LAFAYETTE PARISH
Parish Offices
705 West University Avenue
Lafayette 337-291-8200
https://www.lafayettela.gov
Chamber of Commerce
804 E Mary Blvd
Lafayette 337-233-2705
https://www.oneacadiana.org
Ideally located at the crossroads of Interstates 10 and 49 in an area served by US Highways 90 and 167, colorful Lafayette Parish serves as a vital economic center for Louisiana. The industries are as diverse as the people, from developing technologies to crawfish farming. The economic base encompasses energy, manufacturing, healthcare, education, information technology, distribution, finance, tourism, and service industries. The vibrant City of Lafayette is the urban center of the parish, well established as a medical, education, entertainment, transportation, and retail hub for a regional population.
Services
The exceptional quality of educational opportunities in Lafayette Parish begins with progressive public school districts and numerous options for private education from preschool through high school. If your goal is higher education, it is likely that the right program and the right college will be close to home. In 2012 Acadiana Technical College merged with South Louisiana Community College to form one of Louisiana’s largest and most comprehensive community college systems. SLCC offers campuses in Lafayette and seven other locations to provide a regional population with an affordable start on a four-year degree or a wide selection of relevant two-year career programs. The private two-year Remington College offers small class sizes and an experienced faculty who can pave a smooth path toward entry-level jobs in exciting fields from technology to cosmetology. Lafayette is the proud home of the University of Louisiana, where a unique spirit of inclusion brings together an uncommon blend of community intimacy and real-world research. The multicultural nature of Acadiana infuses the campus with vitality and creates an educational atmosphere where diversity is not just embraced but truly celebrated. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette covers a total of 1,300 total acres with a 145-acre main campus, University Research Park, New Iberia Primate Research Center, and the Center for Ecology and Environmental Technology. The Cajundome—home of the home of Ragin’ Cajuns—seats 12,800 loyal fans while the Edith Garland Dupre Library is one of the most technologically advanced university libraries in Louisiana. The second-largest university in the state, UL Lafayette enrolls nearly 18,000 students in bachelor’s and graduate degree programs including doctorates.
Lafayette Parish is also a hub for world-class healthcare, home to 18 major medical facilities with more than 1,300 beds. The City of Lafayette is home to the new $211 million Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center, providing a state-of-the-art 183-bed hospital on a 45-acre campus. In addition to the medical center, Lourdes maintains the Heart Hospital of Lafayette, several Centers of Excellence, the only burn unit in Southwest Louisiana, top-rated orthopedic programs, multiple clinics, several imaging locations, and a far-reaching primary care physician network. Another healthcare leader, Lafayette General Health encompasses Lafayette General Medical Center, Lafayette General Surgical Hospital, and University Hospital & Clinics. Lafayette General Medical Center with 377 beds is the largest full-service, acute-care hospital in Acadiana with the region’s highest level trauma care. University Hospital & Clinics serves as a primary graduate medical education facility and the region’s charity hospital. The Regional Medical Center of Acadiana is another outstanding resource, combining an acute-care hospital that offers a full spectrum of services with Women’s & Children’s Hospital, providing the only 24-hour dedicated emergency room for children in Acadiana. Both hospitals have been collectively named as Top Performer on Key Quality Measures® by The Joint Commission.
Lifestyle
Acadiana is internationally famous for joie de vivre —the joy of living—exemplified by the Cajun and Creole cultures that emerged from French, Spanish and African influences. The cultural richness in this area is like no other, and residents love to honor that difference in historic preservation, distinctive food and music, and flamboyant celebrations. Famous chefs perfect international delicacies in local restaurants, from the finest Cajun-Creole dishes to Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, French, Caribbean, and Cuban. Like the food, Acadian music in Cajun and Zydeco style is a part of daily life and festivals that celebrate both fill the annual calendar. Lafayette Parish hosts the second-largest Mardi Gras celebration in Louisiana as well as Festival International de Louisiana, “Le Cajun” Music Awards Festival, and Festivals Acadiens et Creole. The parish is brimming over with historic sites like the replica of an Acadian Village in 1800, the Cajun-Creole Heritage and Folklife Park of Vermilionville, the stunningly exquisite architecture of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, and the Acadiana Cultural Center in Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve. Outstanding museums include Lafayette Natural History Museum and Planetarium, the University Art Museum, and Lafayette Museum in the home of Louisiana’s first Democratic governor. Many of Louisiana’s finest attractions are an easy commute from home, including the Rip Van Winkle Gardens on Jefferson Island, Chretien Point Plantation-the home of Joseph Jefferson, and thoroughbred racing at Evangeline Downs. The performing and visual arts are both showcased at the Acadiana Center for the Arts.
