Bossier Parish, Louisiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bossier Parish
Parish
Parish of Bossier
Renovated Bossier Parish Courthouse in Benton
Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana
Louisiana's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Region	North Louisiana
Founded	February 24, 1843
Named for	Pierre Bossier
Parish seat	Benton
Largest city	Bossier City
Area
• Total	2,250 km2 (867 sq mi)
• Land	2,200 km2 (840 sq mi)
• Water	70 km2 (27 sq mi)
• percentage	8 km2 (3.1 sq mi)
Population  (2020)
• Total	128,746
• Density	57.33/km2 (148.50/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code	318
Congressional district	4th

Bossier Parish is a special kind of county called a parish in the northwestern part of Louisiana. In 2020, about 128,746 people lived here.

The main town where the parish government is located is Benton. The biggest city in the parish is Bossier City. It sits on the east side of the Red River, right across from Shreveport.

Bossier Parish was created in 1843. It used to be part of Claiborne Parish. Today, Bossier Parish is part of the larger Shreveport–Bossier City area. This is the biggest city area in North Louisiana.

You can find parts of Lake Bistineau and Lake Bistineau State Park in Bossier Parish. They also stretch into nearby Webster and Bienville parishes. The Loggy Bayou river flows from Lake Bistineau through Bossier Parish. It eventually joins the Red River.

Exploring Bossier Parish History

Bossier Parish is named after Pierre Bossier. He was a French-speaking politician from the 1800s. He served in the Louisiana state senate and the U.S. House of Representatives.

During the American Civil War, there was no fighting directly in Bossier Parish. In July 1861, at the start of the war, the local government helped families of soldiers. They set aside $35,000 to support them. This was a lot of money back then.

After the war, the area faced many challenges. People worked to rebuild and create a new way of life.

Geography and Location

Bossier Parish covers about 867 square miles. Most of this area, about 840 square miles, is land. The remaining 27 square miles, or 3.1%, is water. Just four miles east of Bossier City, you'll find Barksdale Air Force Base.

Main Roads in Bossier Parish

Getting around Bossier Parish is easy with these major highways:

• Interstate 20
  • Interstate 220
• Future Interstate 69
• U.S. Highway 71
• U.S. Highway 79
• U.S. Highway 80
• Louisiana Highway 2
• Louisiana Highway 3

Neighboring Areas

Bossier Parish shares borders with several other parishes and counties:

• Miller County, Arkansas (to the northwest)
• Lafayette County, Arkansas (to the north)
• Webster Parish (to the east)
• Bienville Parish (to the southeast)
• Red River Parish (to the south)
• Caddo Parish (to the west)

Protected Natural Areas

Part of the Red River National Wildlife Refuge is located in Bossier Parish. This area helps protect wildlife and their habitats.

Communities and Towns

Bossier Parish has several towns and cities where people live.

Cities in Bossier Parish

• Bossier City (This is the largest city in the parish.)
• Shreveport (A small part of Shreveport is also in Bossier Parish.)

Towns in Bossier Parish

• Benton (This is the parish seat, where the main government offices are.)
• Haughton
• Plain Dealing (This is the smallest town in the parish.)

Unincorporated Areas

These are areas that are not part of an official city or town.

Census-designated places

• Eastwood
• Red Chute

Other Communities

• Elm Grove
• Fillmore
• Princeton
• Taylortown

Population and People

In 2020, the population of Bossier Parish was 128,746 people. There were about 49,735 households. The population density was about 142 people per square mile.

The people living in Bossier Parish come from many different backgrounds. In 2020, about 61.35% of the people were non-Hispanic white. About 23.2% were African American. Other groups included Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander, and people of two or more races. About 7.95% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

National Guard Units

Bossier City is home to two important military units. The 165th CSS (Combat Service Support) Battalion is based here. This unit helps provide supplies and support to soldiers. It was sent to Iraq in 2008.

Also in Bossier City is the 156th Army Band. This band deployed to Iraq in 2010 as part of the 256th Infantry Brigade.

Education in Bossier Parish

The Bossier Parish School Board runs the public schools in the parish. This includes elementary, middle, and high schools.

For higher education, students can attend local colleges. These include Bossier Parish Community College and Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College.

Famous People from Bossier Parish

Many interesting people have connections to Bossier Parish. Here are a few:

• William Benton Boggs (1854–1922), the first mayor of Plain Dealing.
• George Dement, a former mayor of Bossier City.
• Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
• Jerry Miculek, a professional shooter with many world records.
• Booker T, a well-known professional wrestler.
• Jared Leto, a famous actor and singer.
• Shannon Leto, the drummer for the band Thirty Seconds to Mars.
• Dak Prescott, a professional football quarterback in the NFL.
• Joe Delaney, a professional football player who received the Presidential Citizen's Medal.
• Jesse Winchester, a talented musician and songwriter.

Images for kids

• 

  Arnold-Tidwell House near Cypress Lake, one of the oldest homes in Bossier Parish.

• 

  Willis Knighton Hospital in Bossier City, serving the northern part of the parish.

• 

  People enjoying Cypress Lake on a summer day.

See also

In Spanish: Parroquia de Bossier para niños