Lafayette is a city located on the Vermilion River in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. Lafayette was founded as Vermilionville in 1821 by a French-speaking Acadian named Jean Mouton. The city's economy was primarily based on agriculture until the 1940s, when the petroleum and natural gas industry became dominant. The city is also home to the University of Louisiana, Lafayette.

It also has one of the highest restaurant counts per capita than most cities in the United States.

Lafayette also relies on tourism attracted by the Cajun and Creole cultures of the surrounding region and hosts the annual Festival de Musique Acadienne, Festivals Acadiens, and the annual Festival International de Louisiane.

As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 110,257.

Geography

Lafayette is located at 30°12'50" North, 92°1'46" West (30.213901, -92.029363) in the south central area of Louisiana at the junction of Interstate Highways 10 and 49.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 123.5 km² (47.7 mi²). 123.3 km² (47.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.19% water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 110,257 people, 43,506 households, and 27,104 families residing in the city. The population density is 894.5/km² (2,316.7/mi²). There are 46,865 housing units at an average density of 380.2/km² (984.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 68.23% White, 28.51% African American, 0.25% Native American, 1.44% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.58% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. 1.88% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 43,506 households out of which 31.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% are married couples living together, 14.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% are non-families. 29.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.43 and the average family size is 3.07.

In the city the population is spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $35,996, and the median income for a family is $47,783. Males have a median income of $37,729 versus $23,606 for females. The per capita income for the city is $21,031. 16.3% of the population and 11.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 18.3% of those under the age of 18 and 14.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Passenger transportation

• Air: Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT) is on US Highway 90, on the southeast side of the city.
• Interstate Highway: I-10 and I-49
• Passenger Rail: The Amtrak Sunset Limited offers service to Orlando, Florida, New Orleans, Louisiana and Los Angeles, California

External links