Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state
of Louisiana
. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.
Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South. The Port of Baton Rouge is the ninth largest in the United States
in terms of tonnage shipped, and is the farthest upstream Mississippi River
port capable of handling Panamax
ships.
The Baton Rouge area, also known as the "Capital Area", is located in the southeast portion of the state along the Mississippi River
. It owes its historical importance to its site upon Istrouma Bluff
, the first bluff upriver from the Mississippi River Delta
, which protects the city’s residents from flooding, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. In addition to this natural barrier, the city has built a levee
system stretching from the bluff southward to protect the riverfront and low-lying agricultural areas.
The city of Baton Rouge has a population of 229,553 as of the 2010 census. The metropolitan area, known as Greater Baton Rouge, has a population of 802,484 people as of 2010.
leading an exploration party up the Mississippi River
saw a reddish cypress pole festooned with bloody animals that marked the boundary between the Houma
and Bayou Goula tribal hunting grounds. They called the pole and its location le bâton rouge, or the red stick. The local Native American name for the site had been Istrouma. From evidence found along the Mississippi, Comite, and Amite rivers, and in three Native American mounds remaining in the city, archaeologists have been able to date indigenous
habitation of the Baton Rouge area to 8000 BC. The mounds were built by hunter-gatherer societies in the Middle Archaic period, perhaps as early as 4500 BC, long before the pyramids of Egypt.
During the early nineteenth century, Americans in the Southeast referred to the Upper Creek Nation as "Red Sticks" for their warfare against European-American settlers encroaching on their traditional territories in present-day Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama. It was also part of a revival of traditional culture against efforts to assimilate. The Lower Creek towns were more closely tied to European-American trading, and had become more assimilated. They were called the "White Sticks" in the Creek War (1812-1813), in which American soldiers became involved during the War of 1812
. Some Lower Creek supported American forces in the Battle of New Orleans
.
Since European settlement, Baton Rouge has been governed by France, Britain, Spain, Louisiana, the Florida Republic, the Confederate States, and the United States. In 1755, when French-speaking settlers of Acadia
in Canada's Maritime were driven into exile by British forces, many took up residence in rural Louisiana. Popularly known as Cajuns, the descendants of the Acadians maintained a separate culture that immeasurably enriched the Baton Rouge area. Incorporated in 1817, Baton Rouge became Louisiana's state capital in 1849. Architect James Dakin was hired to design the new Capitol building in Baton Rouge, and rather than mimic the federal Capitol Building in Washington
, as many other states had done, he conceived a Neo-Gothic medieval castle
overlooking the Mississippi, complete with turrets and crenelations. During the first half of the 19th century, the city grew steadily as the result of steamboat
trade and transportation.
At the outbreak of the Civil War
, the population of Baton Rouge was 5,500. The war halted economic progress. The Union
occupied Baton Rouge in the spring of 1862. The Confederates
at first consolidated their forces elsewhere, during which time, they moved the state government was moved to Opelousas
and later Shreveport
. In the summer of 1862, some 2,600 Confederate troops under Generals John C. Breckinridge
, the former Vice President of the United States
, and Daniel Ruggles
attempted in vain to regain control of Baton Rouge. After the end of the war, New Orleans served as the seat of the Reconstruction-era state government. Once sBourbon Democrat
s regained power in 1882, they returned the state government to Baton Rouge, where it has since remained.
Karl Baedeker (1893) described Baton Rouge as "the Capital of Louisiana, a quaint old place with 10,378 inhabitants, on a bluff above the Mississippi."
industry, causing the city to expand away from the original center. In recent years, government and business have begun a move back to the central district. A building boom that began in the 1990s continues today, with multi-million dollar projects for quality of life improvements and new construction happening all over the city.
In the 2000s, Baton Rouge has proven to be one of the fastest-growing cities in the South
in terms of technology. Baton Rouge's population temporarily exploded after Hurricane Katrina
, as it accepted as many as 200,000 displaced residents. Metropolitan Baton Rouge is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the U.S. (under 1 million), with 602,894 in 2000 and 802,484 people as of the 2010 census. Some estimates indicate that the Baton Rouge metro area could reach 900,000 residents as soon as 2013.
The city has a vibrant mix of the cultures found throughout Louisiana, from which it developed its motto: "Authentic Louisiana at every turn".
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 79.1 square miles (204.9 km²), of which 76.8 square miles (198.9 km²) is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²) (2.81%) is water.
Baton Rouge is the third southmost capital city in the continental United States, after Austin, Texas
and Tallahassee, Florida
.
(Köppen
Cfa), with mild winters, hot and humid summers, moderate to heavy rainfall, and the possibility of damaging winds and tornadoes yearlong. Baton Rouge's proximity to the coastline exposes the metropolitan region to hurricanes. Snow is rare, although it has snowed for three consecutive winters, on December 11, 2008, on December, 4 2009, and again on February, 12 2010. Hurricane Gustav was the worst hurricane to ever strike the Baton Rouge area. Winds topped 100 mph, knocking down trees and powerlines and making roads impassable. The roofs of many buildings suffered tree damage, especially in the Highland Road, Garden District, and Goodwood Areas. The city was shut down for five days and a curfew was put in effect. Rooftop shingles were ripped off, signs blown down, and minor structural damage occurred.
|date=August 2010
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and one of the top 20 cities in North America for economic strength by Brookings
. In 2009, the city was ranked as the 9th best place in the country to start a new business by CNN
. The city is home to one Fortune 500 company and one Fortune 1000 company, including Shaw Group. Lamar Advertising Company
has its headquarters in Baton Rouge.
Baton Rouge is the farthest inland port on the Mississippi River that can accommodate ocean-going tankers and cargo carriers. The ships transfer their cargo (grain, crude, cars, containers) at Baton Rouge onto rails and pipelines (to travel east-west) or barges (to travel north). Deep-draft vessels cannot pass the Old Huey Long Bridge
because the clearance is insufficient, and the river depth decreases significantly just to the north, near Port Hudson
.
Baton Rouge's largest industry is petrochemical production and manufacturing. The ExxonMobil
facility in Baton Rouge is the second-largest oil refinery
in the country; it is among the world's 10 largest. Baton Rouge also has rail, highway, pipeline, and deep water access. Albemarle
is headquartered in Baton Rouge. Dow Chemical Company
has a large plant in Iberville Parish near Plaquemine. NanYa Technology Corporation has a large facility in North Baton Rouge that makes PVC
and CPVC
pipes. Shaw Construction
, Turner, and Harmony all started with performing construction work at these plants.
As well as being the state capital and parish seat, the city is also the home of Louisiana State University
. One of the largest single employers in Baton Rouge is the state government, which recently consolidated all branches of state government downtown at the "Capitol Park" complex.
The research hospitals Our Lady of the Lake
, Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital (affiliated with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
), Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center
, and Earl K. Long
, helped by an emerging medical corridor at Essen Lane/Summa Avenue/Bluebonnet Boulevard, are positioning Baton Rouge to eventually support a medical district similar to the Texas Medical Center
. LSU and Tulane have both announced plans to construct satellite medical campuses in Baton Rouge to partner with Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center and Baton Rouge General Medical Center, respectively.
Southeastern Louisiana University
and Our Lady of the Lake College
both have nursing schools in the medical district off Essen Lane. Louisiana State University
's Pennington Biomedical Research Center
, which conducts clinical and biological research, also contributes to research-related employment in the area around the Baton Rouge medical district.
The film industry, like in neighboring New Orleans, is a strong growth industry in Baton Rouge, which is now home to a new and expanding movie studio known as Celtic Media Center. Numerous films and movies are filmed in the Baton Rouge area every year. Because of generous state tax credits, there has been significant development in post production facilities and movie studios in the region.
As of the census
of 2010, there were 229,553 people; per the 2010 census, 88,973 households, and 52,672 families residing in the city. The 2000 population density
was 2,964.8 people per square mile (1,144.7/km²). There were 97,388 housing units at an average density of 1,267.3 per square mile (489.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 50.02% Black or African American, 45.70% White, 0.18% Native American, 2.62% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.49% from other races
, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.72% of the population.
Of all households, 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples
living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.8% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 17.5% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,368, and the median income for a family was $40,266. Males had a median income of $34,893 versus $23,115 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $18,512. About 18.0% of families and 24.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.4% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those ages 65 or over.
operates post offices in Baton Rouge. The Baton Rouge Central Post Office is located at 750 Florida Street in Downtown Baton Rouge.
, Louisiana State University
, Our Lady of the Lake College
, and Southern University
whose students make up some 20% of the city population. There is a sizable international population of about 11,300, the largest of which are people of Hispanic or Vietnamese descent. Due to this, Baton Rouge has come to have a unique culture as well as be a representation of many different heritages.
. Opened in 2005, this award-winning facility houses the Brunner Gallery, LSU Museum of Art, the Manship Theatre, a contemporary art gallery, traveling exhibits, and several eateries. Another prominent facility is the Louisiana Art and Science Museum (LASM), which contains Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, traveling art exhibits, space displays, and an ancient Egyptian section. Several smaller art galleries, including the Baton Rouge Gallery
, offering a range of local art are scattered throughout the city.
There is also an emerging performance arts scene. The Baton Rouge Little Theater, Baton Rouge River Center
, and Manship Theatre mostly host traveling shows, including broadways, musical artists, and plays. Opera Louisiane is Baton Rouge's newest and only professional opera company. The Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre is Baton Rouge's professional dance company. The Nutcracker – A Tale from the Bayou sets the familiar holiday classic in 19th-century Louisiana and has become a Baton Rouge holiday tradition. ref> Other venues include Reilly Theater which is home to Swine Palace, a non-profit professional theater company associated with the Louisiana State University Department of Theatre.
