{{short description|Parish in Louisiana, United States}} {{Use American English|date=June 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}} {{Infobox U.S. county | county = Lafayette Parish | state = Louisiana | type = [[Consolidated city-county|Consolidated city-parish]] | founded year = 1823 | founded date = January 17 | seat wl = Lafayette | leader_title = [[List of mayors of Lafayette, Louisiana|President]] | leader_name = Monique Blanco Boulet ([[Republican Party (U.S.)|R]]) | largest city wl = Lafayette | area_total_sq_mi = 269 | area_land_sq_mi = 269 | area_water_sq_mi = 0.5 | area percentage = 0.2 | population_as_of = 2020 | population_total = 241753 | pop_est_as_of = 2025 | population_est = 257949 {{gain}} | population_density_sq_mi = auto | time zone = Central | footnotes = | web = www.lafayettetravel.com | named for = [[Marquis de la Fayette]] | ex image = Lafayette Parish Courthouse.jpg | ex image cap = Lafayette Parish Courthouse | district = 3rd | district2 = 6th | ex image size = 290|official_name=Parish of Lafayette<br />{{native name|fr|Paroisse de Lafayette}}|name=Lafayette Parish}}
'''Lafayette Parish''' ({{langx|fr|Paroisse de Lafayette}}) is a [[List of parishes in Louisiana|parish]] located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Louisiana]]. According to the [[2020 United States census|2020 U.S. census]], the parish had a population of 241,753,<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=QuickFacts: Lafayette Parish, Louisiana|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/lafayetteparishlouisiana/POP010220|website=U.S. Census Bureau}}</ref> up from 221,578 at the [[2010 United States census]].<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/22/22055.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 10, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629025156/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/22/22055.html|archive-date=June 29, 2011}}</ref> The [[County seat|parish seat]] and largest city is [[Lafayette, Louisiana|Lafayette]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> The parish was founded in 1823.<ref>{{cite web|title=History|url=http://www.lafayettesheriff.com/site387.php|publisher=Lafayette County Sheriff's Office|access-date=September 4, 2014}}</ref> Since 1996, the city and parish have operated as a [[consolidated city-county|consolidated government]].
==Etymology== The city and parish of Lafayette were named in honor of the [[Marquis de Lafayette]], the French general who took part in the [[Continental Army]] in the [[American Revolutionary War]] and financially aided it.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=[[United States Government Publishing Office|Government Printing Office]] | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n177 178]}}</ref>
==Geography== Lafayette Parish is a part of the region of [[Acadiana]] in southern Louisiana, along the [[Gulf Coast of the United States|Gulf Coast]]. According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the parish has a total area of {{convert|269|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|269|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|0.5|sqmi}} (0.2%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_22.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 1, 2014|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928155956/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_22.txt|archive-date=September 28, 2013}}</ref> It is the fifth-smallest parish in Louisiana by land area and third-smallest by total area.
===Major highways=== {{div col}} * [[Image:I-10.svg|25px]] [[Interstate 10]] * [[Image:I-49.svg|25px]] [[Interstate 49]] * [[Image:US 90.svg|25px]] [[U.S. Highway 90]] * [[Image:US 167.svg|25px]] [[U.S. Highway 167]] * [[Image:Louisiana 89 (2008).svg|25px]] [[Louisiana Highway 89]] * [[Image:Louisiana 89-1 (2008).svg|25px]] [[Louisiana Highway 89#Auxiliary route|Louisiana Highway 89-1]] * [[Image:Louisiana 92 (2008).svg|25px]] [[Louisiana Highway 92]] * [[Image:Louisiana 92-1 (2008).svg|25px]] [[Louisiana Highway 92#Auxiliary route|Louisiana Highway 92-1]] * [[Image:Louisiana 93 (2008).svg|25px]] [[Louisiana Highway 93]] * [[Image:Louisiana 95 (2008).svg|25px]] [[Louisiana Highway 95]] * [[Image:Louisiana 96 (2008).svg|25px]] [[Louisiana Highway 96]] * [[Image:Louisiana 182 (2008).svg|25px]] [[Louisiana Highway 182]] * [[Image:Louisiana 3025 (2008).svg|25px]] [[Louisiana Highway 3025]] * [[Image:Louisiana 3073 (2008).svg|25px]] [[Louisiana Highway 3073]] * [[Image:Louisiana 3184 (2008).svg|25px]] [[Louisiana Highway 3184]] {{div col end}}
===Adjacent parishes=== * [[St. Landry Parish, Louisiana|St. Landry Parish]] (north) * [[St. Martin Parish, Louisiana|St. Martin Parish]] (east) * [[Iberia Parish, Louisiana|Iberia Parish]] (southeast) * [[Vermilion Parish, Louisiana|Vermilion Parish]] (south) * [[Acadia Parish, Louisiana|Acadia Parish]] (west)
===National protected area=== * [[Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve]] (part, in Lafayette)
