Saint Bernard Parish, Louisiana

Saint Bernard Parish, Louisiana
St. Bernard Parish Courthouse
Flag Seal
Location in the U.S. state of Louisiana
Louisiana's location in the U.S.
Founded	March 31, 1807
Named for	Bernardo de Galvez
Seat	Chalmette
Largest community	Chalmette
Area
• Total	2,158 sq mi (5,589 km2)
• Land	378 sq mi (979 km2)
• Water	1,781 sq mi (4,613 km2), 83
Population (est.)
• (2015)	45,408
• Density	95/sq mi (37/km²)
Congressional district	1st
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Website	www.sbpg.net

St. Bernard Parish (French: Paroisse de Saint-Bernard) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 35,897. The parish seat and largest city is Chalmette. The parish was formed in 1807.

St. Bernard Parish is part of the New Orleans–Metairie, LA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The parish is located southeast of New Orleans. It has been ranked the fastest-growing county (parish) in the United States from 2007 to 2008 by the U.S. Census Bureau, but it is only half as populated as it was in 2005. In 2009, because of evacuation and emigration due to destruction by Hurricane Katrina, its population was estimated to be 33,439.

St. Bernard Parish contains a large community of Spanish descent. Sometimes referred to informally as "Spanish Cajuns", the Isleños are descended from Canary Islanders. This linguistically isolated group eventually developed its own dialect. This settlement was first called La Concepcion and Nueva Galvez by Spanish officials, but was later renamed Terre aux Boeufs ("boeuf" = "beef") (French) and Tierra de Bueyes (Spanish) for "land of cattle", because nearby areas were used for cattle grazing. Saint Bernard, the patron saint of colonial governor Bernardo de Galvez, was used in documents to identify the area.

St. Bernard Parish is also home to the earliest Filipino community in the United States, Saint Malo, Louisiana.