Iberville Parish, Louisiana Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Iberville Parish
Parish
Iberville Parish Courthouse building, originally the Courthouse, then the Plaquemine City Hall, now used as the Iberville Museum
Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana
Louisiana's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Founded	1807
Named for	Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville
Seat	Plaquemine
Largest city	St. Gabriel
Area
• Total	653 sq mi (1,690 km²)
• Land	619 sq mi (1,600 km²)
• Water	34 sq mi (90 km²) 5.2%
Population (2020)
• Total	30,241
• Density	46.31/sq mi (17.881/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts	2nd, 6th

Iberville Parish (which means Parish of Iberville in French) is a special kind of county in Louisiana. It is located south of Baton Rouge in the U.S. state of Louisiana. This parish was created in 1807.

The main town, or "parish seat," is Plaquemine. In 2020, about 30,241 people lived in Iberville Parish.

History of Iberville Parish

Iberville Parish is named after Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville. He was a French explorer who started the French colony of Louisiana.

Ancient History and Mounds

Archaeologists have studied the parish to learn about its past. They have found and dug up Native American burial mounds here. These mounds are like big hills built by ancient people.

One early study was led by Clarence B. Moore. He was interested in the bones of the people who lived there long ago. Later projects built on his work. These sites are special because the mounds are very similar and quite large. Some mounds are 700 feet long, 100 feet wide, and 6 feet tall. Many of them contain human remains.

By 1779, there were at least two wooden forts in the area. These forts also protected the area that is now St. Gabriel Parish.

An old map of the Iberville area, showing the river and land features.

Government and Representation

Iberville Parish has people who represent it in the Louisiana State Legislature. This is where laws are made for the state.

Currently, a Republican named Rick Ward III represents the parish in the Louisiana State Senate. He is a lawyer and has been in the Senate since 2012. The parish is also represented in the state House of Representatives by Major Thibaut, a Democrat.

Geography of Iberville Parish

Iberville Parish covers a total area of 653 square miles. Most of this, 619 square miles, is land. The remaining 34 square miles (about 5.2%) is water.

Iberville Parish is part of the larger Baton Rouge metropolitan area. This means it's connected to the big city of Baton Rouge.

Main Roads

Several important highways run through Iberville Parish. These roads help people travel and transport goods.

Interstate 10
Louisiana Highway 1
Louisiana Highway 30
Louisiana Highway 69
Louisiana Highway 75
Louisiana Highway 76
Louisiana Highway 77

Neighboring Parishes

Iberville Parish shares borders with several other parishes:

Pointe Coupee Parish (to the northwest)
West Baton Rouge Parish (to the north)
East Baton Rouge Parish (to the northeast)
Ascension Parish (to the east)
Assumption Parish (to the southeast)
Iberia Parish (to the south)
St. Martin Parish (to the west)

Protected Natural Areas

Part of the Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge is located in Iberville Parish. This is a special area set aside to protect wildlife and their homes.

Communities in Iberville Parish

Iberville Parish has several different types of communities.

Cities

Plaquemine (This is the parish seat, where the main government offices are.)
St. Gabriel (This is the largest town or city in the parish.)

Towns

Villages

Other Communities

Some areas are not officially cities, towns, or villages. They are called "unincorporated areas."

Census-designated places

These are areas that the government counts as separate places for the census, but they don't have their own local government.

Bayou Goula
Crescent
Dorseyville (also known as Dorcyville)

Other unincorporated communities

These are smaller communities that are not officially defined for the census.

Alhambra
Bayou Pigeon
Bayou Sorrel
Carville
Iberville
Indian Village
Lone Star
Ramah
Seymourville

People of Iberville Parish

In 2020, there were 30,241 people living in Iberville Parish. There were 10,903 households, which are groups of people living together.

The population has changed over the years. In 2000, there were 33,320 people. In 2010, it was 33,387.

Diversity in the Parish

The people of Iberville Parish come from many different backgrounds. In 2020, about 48.2% of the people were Black or African American. About 49.6% were non-Hispanic white. Smaller groups included American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian, and people of two or more races. About 4.69% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Religion

Many people in Iberville Parish are religious. In 2020, there were about 7,901 Roman Catholics. There were also about 1,700 non-denominational Protestants. This shows that many people follow different Christian faiths.

Education in Iberville Parish

Iberville Parish offers many educational opportunities for its young people.

Schools

The Iberville Parish School Board is in charge of all the public schools. These schools serve students throughout the entire parish.

Libraries

The Iberville Parish Library system has several branches. The main library, called the Parish Headquarters Library, is in Plaquemine. There are also branches in other communities like Bayou Pigeon, Bayou Sorrel, East Iberville (St. Gabriel), Grosse Tete, Maringouin, Rosedale, and White Castle.

Colleges

For students who want to continue their education after high school, Iberville Parish is served by South Louisiana Community College.

National Guard Presence

The Gillis W. Long Center is located near Carville, LA. This center is run by the Louisiana Army National Guard. The National Guard is a part of the U.S. military that helps in emergencies and supports the regular armed forces.

This center is home to several important military units. These include the 415th Military Intelligence Battalion, the 241st Military Public Affairs Detachment, and the 61st Troop Command.

Iberville Parish, Louisiana facts for kids

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