East Baton Rouge Parish (; ) is the most populous

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

. Its population was 456,781 at the 2020 census. The

parish seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equivalent term, shire town, is used in ...

Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...

, Louisiana's state capital. East Baton Rouge Parish is located within the Greater Baton Rouge area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of , of which (3.2%) are covered by water.

Bodies of water

Amite River The Amite River () is a tributary of Lake Maurepas in Mississippi and Louisiana in the United States. It is about long. It starts as two forks in southwestern Mississippi and flows south through Louisiana, passing Greater Baton Rouge, Louisia ...

* Bayou Manchac * Comite River *

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

* Thompson Creek

Major highways

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...

* *

Interstate 110 * I-12

Interstate 12 * US 61

U.S. Highway 61 * US 190

Louisiana Highway 3006 Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the List of U.S ...

* Louisiana Highway 3034 * Louisiana Highway 3064 * Louisiana Highway 3164 * Louisiana Highway 3246

Adjacent parishes

* East Feliciana Parish (north) * West Feliciana Parish (northwest) *

West Baton Rouge Parish West Baton Rouge Parish (, Spanish language, Spanish: ''Parroquia del Oeste de Baton Rouge'') is one of the List of parishes in Louisiana, sixty-four parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Established in 1807, its parish seat is Port Allen, L ...

(west) * Iberville Parish (south) *

Ascension Parish Ascension Parish (; ) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 126,500. Its parish seat is Donaldsonville. The parish was created in 1807. Ascension Parish is part of the Baton Rouge metr ...

(southeast) * Livingston Parish (east) * St. Helena Parish (northeast)

Communities

Cities

Baker A baker is a tradesperson who baking, bakes and sometimes Sales, sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery. History Ancient histo ...

(parish seat and largest municipality) * Central *

St. George Saint George (;Geʽez: ጊዮርጊስ, , ka, გიორგი, , , died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to holy tradition, he was a soldier in the ...

* Zachary

Census-designated places

Brownfields Brownfield is previously-developed land that has been abandoned or underused, and which may carry pollution, or a risk of pollution, from industrial use. The specific definition of brownfield land varies and is decided by policy makers and l ...

* Gardere * Inniswold * Merrydale *

Monticello Monticello ( ) was the primary residence and plantation of Thomas Jefferson, a Founding Father, author of the Declaration of Independence, and the third president of the United States. Jefferson began designing Monticello after inheriting l ...

* Oak Hills Place * Old Jefferson * Shenandoah * Village St. George *

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

Unincorporated communities

* Baywood * Greenwell Springs * Port Hudson *

Pride Pride is a human Emotion, secondary emotion characterized by a sense of satisfaction with one's Identity (philosophy), identity, performance, or accomplishments. It is often considered the opposite of shame or of humility and, depending on conte ...

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 456,781 people, 161,536 households, and 95,243 families residing in the parish. The 2019

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimated 443,763 people lived in East Baton Rouge, up from 440,171 at the 2010 United States census. Of the population, 5.7% were foreign-born, and 8.3% spoke a language other than English at home. There were 164,346 households and 45,760 businesses operating in the parish. At the 2019 census estimates, the racial and ethnic makeup of East Baton Rouge Parish was 46.8%

non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

, 46.1% Black and African American, 0.2%

American Indian and Alaska Native Native Americans (also called American Indians, First Americans, or Indigenous Americans) are the Indigenous peoples of the United States, particularly of the lower 48 states and Alaska. They may also include any Americans whose origins lie ...

, 3.2% Asian alone, 1.8% some other race, and 1.9% two or more races; Hispanic and Latin Americans of any race made up 4.2% of the total population. In 2010, the racial and ethnic makeup of the parish was 45.9%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

and African American, 49.5%

White American White Americans (sometimes also called Caucasian Americans) are Americans who identify as white people. In a more official sense, the United States Census Bureau, which collects demographic data on Americans, defines "white" as " person having ...

, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.0% Asian, 0.12%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 1.02% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. About 3.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latin American of any race. Of the 164,346 households at the 2019 American Community Survey, there were 6.6% of people aged 5 and under; 77.2% were aged 18 and older, and 13.7% were 65 and older. The median age of East Baton Rouge was 34, up from 32 at the 2010 U.S. census. In 2010, for every 100 females, there were 91.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.50 males. In the parish, the median household income was $54,948 and there were 194,326 housing units. East Baton Rouge Parish had a home-ownership rate of 59.8%, and the median value of an owner-occupied housing unit was $194,000. The median gross rent for residents was $933. Males had a median income of $55,862 versus $38,817 for females. An estimated 61.2% of the parish was employed, and of the 45,760 businesses, 19,537 were minority-owned. Veteran-owned businesses numbered approximately 4,637.

Education

Primary and secondary education

Most sections of the parish are zoned to schools in East Baton Rouge Parish School System. Baker residents attend the City of Baker School System. Zachary residents and residents of unincorporated areas around Zachary attend the Zachary Community School Board. Central residents, and those of a section of

, as well as some other unincorporated areas, attend the Central Community School System schools. The State of Louisiana also operates the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired and Louisiana School for the Deaf. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge operates Catholic parochial schools.

Other education

East Baton Rouge Parish Library is the public library system. The parish is in the service area of Baton Rouge Community College.

