IBERIA PARISH
Parish Offices
300 Iberia Street
New Iberia 337-365-8246
https://www.iberiaparishgovernment.com
Chamber of Commerce
111 West Main Street
New Iberia 337-364-1836
https://iberiachamber.org
Named by Spanish settlers for the Iberian Peninsula, Iberia Parish covers 1,031 square miles—456 of which are water. National and international companies join local businesses and long-established productive farms in this strategically located area along coastal Louisiana between New Orleans and Houston. Transportation efficiencies have played a major role in the economic development of the parish, combining the Port of Iberia’s access to the Gulf of Mexico with Acadiana Regional Airport and its location along America’s Energy Corridor. While business is booming, the lifestyle is both lively and relaxed in the heart of Acadiana.
Services
Residents of Iberia Parish enjoy state-of-the-art healthcare services and facilities anchored by two full-service hospitals in New Iberia. Dauterive Hospital is a 103-bed general medical and surgical hospital that is also accredited by the American Osteopathic Association. The 24-hour emergency room handles more than 20,000 patients annually and provides access to a network of 400 skilled physicians represent every major specialty. Iberia Medical Center has grown since its founding in 1960 through multi-million-dollar investments that have enabled technological advancements, expansions, and services from rehabilitation to home health. As a not-for-profit community hospital, all operating surpluses are reinvested through upgrades and improvements. Iberia Medical Center reaches into the community to deliver primary care through the Jeanerette Rural Health Clinic and maintains valuable partnerships with Acadiana Diagnostic Imaging, Iberia Extended Care Hospital, and the Iberia Surgery Center. Should the need for advanced care arise, the City of Lafayette is only minutes away, home to leading-edge healthcare resources. Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center combines a 183-bed state-of-the-art hospital with the Heart Hospital of Lafayette and several Centers of Excellence. Lafayette General Health encompasses Lafayette General Medical Center, with the highest level trauma care in the region, and University Hospital & Clinics.
Quality education begins early from preschool through high school with responsive public school districts and opportunities for a private education. Those seeking a two-year career path have a local resource at the New Iberia Campus of Southern Louisiana Community College. With more than 35 degree and certification programs and customized training that furthers local business and industry, SLCC is proud of its national ranking of 11 for the number of associate degree awards. Nearby Lafayette expands the choices for a higher education, from the main campus for Southern Louisiana Community College and the two-year private Remington College to one of Louisiana’s leading public universities. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette covers 1,300 acres with its 145-acre main campus and multiple sites that include University Research Park, the Center for Ecology and Environmental Technology, and Edith Garland Dupre Library—one of the state’s most technologically advanced university libraries. The parish is the proud home of UL Lafayette’s New Iberia Primate Research Center. The second-largest university in the state, UL Lafayette enrolls nearly 18,000 students in bachelor’s and graduate degree programs including doctorates.
Lifestyle
Just 20 minutes from the urban advantages of metropolitan Lafayette, rural Iberia Parish welcomes newcomers to 214 days of annual sunshine, a strong agricultural heritage, and wonderful cultural diversity. Tourism is important to the local economy in a parish known around the globe for great Cajun and Creole cuisine, distinctive music, and historic preservation. Antebellum homes shaded by moss-draped oaks, scenic bayous and lakes, and beautiful Avery Island are just a few of the attributes that make Iberia Parish so appealing. The well-developed City of New Iberia serves as the parish seat of government and the bustling urban center for residents of smaller towns and rural communities. Visitors flock to the parish for fairs and festivals from Mardi Gras parades and the World Championship Gumbo Cookoff to Sugar Cane, Bunk Johnson, Delcambre Shrimp, Lydia Cajun Food, and Cajun Hot Sauce festivals. Downtown Iberia hosts art walks, a popular farmer’s market, seasonal or commemorative celebrations, and musical concerts at the gazebo in the park. Historic Sliman Theater for the Performing Arts serves as the cultural center for the parish and the gracious host of Louisiana Live Performances, anchoring a strong arts community that includes Iberia Performing Arts League, Louisiana Folkroots, and Iberia Community Band. Other points of pride include Avery Island of Tabasco sauce fame, Rip Van Winkle Gardens, America’s oldest operating rice mill, and Shadows-on-the-Teche—Louisiana’s only National Trust historic home and gardens. Lively special events range from saltwater fishing rodeos and freshwater fishing tournaments to motorcycle rallies and Civil War Encampments.