In addition, the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra
has been in service for 61 years, and currently operates at the River Center Music Hall downtown. Today, there are over 60 concerts annually performed by the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra directed by Timothy Muffitt and David Torns. The BRSO's educational component, the Louisiana Youth Orchestra, made its debut in 1984 and currently includes almost 180 musicians under the age of 20.
. Every year Baton Rouge hosts many Mardi Gras parades, the largest one being held in historic Spanish Town. Other festivals include FestforAll, Louisiana Earth Day, Mardi Gras season, Pennington Balloon Festival, the St. Patrick's Day Parade, and Red Stick International Animation Festival
.
Greater Baton Rouge area is well served by television and radio. The market is the 95th largest Designated Market Area (DMA) in the U.S. Major television network affiliates serving the area include:
Baton Rouge also offer local Government-access television (GATV) only channels on Cox Cable
. Metro 21
on channel 21, Cox 4
on channel 4, and Catholic Life on channel 15.
and the Southern University Jaguars
are the two most popular teams and provide the city's biggest entertainment during football season. The teams' dominance of the city's sports scene is evidenced by the numerous shops and restaurants around town that sell and display memorabilia. College baseball, basketball and gymnastics are also popular.
Baton Rouge has a successful rugby
team, the Baton Rouge Redfish 7, which began playing in 1977 and has won numerous conference championships. Currently, the team competes in the Deep South Rugby Union as a Division II team.
The city has an Australian rules football team, the Baton Rouge Tigers, which began playing in 2004 competes in the USAFL.
The city also has a minor-league soccer team, the Capitals
, who play in the PDL (USL Premier Development League
). Currently, the team plays home games in Olympia Stadium.
which was the tallest building in the South when it was completed. Several plantation homes in the area such as Magnolia Mound Plantation House
, Myrtles Plantation
, and Nottoway Plantation
showcase antebellum-era architecture. Louisiana State University has over 250 buildings in Italian Renaissance
style, one of the nation's largest college stadiums, and is endowed with many live oak
s. Several examples of modern and contemporary buildings are downtown, including the Louisiana State Museum
. A number of structures, including the Baton Rouge River Center, Louisiana State Library, LSU Student Union, Louisiana Naval Museum, Bluebonnet Swamp Interpretive Center, Louisiana Arts and Sciences Center, Louisiana State Archive and Research Library
, and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center
, were designed by local architect John Desmond
. Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad Company Depot
, currently houses the Louisiana Art and Science Museum.
Museums around town offer a variety of genres. The Louisiana State Museum and the Old Louisiana State Capitol Museum display information on state history and have many interactive exhibits. The Shaw Center for the Arts showcases and the Louisiana Art and Science Museum showcase varied arts. LASM also includes science exhibits and a planetarium
. Other museums include the LSU Museum of Natural Science and the USS Kidd
.
Baton Rouge has an extensive park collection run through BREC (The Recreation & Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge). The largest park is City Park near LSU and is currently undergoing a complete remodeling. The Baton Rouge Zoo
is run through BREC and includes 1800+ species.
Other attractions include the Mall at Cortana
and the Mall of Louisiana
(Louisiana's two largest malls) and Perkins Rowe
, amusement parks of Dixie Landin'/ Blue Bayou, and dining at the Louisiana-cuisine restaurants.
operates primary and secondary schools serving the city.
The city of Baton Rouge is also home to 15 charter schools with a total enrollment of 3800 pupils. One of the latest includes the Mentorship Academy in downtown Baton Rouge, which leverages its location downtown to establish internship opportunities with local businesses as well as provide a high tech classroom environment to focus on a digital animation curriculum.
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, generally known as Louisiana State University or LSU, is a public, coeducational university that is the main campus of the Louisiana State University System
. LSU includes nine senior colleges and three schools, in addition to specialized centers, divisions, institutes, and offices. Enrollment stands at over 32,000 students, with 1,300 full-time faculty members. LSU is also one of twenty-one American universities designated as a land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant research center. In order to reverse decades of underfunding, the university recently launched an ambitious fundraising drive, called the "Forever LSU" campaign.
Southern University and A&M College is a comprehensive institution offering two associate's degree
programs, 42 bachelor's degree
programs, 19 master's degree
programs, and five doctoral
programs. The University is part of the only historically black land grant university system in the United States. Southern became a land-grant school in 1890, and an Agricultural and Mechanical department was established. The University offers programs of study ranging from associate degree to doctoral and professional degrees. It provides opportunities for students to participate in internships and summer assignments in industry and with the federal government.
Our Lady of the Lake College
is an independent Catholic institution also in the Baton Rouge medical district that offers associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees in programs such as nursing, health sciences, humanities, behavioral sciences, and arts and sciences. It has an associated hospital, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center
. In 2010, LSU announced that it will relocate it's medical education and Hospital Services to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge as a result of a historic agreement between LSU and the training hospital. Tulane University
is also opening a satellite medical school at Baton Rouge General's Mid City Campus in 2011.
Southeastern Louisiana University
School of Nursing is located in the medical district on Essen Lane in Baton Rouge. Southeastern offers traditional baccalaureate and masters degree programs as well as LPN and RN to BSN articulation opportunities.
In 1980, C.B. and Irene Pennington provided $125 million for the construction of the Pennington Biomedical Research Campus in Baton Rouge.
Baton Rouge Community College
is an open-admissions, two-year post-secondary public community college
, established on 28 June 1995. The college settled into a permanent location in 1998. The 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) campus consists of five main buildings: Governor's Building, Louisiana Building, Cypress Building, Bienvenue Building (student center), and the Magnolia Library Building. The college's current enrollment is more than 8,000 students. The curricular offerings include courses and programs leading to transfer credits, certificates and associate degrees.
The State Library of Louisiana
is in Baton Rouge.
, and fiber optic communications are provided by Eatel, AT&T
, Charter Communications
, or Cox Communications
. In 2006, Cox Communications linked its Lafayette, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans markets with fiber optic infrastructure. Other providers soon followed suit, and fiber optics have thus far proven reliable in all hurricanes since they were installed, even when mobile and broadband service is disrupted during storms.
In 2001, the Supermike computer at Louisiana State University
was ranked as the number 1 computer cluster in the world, and remains one of the top 500 computing sites in the world
In 2010, Baton Rouge started a market push to become a test city for Google
's new super high speed fiber optic line known as GeauxFiBR.
s and clinic
s:
and Afghanistan
. The armory
located near the Baton Rouge Airport houses three company-sized units: 769th HSC (headquarters support company); 769th FSC (forward support company); and the 927th Sapper
Company
. Other units of the battalion are located at Napoleonville (928th Sapper Company); Baker, Louisiana
(926th MAC mobility augmentation company); and Gonzales, Louisiana
(922nd Horizontal Construction Company).
The 769th Engineer Battalion is part of the 225th Engineer Brigade which is headquartered in Pineville, Louisiana
at Camp Beauregard
. There are four engineer battalions and an independent bridging company in the 225th Engineer Brigade which makes it the largest engineer group in the US Army Corps of Engineers.
(Capital City Expressway via the Horace Wilkinson Bridge
), I-12
(Republic of West Florida Parkway), I-110
(Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway), Airline Highway (US 61), Florida Boulevard (US 190) (via the Huey P. Long Bridge
), Greenwell Springs Road (LA 37), Plank Road/22nd Street (LA 67), Burbank Drive & Highland Road(LA 42), Nicholson Drive (LA 30), Jefferson Highway (LA 73), Louisiana Highway 1 (LA 1) and Scotland/Baker/Zachary Highway (LA 19). The business routes of US 61/190 run west along Florida Blvd. from Airline Highway to River Road downtown. The routes also run along River Rd., Chippewa Street, and Scenic Highway from Chippewa to Airline. US 190 joins US 61 on Airline Hwy. from Florida Blvd. to Scenic Hwy., where the two highways split. US 190 continues westward on Airline to the Huey P. Long Bridge, while US 61 heads north on Scenic Hwy.
To accommodate the rapid growth of Baton Rouge, sections of its freeways have been upgraded in recent decades and there are currently plans to create a tolled freeway loop around the metropolitan area. According to the 2008 INRIX National Traffic Scorecard, which ranks the top 100 congested metropolitan areas in the U.S., Baton Rouge is the 33rd-most-congested metro area in the country. However, at a population rank of 67 out of 100, it has the second-highest ratio of population rank to congestion rank, higher than even the Los Angeles
-Long Beach
-Santa Ana
metropolitan area, indicating a remarkably high level of congestion for the comparatively low population. According to the Scorecard, Baton Rouge was the only area out of all 100 to show an increase in congestion from 2007 to 2008 (+6%). The city also tied for the highest jump in congestion rank over the same period (14 places).
Specific problem areas include a stretch of I-12E between the Airline Highway and O'Neal Lane exits, which extends even further to the Denham Springs exit in Livingston Parish. The S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., Millerville Road, and O'Neal Lane exits all made the list of the nation's top 1000 bottlenecks in the aforementioned INRIX study. Three lanes wide in either direction until the O'Neal Lane exit, the interstate abruptly becomes two lanes in either direction thereafter. This stretch of road, called "a deathtrap" by one lawmaker, has become notorious for traffic accidents, many with fatalities. In 2007, ten people died in traffic accidents within a three-month period on this section of road. In 2009, Governor Bobby Jindal
and the Baton Rouge legislative delgation were successful in allocating state and federal funding to widen this portion of I-12 to the Range Avenue Exit at Denham Springs. In 2010, The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act provided committed federal funds to widen I-12 from the Range Avenue Exit to Walker, Louisiana
.
I-10W at Bluebonnet Road also ranks within the top 1000 bottlenecks for 2008, and I-10E at Essen Lane and at Nicholson Drive rank not far out of the top 1000. Though significant improvements to I-10 were made to allow for easier access to the Mall of Louisiana
, the stretch of I-10 from the I-10/I-12 split to Siegen Lane, which includes the Bluebonnet exit, was not part of these improvements and remains heavily congested during peak hours. Initial work in the 87-million-dollar project to widen this segment to three lanes in both directions has begun and may take up to three years to complete. In 2010, the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act provided supplemental funding for this project to extend to the Highland Road exit in East Baton Rouge Parish.
