Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Pointe Coupee Parish
Parish
Pointe Coupee Parish Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana
Louisiana's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Founded	1807
Named for	French for the place of the cut-off
Seat	New Roads
Largest city	New Roads
Area
• Total	591 sq mi (1,530 km²)
• Land	557 sq mi (1,440 km²)
• Water	33 sq mi (90 km²) 5.6%
Population (2020)
• Total	20,758
• Estimate (2021)	20,356
• Density	35.124/sq mi (13.561/km²)
Demonym(s)	Pointe Coupean
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes	70715, 70729, 70732, 70736, 70747, 70749, 70752, 70753, 70755, 70756, 70759, 70760, 70762, 70773, 70783
Area code	225
Congressional district	6th

Pointe Coupee Parish (say it like poynt kuh-PEE or pwahnt koo-PAY) is a special type of county called a parish in the state of Louisiana. In 2020, about 20,758 people lived here. The main town and government center is New Roads.

Pointe Coupee Parish is part of the larger Baton Rouge area. This means it's connected to a big city for jobs and services. In 2010, the very center of Louisiana's population was found right here in New Roads!

History of Pointe Coupee Parish

Pointe Coupee is one of the Mississippi River's oldest settlements. It was started by Canadian trappers around 1708. A military fort was built here even before the city of New Orleans began. The fort moved in 1722 to a spot near the current St. Francisville Ferry.

After some big floods, Governor Luis de Unzaga moved the main European settlement in 1772. This new place was called Post Unzaga. It even had its own church. Later, after a slave uprising in 1795, this settlement was left empty.

Pointe Coupee Parish was officially set up by European Americans in 1805. At first, it was called Pointe Coupee County. It was one of the first 12 counties in the Territory of Orleans. Louisiana became a state in 1812. In 1816, it was renamed Pointe Coupee Parish. The parish's borders changed a few times until 1852.

In 2008, Hurricane Gustav caused a lot of damage in Pointe Coupee.

Geography and Nature

Pointe Coupee Parish covers about 591 square miles. Most of this area, 557 square miles, is land. The other 33 square miles (about 5.6%) is water. The land here has many open fields (prairies) and swampy areas.

Main Roads in Pointe Coupee

The parish has almost 500 miles of highways. These roads help people travel and connect communities.

U.S. Highway 190
Louisiana Highway 1
Louisiana Highway 10
Louisiana Highway 15
Louisiana Highway 77
Louisiana Highway 78
Louisiana Highway 81
Louisiana Highway 411
Louisiana Highway 413
Louisiana Highway 414
Louisiana Highway 415
Louisiana Highway 416
Louisiana Highway 417
Louisiana Highway 418
Louisiana Highway 419
Louisiana Highway 420

Rivers and Lakes

Pointe Coupee Parish has several important waterways:

Atchafalaya River
False River
Mississippi River
Old River
Raccourci Old River (this is actually a curved lake, not a river)
Red River

Neighboring Parishes

Pointe Coupee Parish shares its borders with seven other parishes:

Protected Natural Areas

Part of the Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge is located in Pointe Coupee Parish. This refuge helps protect wildlife and their natural homes.

Towns and Communities

Pointe Coupee Parish has several towns and smaller communities where people live.

Cities and Towns

New Roads (This is the main town and parish seat)
Fordoche
Livonia

Villages

Morganza

Census-Designated Place

Ventress

Smaller Communities

There are many smaller, unincorporated communities throughout the parish. Some of these include:

People of Pointe Coupee Parish

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1745	600	—
1810	3,187	+431.2%
1820	4,912	+54.1%
1830	5,942	+21.0%
1840	7,898	+32.9%
1850	11,339	+43.6%
1860	17,718	+56.3%
1870	12,981	−26.7%
1880	17,785	+37.0%
1890	19,613	+10.3%
1900	25,777	+31.4%
1910	25,289	−1.9%
1920	24,697	−2.3%
1930	21,007	−14.9%
1940	24,004	+14.3%
1950	21,841	−9.0%
1960	22,488	+3.0%
1970	22,002	−2.2%
1980	24,045	+9.3%
1990	22,540	−6.3%
2000	22,763	+1.0%
2010	22,802	+0.2%
2020	20,758	−9.0%
2022 (est.)	20,151	−2.9%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010

In 2020, the parish had 20,758 residents. Most people identified as White (about 59%) or Black/African American (about 35%). A smaller number of people were Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander, or from other backgrounds. About 3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

In 2000, most people (93.61%) spoke only English at home. However, a good number of people also spoke French or Cajun French (4.89%). Some also spoke Spanish or Louisiana Creole French.

The main religion in the parish is Christianity. The Catholic Church is the largest group, followed by Southern Baptists.

Economy and Jobs

Pointe Coupee Parish has a few big employers. Nan Ya Plastics Corporation America has a large factory near Batchelor. NRG / Big Cajun 1 & 2 power plants near New Roads also provide many jobs.

The parish's economy relies a lot on agriculture. Sugar cane is one of the most important crops grown here.

Education for Students

The Pointe Coupee Parish School Board manages the public schools.

Public Schools

Livonia High School (for grades 7-12)
Stem Magnet Academy
Valverda Elementary
Rougon Elementary
Rosenwald Elementary
Upper Pointe Coupee Elementary

Private Schools

Catholic Elementary of Pointe Coupee / Catholic High School of Pointe Coupee
False River Academy

Higher Education

Students can also attend colleges in the area.

South Louisiana Community College has services for the parish.
Baton Rouge Community College has a campus in New Roads. It offers many technical and academic courses.

Law Enforcement

Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff's Office


Abbreviation	PCSO
Agency overview
Formed	1807
Jurisdictional structure
General nature	Local civilian police
Operational structure
Headquarters	New Roads, Louisiana
Deputy Sheriffs	125
Agency executive	Rene Thibodeaux, Sheriff
Facilities
Stations	3

The Pointe Coupee Sheriff's Office is in charge of keeping the peace in the parish. They have deputies who patrol the roads. They also have special teams like a water patrol, a horse patrol, and an aviation (air) unit. They also run the parish prison and investigate crimes. The main office is in the courthouse in New Roads. Over 100 full-time deputies work for the department.

Famous People from Pointe Coupee Parish

Many notable people have connections to Pointe Coupee Parish:

Lindy Boggs (1916-2013) – She was a U.S. Representative and later an Ambassador.
Brian J. Costello – A writer who lives in New Roads.
Emmitt Douglas (1926–1981) – He led the Louisiana NAACP for many years.
Ernest Gaines – A well-known author.
Buddy Guy – A famous blues guitarist and singer.
Russel L. Honoré – A retired Lieutenant General from the U.S. Army.
J. Thomas Jewell – A state representative and Speaker of the Louisiana House.
Catherine D. Kimball – A former Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court.
Major General John Archer Lejeune – A career military officer and leader of the US Marine Corps.
deLesseps Story Morrison (1912–1964) – Born in New Roads, he was elected mayor of New Orleans four times.
Julien Poydras – An early U.S. Representative for Louisiana and a generous helper of the community.
Patrick Queen – A football player for the Baltimore Ravens.
James Ryder Randall – A poet who wrote "Maryland, My Maryland", the state song of Maryland, while living here.

Images for kids

Patch of the Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff's Office
Badge of the Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff's Office