Opportunities for outdoor enjoyment are among America’s finest in this region of mild weather, abundant water and breathtaking landscapes. Camping, hiking, cycling, fishing, hunting, birding, boating, water sports, tennis and golf are available close to home in natural and developed recreation areas. Residents have easy access to Atchafalaya Basin, Spanish Lake, Lake Martin, Cypremort Point State Park, and Lake Fausse Pointe State Park. Avery Island is a fascinating retreat with pepper fields, the Tabasco manufacturing complex, the Avery Island bird sanctuary, and the stunning Jungle Gardens. Jefferson Island features the Rip Van Winkle Gardens and the 1870 Joseph Jefferson Mansion. Locally, Iberia Parish has developed more than 400 acres of parkland filled with first-class sports fields and courts and recreation centers for community events that complement city parks and recreation programs. Iberia Parish is known for its livability, a place where contemporary shopping centers and major department stores harmonize with charming downtown districts to meet every need close to home. The parish offers a kaleidoscope of residential settings, contrasting cozy cottages in older neighborhoods with newer subdivisions and custom homes on spacious lots. For a truly rare quality of life in the heart of Acadiana, few places can rival the beauty and convenience of Iberia Parish.
COMMUNITY PROFILES
Delcambre
Town Offices
337-685-4467
Chamber of Commerce
337-893-2491
http://www.vermilionchamber.org/
Just 12 miles east of Abbeville, rural Delcambre is located in an area that falls between Vermilion and Iberia parishes. From a past that centered on a traditional agricultural economy, the town has developed a strong shrimping industry and supports other diverse industries. This water-oriented community blesses its fishing fleet each year and draws regional visitors to the colorful Delcambre Shrimp Festival. Each December, another stunning vision unfolds as decorated boats make their way down Bayou Carlin at the Annual Delcambre Boat Parade, creating a brilliantly lit display reflected in the shimmering water. Large dipped nets hanging from poles used for trolling are common sights in Delcambre, especially near one of the many metal expansion bridges that cross the rivers. Residents enjoy the relaxed pace of rural life and picturesque waterfront scenes at every turn. At the same time they are just minutes away from expanded amenities in Abbeville, including a popular historic downtown district, a local theater for performing arts, and a full-service hospital.
Jeanerette
City Offices
337-276-4164
https://www.jeanerette.com
Chamber of Commerce
337-364-1836
https://iberiachamber.org
Billing itself as “The Sugar City,” charming Jeanerette nestles against the beauty of Bayou Teche, providing a small but bustling urban center for an area of expansive sugarcane farms. The city is home to manufacturers of equipment for the cultivation, harvesting, and processing of sugarcane but also supports a major garment distribution center, a fishing industry, and operations based on natural resources. Residents enjoy the pleasures of country living and small-town intimacy in a community filled with locally owned businesses. One of the points of pride in Jeanerette is the magnificent 1908 St. John the Evangelist Church, serving a congregation that was first established in the 1800s. The city is surrounded by expansive state parks and preserves that provide scenic backdrops for endless outdoor activities. Locally, residents enjoy an Iberia Parish Recreation Center with a full-service center for meetings and events, a skating area, lighted softball field, basketball court, and playground. The eight-acre Jeanerette City Park features playground areas, lighted fields, and a multi-purpose pavilion.
New Iberia
City Offices
337-369-2300
https://www.cityofnewiberia.com
Chamber of Commerce
337-364-1836
https://iberiachamber.org
The charming hub of Iberia Parish life has a great deal to be proud of, including a Great American Main Street Award for its downtown revitalization efforts from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. New Iberia now offers wonderful options for urban living in restored second-story residential developments above historic Main Streets shops, restaurants and cafes—within walking distance from the Teche Area Farmers Market in Bouligny Plaza and Sliman Theater for the Performing Arts. Lovely older neighborhoods shaded by moss-laced oaks combine with magnificent country manors and custom homes on gracious lots in and near New Iberia. With excellent shopping, entertainment, and cultural attractions, the city draws new residents to the charm of a small town and the advantages of an urban center. The city is graced by the beauty of Bayou Teche and showcases its proud history at the Bayou Teche Museum. A wonderful place to live, work, and play, the “Queen City of the Teche” is home to a combination of trade and commerce as well as two full-service hospitals and a campus for Southern Louisiana Community College.
Village of Loreauville
Village Offices
337-229-8306
https://www.loreauville.us
Chamber of Commerce
337-364-1836
https://iberiachamber.org
The rural Village of Loreaville invites newcomers to experience an uncommon blend of hospitality, great food, and friendly people in a small-town atmosphere that continues to grow and develop. Improvements and expansions of infrastructure include a new Town Hall, additions that have doubled the size of the fire station, and a large new water tower. Loreauville is the proud home of several large boat-building companies that manufacture vessels that can be found navigating waters around the globe. In addition to major leading-edge enterprises, the village is home to quaint, historic businesses like Charles Broussard Grocery. Founded in 1935 by the namesake Charles Broussard, the store has been serving customers long before most village residents were even born. In addition to convenient services and small businesses, the village offers a Rural Health Clinic founded by a local physician that initially opened as a small local hospital.