Surface streets in Baton Rouge are no stranger to severe congestion, either. However, relief is starting to be felt after years of stagnation in road upgrades. Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden
has instituted an extensive upgrade of East Baton Rouge Parish roads known as the Green Light Plan, geared toward improving areas of congestion on the city's surface streets. With its first project completed in October 2008, it has seen numerous others reach completion as of mid-2009, with several more under construction and still others yet to break ground.
A circumferential loop freeway has been proposed for the greater Baton Rouge metro area to help alleviate congestion on the existing through-town routes. The proposed loop would pass through the outlying parishes of Livingston
(running alongside property owned and marketed as an industrial development by Al Coburn, a member of President Mike Grimmer's staff), Ascension, West Baton Rouge, and Iberville, as well as northern East Baton Rouge Parish. This proposal has been subject to much contention, particularly by residents living in the outer parishes through which the loop would pass. If made a reality, the project would cost approximately $4 billion and would not be completed until 2016 at the earliest. Other suggestions considered by the community are upgrading Airline Highway
(US 61) to freeway standards in the region as well as establishing more links between East Baton Rouge Parish and it's neighboring communities.
, the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport
connects the area with the four major airline hubs serving the southern United States. Commercial carriers include American Eagle
, Continental Airlines
, Delta Air Lines
and US Airways Express
. Nonstop service is available to Atlanta, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, Memphis
and Charlotte
.
, Baton Rouge Community College, and Louisiana State University
. Many CATS buses are equipped with bike racks for commuters to easily combine biking with bus transit.
Greyhound Bus Lines, offering passenger and cargo service throughout the United States, has a downtown terminal on Florida Boulevard.
LA Swift provides transportation via charter bus from Baton Rouge to New Orleans (New Orleans to Baton Rouge),it also has other pick-up points in Sorrento, LA and LaPlace, LA .
Price: $5 one -way and $10 round-trip.
, France
Cordoba, Mexico
(Veracruz) Port-au-Prince
, Haiti
Taichung
, Taiwan
Malatya
, Turkey
After a visit to the Republic of China
(Taiwan), Mayor-President Kip Holden
unveiled plans to pursue a sister city agreement with a second Taiwanese city, Taipei
.
Geology and Geological Hazards
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.
Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South. The Port of Baton Rouge is the ninth largest in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in terms of tonnage shipped, and is the farthest upstream Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
port capable of handling Panamax
Panamax
Panamax and New Panamax are popular terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. Formally, the limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority titled "Vessel Requirements"...
ships.
The Baton Rouge area, also known as the "Capital Area", is located in the southeast portion of the state along the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. It owes its historical importance to its site upon Istrouma Bluff
Bluff
Bluff may refer to:* a type of deception* an empty boast-Geography:* a very steep and broad hill or small cliff, frequently next to a river or ocean*feeder bluffAustralia* Bluff, Queensland, a town in QueenslandCanada...
, the first bluff upriver from the Mississippi River Delta
Mississippi River Delta
The Mississippi River Delta is the modern area of land built up by alluvium deposited by the Mississippi River as it slows down and enters the Gulf of Mexico...
, which protects the city’s residents from flooding, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. In addition to this natural barrier, the city has built a levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
system stretching from the bluff southward to protect the riverfront and low-lying agricultural areas.
The city of Baton Rouge has a population of 229,553 as of the 2010 census. The metropolitan area, known as Greater Baton Rouge, has a population of 802,484 people as of 2010.
History
Beginnings
The European-American history of Baton Rouge dates from 1699, when French explorer Sieur d'IbervillePierre Le Moyne d'Iberville
Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville pronounced as described in note] Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville pronounced as described in note] Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville pronounced as described in note] (16 July 1661 – 9 July 1702 (probable)was a soldier, ship captain, explorer, colonial administrator, knight of...
leading an exploration party up the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
saw a reddish cypress pole festooned with bloody animals that marked the boundary between the Houma
Houma Tribe
The Houma people are a Native America tribe. They belong to the United Houma Nation, a state recognized tribe in Louisiana. They primarily live in East and West Feliciana, and Pointe Coupee Parishes, about 100 miles north of the town of Houma named for them, west of the mouth of the Mississippi...
and Bayou Goula tribal hunting grounds. They called the pole and its location le bâton rouge, or the red stick. The local Native American name for the site had been Istrouma. From evidence found along the Mississippi, Comite, and Amite rivers, and in three Native American mounds remaining in the city, archaeologists have been able to date indigenous
Indigenous
Indigenous means: belonging to a certain place.Indigenous may refer to:In Ecology and Geography*Indigenous resources, resources which exist within local geography, that are not imported...
habitation of the Baton Rouge area to 8000 BC. The mounds were built by hunter-gatherer societies in the Middle Archaic period, perhaps as early as 4500 BC, long before the pyramids of Egypt.
During the early nineteenth century, Americans in the Southeast referred to the Upper Creek Nation as "Red Sticks" for their warfare against European-American settlers encroaching on their traditional territories in present-day Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama. It was also part of a revival of traditional culture against efforts to assimilate. The Lower Creek towns were more closely tied to European-American trading, and had become more assimilated. They were called the "White Sticks" in the Creek War (1812-1813), in which American soldiers became involved during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. Some Lower Creek supported American forces in the Battle of New Orleans
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815 and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces, commanded by Major General Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast territory the United States had acquired with the...
.
Since European settlement, Baton Rouge has been governed by France, Britain, Spain, Louisiana, the Florida Republic, the Confederate States, and the United States. In 1755, when French-speaking settlers of Acadia
Acadia
Acadia was the name given to lands in a portion of the French colonial empire of New France, in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and modern-day Maine. At the end of the 16th century, France claimed territory stretching as far south as...
in Canada's Maritime were driven into exile by British forces, many took up residence in rural Louisiana. Popularly known as Cajuns, the descendants of the Acadians maintained a separate culture that immeasurably enriched the Baton Rouge area. Incorporated in 1817, Baton Rouge became Louisiana's state capital in 1849. Architect James Dakin was hired to design the new Capitol building in Baton Rouge, and rather than mimic the federal Capitol Building in Washington
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
, as many other states had done, he conceived a Neo-Gothic medieval castle
Old Louisiana State Capitol
The Louisiana's Old State Capitol is a building in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States that housed the Louisiana State Legislature from the mid-19th century until the current capitol tower building was constructed in 1929....
overlooking the Mississippi, complete with turrets and crenelations. During the first half of the 19th century, the city grew steadily as the result of steamboat
Riverboat
A riverboat is a ship built boat designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury units constructed for entertainment enterprises, such...
trade and transportation.
At the outbreak of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the population of Baton Rouge was 5,500. The war halted economic progress. The Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
occupied Baton Rouge in the spring of 1862. The Confederates
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
at first consolidated their forces elsewhere, during which time, they moved the state government was moved to Opelousas
Opelousas, Louisiana
Opelousas is a city in and the parish seat of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies at the junction of Interstate 49 and U.S. Route 190. The population was 22,860 at the 2000 census. Although the 2006 population estimate was 23,222, a 2004 annexation should put the city's...
and later Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
. In the summer of 1862, some 2,600 Confederate troops under Generals John C. Breckinridge
John C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky and was the 14th Vice President of the United States , to date the youngest vice president in U.S...
, the former Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
, and Daniel Ruggles
Daniel Ruggles
Daniel Ruggles was a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He commanded a division at the Battle of Shiloh.-Biography:Ruggles was born in Barre, Massachusetts, in 1810...
attempted in vain to regain control of Baton Rouge. After the end of the war, New Orleans served as the seat of the Reconstruction-era state government. Once sBourbon Democrat
Bourbon Democrat
Bourbon Democrat was a term used in the United States from 1876 to 1904 to refer to a member of the Democratic Party, conservative or classical liberal, especially one who supported President Grover Cleveland in 1884–1888/1892–1896 and Alton B. Parker in 1904. After 1904, the Bourbons faded away...
s regained power in 1882, they returned the state government to Baton Rouge, where it has since remained.
Today
In the 1950s and 1960s, Baton Rouge experienced a boom in the petrochemicalPetrochemical
Petrochemicals are chemical products derived from petroleum. Some chemical compounds made from petroleum are also obtained from other fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, or renewable sources such as corn or sugar cane....
industry, causing the city to expand away from the original center. In recent years, government and business have begun a move back to the central district. A building boom that began in the 1990s continues today, with multi-million dollar projects for quality of life improvements and new construction happening all over the city.
In the 2000s, Baton Rouge has proven to be one of the fastest-growing cities in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
in terms of technology. Baton Rouge's population temporarily exploded after Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, as it accepted as many as 200,000 displaced residents. Metropolitan Baton Rouge is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the U.S. (under 1 million), with 602,894 in 2000 and 802,484 people as of the 2010 census. Some estimates indicate that the Baton Rouge metro area could reach 900,000 residents as soon as 2013.
The city has a vibrant mix of the cultures found throughout Louisiana, from which it developed its motto: "Authentic Louisiana at every turn".
Geography and climate
Baton Rouge is located at 30°27′29"N 91°8′25"W (30.458090, −91.140229).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 79.1 square miles (204.9 km²), of which 76.8 square miles (198.9 km²) is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²) (2.81%) is water.
Baton Rouge is the third southmost capital city in the continental United States, after Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
and Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
.
