayette, Louisiana |
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