===Communities === [[Image:Map of Lafayette Parish Louisiana With Municipal Labels.PNG|thumb|250px|Map of Lafayette Parish, with municipal labels]]
====Cities==== * [[Broussard, Louisiana|Broussard]] (partly in [[St. Martin Parish, Louisiana|St. Martin Parish]]) * [[Carencro, Louisiana|Carencro]] * [[Lafayette, Louisiana|Lafayette]] (parish seat and largest municipality) * [[Scott, Louisiana|Scott]] * [[Youngsville, Louisiana|Youngsville]]
====Town==== * [[Duson, Louisiana|Duson]] (partly in [[Acadia Parish, Louisiana|Acadia Parish]])<br /> ====Unincorporated areas====
====Census-designated places==== * [[Milton, Louisiana|Milton]] * [[Ossun, Louisiana|Ossun]]
====Other communities==== {{div col|colwidth=22em}} * [[Billeaud, Louisiana|Billeaud]] * [[Capitan, Louisiana|Capitan]] * [[Elks, Louisiana|Elks]] * [[Judice, Louisiana|Judice]] * [[Larabee, Louisiana|Larabee]] * [[Mouton, Louisiana|Mouton]] * [[Pilette, Louisiana|Pilette]] * [[Pont Des Mouton, Louisiana|Pont Des Mouton]] * [[Ridge, Lafayette Parish, Louisiana|Ridge]] * [[River Ranch, Louisiana|River Ranch]] * [[Sadou, Louisiana|Sadou]] * [[Stekey, Louisiana|Stekey]] * [[Vatican, Louisiana|Vatican]] * [[Walroy, Louisiana|Walroy]] {{div col end}}
==Demographics== {{US Census population |1830= 5653 |1840= 7841 |1850= 6720 |1860= 9003 |1870= 10388 |1880= 13235 |1890= 15966 |1900= 22825 |1910= 28733 |1920= 30841 |1930= 38827 |1940= 43941 |1950= 57743 |1960= 84656 |1970= 109716 |1980= 150017 |1990= 164762 |2000= 190503 |2010= 221578 |estyear=2025 |estimate=257949 |estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2025">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html|title=County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2025|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 10, 2026}}</ref> {{gain}} |footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 1, 2014}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=September 1, 2014}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/la190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 1, 2014}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 1, 2014}}</ref> 2010-2019<ref name="QF"/> |2020=241753}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;" |+'''Lafayette Parish, Louisiana – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small> !Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small> !Pop 1980<ref name=1980Census>{{Cite web|title=1980 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Louisiana - Table 14 - Persons by Race and Table 15 - Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race (p. 20/12-20/20)|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_laABC-02.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|page=}}</ref> !Pop 1990<ref name=1990Census>{{Cite web|title=1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Louisiana - Table 6 - Race and Hispanic Origin|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cp-2/cp-2-20-1.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|page=15-38}}</ref> !Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Lafayette Parish, Louisiana|url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=050XX00US22055&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref> !Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Lafayette Parish, Louisiana|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US22055&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref> !style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Lafayette Parish, Louisiana|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US22055&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref> !% 1980 !% 1990 !% 2000 !% 2010 !style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020 |- |[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH) |114,922 |123,436 |137,762 |148,972 |style='background: #ffffe6; |150,475 |76.61% |74.92% |72.31% |67.23% |style='background: #ffffe6; |62.24% |- |[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH) |29,963 |36,652 |45,149 |56,633 |style='background: #ffffe6; |60,677 |19.97% |22.25% |23.70% |25.56% |style='background: #ffffe6; |25.10% |- |[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH) |214 |340 |498 |683 |style='background: #ffffe6; |716 |0.14% |0.21% |0.26% |0.31% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.30% |- |[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH) |681 |1,563 |2,041 |3,293 |style='background: #ffffe6; |5,212 |0.45% |0.95% |1.07% |1.49% |style='background: #ffffe6; |2.16% |- |[[Native Hawaiian]] or [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH) |x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census</ref> |x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census</ref> |47 |57 |style='background: #ffffe6; |68 |x |x |0.02% |0.03% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.03% |- |[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH) |516 |158 |197 |373 |style='background: #ffffe6; |904 |0.34% |0.10% |0.10% |0.17% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.37% |- |[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or Multiracial]] (NH) |x <ref>not an option in the 1980 