Climate
Baton Rouge has a humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
(Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cfa), with mild winters, hot and humid summers, moderate to heavy rainfall, and the possibility of damaging winds and tornadoes yearlong. Baton Rouge's proximity to the coastline exposes the metropolitan region to hurricanes. Snow is rare, although it has snowed for three consecutive winters, on December 11, 2008, on December, 4 2009, and again on February, 12 2010. Hurricane Gustav was the worst hurricane to ever strike the Baton Rouge area. Winds topped 100 mph, knocking down trees and powerlines and making roads impassable. The roofs of many buildings suffered tree damage, especially in the Highland Road, Garden District, and Goodwood Areas. The city was shut down for five days and a curfew was put in effect. Rooftop shingles were ripped off, signs blown down, and minor structural damage occurred.
|date=August 2010
}}
Economy
Baton Rouge enjoys a strong economy that has helped the city be ranked as one of the "Top 10 Places for Young Adults" in 2010 by Portfolio MagazinePortfolio Magazine
Portfolio Magazine, also known as Portfolio, The Magazine of the Visual Arts, was published bimonthly from April/May 1979 to September/October 1983. The editor was Edwin S. Grosvenor, who was also editor-in-chief of American Heritage magazine. Portfolio Magazine was published by Portfolio...
and one of the top 20 cities in North America for economic strength by Brookings
Brookings
- Organizations :* Brookings Institution, a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy organization based in Washington, D.C.- Places :* Brookings, Oregon, USA* Brookings, South Dakota, USA* Brookings County, South Dakota, USA- People :* Robert S...
. In 2009, the city was ranked as the 9th best place in the country to start a new business by CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
. The city is home to one Fortune 500 company and one Fortune 1000 company, including Shaw Group. Lamar Advertising Company
Lamar Advertising Company
The Lamar Advertising Company , based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a provider of billboards, transit advertising, and highway logo signs. Founded in 1902, Lamar currently operates over 150 outdoor advertising companies in more than 40 states and Puerto Rico...
has its headquarters in Baton Rouge.
Baton Rouge is the farthest inland port on the Mississippi River that can accommodate ocean-going tankers and cargo carriers. The ships transfer their cargo (grain, crude, cars, containers) at Baton Rouge onto rails and pipelines (to travel east-west) or barges (to travel north). Deep-draft vessels cannot pass the Old Huey Long Bridge
Huey P. Long Bridge (Baton Rouge)
The Huey P. Long Bridge is a truss cantilever bridge over the Mississippi River carrying US 190 and one rail line between East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana and West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana....
because the clearance is insufficient, and the river depth decreases significantly just to the north, near Port Hudson
Port Hudson, Louisiana
Port Hudson is a small unincorporated community in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States. Located about northwest of Baton Rouge, it is most famous for an American Civil War battle known as the Siege of Port Hudson.-Geography:...
.
Baton Rouge's largest industry is petrochemical production and manufacturing. The ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
facility in Baton Rouge is the second-largest oil refinery
Oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
in the country; it is among the world's 10 largest. Baton Rouge also has rail, highway, pipeline, and deep water access. Albemarle
Albemarle Corporation
Albemarle Corporation is a chemical company with corporate headquarters in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is a globally-recognized specialty chemical manufacturing enterprise.-History:...
is headquartered in Baton Rouge. Dow Chemical Company
Dow Chemical Company
The Dow Chemical Company is a multinational corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. As of 2007, it is the second largest chemical manufacturer in the world by revenue and as of February 2009, the third-largest chemical company in the world by market capitalization .Dow...
has a large plant in Iberville Parish near Plaquemine. NanYa Technology Corporation has a large facility in North Baton Rouge that makes PVC
Polyvinyl chloride
Polyvinyl chloride, commonly abbreviated PVC, is a thermoplastic polymer. It is a vinyl polymer constructed of repeating vinyl groups having one hydrogen replaced by chloride. Polyvinyl chloride is the third most widely produced plastic, after polyethylene and polypropylene. PVC is widely used in...
and CPVC
Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride
Chlorinated Polyvinyl chlorideDensity1.56 g/cm3Young's modulus 2.9-3.4 GPaTensile strength50-80 MPaElongation @ break20-40%Notch test2-5 kJ/m2Glass temperature 106 - 115 °CMelting point212 °CVicat B106 to 115 °C...
pipes. Shaw Construction
The Shaw Group
The Shaw Group is a Fortune 500 corporation headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As of February 27, 2011, the company employed approximately 28,000 people all over the world with 7 billion dollar revenue in 2010...
, Turner, and Harmony all started with performing construction work at these plants.
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
. One of the largest single employers in Baton Rouge is the state government, which recently consolidated all branches of state government downtown at the "Capitol Park" complex.
The research hospitals Our Lady of the Lake
Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center
Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center is a general medical and surgical facility located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is a Catholic Hospital member of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System...
, Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital (affiliated with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, founded in 1962, is a leading pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children's catastrophic diseases. It is located in Memphis, Tennessee. It is a nonprofit medical corporation chartered as a 501 tax-exempt organization under IRS regulations.In...
), Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center
History =Mary Bird Perkins is active in the treatment and early detection of cancer. From the outset, the Center was created to be available to all community members in need of its services—regardless of ability to pay...
, and Earl K. Long
Earl K. Long Medical Center (LSUMC)
The Earl K. Long Medical Center, named after the Louisiana politician Earl K. Long, is an acute-care hospital located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The hospital is a member of the Louisiana State University Medical Center . Earl K. Long Medical Center is responsible for providing care to several...
, helped by an emerging medical corridor at Essen Lane/Summa Avenue/Bluebonnet Boulevard, are positioning Baton Rouge to eventually support a medical district similar to the Texas Medical Center
Texas Medical Center
The Texas Medical Center is the largest medical center in the world with one of the highest densities of clinical facilities for patient care, basic science, and translational research...
. LSU and Tulane have both announced plans to construct satellite medical campuses in Baton Rouge to partner with Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center and Baton Rouge General Medical Center, respectively.
Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University is a state-funded public university in Hammond, Louisiana, United States. It was founded in 1925 by Linus A. Sims, the principal of Hammond High School, as Hammond Junior College, located in a wing of the high school building. Sims succeeded in getting the campus...
and Our Lady of the Lake College
Our Lady of the Lake College
Our Lady of the Lake College is a private, independent Catholic institution located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. It is sponsored by the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady, North American Province. It was started in 1923 as Our Lady of the Lake School of Nursing to educate students to...
both have nursing schools in the medical district off Essen Lane. Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
's Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Pennington Biomedical Research Center
The Pennington Biomedical Research Center, located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a campus of the Louisiana State University System and conducts both clinical and basic research. According to its website, its mission is to promote healthier lives through research and education in nutrition and...
, which conducts clinical and biological research, also contributes to research-related employment in the area around the Baton Rouge medical district.
The film industry, like in neighboring New Orleans, is a strong growth industry in Baton Rouge, which is now home to a new and expanding movie studio known as Celtic Media Center. Numerous films and movies are filmed in the Baton Rouge area every year. Because of generous state tax credits, there has been significant development in post production facilities and movie studios in the region.
Top Employers
According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | State of Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties... |
31,427 |
| 2 | Turner Industries | 9,670 |
| 3 | East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools is a public school district headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States.The district serves most of East Baton Rouge Parish; it contains approximately 90 individual schools: 56 elementary schools, 16 middle schools, and 18 high schools.The portion... |
6,406 |
| 4 | Louisiana State University Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name... |
5,600 |
| 5 | City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana East Baton Rouge Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Baton Rouge, Louisiana's state capital. As of the 2010 census, the population was 440,171. The parish has a total area of , of which is land and is water. It is the most populous parish in the state... |
4,597 |
| 6 | ExxonMobil Chemical | 4,275 |
| 7 | The Shaw Group The Shaw Group The Shaw Group is a Fortune 500 corporation headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As of February 27, 2011, the company employed approximately 28,000 people all over the world with 7 billion dollar revenue in 2010... |
4,243 |
| 8 | Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center is a general medical and surgical facility located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is a Catholic Hospital member of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System... |
4,009 |
| 9 | Performance Contractors | 3,500 |
| 10 | Baton Rouge General Medical Center | 3,000 |
Demographics
At the 2005–2007 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates, 54.6% of the population was Black or African American, 42.3% of the population was White (39.9% non-Hispanic White alone), 3.2% Asian, 1.0% American Indian and Alaska Native and 0.6% from some other race, 1.7% from two or more races. 1.9% of the total population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 32.4% of the population had a Bachelor's degree or higher.As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2010, there were 229,553 people; per the 2010 census, 88,973 households, and 52,672 families residing in the city. The 2000 population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,964.8 people per square mile (1,144.7/km²). There were 97,388 housing units at an average density of 1,267.3 per square mile (489.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 50.02% Black or African American, 45.70% White, 0.18% Native American, 2.62% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.49% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.72% of the population.
Of all households, 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.8% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 17.5% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,368, and the median income for a family was $40,266. Males had a median income of $34,893 versus $23,115 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $18,512. About 18.0% of families and 24.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.4% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those ages 65 or over.
