Louisiana

Understand

Louisiana is known for its unique history; oil, gas, and seafood empires; music, including blues and some of jazz's earliest forms; diverse cultural makeup, including the Cajun culture in the southwest and the once-dominant Creole culture; agriculture; and vast wetlands, swamps, and bayous. Northern Louisiana has a culture similar to that of Mississippi, Arkansas, and East Texas.

Climate

A word to the wise — during the summer months, heat in Louisiana can be unbearable. Humidity, which is common throughout the Southern states, increases perceived temperature. Typical heat indices in the summer range between 75°F at night and 102°F during the day, but on some particularly hot days, the heat indices can climb upwards to 110°F and not go below 80°F at night. To prevent heat-related illnesses due to high temperatures and humidity, seek shade, wear loose (preferably white) clothes, and remember to drink plenty of water.

This climate type is, on the Koppen scale, known as "subtropical" featuring cool to mild winters in addition to the hot and humid summers.

Religion

Like much of the rest of the South, northern Louisiana is largely Evangelical Protestant (with Southern Baptists forming the largest group). On the other hand, due to the history of French and Spanish influences, Greater New Orleans and Acadiana are largely Roman Catholic. This large concentration of Roman Catholics makes Louisiana unique among the Southern states.

Tourist information

• Louisiana Travel website

Regions

Although most American states are administratively divided into counties, Louisiana's administrative sub-divisions are instead known as parishes, reflecting the state's Roman Catholic heritage.

Cities

• Baton Rouge – the state capital
• Alexandria – Near the center of the state
• Lafayette – The center of Cajun Country
• Lake Charles
• Mandeville – On the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, across from New Orleans.
• Monroe – The birthplace of Delta Air Lines.
• Natchitoches – The oldest settlement in the Louisiana Purchase
• New Orleans – the state's largest and most well-known city.
• Shreveport – The biggest city of North Louisiana

Other destinations

• The Mississippi River flows into the Gulf of Mexico and is among North America's most important and largest rivers.
• The Atchafalaya Basin is America's largest swamp, a vast area of wetlands along the Atchafalaya River and its tributaries.

Get in

By plane

The largest airports are in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Smaller airports with commercial service are Lafayette, Lake Charles, Alexandria, Shreveport, and Monroe.

By train

New Orleans, Houma-Thibodaux, New Iberia, Lafayette, and Lake Charles are served by Amtrak. For more on fares and schedules see their website.

By bus

Cheapest way to get into the larger cities in Louisiana, but do not serve the smaller cities and towns. Advance purchase tickets are usually significantly cheaper than tickets bought immediately at departure.

By car

The most practical way to get into Louisiana is by car. Interstate 10, 20, 49, 55, and 59 are the easiest and fastest means of driving into Louisiana from other states. Smaller rural highways provide a more scenic entry point, such as Texas Highway 82 / Louisiana Highway 82, entering the state along the Gulf Coast.

Get around

By car

The most convenient and practical means to get around Louisiana is by car. Louisiana's roads are not, however, the best maintained and are downright rough in some places. This is mostly noticeable on rural highways and roads, along with city streets. In the cities, the speed limit on the highways and interstates vary between 50 and 65 mph (80-110 km/h). On standard two lane rural highways, whether US or state, the speed limit is almost always 55 mph. Four lane, divided highways, such as Interstate 10, 12, 20, 55, and 59, universally have a speed limit of 65 to 70 mph outside of the major cities. There are two exceptions to the rule:

• The Atchafalaya Basin Bridge, the 20-mile portion of Interstate 10 between the towns of Henderson and Grosse Tete, has a speed limit of 60 mph all the way across. In addition, there are only two exits along the entire bridge, so have enough gas to get you from one side to the other before attempting the drive.
• Interstate 49, between Washington in southern Louisiana and Frierson in northern Louisiana, has a speed limit of 75 mph, with the exception of the portion that passes through Alexandria. This is the only place in Louisiana where the speed limit is this fast. This speed limit is strictly enforced throughout the entire 150-mile (250-km) length, and Louisiana State Police will issue citations to drivers going even slightly over the speed limit.

Louisiana is one of only a small handful of states that require you to completely clear the intersection before the traffic signal turns red (without speeding). Always stop at yellow lights if it's safe to do so.

By bus

A cheap means of getting between cities if you do not have access to a car, Greyhound Bus Lines serve all the large cities of Louisiana. Very few of the small towns that are of interest to visitors are served by this means, with the exception of St. Francisville and Ruston. In addition, all larger cities have some form of intracity bus service, such as a public bus system. Examples are MTA Buses in New Orleans, Lafayette Transit System in Lafayette, and SPORTRAN in Shreveport. Information on transit can be found here.