Whether you enjoy the relaxed pace of quiet towns and country living or the bustle and excitement of an urban environment, Lafayette Parish has the ideal place to call home. Residential developments are available along Vermilion River, surrounding the expansive University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and throughout the municipalities within the parish. River Ranch and Sugarmill Pond are examples of planned neighborhood developments with convenient amenities. Opportunities for outdoor enjoyment are abundant throughout the region, where popular pastimes include fishing, hunting, water sports, boating, golfing, off-road motorcycling, hiking, biking, and camping. The City of Lafayette is home to one of the largest private health clubs in America, covering 20 acres and 195,000 square feet with a kaleidoscope of exercise facilities and spaces for alternative activities from yoga and the martial arts to cheer, gymnastics, and dance. The city manages 36 parks and 10 recreation centers, along with tennis courts, soccer fields, disk golf, hiking & biking trails, swimming pools, active sports leagues for all ages, YMCA facilities, and several golf courses. Some fitness opportunities capture the unique Lafayette Parish spirit, like the Cajun Rollergirls women’s roller derby league. For truly ragin’ sports excitement, fans flock to collegiate events or cheer on the Louisiana Icegators semi-pro hockey team. The Cajundome & Convention Center hosts an annual calendar of concerts, fairs, shows, special events, and sports events. When shopping is the sport, residents can turn to sprawling centers like Mall of Acadiana or stroll through charming downtown districts. Regardless of where you choose to settle in Lafayette Parish, you are sure to discover a captivating and rare quality of life that can never be replicated.
COMMUNITY PROFILES
Broussard
City Offices
337-837-6681
https://www.cityofbroussard.com
Chamber of Commerce
337-837-6001
https://www.broussardchamber.net
Just six miles southeast of Lafayette, the City of Broussard spans the parishes of Lafayette and St. Martin. From its roots as an agricultural center with a strong Acadian heritage, the community has gone through several evolutions of growth and development, including the arrival of petroleum mining off the Louisiana coast in the late 20th century. Today, the city is experiencing a boom in residential development as former fields are seeing crops of new subdivisions and executive homes for managers and employees alike. Broussard is a bustling city with more than 300 thriving businesses connected with retail, hospitality, food service, communications, mining services, manufacturing, medical, insurance, and real estate. The combination of Southern hospitality, a rich cultural heritage, and a commitment to advanced technologies keep the city at the apex of economic growth.
Carencaro
City Offices
337-896-8481
https://carencro.org
Chamber of Commerce
804 E Mary Blvd
Lafayette 337-233-2705
https://www.oneacadiana.org
Residents of Carencro are proud of the colorful cultural heritage that emerged as Acadians and Africans settled the area in the 17th and 18th centuries. Many of their ancestor’s customs, cuisine, music, language, and religious practices have moved through the centuries, infusing modern life with Cajun and Creole culture. This proud city holds its own Mardi Gras and Christmas celebrations along with other annual events and festivals, many of which utilize the 10,000-square-foot Carencro Community Center. Just beyond the city limits of Lafayette, this quiet community offers the best of all worlds in a relaxed hometown setting with a progressive approach to business. Carencro has developed outstanding recreational facilities and programs from adult softball leagues to a children’s summer recreation camp and senior fitness. As many as 500 softball teams from across the nation converge at Carencro’s Pelican Park and its unique artificial turf infields. In the off-season, the park hosts special events and large-scale concerts.