Tallest buildings
| Name | Stories | Height |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana State Capitol Louisiana State Capitol The Louisiana State Capitol building is the capitol building of the state of Louisiana, located in Baton Rouge. The capitol houses the Louisiana State Legislature, the governor's office, and parts of the executive branch... (Capitol Park; tallest state capitol building in the U.S.) |
34 | 450 ft (137 m) |
| One American Place One American Place One American Place is a skyscraper in Downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Its exterior surface is clad entirely in mirrored glass.Completed in 1974, with 24 floors, it stands tall. It is currently the second-tallest building in Downtown Baton Rouge.... |
24 | 308 ft (94 m) |
| JPMorgan Chase Tower (Chase) | 21 | 277 ft (84 m) |
| Riverside Tower North (Chase) | 20 | 229 ft (70 m) |
| Marriott Marriott International Marriott International, Inc. is a worldwide operator and franchisor of a broad portfolio of hotels and related lodging facilities. Founded by J. Willard Marriott, the company is now led by son J.W. Marriott, Jr... Hotel Baton Rouge |
22 | 224 ft (68 m) |
| Catholic-Presbyterian Apartments | 14 | |
| Dean Tower | 14 | |
| Tiger Stadium Tiger Stadium (LSU) Tiger Stadium is an outdoor stadium located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is best known as the home stadium of the Louisiana State University football team.Tiger Stadium opened with a capacity of 12,000 in 1924... (LSU) |
192 ft (59 m) | |
| II City Plaza | 12 | |
| Galvez Office Building (Capitol Park) | 12 | |
| Kirby Smith Hall (LSU) | 13 | |
| Memorial Tower Memorial Tower Memorial Tower, or the Campanile as it is sometimes called, is a 175 foot clock tower in the center of Louisiana State University's campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA... (LSU) |
175 ft (52 m) | |
| Saint Joseph's Cathedral | 165 ft (50 m) | |
| Louisiana State Office Building | 12 | 160 ft (49 m) |
| Jacobs Plaza | 13 | 144 ft (44 m) |
| Renaissance Hotel | 13 | |
| Minnie Bell Swaggart Hall (Bluebonnet Towers) | 12 | |
| D. Mark Butain Hall (Bluebonnet Towers) | 12 | |
| LaSalle Office Building (Capitol Park) | 12 | |
| Shaw The Shaw Group The Shaw Group is a Fortune 500 corporation headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As of February 27, 2011, the company employed approximately 28,000 people all over the world with 7 billion dollar revenue in 2010... Plaza |
12 | |
| Wooddale State Office Building | 12 | |
| Hilton Capitol Center Hilton Capitol Center Hilton Capitol Center, located at 201 Lafayette St. in the Downtown Baton Rouge area is an 11-story, -tall skyscraper. The hotel is part of the Hilton Hotels chain. The building was originally the Heidelberg Hotel, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 in asuccessful... |
11 | 132 ft (40 m) |
| 19th Judicial District Court Building | 12 | |
| City Hall | 10 | |
| Belle of Baton Rouge Baton Rouge Convention Center Hotel | 10 | 125 ft (38 m) |
Neighborhoods
Baton Rouge has many neighborhoods both inside and outside the city limits:
|
Federal representation
The United States Postal ServiceUnited States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates post offices in Baton Rouge. The Baton Rouge Central Post Office is located at 750 Florida Street in Downtown Baton Rouge.
Culture
Baton Rouge is the middle ground of South Louisiana cultures, having a mix of Cajun and Creole Catholics and Baptists of the Florida Parishes and South Mississippi. Baton Rouge is a college city with Baton Rouge Community CollegeBaton Rouge Community College
Baton Rouge Community College, an open admissions, two-year post-secondary public community college in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was established on June 28, 1995. The college settled into a permanent location in 1998...
, Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
, Our Lady of the Lake College
Our Lady of the Lake College
Our Lady of the Lake College is a private, independent Catholic institution located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. It is sponsored by the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady, North American Province. It was started in 1923 as Our Lady of the Lake School of Nursing to educate students to...
, and Southern University
Southern University
Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section...
whose students make up some 20% of the city population. There is a sizable international population of about 11,300, the largest of which are people of Hispanic or Vietnamese descent. Due to this, Baton Rouge has come to have a unique culture as well as be a representation of many different heritages.
Arts and theater
Baton Rouge has an expanding visual arts scene, which is centered downtown. This increasing collection of venues is anchored by the Shaw Center for the ArtsShaw Center for the Arts
The Shaw Center for the Arts is a 125,000 square foot performing art venue, fine arts museum, and education center located at 100 Lafayette Street in downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It opened in 2005...
. Opened in 2005, this award-winning facility houses the Brunner Gallery, LSU Museum of Art, the Manship Theatre, a contemporary art gallery, traveling exhibits, and several eateries. Another prominent facility is the Louisiana Art and Science Museum (LASM), which contains Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, traveling art exhibits, space displays, and an ancient Egyptian section. Several smaller art galleries, including the Baton Rouge Gallery
Baton Rouge Gallery
Baton Rouge Gallery, founded in 1965, is a multi-media art gallery located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana's historic City Park. Baton Rouge Gallery is one of the United States' oldest artist co-ops and an important aspect of Baton Rouge's arts community....
, offering a range of local art are scattered throughout the city.
There is also an emerging performance arts scene. The Baton Rouge Little Theater, Baton Rouge River Center
Baton Rouge River Center
The Baton Rouge River Center is a municipally owned multi-purpose 200,000 square feet entertainment facility located on the Mississippi River in downtown Baton Rouge, the capital city of Louisiana.It is maintained by a private management company, SMG, which presents more than five...
, and Manship Theatre mostly host traveling shows, including broadways, musical artists, and plays. Opera Louisiane is Baton Rouge's newest and only professional opera company. The Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre is Baton Rouge's professional dance company. The Nutcracker – A Tale from the Bayou sets the familiar holiday classic in 19th-century Louisiana and has become a Baton Rouge holiday tradition. ref> Other venues include Reilly Theater which is home to Swine Palace, a non-profit professional theater company associated with the Louisiana State University Department of Theatre.
In addition, the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra
Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra
The Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1947, is an orchestra located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.In 1940, a group of women formed a string quartet, playing in their own homes, their long-term dream being to have a symphony orchestra able to service the local community...
has been in service for 61 years, and currently operates at the River Center Music Hall downtown. Today, there are over 60 concerts annually performed by the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra directed by Timothy Muffitt and David Torns. The BRSO's educational component, the Louisiana Youth Orchestra, made its debut in 1984 and currently includes almost 180 musicians under the age of 20.
Events
Many events take place throughout the year, the biggest of which is Mardi GrasMardi Gras
The terms "Mardi Gras" , "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday...
. Every year Baton Rouge hosts many Mardi Gras parades, the largest one being held in historic Spanish Town. Other festivals include FestforAll, Louisiana Earth Day, Mardi Gras season, Pennington Balloon Festival, the St. Patrick's Day Parade, and Red Stick International Animation Festival
Red Stick International Animation Festival
The Red Stick International Animation Festival is an annual event is hosted by the Lab for Creative Arts & Technologies , a research group within the Louisiana State University's Center for Computation and Technology. The first festival took place from April 21 until April 23, 2005, and has...
.
Media
The major daily newspaper is The Advocate, publishing since 1925. Prior to October 1991, Baton Rouge also had an evening newspaper, The State-Times—at that time, the morning paper was known as "The Morning Advocate." Other publications include: Greater Baton Rouge Business Report, 225 magazine, inRegister magazine, 10/12 magazine, LSU Daily Reveille, LSU Tiger Weekly, The Southern Review, Country Roads magazine, 225Alive, Healthcare Journal of Baton Rouge, Southern University Digest, and the South Baton Rouge Journal. Other newspapers in East Baton Rouge Parish include the Central City News and the Zachary Post.Greater Baton Rouge area is well served by television and radio. The market is the 95th largest Designated Market Area (DMA) in the U.S. Major television network affiliates serving the area include:
- 2 WBRZ-TVWBRZ-TVWBRZ, virtual channel 2 , is an ABC affiliate television station serving Baton Rouge, Louisiana, south-central and southeastern Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi. It is owned by the Manship family, who also publishes the Baton Rouge daily newspaper, The Advocate. Its transmitter is located in...
(ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
) - 9 WAFBWAFBWAFB is the CBS-affiliated television station for Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 9 from a transmitter southwest of Arlington. Owned by Raycom Media, WAFB is sister to Class A MyNetworkTV affiliate WBXH-CA. The two share studios on Government...
(CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
) - 19 KZUP-CAKZUP-CAKZUP-CD is the local low-powered, Class-A affiliate of Retro Television Network for Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It transmits its digital signal on UHF channel 20...
(RTNRetro Television NetworkThe Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
)
- 21 WBRL-CAWBRL-CAWBRL-CD is a low-powered digital television station in Baton Rouge, Louisiana affiliated with The CW network. It is a sister station to WGMB, Baton Rouge's Fox affiliate. It is available to viewers in the south central Louisiana area on channel 21 on broadcast...
(The CWThe CW Television NetworkThe CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
) - 27 WLPB (PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
/LPBLouisiana Public BroadcastingLouisiana Public Broadcasting is a state-run, viewer-supported state network of Public Broadcasting Service non-commercial educational Public television member stations serving the state of Louisiana outside Greater New Orleans. The stations are operated by the Louisiana Educational Television...
) - 30 WLFT-CAWLFT-CAWLFT-CA is a low-power UHF television outlet, located on channel 30. It is locally owned via Touch Family Broadcasting and affiliated with Me-TV. It broadcasts local sports, The 700 Club, and other Christian ministry programming, from a tower in the greater Baton Rouge area...
(INDIndependent stationAn independent station is in the category of television terminology used to describe a television station broadcasting in the United States or Canada that is not affiliated with any television network....
) - 33 WVLAWVLAWVLA-TV, virtual channel 33, is the NBC-affiliated television station for Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It transmits its digital signal on UHF channel 34. It is owned by White Knight Broadcasting, but it is controlled by ComCorp. and is sister station to the area's Retro Television Network affiliate,...
(NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
)
- 39 WBXH-CAWBXH-CAWBXH-CA is the Class A MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It broadcasts an analog signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter southwest of Arlington. Owned by Raycom Media, the station is sister to CBS affiliate WAFB. The two stations share studios on Government...
(My Network TV) - 41 KBTR-CAKBTR-CAKBTR-CA channel 41, known on-air as WBTR 41, is a television station in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The station is owned by Louisiana Television Broadcasting, the owners of WBRZ-TV. The station is seen on cable Cox Communications and AT&T U-verse....
(INDIndependent stationAn independent station is in the category of television terminology used to describe a television station broadcasting in the United States or Canada that is not affiliated with any television network....
