ST. CHARLES PARISH
Parish Offices
15045 River Road
Hahnville 985-783-5000
https://www.stcharlesparish.gov
Chamber of Commerce
301 W. Airline Highway
LaPlace 985-359-9777
https://www.riverregionchamber.org
Just 25 miles from the bright lights and world-class amenities of New Orleans, St. Charles Parish is adjacent to bustling suburban Jefferson Parish and an easy drive from Baton Rouge. Well-served by Interstates 10 and 310, U.S. Highways 61 and 90, and a strong network of state and local highways and roads, St. Charles Parish offers the best of all worlds. Several large energy and petrochemical enterprises dot the county and the parish is actively diversifying the economy by attracting companies in transportation, alternative fuels, and technology industries. However, large-scale urban development has yet to arrive. Newcomers will discover a peaceful hometown atmosphere in St. Charles Parish, where intimate residential communities preserve the gracious country living for which the South is so well known.
Services
Anchored by the award-winning St. Charles Parish school system, the parish provides first-rate educational experiences that lay a foundation for continued success and create lifelong learners. In addition to the outstanding public school system, several private schools are also available within the county. Serving as a model for the progressive School-to-Career initiative, St. Charles Parish features a School-to-Work program that brings together business, labor and education in a dynamic partnership. Those who are seeking a higher education will find abundant opportunities close to home—many of which are within commuting distance. Community colleges and vocational or technical schools are available nearby for an affordable start on a four-year degree or certifications and degrees in relevant career programs. Two regional technical institutes are within 35 minutes of St. Charles Parish: ITT Technical Institute and South Central Louisiana Technical College, River Parishes Campus. The New Orleans region is home to an impressive list of private colleges and universities as well as three public institutions and two seminaries. This area also offers highly respected professional schools including Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane University Law School, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, and the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center.
Residents of St. Charles Parish have access to quality healthcare services through a strong network of hospitals, medical centers, clinics, and skilled professionals in every major specialty. St. Charles Parish Hospital in Luling provides personalized care in a patient-centered community hospital atmosphere, while Destrehan is the site of a new medical center along the East Bank that houses an urgent care facility. Also in Luling, St. Charles Community Health Center is part of a federally qualified network that ensures easy access to comprehensive, primary, and preventative care to residents of South Louisiana. Should a need for advanced care arise, several highly respected hospitals and medical centers are nearby, including Thibodaux Regional Medical Center, Ochsner Medical Center-Kenner, River Parishes Hospital, and St. James Parish Hospital. Families will appreciate the presence of Children’s Hospital in New Orleans, providing such a high level of advanced care that it accepts referrals from across the nation and several foreign countries. New Orleans is also home to renowned teaching hospitals like Tulane Medical Center, the primary teaching hospital for the Tulane University School of Medicine.
Lifestyle
Newcomers to St. Charles Parish will discover a delightful blend of old and new, with panoramic landscapes and sprawling countryside framing magnificent antebellum manors. At the same time, convenient centers of commerce reflect the increasing popularity of the parish as a place to live, work and play. The mild climate, friendly communities, local healthcare facilities, and quality schools are a few of the reasons that this region is rated among the top ten percent of best places to live in the U.S. by Places Rated Almanac. Destrehan, LaBranche, and Ormond plantations showcase the area’s rich 18th century legacy of gracious southern living while Bayou Gauche preserves a charming fishing village. A number of small, unincorporated communities have grown up in St. Charles Parish, providing abundant open space for lovely homes with spacious yards or acreage. Newcomers will discover rural charm, a wide variety of home styles, and peaceful residential settings in Ama, Boutte, Killona, Montz, New Sarpy, Norco, and Paradis. The parish seat of Hahnville is part of the area known as the German Coast, a stretch of land along the East Bank of the Mississippi settled by German pioneers in the 1720s. Hahnville serves as a local employment center, home to the parish government offices but also a 2,000-acre petrochemical manufacturing complex.
Bisected by the Mississippi River, St. Charles Parish is laced by bayous, swamps and lakes to provide idyllic settings for fishing, swimming, water-skiing, sailing, and boating. Parks and playgrounds throughout the parish are popular places for picnics and team sports of every kind. Country clubs, golf courses, swimming pools, and tennis courts ensure quality leisure activities. Colorful festivals and seasonal celebrations fill the calendar with special events that bring friends and family together but also attract throngs of visitors. Residents of St. Charles Parish are just a 25-minute drive from New Orleans, although a world of suburban convenience is easily accessible in Metairie and Kenner. The latter is home to the Louis Armstrong International Airport and the spectacular Pontchartrain Center, hosting more than 400 events each year including competitive sports, concerts, and family shows. New Orleans adds hundreds of theatre, art, music, sports, festivals, and recreational events to the annual calendar. World-class venues include the Audubon Nature Institute with lush parks, a zoo, aquarium and insectarium along with many other attractions. Families will want to explore kid-friendly destinations like Louisiana Children’s Museum, Storyland theme park, and Carousel Gardens Amusement Park. Incredible museums, celebrated historic sites, the legendary French Quarter, exquisite gardens, and exceptional performing and visual arts are all nearby in New Orleans. The city is also home to thousands of wonderful restaurants and venues that send live music spilling into the streets on any given night. Take your time exploring the many treasures of St. Charles Parish, a polished rural gem nestled in the wonderful River Region of Greater New Orleans.