Census</ref> |x <ref>not an option in the 1990 Census</ref> |1,489 |2,970 |style='background: #ffffe6; |7,718 |x |x |0.78% |1.34% |style='background: #ffffe6; |3.19% |- |[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race) |3,721 |2,613 |3,320 |8,597 |style='background: #ffffe6; |15,983 |2.48% |1.59% |1.74% |3.88% |style='background: #ffffe6; |6.61% |- |'''Total''' |'''150,017''' |'''164,762''' |'''190,503''' |'''221,578''' |style='background: #ffffe6; |'''241,753 ''' |'''100.00%''' |'''100.00%''' |'''100.00%''' |'''100.00%''' |style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%''' |} According to the [[2020 United States census]], there were 241,753 people, 94,490 households, and 59,937 families residing in the parish. According to the 2019 [[American Community Survey]], there were 244,390 people living in the parish.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=2019 Parish Population Estimates|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Lafayette%20Parish,%20Louisiana%20population&tid=PEPPOP2019.PEPANNRES&hidePreview=false|access-date=July 31, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref> The racial and ethnic makeup of Lafayette Parish was 65.7% [[Non-Hispanic whites|non-Hispanic white]], 25.9% [[African Americans|Black and African American]], 0.2% [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian and Alaska Native]], 1.9% [[Asian Americans|Asian]], 0.3% some other race, 1.5% [[Multiracial Americans|two or more races]], and 4.6% [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic and Latino American]] of any race.<ref>{{Cite web|title=2019 Demographic and Housing Estimates|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US22055&tid=ACSDP5Y2019.DP05&hidePreview=true|access-date=July 31, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref> In 2020, the racial and ethnic makeup was 62.24% non-Hispanic white, 25.1% Black and African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.16% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 3.57% multiracial or some other race, and 6.61% Hispanic or Latino American of any race.
In 2019, the median age was 35.2 and 76.2% of the population were aged 18 and older; 12.7% of the population were aged 65 and older.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Geography Profile: Lafayette Parish, Louisiana|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US22055|access-date=July 31, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref> Of its population, 4.2% were foreign born, with the majority coming from Latin America, Asia, and Europe.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=2019 Selected Social Characteristics|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US22055&tid=ACSDP5Y2019.DP02&hidePreview=true|access-date=July 31, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref> Among the population, 10.1% spoke another language other than English at home; Spanish was the second most-spoken language in 2019, and French was third.
There were 91,543 households at the 2019 census estimates, and 44.4% were married couples living together; 8.0% of households were cohabiting couples, 17.8% male households with no female present, 12.7% single-person households, and 29.7% female households with no female present. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.22.<ref name=":1" /> There was an employment rate of 62.5% and 28,206 businesses operating in the parish; 5,734 businesses were minority-owned and 2,774 were veteran-owned.
Out of the 102,491 housing units in 2019, the median gross rent was $874, and median housing value was $185,300.<ref name=":2" /> At the 2019 American Community Survey, the median household income was $56,999; males had a median income of $54,653 versus $38,378 for females. An estimated 17.3% of the population lived at or below the poverty line.
==Education== [[Lafayette Parish School System]] operates public schools for the parish. Its boundaries parallel those of the parish.<ref>{{cite map|author=Geography Division|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st22_la/schooldistrict_maps/c22055_lafayette/DC20SD_C22055.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Lafayette Parish, LA|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|date=December 18, 2020|access-date=2025-05-31}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st22_la/schooldistrict_maps/c22055_lafayette/DC20SD_C22055_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref>
Lafayette Parish is home to the [[University of Louisiana at Lafayette]], Louisiana's second largest public university behind [[Louisiana State University]]. It is also home to the main campus of [[South Louisiana Community College]] (the parish is in the community college's service area),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lctcs.edu/our-colleges|title=Our Colleges|publisher=[[Louisiana's Technical and Community Colleges]]|access-date=June 3, 2021}}</ref> a [[Remington College]] in Lafayette, a [[Blue Cliff College]] in Lafayette, an [[Aveda Institute]], and a [[Louisiana Technical College]] in Lafayette.
