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Lafayette, LA

Lafayette, Louisiana
Ville de Lafayette, Louisiane
City
City of Lafayette
Hub City
From upper left: Statue in front of downtown fire station, oak-lined street in the university district, Downtown Lafayette, Cajundome, and University of Louisiana at Lafayette quad.
Nickname(s): The Hub City
Motto: The Heart of Cajun Country
Lafayette, Louisiana is located in Louisiana
Lafayette, Louisiana
Location of Lafayette in Louisiana
Coordinates: 30°13′N 92°2′W / 30.217°N 92.033°W / 30.217; -92.033Coordinates: 30°13′N 92°2′W / 30.217°N 92.033°W / 30.217; -92.033
Country  United States
State  Louisiana
Parish Lafayette
Founded 1821 as Vermilionville
Renamed 1884 as Lafayette
Founded by Jean Mouton
Named for General Gilbert du Motier, Marquis De Lafayette
Government
 • Type Consolidated City-Parish
 • City-Parish President Joel Robideaux (Republican)
Area
 • City Total 49.2 sq mi (127 km2)
 • Land 49.1 sq mi (127 km2)
 • Water 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2)  auto%
 • Metro 5,252 sq mi (13,600 km2)
Elevation 36 ft (11 m)
Population (2010)
 • City Total 120,623
 • Estimate (2015) 127,657
 • Rank US: 214th
 • Density 2,482.3/sq mi (958.4/km2)
 • Urban 252,720 (US: 148th)
 • Metro 490,488 (US: 108th)
 • CSA 627,146 (US: 77th)
Demonym(s) Lafayettiens
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes 70501–9, 70593, 70596, 70598
Area code(s) 337
Website www.lafayettela.gov

Lafayette (/ˌlæfiˈjɛt/; French: [lafajɛt]) is a city located along the Vermilion River in southwestern Louisiana. The city of Lafayette is the fourth-largest in the state, with a population of 127,657 according to 2015 U.S. Census estimates. It is the principal city of the Lafayette, Louisiana Metropolitan Statistical Area, with a 2015 estimated population of 490,488. The larger trade area or Combined Statistical Area of Lafayette-Opelousas-Morgan City CSA was 627,146 in 2015. Lafayette is the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. Its nickname is The Hub City.

The American city was founded as Vermilionville in 1821 by Jean Mouton, a French-speaking man of Acadian descent. In 1884, it was renamed for General Lafayette, who fought with and significantly aided the American Army during the American Revolutionary War. The city's economy was primarily based on agriculture until the 1940s, when the petroleum and natural gas industries became dominant.


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