COMMUNITY PROFILES
Des Allemands
Parish Offices
985-783-5000
https://www.stcharlesparish.gov
Chamber of Commerce
985-359-9777
https://www.riverregionchamber.org
The friendly small community of Des Allemands takes its name from the French word for “the Germans.” That unusual twist reflects an equally unique heritage, dating back to the time when German colonists settled near what was then the French colonial capital of New Orleans. The German farming efforts were so successful that some historians credit these farmers with the survival of early New Orleans. The Germans were quick to learn and speak French; many married French settlers, and then Acadians, helping to create the Cajun culture. It was the Germans who introduced the diatonic accordion that became the main instrument of Cajun music. Situated along the Bayou Des Allemands at the boundary between Lafourche and St. Charles parishes, this proud, historic community has dubbed itself the Catfish Capital of the Universe. Each year, Des Allemands welcomes throngs of visitors who join locals in celebrating the Louisiana Catfish Festival on the grounds of St. Gertrude the Great Catholic Church.
Destrehan
Parish Offices
985-783-5000
https://www.stcharlesparish.gov
Chamber of Commerce
985-359-9777
https://www.riverregionchamber.org
The unincorporated community of Destrehan is one of the largest in St. Charles Parish, known for the value of its real estate and lovely homes. This attractive area is home to a balanced mix of professionals, managers, sales people, office workers, and services providers. Newcomers are drawn to Destrehan’s wonderful residential settings and neighborhoods, where elegant manors are set back on graciously landscaped lots and architectural styles blend traditional with contemporary. Outstanding schools, a peaceful country atmosphere, friendly neighbors, and a 20-mile commute to New Orleans have all contributed to Destrehan’s status as one of the most desirable places in Louisiana. The historic 1787 Destrehan Plantation is a premier attraction, inviting visitors to travel from the French and Spanish Colonial periods through the antebellum grandeur of the sugar barons, to the ravages of Civil War, and the rebirth of reconstruction. Heritage Day is a major event with exhibits and demonstrations of old-world crafts and skills. The Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge connects Destrehan to Luling, replacing the automobile ferries in use prior to its opening in 1983.
Luling
Parish Offices
985-783-5000
https://www.stcharlesparish.gov
Chamber of Commerce
985-359-9777
https://www.riverregionchamber.org
Serving as a center for healthcare services in St. Charles Parish, Luling is home to St. Charles Parish Hospital as well as St. Charles Community Health Center, the latter providing quick and easy access to primary, comprehensive, and preventative care to parish residents. The population as well as the atmosphere of this unincorporated community is similar to that of Destrehan, and both enjoy a reputation for fine homes on large, gracious lots. One of the annual highlights in this area is the Alligator Festival at West Bank Bridge Park, drawing visitors and regional crowds. The Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge connects the two communities, which are situated on opposite sides of the Mississippi River. Until 1983, automobile ferries were the only way to cross from Luling to Destrehan. Many commuters to regional employment centers in St. Charles Parish, Jefferson Parish, or New Orleans enjoy a peaceful country atmosphere in Luling. Each evening they can return to their rural retreat in close proximity to expansive urban amenities including upscale shopping malls, performing arts, fine museums, famous parks, family attractions, and towering venues that showcase national talent.
St. Rose
Parish Offices
985-783-5000
https://www.stcharlesparish.gov
Chamber of Commerce
985-359-9777
https://www.riverregionchamber.org
St. Rose is another unincorporated community that has grown up along the East Bank of the Mississippi River and provides an attractive, friendly hometown atmosphere. Newcomers will find a wide selection of homes in various architectural styles and price ranges, including magnificent manors on spacious country lots. The St. Rose Community Center is located in the Preston Hollow subdivision of this unincorporated community, designed to bring together and serve the needs of St. Rose residents and those in surrounding communities. The center provides recreational, educational, and enrichment opportunities for toddlers, teens, parents, adults, and seniors. Residents of all ages enjoy the community garden, sports and games, arts and crafts, homework help, and computer access. The feeling in St. Rose, like many of the St. Charles Parish communities, is one of openness and rural charm. Many are drawn to St. Rose for the peaceful atmosphere as well as the convenient commutes to the area’s highly developed suburban and urban amenities in Kenner, Metairie, and New Orleans.