Stay safe

Crime

Louisiana has issues with crime, especially in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. However, this is by no means the rule statewide, or even within a whole city. Crime mostly occurs in very poverty-stricken neighborhoods and often involves drugs or alcohol. Areas popular with tourists generally don't have the same issues, though it's wise to be wary of your belongings at all times. Places like the French Quarter may have higher than average levels of drug- or alcohol-related crimes, but the wise traveler will experience no real issues.

Weather

Louisiana's low-lying geography, many rivers, and proximity to the Gulf of Mexico make the state incredibly vulnerable to an array of natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes.

Louisiana seems to be in constant competition with Florida for which state can attract the most hurricanes in a season, and some of the most destructive hurricanes in American history have made landfall in Louisiana (such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005). Hurricanes are massive, rotating storm systems that can have winds up to 170 mph and can easily fling large items like vehicles and roofs miles away. They always contain an 'eye', which is an area in the center where there is no storm whatsoever; if you find yourself in the state when a hurricane hits, don't go outside until you are told it is safe by relevant authorities (weather services, FEMA, police, fire departments). Being in the eye can mislead you into thinking the hurricane has already passed, but the storm wall can quickly come up on you and if you're outside, you are in real danger of a host of weather-related injuries. But for the most part, what has the potential to cause the most damage is the possibility of levees bursting when floodwaters overwhelm them.

Northern Louisiana sometimes gets tornadoes, and the Mississippi River occasionally floods. The area in and around the river's delta (the area of the state SE of New Orleans) can quickly change as distributaries reroute themselves, so anyone traveling to the delta region should have some sort of contingency plan in case they find themselves cut off from the rest of the state.

Being both in the Southern United States and having many bayoux and wetlands, humidity and heat pose serious problems, especially to the elderly and young children. Winters in the state can usually reach only as low as the mid-60°s F, and summers can be as high as 120°F. The humidity can exacerbate this problem, as humidity makes perceived heat higher. Take care not to get heatstroke. Thankfully, A/C has made living in Louisiana possible, and most places will have it.

Pollution

Louisiana has some places that are often quite polluted, due to oil/gas industry accidents and runoff, relatively loose environmental protection laws/lack of enforcement of said laws, and detritus left over from hurricanes. These places are usually marked if they are publicly accessible, and if not, you can usually tell. But given the levels of pollution in some places (mainly bodies of water) coupled with the wildlife, it is usually recommended that the swimmer stick with pools.

Wildlife

Louisiana has one of the largest populations (over a million individuals) of American alligators in the state. Be very wary around the state's vast swamps and wetlands. Places considered 'developed' may not even be safe from them, as they like to hang out in ponds and can often be found on golf courses and in neighborhoods that use bodies of water as decoration. Generally, however, alligators do not bother humans so long as they themselves aren't bothered. There are several venomous snakes in Louisiana, including coral snakes, rattlesnakes, copperheads, and water moccasins. Many snakebites occur when snakes "freeze" and are accidentally stepped on, so watch your step in woods and grasslands, especially by the edges of bodies of water. Louisiana also seems to have some of the largest mosquitos in the world, which can carry diseases; they often don't, but will pose a massive nuisance unless you have military-grade insect repellent.

Respect

Louisiana (as much of the rest of the South), is known to display the stereotypical "Southern hospitality". However, the condition is that you give respect back. The pace of life is often more Mediterranean than other parts of the U.S.

Hurricane Katrina, widely regarded as one of the worst natural disasters in American history, is an incredibly sensitive subject in many circles and is very much an open wound in the state's consciousness. Many residents lost their homes and loved ones in the disaster. There's no harm in inquiring more about it, though, but some may not be inclined to talk about it.

New Orleans is a very LGBTQ+ friendly city, and Baton Rouge is pretty accepting as well, but the rest of the state is more culturally conservative; while a majority of Louisianans are accepting of LGBTQ+ people, LGBTQ+ people may not be as openly accepted as in places like California, New York, or even Florida.

Go next

• Texas — America's second largest state borders Louisiana to the west. It has a rich history and culture.
• Arkansas — Louisiana's northern neighbor, "The Natural State", is home to the Ozark Mountains in the northwest while the south and east of the state has flatter land and shows more of its agricultural heritage.
• Mississippi — The state's eastern neighbor has Civil War battlefields, scenic parkways, and antebellum charm.