West Baton Rouge Parish, LA

West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
Parish
	Location within the state of Louisiana
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Founded	March 31, 1807
Parish seat	Port Allen
Area
• Total	203 sq mi (526 km2)
• Land	192 sq mi (498 km2)
• Water	11 sq mi (28 km2)
Population (2020)
• Total	27,199
• Density	130/sq mi (52/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)

West Baton Rouge Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,199. The parish seat is Port Allen. The parish was established in 1807.

History[edit | edit source]

West Baton Rouge Parish was one of the original parishes created by the Louisiana Territory legislature in 1807. The name "Baton Rouge" is French for "Red Stick," which refers to a red cypress pole that marked the boundary between the hunting grounds of the Houma and Bayogoula Native American tribes.

Geography[edit | edit source]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 526 square kilometers, of which 498 square kilometers is land and 28 square kilometers (5.3%) is water. The parish is part of the Baton Rouge metropolitan area.

Demographics[edit | edit source]

As of the 2020 census, there were 27,199 people residing in the parish. The population density was 54.6 people per square kilometer. The racial makeup of the parish was 56.2% White, 39.8% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.2% of the population.

Government and infrastructure[edit | edit source]

The parish government is based in Port Allen, which is the parish seat. The government is responsible for local services such as law enforcement, public education, and infrastructure maintenance.

Education[edit | edit source]

Public schools in West Baton Rouge Parish are operated by the West Baton Rouge Parish School Board. The parish is also home to several private schools and educational institutions.

Transportation[edit | edit source]

Major highways in the parish include Interstate 10, U.S. Route 190, and Louisiana Highway 1. The parish is also served by the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, which is one of the largest ports in the United States.