) - 44 WGMBWGMBWGMB-TV is the local Fox affiliate for Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is owned by Communications Corporation of America, and is sister station to the area's The CW affiliate, WBRL-CD. WGMB also shared facilities and staff with WVLA-TV and KZUP-CD...
(FoxFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
)
Cox Communications
Cox Communications is a privately owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises providing digital cable television, telecommunications and wireless services in the United States...
. Metro 21
Metro 21
Metro 21 is a local Government-access television cable TV station in Baton Rouge. It is operated by the East Baton Rouge Parish Office of Public Information and broadcasts 24 hours a day. It began with a $50,000 donation from TCI Cable in September 1999, and every year since then, Cox gives the...
on channel 21, Cox 4
Cox 4
Cox 4 is a local cable-only Public, educational, and government access cable tv station in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, which signed on the air around 2001. It provides local programming which reflects the diversity of Louisiana...
on channel 4, and Catholic Life on channel 15.
Sports
College sports play a major role in the culture of Baton Rouge. The LSU TigersLSU Tigers
The LSU Tigers are the athletic teams of Louisiana State University. They participate in the NCAA's Division I, in the Southeastern Conference. It fields teams in 14 varsity sports . Its official team nickname is the Fighting Tigers and the school mascot is Mike the Tiger...
and the Southern University Jaguars
Southern Jaguars
The Southern Jaguars represent Southern University in NCAA intercollegiate athletics.-Conference affiliation:Southern University's athletic teams participate in the Southwestern Athletic Conference which is a part of the NCAA Division I. Football participates in the Football Championship...
are the two most popular teams and provide the city's biggest entertainment during football season. The teams' dominance of the city's sports scene is evidenced by the numerous shops and restaurants around town that sell and display memorabilia. College baseball, basketball and gymnastics are also popular.
Baton Rouge has a successful rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
team, the Baton Rouge Redfish 7, which began playing in 1977 and has won numerous conference championships. Currently, the team competes in the Deep South Rugby Union as a Division II team.
The city has an Australian rules football team, the Baton Rouge Tigers, which began playing in 2004 competes in the USAFL.
The city also has a minor-league soccer team, the Capitals
Baton Rouge Capitals
Baton Rouge Capitals is an American soccer team based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. Founded in 2007, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Mid South Division of the Southern Conference.The team plays its home games...
, who play in the PDL (USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...
). Currently, the team plays home games in Olympia Stadium.
Tourism and recreation
There are many architectural points of interest in Baton Rouge, ranging from antebellum to modern. The neo-gothic Old Louisiana State Capitol was built in the 1890s as the first state house in Baton Rouge and was later replaced by the 450 feet (137 m) tall, art-deco New Louisiana State CapitolLouisiana State Capitol
The Louisiana State Capitol building is the capitol building of the state of Louisiana, located in Baton Rouge. The capitol houses the Louisiana State Legislature, the governor's office, and parts of the executive branch...
which was the tallest building in the South when it was completed. Several plantation homes in the area such as Magnolia Mound Plantation House
Magnolia Mound Plantation House
The Magnolia Mound Plantation House is a French Creole house constructed in 1791 near the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Many period documents refer to the plantation as Mount Magnolia...
, Myrtles Plantation
Myrtles Plantation
The Myrtles Plantation is an antebellum plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana, near Baton Rouge. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the plantation is a bed and breakfast, and it offers historical and mystery tours.-History:...
, and Nottoway Plantation
Nottoway Plantation
Nottoway Plantation, also known as Nottoway Plantation House is located in White Castle, Louisiana. This home was completed in 1859 for the John Hampton Randolph family. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.-Early history:...
showcase antebellum-era architecture. Louisiana State University has over 250 buildings in Italian Renaissance
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance began the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 13th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe...
style, one of the nation's largest college stadiums, and is endowed with many live oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
s. Several examples of modern and contemporary buildings are downtown, including the Louisiana State Museum
Louisiana State Museum - Baton Rouge
The Louisiana State Museum - Baton Rouge is a branch of the Louisiana State Museum located at 660 N. 4th Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. There are two permanent exhibits on the history and culture of Louisiana. The building was designed by New Orleans-based design studio and exhibits were created...
. A number of structures, including the Baton Rouge River Center, Louisiana State Library, LSU Student Union, Louisiana Naval Museum, Bluebonnet Swamp Interpretive Center, Louisiana Arts and Sciences Center, Louisiana State Archive and Research Library
Louisiana State Archive and Research Library
The Louisiana State Archives, established 1956, is the agency under the Secretary of State of Louisiana “designated to fulfill the function of directing a program of collecting, preserving, and making available for use the state's historical records” Located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the archives...
, and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Pennington Biomedical Research Center
The Pennington Biomedical Research Center, located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a campus of the Louisiana State University System and conducts both clinical and basic research. According to its website, its mission is to promote healthier lives through research and education in nutrition and...
, were designed by local architect John Desmond
John Desmond
John Jacob Desmond was an American architect in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who designed such public buildings as the Baton Rouge River Center, the Louisiana State University Student Union, Bluebonnet Swamp Interpretive Center, Louisiana Arts and Sciences Center, Louisiana State Archives, the...
. Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad Company Depot
Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad Company Depot
The Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad Company Depot is located at 100 South River Road. in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was also known as the Illinois Central Railroad Station. The building currently houses the Louisiana Art and Science Museum....
, currently houses the Louisiana Art and Science Museum.
Museums around town offer a variety of genres. The Louisiana State Museum and the Old Louisiana State Capitol Museum display information on state history and have many interactive exhibits. The Shaw Center for the Arts showcases and the Louisiana Art and Science Museum showcase varied arts. LASM also includes science exhibits and a planetarium
Planetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
. Other museums include the LSU Museum of Natural Science and the USS Kidd
USS Kidd
USS Kidd may refer to:* USS Kidd , a Fletcher class destroyer, serving from 1943 to 1964* USS Kidd , the first ship of the Kidd class of destroyers, serving from 1981 to 1998...
.
Baton Rouge has an extensive park collection run through BREC (The Recreation & Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge). The largest park is City Park near LSU and is currently undergoing a complete remodeling. The Baton Rouge Zoo
Baton Rouge Zoo
The Baton Rouge Zoo is located 15 minutes North of downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Zoo is owned and operated by the Recreation and Park Commission of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana , and is home to over 1,800 animals from around the world...
is run through BREC and includes 1800+ species.
Other attractions include the Mall at Cortana
Mall at Cortana
The Mall at Cortana is a mid-tier shopping mall in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and is at the intersection of Airline Hwy. and Florida Blvd.Opening in 1976, it was one of the top 10 largest malls in the world and still remains the largest mall in the state of Louisiana...
and the Mall of Louisiana
Mall of Louisiana
Mall of Louisiana is an upscale shopping mall in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and is located between I-10 and Bluebonnet Blvd.Built in 1997 by developer Jim Wilson & Associates which also built the Riverchase Galleria in Alabama, it is the second largest mall in Louisiana and is currently owned and...
(Louisiana's two largest malls) and Perkins Rowe
Perkins Rowe
Perkins Rowe is a large mixed use development in Baton Rouge, Louisiana that opened in early 2008. Perkins Rowe was developed by JTS Interests and the main architectural firm that designed the projects is Development Design Group...
, amusement parks of Dixie Landin'/ Blue Bayou, and dining at the Louisiana-cuisine restaurants.
Education
East Baton Rouge Parish Public SchoolsEast Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools
East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools is a public school district headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States.The district serves most of East Baton Rouge Parish; it contains approximately 90 individual schools: 56 elementary schools, 16 middle schools, and 18 high schools.The portion...
operates primary and secondary schools serving the city.
The city of Baton Rouge is also home to 15 charter schools with a total enrollment of 3800 pupils. One of the latest includes the Mentorship Academy in downtown Baton Rouge, which leverages its location downtown to establish internship opportunities with local businesses as well as provide a high tech classroom environment to focus on a digital animation curriculum.
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, generally known as Louisiana State University or LSU, is a public, coeducational university that is the main campus of the Louisiana State University System
Louisiana State University System
The Louisiana State University System is budgetarily the largest public university system in Louisiana. John V. Lombardi is the system's president...
. LSU includes nine senior colleges and three schools, in addition to specialized centers, divisions, institutes, and offices. Enrollment stands at over 32,000 students, with 1,300 full-time faculty members. LSU is also one of twenty-one American universities designated as a land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant research center. In order to reverse decades of underfunding, the university recently launched an ambitious fundraising drive, called the "Forever LSU" campaign.
Southern University and A&M College is a comprehensive institution offering two associate's degree
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
programs, 42 bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
programs, 19 master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
programs, and five doctoral
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
programs. The University is part of the only historically black land grant university system in the United States. Southern became a land-grant school in 1890, and an Agricultural and Mechanical department was established. The University offers programs of study ranging from associate degree to doctoral and professional degrees. It provides opportunities for students to participate in internships and summer assignments in industry and with the federal government.
Our Lady of the Lake College
Our Lady of the Lake College
Our Lady of the Lake College is a private, independent Catholic institution located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. It is sponsored by the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady, North American Province. It was started in 1923 as Our Lady of the Lake School of Nursing to educate students to...
is an independent Catholic institution also in the Baton Rouge medical district that offers associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees in programs such as nursing, health sciences, humanities, behavioral sciences, and arts and sciences. It has an associated hospital, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center
Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center
Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center is a general medical and surgical facility located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is a Catholic Hospital member of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System...
. In 2010, LSU announced that it will relocate it's medical education and Hospital Services to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge as a result of a historic agreement between LSU and the training hospital. Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
is also opening a satellite medical school at Baton Rouge General's Mid City Campus in 2011.
Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University is a state-funded public university in Hammond, Louisiana, United States. It was founded in 1925 by Linus A. Sims, the principal of Hammond High School, as Hammond Junior College, located in a wing of the high school building. Sims succeeded in getting the campus...
