Lake Charles, Louisiana: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Lake Charles is a city located in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 71,757.

The city is a major petrochemical refining center.

Geography and Location

Aerial map

Geography

The city is located on the banks of the Calcasieu River in southwestern Louisiana, and borders both Lake Charles and Prien Lake. It is a port on a deepwater channel to the Gulf of Mexico, and was first settled in 1852.

Lake Charles is located at 30°12'53" North, 93°12'31" West (30.214656, -93.208537)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 110.2 km² (42.5 mi²). 104.0 km² (40.2 mi²) of it is land and 6.1 km² (2.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 5.57% water.

As of the census of 2000, there are 71,757 people, 27,974 households, and 18,015 families residing in the city. The population density is 689.7/km² (1,786.6/mi²). There are 31,429 housing units at an average density of 302.1/km² (782.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 50.23% White, 46.82% African American, 0.23% Native American, 1.07% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.47% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. 1.40% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 27,974 households out of which 30.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.6% are married couples living together, 18.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% are non-families. 30.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.44 and the average family size is 3.06.

In the city the population is spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $30,774, and the median income for a family is $37,774. Males have a median income of $33,005 versus $21,041 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,922. 19.6% of the population and 16.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 26.6% are under the age of 18 and 13.6% are 65 or older.

The city is located on Interstate 10, with Interstate 210 serving most of the city. U.S. Highway 90 and U.S. Highway 171 are other major roads connecting Lake Charles to nearby cities.

Airport service is provided by the Lake Charles Regional Airport. Chennault International Airport, while a fully operational airport, is an industrial center and provides no commercial air services.

The Port of Lake Charles is the sixteenth largest seaport in the United States, with the Calcasieu Ship Channel providing direct access to the Gulf of Mexico, 34 miles downstream from the city docks. The ship channel intersects the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway just north of Calcasieu Lake.