Kenner is a city in the U.S. state of

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 ...

. It is the most populous city in

Jefferson Parish Jefferson Parish () is a parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 440,781. Its parish seat is Gretna, its largest community is Metairie, and its largest incorporated city is Kenner. Jefferson Parish i ...

, and is the largest incorporated suburban city of

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

. The population was 66,448 at the 2020 census, making it the sixth-most populous city in Louisiana.

History

In 1855, Kenner was founded by Minor Kenner on land that consisted of three plantation properties Oakland, Belle Grove and Pasture that had been purchased by the Kenner family. At the time, all land north of what is now Airline Highway was swampland. In Kenner on May 10, 1870, "Gypsy"

Jem Mace James "Jem" Mace (8 April 1831 – 30 November 1910) was an English boxing champion, primarily during the bare-knuckle era. He was born at Beeston, Norfolk, Beeston, Norfolk. Although nicknamed "The Gypsy", he denied Romani people, Romani eth ...

defeated

Tom Allen Thomas Allen may refer to: Clergy * Thomas Allen (nonconformist) (1608–1673), Anglican/nonconformist priest in England and New England *Thomas Allen (dean of Chester) (died 1732) *Thomas Allen (scholar) (1681–1755), Anglican priest in England ...

for the heavyweight championship of the

bare-knuckle boxing Bare-knuckle boxing (also known as bare-knuckle or bare-knuckle fighting) is a full-contact combat sport based on punching without any form of padding on the hands. The sport as it is known today originated in 17th-century England and, although ...

era; a monument marks the spot near the river end of Williams Boulevard. From 1915 to 1931, a New Orleans streetcar line operated between New Orleans and Kenner. The line ran between the intersection of

Rampart Rampart may refer to: * Rampart (fortification), a defensive wall or bank around a castle, fort or settlement Rampart may also refer to: * LAPD Rampart Division, a division of the Los Angeles Police Department ** Rampart scandal, a blanket ter ...

and

Canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...

in New Orleans and the intersection of Williams Blvd and Jefferson Hwy in Kenner. Kenner's growth began in the late 1950s when developers began subdividing, draining and filling the swampland in the northern half of the city. During the 1960s, the construction of

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 ...

and improvements to Veterans Memorial Highway aided the rapid development of Kenner as a suburb of New Orleans. In 1982,

Pan Am Flight 759 Pan Am Flight 759 was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight from Miami to San Diego, with en route stops in New Orleans and Las Vegas. On July 9, 1982, the Boeing 727 flying this route crashed in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner afte ...

crashed in a residential area of Kenner when a microburst forced it down. Eight people on the ground were killed, as were all 145 people aboard the aircraft. Six houses were completely destroyed and five more substantially damaged. In October 2017, an explosion on the surface of an

oil rig platform An oil platform (also called an oil rig, offshore platform, oil production platform, etc.) is a large structure with facilities to extract and process petroleum and natural gas that lie in rock formations beneath the seabed. Many oil platforms wi ...

Lake Pontchartrain Lake Pontchartrain ( ; ) is an estuary located in southeastern Louisiana in the United States. It covers an area of with an average depth of . Some shipping channels are kept deeper through dredging. It is roughly oval in shape, about from w ...

north west of the Treasure Chest Casino injured seven people.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.7%) is water. The city of Kenner is located on the west side of

Greater New Orleans The New Orleans metropolitan area, designated the New Orleans–Metairie metropolitan statistical area by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, or simply Greater New Orleans (, ), is a metropolitan statistical area designated by the United ...

, in

. Its boundaries are

to the north, the

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 ...

to the south, the unincorporated areas of Metairie and River Ridge to the east, and St. Charles Parish to the west.

Demographics

In 2013, there were 66,975 living in Kenner, down from 70,517 people in 2000., The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 4,486.0 people per square mile. There were 28,076 housing units. In 2000, there were 70,517 people, 25,652 households, and 18,469 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 27,378 housing units at an average density of . At the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population declined to 66,448. During 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 ...

, the racial and ethnic makeup of Kenner was 64.6%

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 ...

, 23.8% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian or Alaska Native, 3.7% Asian, 5.4% some other race, and 2.3%

two or more races Multiracial Americans, also known as mixed-race Americans, are Americans who have mixed ancestry of two or more races. The term may also include Americans of mixed-race ancestry who self-identify with just one group culturally and socially (cf. t ...