School of Nursing is located in the medical district on Essen Lane in Baton Rouge. Southeastern offers traditional baccalaureate and masters degree programs as well as LPN and RN to BSN articulation opportunities.
In 1980, C.B. and Irene Pennington provided $125 million for the construction of the Pennington Biomedical Research Campus in Baton Rouge.
Baton Rouge Community College
Baton Rouge Community College
Baton Rouge Community College, an open admissions, two-year post-secondary public community college in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was established on June 28, 1995. The college settled into a permanent location in 1998...
is an open-admissions, two-year post-secondary public community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
, established on 28 June 1995. The college settled into a permanent location in 1998. The 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) campus consists of five main buildings: Governor's Building, Louisiana Building, Cypress Building, Bienvenue Building (student center), and the Magnolia Library Building. The college's current enrollment is more than 8,000 students. The curricular offerings include courses and programs leading to transfer credits, certificates and associate degrees.
The State Library of Louisiana
State Library of Louisiana
The State Library of Louisiana is Louisiana's state-operated library, located in Baton Rouge.The state created the Louisiana Library Commission in 1920. In 1925 the commission and the Carnegie Corporation established libraries throughout the state....
is in Baton Rouge.
Communication
Most of the Baton Rouge area's high speed internet, broadbandBroadband
The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...
, and fiber optic communications are provided by Eatel, AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
, Charter Communications
Charter Communications
Charter Communications is an American company providing cable television, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, behind Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications...
, or Cox Communications
Cox Communications
Cox Communications is a privately owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises providing digital cable television, telecommunications and wireless services in the United States...
. In 2006, Cox Communications linked its Lafayette, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans markets with fiber optic infrastructure. Other providers soon followed suit, and fiber optics have thus far proven reliable in all hurricanes since they were installed, even when mobile and broadband service is disrupted during storms.
In 2001, the Supermike computer at Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
was ranked as the number 1 computer cluster in the world, and remains one of the top 500 computing sites in the world
In 2010, Baton Rouge started a market push to become a test city for Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
's new super high speed fiber optic line known as GeauxFiBR.
Health and medicine
Baton Rouge is served by several hospitalHospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s and clinic
Clinic
A clinic is a health care facility that is primarily devoted to the care of outpatients...
s:
- Baton Rouge Clinic – 7373 Perkins Road
- Baton Rouge General Medical Center - Mid-City CampusBaton Rouge General Medical Center - Mid-City Campus- Information :Baton Rouge General - Mid City, also known as Mid City or The General, is an acute care, not-for-profit, community-owned hospital located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This hospital, established in the early 1900s, was the first official hospital to operate in the region. The hospital...
– 3600 Florida Boulevard - Baton Rouge General Medical Center- Bluebonnet CampusBaton Rouge General Medical Center- Bluebonnet CampusBaton Rouge General Medical Center - Bluebonnet Campus is a 201-bed, private hospital located at 8585 Picardy Avenue in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The hospital offers various medical services and surgical procedures in addition to an Emergency Department...
– 8585 Picardy Avenue - Benton Rehabilitation Hospital – 7660 Convention Street
- Earl K. Long Medical Center (LSUMC)Earl K. Long Medical Center (LSUMC)The Earl K. Long Medical Center, named after the Louisiana politician Earl K. Long, is an acute-care hospital located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The hospital is a member of the Louisiana State University Medical Center . Earl K. Long Medical Center is responsible for providing care to several...
– 5825 Airline Highway - HealthSouthHealthSouthHealthSouth Corporation , based in Birmingham, Alabama, is the nation’s largest owner and operator of inpatient rehabilitative hospitals. Operating in 26 states across the country and in Puerto Rico, HealthSouth serves patients through its network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals , outpatient...
Rehabilitation Hospital – 8595 United Plaza Boulevard - HealthSouth Surgi-Center – 5222 Brittany Drive
- Lane Memorial Hospital – Zachary, LouisianaZachary, LouisianaZachary is a city in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States, in the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 11,275 at the 2000 census.-History:...
. - Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Treatment Center – 4950 Essen Lane
- Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical CenterOur Lady of the Lake Regional Medical CenterOur Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center is a general medical and surgical facility located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is a Catholic Hospital member of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System...
– 5000 Hennessy Boulevard - Ochsner Medical Center – 1700 Medical Center Drive
- Sage Integra Hospital Baton Rouge, a rehabilitation hospital – 8225 Summa Avenue
- St. Jude Children's Research HospitalSt. Jude Children's Research HospitalSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital, founded in 1962, is a leading pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children's catastrophic diseases. It is located in Memphis, Tennessee. It is a nonprofit medical corporation chartered as a 501 tax-exempt organization under IRS regulations.In...
– 7777 Hennessy Boulevard - Surgical Specialty Centre 8080 Bluebonnet Blvd
- Vista Surgical Hospital(LSU Health System Surgical Facility) – 9032 Perkins Road
- Womans Hospital – 9050 Airline Highway
Utilities
- Electric: Cajun Electric Power Cooperative, DEMCO, EntergyEntergyEntergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. It is headquartered in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana.-History:...
- Natural GasNatural gasNatural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
: Entergy, Louisiana Gas Service Company, Mid-Louisiana Gas Company, Atmos EnergyAtmos EnergyAtmos Energy Corporation , headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is the largest distributor of natural gas in the United States, serving 3.2 million customers nationwide. Atmos acquired TXU's natural gas and pipeline holdings in 2004. The company began as Energas in 1983, a spinoff of the natural gas... - Telephone: AT&T Inc.
- Water: Baton Rouge Water Company, City of BakerBaker, LouisianaBaker is a city in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States, and a part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,793 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Baker is located at...
, City of ZacharyZachary, LouisianaZachary is a city in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States, in the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 11,275 at the 2000 census.-History:... - Sewer: City of Baker, City of Zachary, East Baton Rouge Parish
- Trash: Allied Waste
Military
Baton Rouge is home station to the Army National Guard 769th Engineer Battalion, which recently had units deployed to IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. The armory
Armory (military)
An armory or armoury is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
located near the Baton Rouge Airport houses three company-sized units: 769th HSC (headquarters support company); 769th FSC (forward support company); and the 927th Sapper
Sapper
A sapper, pioneer or combat engineer is a combatant soldier who performs a wide variety of combat engineering duties, typically including, but not limited to, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, demolitions, field defences, general construction and building, as well as road and airfield...
Company
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
. Other units of the battalion are located at Napoleonville (928th Sapper Company); Baker, Louisiana
Baker, Louisiana
Baker is a city in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States, and a part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,793 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Baker is located at...
(926th MAC mobility augmentation company); and Gonzales, Louisiana
Gonzales, Louisiana
Gonzales is a city in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,156 at the 2000 census. It has been called the "jambalaya capital of the world" and is famous for its annual Jambalaya Festival. Gonzales is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area.State...
(922nd Horizontal Construction Company).
The 769th Engineer Battalion is part of the 225th Engineer Brigade which is headquartered in Pineville, Louisiana
Pineville, Louisiana
Pineville is a city in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is adjacent to the city of Alexandria, and is part of that city's Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,829 at the 2000 census....
at Camp Beauregard
Camp Beauregard
For the American Civil War site, see Camp Beauregard Memorial in Water Valley.Camp Beauregard is a U.S. Army installation located northeast of Pineville, Louisiana, primarily in Rapides Parish, but also extending northward into Grant Parish. It is currently operated by the Louisiana National Guard...
. There are four engineer battalions and an independent bridging company in the 225th Engineer Brigade which makes it the largest engineer group in the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Highways and roads
Baton Rouge is connected by the following major routes: I-10Interstate 10
Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...
(Capital City Expressway via the Horace Wilkinson Bridge
Horace Wilkinson Bridge
The Horace Wilkinson Bridge is a cantilever bridge carrying Interstate 10 in Louisiana across the Mississippi River from Port Allen in West Baton Rouge Parish to Baton Rouge in East Baton Rouge Parish...
), I-12
Interstate 12
Interstate 12 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the state of Louisiana. I-12 starts in Baton Rouge at Interstate 10, and travels along the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain before ending at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Interstate 59 near Slidell...
(Republic of West Florida Parkway), I-110
Interstate 110 (Louisiana)
Interstate 110 is an spur route in Baton Rouge, running from Interstate 10 in the city's downtown area north to U.S. Highway 61 and the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport in the northern part of the city...
(Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway), Airline Highway (US 61), Florida Boulevard (US 190) (via the Huey P. Long Bridge
Huey P. Long Bridge (Baton Rouge)
The Huey P. Long Bridge is a truss cantilever bridge over the Mississippi River carrying US 190 and one rail line between East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana and West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana....
), Greenwell Springs Road (LA 37), Plank Road/22nd Street (LA 67), Burbank Drive & Highland Road(LA 42), Nicholson Drive (LA 30), Jefferson Highway (LA 73), Louisiana Highway 1 (LA 1) and Scotland/Baker/Zachary Highway (LA 19). The business routes of US 61/190 run west along Florida Blvd. from Airline Highway to River Road downtown. The routes also run along River Rd., Chippewa Street, and Scenic Highway from Chippewa to Airline. US 190 joins US 61 on Airline Hwy. from Florida Blvd. to Scenic Hwy., where the two highways split. US 190 continues westward on Airline to the Huey P. Long Bridge, while US 61 heads north on Scenic Hwy.
To accommodate the rapid growth of Baton Rouge, sections of its freeways have been upgraded in recent decades and there are currently plans to create a tolled freeway loop around the metropolitan area. According to the 2008 INRIX National Traffic Scorecard, which ranks the top 100 congested metropolitan areas in the U.S., Baton Rouge is the 33rd-most-congested metro area in the country. However, at a population rank of 67 out of 100, it has the second-highest ratio of population rank to congestion rank, higher than even the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
-Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
-Santa Ana
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
metropolitan area, indicating a remarkably high level of congestion for the comparatively low population. According to the Scorecard, Baton Rouge was the only area out of all 100 to show an increase in congestion from 2007 to 2008 (+6%). The city also tied for the highest jump in congestion rank over the same period (14 places).