Government

The city of Baton Rouge and the Parish of East Baton Rouge have been run by a consolidated government since 1947, which combined the city of Baton Rouge government with the rural areas of the parish. The city and parish are served by the metropolitan council and the mayor-president. Baton Rouge Governmental Building

The parish courthouse in Baton Rouge is one of 26 public buildings constructed by contractor George A. Caldwell in the 1930s. In 2010, the 19th Judicial District Court moved into the new courthouse on North Blvd. The Jetson Center for Youth, a former juvenile prison operated by the Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice, is located near

in an

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

.Jetson Center for Youth
." Office of Juvenile Justice. Retrieved on June 30, 2010. "15200 Old Scenic Highway (at US Hwy 61) Baker, LA 70714 (physical address) "

Politics

Since 1980, East Baton Rouge Parish has been a

bellwether A bellwether is a leader or an indicator of trends.bellwether
" ''Cambridge Dictionary''. Re ...

in presidential elections, voting for the winner of the presidency in all but three elections (it voted for

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...

in 1992,

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

in 2016 and

Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...

in 2024) but not necessarily the winner of Louisiana. In the 2008 presidential election, the parish voted for Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

, who won 51% of the vote and 99,652 votes. Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

won 48% of the votes and 95,390 votes. In the 2008 Senate election, Democrat Mary Landrieu, who kept her seat as a U.S. Senator, won 57% of the vote and 110,694 votes in East Baton Rouge Parish. Republican John Neely Kennedy won 41% of the vote and 80,222 votes. In the 2004 presidential election, East Baton Rouge Parish cast the majority of its votes for Republican

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

, who won 54% of the votes and 99,943 votes. Democrat

John F. Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

won 45% of the votes and 82,298 votes. In 2016, John Kennedy lost East Baton Rouge Parish in his otherwise highly successful U.S. Senate race against Democratic

Louisiana Public Service Commission The Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) is an independent regulatory agency which manages public utilities and motor carriers in Louisiana. The Commission is established by Article IV, Section 21 of the 1921 Constitution of the State of ...

Foster Campbell Foster Lonnie Campbell Jr. (born January 6, 1947) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party from the U.S. state of Louisiana. Since 2003, he has been a member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission. He served in the Louis ...

, who prevailed 52-48%. By a nearly identical margin, Democrat Sharon Weston Broome defeated Republican

Bodi White Mack A. "Bodi" White, Jr. (born April 7, 1956) is an American politician from Louisiana who represented District 6 in the Louisiana State Senate from 2012 to 2024. A Republican, White previously served in the Louisiana House of Representatives f ...

to claim the Baton Rouge

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

-president position to succeed Democrat Kip Holden. In 2024, Republican Sid Edwards defeated Weston-Broome to retake the mayoralty of Baton Rouge.

Law enforcement

The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office employs approximately 850 deputies, making it one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the state of

. Notable past sheriffs include politician Philemon Thomas; baseball player Terry Felton became a captain in the department after retiring from sports. Other law enforcement agencies in the parish include: * Baton Rouge Police Department * Baton Rouge City Constable (Ward 1) * Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport Police Department * Baker Police Department * Baker City Marshall * Zachary Police Department * City of Central Police Department *

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

Police Department * Baton Rouge Community College Police Department *

Southern University Southern University and A&M College (Southern University, Southern, SUBR or SU) is a Public university, public historically black colleges and universities, historically black land-grant university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. It i ...

Police Department * East Baton Rouge Parish Constable - Ward 2, District 1 * East Baton Rouge Parish Constable - Ward 2, District 2 * East Baton Rouge Parish Constable - Ward 2, District 3 * East Baton Rouge Parish Constable - Ward 3, District 1 * East Baton Rouge Parish Constable - Ward 3, District 2 * East Baton Rouge Parish Constable - Ward 3, District 3

National Guard

The 769th Engineer Battalion (Combat) a unit of the 225th Engineer Brigade is located in East Baton Rouge Parish. Two companies of this battalion deployed to Iraq in 2007–2008. Another company-sized unit, the 927TH Sapper Company, deployed to Afghanistan in 2008–2009. As of 2011, yet another company, the 926TH Mobility Augmentation Company located in Baker has been alerted for overseas deployment. The 769th Engineers have two other companies, the 922nd Horizontal Engineer Company located in Gonzales, Louisiana, and the 928th Sapper Company located in

Napoleonville, Louisiana Napoleonville, is a village and the parish seat of Assumption Parish, in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 660 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Pierre Part Micropolitan Statistical Area. The village is best known as the loc ...

Healthcare

Major hospitals include: * Baton Rouge General Bluebonnet * Baton Rouge General Mid-City * Ochsner Medical Center - Baton Rouge * Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center * Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital * Woman's Hospital Emergency Medical Services in EBR Parish are provided by East Baton Rouge EMS and Acadian Ambulance.

References

External links

Baton Rouge City and Parish government's website

Visit Baton Rouge

Explore the History and Culture of Southeastern Louisiana, a National Park Service ''Discover Our Shared Heritage'' Travel Itinerary
{{Coord, 30.54, -91.09, type:adm2nd_region:US-LA_source:UScensus1990, display=title Louisiana parishes Baton Rouge metropolitan area Louisiana parishes on the Mississippi River 1812 establishments in Louisiana Populated places established in 1812 Majority-minority parishes in Louisiana