. In 2013, the racial makeup of the city was 48.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 34.7%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 12.1%

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino, 0.4% Native American, 3.7% Asian, 3.80% from other races, and 2.24% from two or more races. In 2000, the racial makeup of the city was 68.12% White, 22.55% African American, 0.40% Native American, 2.84% Asian, 0.06%

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 ...

, 3.80% from other races, and 2.24% from two or more races. 13.62% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Reflecting the nationwide demographic shift in 2020, 40.01% were non-Hispanic white, 21.48% Black or African American, 0.17% American Indian and Alaska Native, 4.74% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 3.55% multiracial or some other race, and 30.01% Hispanic or Latino American of any race. In the Hispanic and Latin American population of Kenner, 12 of the city's tracts have Hispanic or Latino populations of 15% or more in 2010. By 2011, many businesses catering to Hispanics and Latin Americans had opened in Kenner. A portion of north Kenner is called "Little

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...

." Kenner's Hispanic Resource Center offers

English as a second language English as a second or foreign language refers to the use of English by individuals whose native language is different, commonly among students learning to speak and write English. Variably known as English as a foreign language (EFL), Engli ...

classes and after school programs.Hispanic population booms in Kenner and elsewhere in New Orleans area

. ''

The Times-Picayune ''The Times-Picayune , The New Orleans Advocate'' (commonly called ''The Times-Picayune'' or the ''T-P'') is an American newspaper published in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ancestral publications of other names date back to January 25, 1837. The cu ...

''. June 15, 2011. Retrieved on September 7, 2015.

Economy

At one time

L'Express Airlines L'Express Airlines, Inc. was an airline that was conceived as a regional airline to provide service to cities throughout Louisiana from its hub at New Orleans International Airport from 1989 to 1992. The airline's headquarters was in Kenner, Loui ...

had its headquarters in Kenner.

Arts and culture

Library and planetarium

Jefferson Parish Library operates the North Kenner Library.

Places of interest

The following are located in Kenner: *A. J. Muss Bertolino Playground – Ed Daniels Field at Muss Bertolino Stadium is a 1,500-seat stadium that hosts high school football, lacrosse and soccer games. The stadium was also the home for the

New Orleans Jesters The New Orleans Jesters are an American association football, soccer team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded in 2003, the team plays in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. Nicknamed 'Th ...

professional soccer team. An athletics all-weather running track surrounds the field. The playground also has a gymnasium, multiple baseball parks and a softball field. *Chateau Golf and Country Club. *Coconut Beach Volleyball Complex – 22 court sand volleyball complex, and the largest man-made sand complex in the United States. * The Esplanade Mall – Opened in 1983, as of 2023, all but abandoned. Plans are underway to redevelop the mall. Only a

Target Target may refer to: Warfare and shooting * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artille ...

store and a

Regal Cinema The Regal Cinema is an Art deco movie theatre located at Colaba Causeway, in Mumbai, India. Built by Framji Sidhwa, the first film to be aired at the Regal was the Laurel and Hardy work '' The Devil's Brother'' in 1933. According to the '' ...

movie theatre remain open at the site.. *Laketown – A park built with a boat launch, two piers, pavilions, a jogging/biking path, and a concession stand and bait house. *

Pontchartrain Center The Pontchartrain Center is a 4,600-seat multi-purpose arena in Kenner, Louisiana, USA. The facility opened in 1991. It hosts concerts and local sporting events. It is also used for conventions and trade shows, with of exhibit space and of me ...

– Opened in 1991, it is the second-largest convention center in the New Orleans metro area. *Rivertown – The historic district with museums, shops, and cultural resources. Located there are the Rivertown Repertory Theatre, Kenner Heritage Park, Kenner Planetarium, and Rivertown Science Center. *Treasure Chest Casino.

Government

The mayor of Kenner is Michael Glaser. Kenner is represented in the

Louisiana House of Representatives The Louisiana House of Representatives (; ) is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. This chamber is composed of 105 representatives, each of whom represents approximately 4 ...

by the Republican attorney Debbie Villio. The

state senator A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. History There are typically fewer state senators than there ...

is Republican Kirk Talbot, a former state House member. Kenner is part of

Louisiana's 1st Congressional district Louisiana's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The district comprises land from the northern shore of Lake Pontchartrain south to the Mississippi River delta. It covers most of New Orleans' sub ...

, presently represented in the U.S. House by

Steve Scalise Stephen Joseph Scalise ( ; born October 6, 1965) is an American politician who has been the House majority leader since 2023 and the U.S. representative for since 2008. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he was ...

