Louisiana, Missouri | |
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City | |
Downtown buildings in Louisiana
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Location of Louisiana, Missouri |
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Coordinates: 39°26′45″N 91°3′24″W / 39.44583°N 91.05667°WCoordinates: 39°26′45″N 91°3′24″W / 39.44583°N 91.05667°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Missouri |
County | Pike |
Area | |
• Total | 3.42 sq mi (8.86 km2) |
• Land | 3.13 sq mi (8.11 km2) |
• Water | 0.29 sq mi (0.75 km2) |
Elevation | 486 ft (148 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 3,364 |
• Estimate (2012) | 3,331 |
• Density | 1,074.8/sq mi (415.0/km2) |
Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
• Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
ZIP code | 63353 |
Area code(s) | 573 |
FIPS code | 29-44174 |
GNIS feature ID | 0729544 |
Louisiana is a city in Pike County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,300 at the 2010 census. Louisiana is located in northeast Missouri, on the Mississippi River south of Hannibal.
Louisiana is at the junction of State Route 79 and US 54. The former follows the Mississippi River for most of its length from Hannibal to St. Charles County. The latter enters Louisiana from Illinois via the Champ Clark Bridge, named for a former US Speaker of the House from nearby Bowling Green.
The town was founded in 1816 by John Walter Basye and named after his daughter, Louisiana Basye. Other notable early residents were Samuel Caldwell and Joel Shaw, both of whom purchased land from Bayse in 1818. All three properties became the original town plat and comprised mainly riverfront properties. Many of the towns residents trace their ancestry to these town pioneers. Louisiana proved to be a profitable shipping point on the Mississippi River, and that wealth led to numerous substantial antebellum homes. Many of those still remain and, along with the Georgia Street Historic District in downtown Louisiana, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has noted that the town has "the most intact Victorian Streetscape in the state of Missouri."
Louisiana is one of three communities forming the 50 Miles of Art corridor, linked by history, heritage & Route 79; Louisiana, Clarksville and Hannibal are home to many artists, crafts-persons and artisans. The community is also home to the annual Louisiana Country Colorfest.