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
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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