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Kenner is served by the

Jefferson Parish Public School System Jefferson Parish Public Schools is a school district based in Harvey, Louisiana, Harvey in unincorporated area, unincorporated Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States.Alfred Bonnabel High School, which is located on the border between Metairie and Kenner. Most areas in Kenner are zoned to this high school, while some areas in the southeast are zoned to

East Jefferson High School East Jefferson High School is a public high school located in Metairie in unincorporated area, unincorporated Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. Its attendance boundary includes: portions of Metairie and Kenner, Louisiana, Kenner.

in Metairie. Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy, a public

charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...

, was founded in 2013. It has an elementary campus in Metairie and secondary campuses in Kenner. Previously, some areas were zoned to

Grace King High School Grace King High School was a public high school located in Metairie, unincorporated Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It was a part of the Jefferson Parish Public Schools and served portions of Metairie and Kenner.

in Metairie. King closed in 2023. Theodore Roosevelt Middle School and Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy are the two middle schools in Kenner. In addition to Roosevelt and Kenner Discovery, middle schools serving sections of Kenner include Adams Middle and Harris Middle in Metairie, and Riverdale Middle in Jefferson. Jefferson Parish public elementary schools include: * A.C. Alexander Elementary School * John James Audubon Elementary School * Chateau Estates Elementary School * John Clancy Elementary School * Greenlawn Terrace Elementary School * Walter Schneckenberger Elementary School * Granville T. Woods Elementary In regards to the advanced studies academies, students are zoned to Airline Park Academy. Washington Elementary School in Kenner closed in 2023. Private schools include: * First Baptist Christian School * Our Lady of Perpetual Help School (

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans The Archdiocese of New Orleans (; ; ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical division of the Catholic Church spanning Jefferson (except Grand Isle), Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, and Washingt ...

). The school, the parish school of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, opened in 1928. In 1951 an annex to the school opened. Another building with classrooms and a gymnasium was dedicated in 1956, and the current school building was dedicated in 1961. The Mercy Center, which houses school offices and a library, gymnasium, and a dedicated room for music classes, was dedicated in August 2004. * St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School (Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans) * Islamic School of Greater New Orleans (ISGNO)

Media

The ''Kenner Star'' is Kenner's free monthly community newspaper. Kenner is served primarily by New Orleans–based media outlets.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Buses

Public transport Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whic ...

ation in the city is operated by the

Department of Transit Administration which operates Jefferson Transit. Jefferson Transit provides service to points in Kenner, Metairie and New Orleans as well as other locations in incorporated and unincorporated Jefferson Parish.

Roads

Kenner is served by Interstate 10, which travels east–west through the city. Traveling westbound from the city line there are exits at Power Blvd., LA 49 (Williams Blvd.)/32nd St. New Orleans Int'l Airport, and Loyola Dr. In addition, the interstate, U.S. 61 (generally signed as Airline Dr.) travels east–west through the southern end of the city. LA 49 (signed as Williams Blvd) is the city's primary north–south corridor.

Airport

The

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is an international airport under Class B airspace in the City of Kenner, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is owned by the City of New Orleans and is west of downtown New ...

(

IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is an airline trade association founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff conferences tha ...

: MSY), the main commercial airport for the New Orleans metropolitan area, is located within the city limits, just south of Interstate 10. It serves as a major tax-revenue generator for the city.

Health care

* Ochsner Medical Center - Kenner – one of the major hospitals in the New Orleans metro area.

Notable people

Jon Batiste Jonathan Michael Batiste (born November 11, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, composer, bandleader, and television personality. He has recorded and performed with artists including Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Prince (musician), ...

, musician, has a song ''I'm from Kenner'' * Aaron Broussard, former Jefferson Parish President, 2003-2010 * Chris Howard, NFL player *

Chris Kenner Christophe Kenner (December 25, 1929 – January 25, 1976) was an American, New Orleans–based R&B singer and songwriter, best known for two hit singles in the early 1960s, " I Like It Like That" and " Land of 1000 Dances", which became staple ...

(1929–1976), R&B singer and songwriter * Arthur Maulet, NFL player * Edmond J. Muniz, former mayor of Kenner and captain of the Krewe of Endymion *

Lloyd Price Lloyd Price (March 9, 1933May 3, 2021) was an American R&B and rock 'n' roll singer, known as "Mr. Personality", after his 1959 million-selling hit, "Personality (Lloyd Price song), Personality". His first recording, "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", was a ...

, R&B vocalist known as "Mr. Personality"

References

External links

* {{Authority control * Cities in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana Cities in Louisiana Louisiana populated places on the Mississippi River Cities in the New Orleans metropolitan area Hispanic and Latino American culture in Louisiana