Specific problem areas include a stretch of I-12E between the Airline Highway and O'Neal Lane exits, which extends even further to the Denham Springs exit in Livingston Parish. The S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., Millerville Road, and O'Neal Lane exits all made the list of the nation's top 1000 bottlenecks in the aforementioned INRIX study. Three lanes wide in either direction until the O'Neal Lane exit, the interstate abruptly becomes two lanes in either direction thereafter. This stretch of road, called "a deathtrap" by one lawmaker, has become notorious for traffic accidents, many with fatalities. In 2007, ten people died in traffic accidents within a three-month period on this section of road. In 2009, Governor Bobby Jindal
Bobby Jindal
Piyush "Bobby" Jindal is the 55th and current Governor of Louisiana and formerly a member of the United States House of Representatives. He is a member of the Republican Party....
and the Baton Rouge legislative delgation were successful in allocating state and federal funding to widen this portion of I-12 to the Range Avenue Exit at Denham Springs. In 2010, The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act provided committed federal funds to widen I-12 from the Range Avenue Exit to Walker, Louisiana
Walker, Louisiana
Walker is a town in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 4,801 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area...
.
I-10W at Bluebonnet Road also ranks within the top 1000 bottlenecks for 2008, and I-10E at Essen Lane and at Nicholson Drive rank not far out of the top 1000. Though significant improvements to I-10 were made to allow for easier access to the Mall of Louisiana
Mall of Louisiana
Mall of Louisiana is an upscale shopping mall in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and is located between I-10 and Bluebonnet Blvd.Built in 1997 by developer Jim Wilson & Associates which also built the Riverchase Galleria in Alabama, it is the second largest mall in Louisiana and is currently owned and...
, the stretch of I-10 from the I-10/I-12 split to Siegen Lane, which includes the Bluebonnet exit, was not part of these improvements and remains heavily congested during peak hours. Initial work in the 87-million-dollar project to widen this segment to three lanes in both directions has begun and may take up to three years to complete. In 2010, the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act provided supplemental funding for this project to extend to the Highland Road exit in East Baton Rouge Parish.
Surface streets in Baton Rouge are no stranger to severe congestion, either. However, relief is starting to be felt after years of stagnation in road upgrades. Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden
Kip Holden
Melvin L. "Kip" Holden is the Democratic Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. The parish includes the state capitol of Baton Rouge and smaller suburban cities like Baker, Central City and Zachary. He was elected the city's mayor on November 3, 2004. He unseated the Republican...
has instituted an extensive upgrade of East Baton Rouge Parish roads known as the Green Light Plan, geared toward improving areas of congestion on the city's surface streets. With its first project completed in October 2008, it has seen numerous others reach completion as of mid-2009, with several more under construction and still others yet to break ground.
A circumferential loop freeway has been proposed for the greater Baton Rouge metro area to help alleviate congestion on the existing through-town routes. The proposed loop would pass through the outlying parishes of Livingston
Livingston Parish, Louisiana
Livingston Parish Is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its parish seat is Livingston. As of 2010, its population was 128,026....
(running alongside property owned and marketed as an industrial development by Al Coburn, a member of President Mike Grimmer's staff), Ascension, West Baton Rouge, and Iberville, as well as northern East Baton Rouge Parish. This proposal has been subject to much contention, particularly by residents living in the outer parishes through which the loop would pass. If made a reality, the project would cost approximately $4 billion and would not be completed until 2016 at the earliest. Other suggestions considered by the community are upgrading Airline Highway
Airline Highway
Airline Highway is a divided highway in the U.S. state of Louisiana, built in the 1930s and 1940s to bypass the older Jefferson Highway. It carries U.S. Highway 61 from New Orleans northwest to Baton Rouge, and U.S. Highway 190 from Baton Rouge west over the Mississippi River on the Huey P. Long...
(US 61) to freeway standards in the region as well as establishing more links between East Baton Rouge Parish and it's neighboring communities.
Commuting
The average one-way commute time in Baton Rouge is 22 minutes, 13% shorter than the US average. Interstates 10 and 12, the two interstates that feed into the city, are highly traveled and connected by highways and four-lane roads that connect the downtown business area to surrounding parishes. 99% of the Baton Rouge workforce drives a personal vehicle to work.Airport
Located 10 minutes north of downtown near BakerBaker, Louisiana
Baker is a city in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States, and a part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,793 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Baker is located at...
, the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport
Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport
Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport , also known as Ryan Field, is a public use airport located four nautical miles north of the central business district of Baton Rouge, a city in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States....
connects the area with the four major airline hubs serving the southern United States. Commercial carriers include American Eagle
American Eagle Airlines
American Eagle Airlines is a brand name used by American Eagle Airlines, Inc. , based in Fort Worth, Texas, and Executive Airlines based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the operation of passenger air service as regional affiliates of American Airlines. All three airlines are wholly owned subsidiaries...
, Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
, Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
and US Airways Express
US Airways Express
US Airways Express is an airline brand name, rather than a fully certified airline, and as such, the US Airways Express name is used by several individually owned airlines or airline holding companies which provide regional airline and commuter service for US Airways.Operations are conducted from...
. Nonstop service is available to Atlanta, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
and Charlotte
CHARLOTTE
- CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',...
.
Rail
Four major rail lines provide railroad freight service to Baton Rouge. Since 2006, Baton Rouge and New Orleans leaders as well as the state government have been pushing to secure funding for a new high speed rail passenger line between downtown Baton Rouge and downtown New Orleans, with several stops in between.Buses and other Mass Transit
Capital Area Transit System (CATS) provides urban transportation throughout Baton Rouge, including service to Southern UniversitySouthern University
Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section...
, Baton Rouge Community College, and Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
. Many CATS buses are equipped with bike racks for commuters to easily combine biking with bus transit.
Greyhound Bus Lines, offering passenger and cargo service throughout the United States, has a downtown terminal on Florida Boulevard.
LA Swift provides transportation via charter bus from Baton Rouge to New Orleans (New Orleans to Baton Rouge),it also has other pick-up points in Sorrento, LA and LaPlace, LA .
Price: $5 one -way and $10 round-trip.
Sister cities
Aix-en-ProvenceAix-en-Provence
Aix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Cordoba, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
(Veracruz) Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
Taichung
Taichung
-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
Malatya
Malatya
Malatya ) is a city in southeastern Turkey and the capital of its eponymous province.-Overview:The city site has been occupied for thousands of years. The Assyrians called the city Meliddu. Following Roman expansion into the east, the city was renamed in Latin as Melitene...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
After a visit to the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(Taiwan), Mayor-President Kip Holden
Kip Holden
Melvin L. "Kip" Holden is the Democratic Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. The parish includes the state capitol of Baton Rouge and smaller suburban cities like Baker, Central City and Zachary. He was elected the city's mayor on November 3, 2004. He unseated the Republican...
unveiled plans to pursue a sister city agreement with a second Taiwanese city, Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
.
See also
- Baton Rouge Metropolitan AreaBaton Rouge metropolitan areaThe Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is a sprawling area consisting of nine parishes in Louisiana, anchored by the city of Baton Rouge...
- Baton Rouge RefineryBaton Rouge RefineryExxonMobil's Baton Rouge Refinery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is the second-largest oil refinery in the United States, with an input capacity of per day as of January 1, 2007 ....
- Baton Rouge Police DepartmentBaton Rouge Police DepartmentThe Baton Rouge Police Department, or BRPD, is the primary law enforcement agency in the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The interim Chief of Police, as of December 2010, is Charles Mondrick. Mondrick was preceded by former Chiefs Jeff LeDuff, Pat Englade, and Greg Phares...
- East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's OfficeEast Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's OfficeThe East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency of East Baton Rouge Parish, and has jurisdiction anywhere in the parish. It falls under the authority of the Sheriff, who is the chief law enforcement officer of the parish...
External links
- Official Baton Rouge Government Web Site
- Downtown Development District
- Clarence's Baton Rouge Cajun and Zydeco Schedule
- A local's guide for Baton Rouge information
- Baton Rouge City Guide and Internet Rest Area
- Best Of Baton Rouge
- Baton Rouge Guide
- Perkins Rowe Shopping
- Baton Rouge Today
Geology and Geological Hazards
- Heinrich, P. V., and W. J. Autin, 2000, Baton Rouge 30 x 60 minute geologic quadrangle. Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
- McCulloh, R. P., 2001, Active Faults in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. Public Information Series, no. 8, Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
- McCulloh, R. P., 2008a, The Scotlandville, Denham Springs, and Baton Rouge Faults — A Map Guide for Real Estate Buyers, Sellers, and Developers in the Greater Baton Rouge Area. Public Information Series, no. 13, Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
- McCulloh, R. P., 2008b, Field Trip Guide to Selected Locations Along the Baton Rouge Fault Trace Spanning the Pleistocene–Holocene Transition in Western East Baton Rouge Parish. Public Information Series, no. 8, Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Authorities
News sources
- The Advocate (Baton Rouge)
- WBRZ
- WAFBWAFBWAFB is the CBS-affiliated television station for Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 9 from a transmitter southwest of Arlington. Owned by Raycom Media, WAFB is sister to Class A MyNetworkTV affiliate WBXH-CA. The two share studios on Government...
- WVLAWVLAWVLA-TV, virtual channel 33, is the NBC-affiliated television station for Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It transmits its digital signal on UHF channel 34. It is owned by White Knight Broadcasting, but it is controlled by ComCorp. and is sister station to the area's Retro Television Network affiliate,...
- WJBO AM 1150