Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Tangipahoa Parish
Parish
Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts in Hammond
Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana
Louisiana's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Founded	March 6, 1869
Named for	Acolapissa word meaning ear of corn or those who gather corn
Seat	Amite City
Largest city	Hammond
Area
• Total	823 sq mi (2,130 km²)
• Land	791 sq mi (2,050 km²)
• Water	32 sq mi (80 km²) 3.9%
Population (2020)
• Total	133,157
• Density	161.79/sq mi (62.47/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts	1st, 5th

Footbridge across a small stream near Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Tangipahoa Parish

Tangipahoa Parish is a special kind of county in the state of Louisiana. It's located in the southeastern part of the state. In 2020, about 133,157 people lived here. The main town where the local government is located is Amite City. However, the biggest city in the parish is Hammond. You can also find Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. A large lake called Lake Pontchartrain is on the southeastern side of the parish.

The name Tangipahoa comes from an old Acolapissa Native American word. It means "ear of corn" or "those who gather corn." This area became a parish in 1869, after the American Civil War.

Tangipahoa Parish is part of a larger area that includes Hammond and Baton Rouge. It's also one of the "Florida Parishes," which were once part of a different territory called West Florida.

Exploring Tangipahoa Parish History
Geography and Nature of Tangipahoa Parish
Cities and Towns in Tangipahoa Parish
Population Changes in Tangipahoa Parish
Education in Tangipahoa Parish
National Guard Presence
Getting Around Tangipahoa Parish
- Train Travel
- Major Highways
Famous People from Tangipahoa Parish
See also

Exploring Tangipahoa Parish History

Tangipahoa Parish was created in 1869. It was formed from parts of four other parishes: Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany, and Washington. The area was affected by a big flood in 1932.

The name of the parish comes from the Tangipahoa River. It's also named after the historic Tangipahoa Native American people who lived there long ago.

Geography and Nature of Tangipahoa Parish

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Tangipahoa Parish covers about 823 square miles. Most of this area, about 791 square miles, is land. The remaining 32 square miles (about 3.9%) is water. As mentioned, Lake Pontchartrain is on the southeast side of the parish.

The southern part of the parish, especially near Ponchatoula, has many coastal swamps and marshes. These areas have dark, rich soil and thick layers of peat, which is partly decayed plant matter. This type of land is common in freshwater marsh and swamp areas.

Cities and Towns in Tangipahoa Parish

Map of Tangipahoa Parish Louisiana With Municipal Labels

Map of Tangipahoa Parish, showing city and town borders

Tangipahoa Parish has several communities, from large cities to small villages.

Major Cities

Towns to Visit

Amite City (This is the parish seat, where the main government offices are.)
Independence
Kentwood
Roseland

Small Villages

Other Communities

There are also other smaller areas that are not officially cities or towns:

Natalbany (a census-designated place)
Baptist
Fluker
Husser
Loranger
Manchac (also known as Akers)
Robert
Rosaryville
Wilmer

Population Changes in Tangipahoa Parish

The population of Tangipahoa Parish has grown a lot over the years. Here's how it has changed:

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1870	7,928	—
1880	9,638	21.6%
1890	12,655	31.3%
1900	17,625	39.3%
1910	29,160	65.4%
1920	31,440	7.8%
1930	46,227	47.0%
1940	45,519	−1.5%
1950	53,218	16.9%
1960	59,434	11.7%
1970	65,875	10.8%
1980	80,698	22.5%
1990	85,709	6.2%
2000	100,588	17.4%
2010	121,097	20.4%
2020	133,157	10.0%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010

In 2020, there were 133,157 people living in the parish. These people lived in about 46,526 households, which included 31,420 families.

Here's a look at the different groups of people living in Tangipahoa Parish in 2020:

Tangipahoa Parish racial composition as of 2020
Race	Number	Percentage
White (not Hispanic)	79,825	59.95%
Black or African American (not Hispanic)	39,770	29.87%
Native American	409	0.31%
Asian	942	0.71%
Pacific Islander	23	0.02%
Other/Mixed	4,946	3.71%
Hispanic or Latino	7,242	5.44%

Education in Tangipahoa Parish

The schools in Tangipahoa Parish are managed by the Tangipahoa Parish School System. As mentioned before, Southeastern Louisiana University is a large college located in Hammond.

The school board, which is elected by the people, is in charge of the Tangipahoa Parish School System. In the past, there were court orders for the school board to make sure that a certain number of teachers hired were Black. This was to correct old issues. For many years, the school board did not fully meet these goals. In 2010, a new court decision reinforced the earlier orders.

National Guard Presence

Tangipahoa Parish is home to several units of the Louisiana National Guard. These include the 204th Theater Airfield Operations Group and a support company from the 205th Engineer Battalion. These units are based in Hammond. Another part of the 205th Engineer Battalion is in Independence, Louisiana. The 236th Combat Communications Squadron of the Louisiana Air National Guard is also located at the Hammond Airport.

Getting Around Tangipahoa Parish

Train Travel

The City of New Orleans is a daily train run by Amtrak. It stops in Hammond. This train travels north to Chicago and south to New Orleans. About 15,000 people use this train each year in Hammond. The route between Hammond and Chicago is one of the busiest on this train line.

The main train tracks that carry freight through the parish used to belong to the Illinois Central company. Now, they are part of the CN system and are still very active.