==Politics== The parish voters often supported Democratic presidential candidates before the 1970s, but the majority of conservative whites has trended Republican since that time.<ref>[http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/ David Leip's Election Atlas]</ref> Before 1965 and passage of the [[Voting Rights Act]] by the U.S Congress, most African Americans were [[Disfranchisement after Reconstruction era|disenfranchised]], as they had been since 1898, when Louisiana passed a new constitution establishing barriers to voter registration and voting. They, along with poor white voters, were excluded from the political system. After regaining the power to register and vote, black voters tended to affiliate with and support national [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] candidates.
The majority of the parish voted for the Republican presidential candidates from 1992 to 2020, and did so by generally increasing margins. The results in 2004 gave Republican [[George W. Bush]] 64% of the vote and 57,732 votes while Democrat [[John F. Kerry]] won 35% of the vote and 31,210 votes. In the 2008 election Lafayette Parish cast the majority of its votes for Republican [[John McCain]]. He won 65% of the vote and 62,055 votes. Democrat [[Barack Obama]] was strongly supported by African Americans and won 34% of the vote, some 32,145 votes.<ref>[http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/president/map.html?scp=1&sq=%22election%20map&st=cse The New York Times electoral map]</ref>
{{PresHead|place=Lafayette Parish, Louisiana|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=April 28, 2018}}</ref>}} <!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} --> {{PresRow|1912|Democratic|244|646|129|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1916|Democratic|73|1,066|476|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1920|Republican|1,045|823|0|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1924|Democratic|531|978|324|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1928|Democratic|592|3,197|0|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1932|Democratic|291|4,019|2|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1936|Democratic|306|4,570|0|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1940|Democratic|1,850|6,323|0|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1944|Democratic|742|4,801|0|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1948|Dixiecrat|2,068|1,787|3,744|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1952|Republican|6,470|6,443|0|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1956|Republican|6,711|4,695|347|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1960|Democratic|6,047|14,132|2,505|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1964|Democratic|12,398|14,487|0|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1968|American Independent|10,669|7,983|11,723|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1972|Republican|22,939|8,740|1,519|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1976|Republican|22,805|19,918|976|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1980|Republican|31,429|19,694|2,403|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1984|Republican|44,344|19,265|849|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1988|Republican|36,648|24,133|877|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1992|Republican|32,406|28,583|10,773|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1996|Republican|36,419|32,504|5,545|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|2000|Republican|48,491|27,190|2,612|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|2004|Republican|57,732|31,210|981|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|2008|Republican|62,055|32,145|1,442|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|2012|Republican|64,992|31,768|1,882|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|2016|Republican|68,195|32,726|4,682|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|2020|Republican|72,519|39,685|2,317|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|2024|Republican|72,007|37,170|1,909|Louisiana}} {{PresFoot}}
==Law enforcement== {{Infobox law enforcement agency | agencyname = Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office | abbreviation = LPSO | commonname = Sheriff's Office | badge = | motto = "Serving the community with courtesy, professionalism, and respect." | formedyear = | legaljuris = Parish (County) | police = Yes | local = Yes | headquarters = [[Lafayette, Louisiana]] | sworn = 500 | unsworn = 250 | sworntype = Deputy Sheriff | unsworntype = Unsworn employee | electeetype = Sheriff | chief1name = Mark T. Garber | chief1position = Sheriff | unittype = Division | unitname = {{collapsible list |title=7 | Corrections | Enforcement | Finance/Technology/Civil | Human Resources | Training/Professional Development | Internal Affairs}} | stationtype = | stations = 4 | lockuptype = Jail | lockups = 1 | vehicle1type = Patrol Car | vehicles1 = [[Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor]], [[Chevrolet Impala]] | vehicle2type = Patrol Motorcycle | vehicles2 = [[Harley Davidson]] | website = http://www.lafayettesheriff.com/ }}
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office (LPSO) is the sheriff's department in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. The department, headed by Sheriff Mark T. Garber, consists of around 750 sworn and non-sworn employees. Although the LPSO's [[jurisdiction]] consists of the entire parish of Lafayette, in order to not duplicate services provided by local city police, the primary patrol area is the unincorporated areas of the parish. It also runs the [[Lafayette Parish Correctional Center]]. The LPSO is CALEA ([[Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies]]) accredited and has taken part in [[Operation FALCON]].{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}
In 2003, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office joined with the [[University of Louisiana at Lafayette|University of Louisiana]] to create ALETA, the Acadiana Law Enforcement Training Academy. This academy trains new LPSO deputies and UL Police officers, as well as recruits from several other police agencies in South Louisiana, to become P.O.S.T. certified law enforcement officers. The program is an eleven-week course that provides physical training and conditioning along with classroom instruction.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}
Lafayette Parish is further served by the [[Lafayette Police Department (Louisiana)|Lafayette Police Department]], [[University of Louisiana at Lafayette Police Department]], and the [[Lafayette City Marshal (Louisiana)|Lafayette City Marshal]].