Duson
Town Offices
337-873-6754
http://townofduson.com
Chamber of Commerce
804 E Mary Blvd
Lafayette 337-233-2705
https://www.oneacadiana.org
Those who appreciate the friendliness and warmth of a small rural community may find the ideal home in the Town of Duson, approximately 20 minutes from the urban amenities in the City of Lafayette. The community began as an agricultural center of cotton farms, and cotton gins were still operational until the 1960s. Today, the town provides a quiet setting for residential growth at a distance from urban traffic, crowds, and bustle. Newcomers will find a selection of lovely newer homes and country manors set back on large lots along with some older properties in longer established neighborhoods in the heart of town. Like many of the cities and towns in Acadiana, Duson welcomes visitors from other communities to its annual Mardi Gras celebration and parade. In keeping with the area’s spirit of celebratory inclusion, residents of nearby Lafayette, Scott, and Rayne often join Duson’s festivities as events tend to be scheduled in a way that avoids conflicts and maximizes opportunities to “let the good times roll!”
Lafayette
City/Parish Offices
337-291-8200
https://www.lafayettela.gov
Chamber of Commerce
804 E Mary Blvd
Lafayette 337-233-2705
https://www.oneacadiana.org
The City of Lafayette is so closely aligned with Lafayette Parish that they share a consolidated government. Serving as the hub of government, education, healthcare, business, industry, entertainment, and culture, Lafayette is home to half of the parish population. The city is nationally recognized as one of the nation’s leaders in economic and middle-class growth, named in Forbes magazine as the best mid-sized city for job growth. Lafayette has emerged as a technology leader, delivering gigabit internet speeds to the community via a 100% fiber optic network. In spite of modern growth and development, Lafayette preserves its unique Acadian heritage and the exuberant spirit of joie de vivre at every turn, winning accolades and “Best of” awards for world music festivals, live music and peerless cuisine that has earned it “Best for Food” by USA Today and “Tastiest Town in the South” by Southern Living. The list of local attractions is virtually endless, enhanced by cultural events at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and wildly popular Ragin’ Cajun sports events. Fine museums, grand historic preservation, stellar performing arts, beautiful parks, and outstanding recreational opportunities—nearly 935 amenities in all—add to the quality of life in one of Louisiana’s largest, most dynamic cities.
Scott
City Offices
337-233-1130
https://www.cityofscott.org
Chamber of Commerce
804 E Mary Blvd
Lafayette 337-233-2705
https://www.oneacadiana.org
The rapidly growing City of Scott is ideally located at the intersection of Interstate 10 and two other major thoroughfares, providing a lovely residential environment for commuters to regional employment centers. Newcomers are drawn to the area for an exceptionally high quality of life in a progressive community that harmonizes a rich cultural heritage with contemporary amenities. The Welcome Heritage Interpretive Center is located in a 100-year-old Acadian home renovated by the city, hosting cultural events and displays of local history. In addition to a lovely arboretum, the city maintains three parks for family and community enjoyment and recreation. The French/Cajun language is still widely spoken in Scott and the local cuisine includes gumbo, jambalaya and world-famous boudin and cracklins. Cajun and Creole music and dancing are popular leisure pastimes, and the local family-oriented Mardi Gras Parade is a regional favorite.
Youngsville
City Offices
337-856-4181
https://www.youngsville.us
Chamber of Commerce
804 E Mary Blvd
Lafayette 337-233-2705
https://www.oneacadiana.org
The development of Youngsville from a village into a town happened in a few short years. By 2005 when the town reached “city status,” one of Louisiana’s best-kept secrets had become one of the state’s fastest-growing communities. Newcomers to Youngsville will discover a family-friendly community with abundant subdivisions lined by newer construction and municipal amenities that continue to expand and improve. The latest addition to the cityscape is a spectacular multi-million-dollar Sports Complex and Activities Center, covering 70 acres with state-of-the sports facilities, a community center, an elaborate playground, and a multi-purpose walking path. In 2011, Yahoo! declared Youngsville to be the “Best Place to Live in Louisiana” based on a number of considerations including household income and resident education levels. Youngsville provides the perfect balance of contemporary lifestyle with rural agricultural activity and metropolitan enterprises. The city also balances proud, active residents with civic leaders who are committed to managed growth that protects the exceptional quality of life.