==National Guard== The HQ and other units of the [[256th IBCT]] reside in the city of [[Lafayette, Louisiana]]. This unit of over 3,500 Soldiers has deployed twice to [[Iraq]], 2004-5 and 2010. This unit has also responded to disasters such as: [[Hurricane Katrina]], [[Hurricane Gustav]], [[Hurricane Isaac (2012)|Hurricane Isaac]], and the [[Deepwater Horizon oil spill|Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill]].
==Notable people== * [[Lauren Daigle]], (born 1991), Grammy-nominated CCM singer * [[Jefferson Caffery]], (1886-1974), U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador, Colombia, Cuba, Brazil, France and Egypt. * [[Gladys Clark]], (1918–2011), Cajun spinner and weaver * [[Benjamin Flanders]], (1816-1896), politician, Alderman of New Orleans (1847-1852), founder of the [[Republican Party of Louisiana]] in 1864, appointed governor of Louisiana in 1867, retired in 1880s to his Ben Alva plantation here. * [[Jerry Luke LeBlanc]] (born 1956), former state legislator and vice president of administration and finance at the [[University of Louisiana at Lafayette]]. * [[Alexandre Mouton]], (1804–1885), born in Attakapas, [[United States Senator]] and [[Governor of Louisiana]].<ref name="Marquis 1607-1896">{{cite book | title = Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896 | publisher = Marquis Who's Who | location=Chicago | year = 1963}}</ref> * [[Frank Schmitz]], (1945-1966), four time NCAA champion gymnast and silver medal winner at the [[1965 Trampoline World Championships]]. * [[Fred Prejean]], (1946-2022) community leader and American activist. * [[Dustin Poirier]], (born 1989), professional [[mixed martial artist]]. [[Ultimate Fighting Championship]] Lightweight competitor and former Interim UFC Lightweight Champion.
==See also== {{Portal|United States}} * [[Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office (Louisiana)|Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office]] * [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana]]
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.lafayettela.gov/ Lafayette Consolidated Government] * [http://www.lafayette.org/ Lafayette Economic Development Authority] * [http://www.lafayettetravel.com/ Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20061103140925/http://www.lafayette.lib.la.us/ Lafayette Public Library] * [http://www.lafayetteparishclerk.com/ Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court] * [http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lalafay2/ Lafayette Parish American History and Genealogy Project] Geology * Heinrich, P. V., and W. J. Autin, 2000, [https://web.archive.org/web/20100628132302/http://www.lgs.lsu.edu/deploy/uploads/Baton%20Rouge%20100K.pdf ''Baton Rouge 30 x 60 minute geologic quadrangle.''] Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. * Heinrich, P. V., J. Snead, and R. P. McCulloh, 2003, [https://web.archive.org/web/20100628125032/http://www.lgs.lsu.edu/deploy/uploads/Crowley%20100K.pdf ''Crowley 30 x 60 minute geologic quadrangle.''] Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
{{Geographic location |Centre = Lafayette Parish, Louisiana |North = [[St. Landry Parish, Louisiana|St. Landry Parish]] |Northeast = |East = [[St. Martin Parish, Louisiana|St. Martin Parish]] |Southeast = [[Iberia Parish, Louisiana|Iberia Parish]] |South = [[Vermilion Parish, Louisiana|Vermilion Parish]] |Southwest = |West = [[Acadia Parish, Louisiana|Acadia Parish]] |Northwest = }}
{{Lafayette Parish, Louisiana}} {{Louisiana parishes}} {{Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette}} {{Authority control}} {{Coord|30.21|-92.06|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-LA_source:UScensus1990}}
[[Category:Lafayette Parish, Louisiana| ]] [[Category:1823 establishments in Louisiana]] [[Category:Parishes in Acadiana]] [[Category:Acadiana]] [[Category:Lafayette metropolitan area, Louisiana]] [[Category:Populated places in the United States established in 1823]]