Lake Charles, Louisiana

Lake Charles, Louisiana City of Lake Charles Official seal of Lake Charles, Louisiana Nickname(s): The Lake Area, Lake "Chuck" Lake Charles, Louisiana is positioned in Louisiana Lake Charles, Louisiana Location of Lake Charles in Louisiana Renamed March 16, 1867 as Lake Charles Lake Charles (French: Lac Charles) is the fifth-largest incorporated town/city in the U.S.

State of Louisiana, positioned on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River.

As of the 2010 census, the populace was 71,993. Lake Charles is the principal town/city of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area, having a populace of 202,040. It is the larger principal town/city of the Lake Charles-Jennings Combined Statistical Area, with a populace of 225,235.

Because of the lakes and waterways throughout the city, urbane Lake Charles is often referred to as the Lake Area.

Main article: History of Lake Charles, Louisiana Ryan Street in Lake Charles, 1903 On March 7, 1861, Lake Charles was officially incorporated as the town of Charleston, Louisiana. Six years after the town/city was incorporated, dissatisfaction over the name Charleston arose; on March 16, 1867, Charleston was retitled and incorporated as the town of Lake Charles.

A view of Downtown Lake Charles, about 1917 However, Lake Charles soon rebuilt itself and continued to expanded and grew in the twentieth century.

Geary. During and after World War II, Lake Charles experienced industrialized growth with the onset of the petrochemical refining industries.

Lake Charles, positioned on a level plain about 30 miles (48 km) from the Gulf of Mexico, has an altitude of 13 feet (4.0 m), and is positioned on the banks of the Calcasieu River in southwestern Louisiana.

It borders both Lake Charles and Prien Lake.

Lake Charles is tied with Port Arthur, Texas, and Astoria, Oregon, as the most humid town/city in the adjoining United States, and the second-most humid calculated locale behind unincorporated Quillayute, Washington.

The average relative humidity in Lake Charles is 90% in the morning, and 72% in the afternoon. Climate data for Lake Charles, Louisiana Source: NWS Lake Charles Office Swimming in polluted Lake Charles opposite the Olin Mathieson chemical plant in 1972.

Cleanup accomplishments to Lake Charles' waterways have been so prosperous that Prien Lake now supports both recreational and commercial fishing, and has a safe enhance beach. Downtown Lake Charles, with Capital One Tower to the left Turner Industries, Axiall, and Citgo each employ over a thousand engineers. The Trunkline LNG terminal, immediately southwest of Lake Charles, is one of the United States' several liquified natural gas terminals.

With small businesses, big box stores, and a county-wide mall, Lake Charles serves as the shopping and retail core of the five-parish area.

Retailers include Talbots, Gap, Aeropostale, Bath & Body Works, Ulta Beauty, Express, American Eagle, Buckle, Hollister, and Coach. The Lake Charles Power Center is a shopping region that has 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m2) of shopping space. The Cottage Shop District supports approximately a dozen small businesses. L'Auberge du Lac Casino Resort offers upscale clothing boutiques. Golden Nugget Lake Charles Lake Charles has the biggest casino market in the state of Louisiana. The L'Auberge du Lac Casino Resort is a 242 acres (98 ha), 26-story hotel in Lake Charles.

It has nearly 1000 guest rooms, as well as a casino, golf course, spa, and meeting center. A second casino, the Golden Nugget Lake Charles, opened in late 2014 next to L'Auberge du Lac. The casino resort has more than 740 guest rooms, a casino, golf course, meeting space, retail corridor and a private beach and marina. Mc - Neese State University, positioned on a 121-acre (0.49 km2) chief campus lined with oak trees in the heart of Lake Charles, is a four-year enhance college in the University of Louisiana System.

Lake Charles is also home to Epps Memorial Library in north Lake Charles, and Central Library positioned off of Ernest Street.

Lake Charles' enhance schools are directed by the Calcasieu Parish Public School System.

See also: List of schools in Lake Charles, Louisiana and List of high schools in Louisiana Lake Charles has a strong Creole & Cajun culture because of its locale in south Louisiana.

The town/city has its own symphony orchestra, the Lake Charles Symphony.

The Lake Charles Little Theatre is now in its 91st season. Lake Charles is home to a number of exhibitions and art arcades.

It has the biggest compilation of Mardi Gras memorabilia in the South. Other studios and cultural activities include the Art Associates Gallery, Studio 347 Gallery, the Lake Charles Symphony, and the Lake Charles Community Band.

Local theaters include the Lake Charles Little Theatre, the Artists Civic Theatre and Studio (ACTS), and the Children's Theatre.

Mardi Gras parade in downtown Lake Charles.

Lake Charles Boardwalk Mardi Gras in Lake Charles has a long history dating back to 1882, when Momus, King of Mardi Gras, landed his royal yacht at the foot of Pujo Street downtown.

However, an interest to redevelop the festivities arose, and the first Mardi Gras Ball in Lake Charles was staged in 1964.

The full revival of Mardi Gras in Lake Charles was not realized until 1979, when a several Krewe captains formed the "Krewe of Krewes", with the major purpose of parading and promoting Mardi Gras for small-town residents.

Was formed by a group of civic-minded volunteers to further aid in the preservation of this festival. Mardi Gras in Lake Charles regularly draws in crowds of 150,000.

In a reference to the legends of piracy on the lake and Contraband Bayou, the festival begins when the pirate Jean Lafitte and his crew capture the town/city and force the mayor to walk the plank.

Lake Charles is home to the Mc - Neese Cowboys, whose football team hosts games at Cowboy Stadium which has a seating capacity of 17,410. Burton Coliseum hosts the Cowboys' basketball teams.

Other golf courses include Gray Plantation Golf Course, Lake Charles Country Club Golf Course, the Contraband Bayou Golf Club, and the Country Club at Golden Nugget.

Adventure Cove, a state-of-the-art park, was also assembled by volunteers, and is specifically designed for handicapped children. The South Lake Charles Little League has had nationally-winning squads televised on ESPN.

Hunting and fishing are prominent with both inhabitants and visitors to the Lake Area. An All-American Road, the Creole Nature Trail - Louisiana's Outback - brings tourists to Lake Charles and throughout Southwest Louisiana.

Lake Charles City Court The City of Lake Charles is governed by a mayor-council form of government.

The Lake Charles Police Department provides law enforcement and protection for the city.

The Police Chief is appointed for a six-year term, and the Fire Chief is appointed as well. The Lake Charles Fire Department consists of eight fire stations with fifteen fire companies. Mc - Neese State University also has its own security, the Mc - Neese Police Department. The Lake Charles City Court's jurisdiction covers all inside the town/city limits as well as Ward 3 in Calcasieu Parish. The Fourteenth Judicial District Court, positioned in downtown Lake Charles, covers Calcasieu Parish and includes nine judges who preside over family, juvenile, civil, and criminal trials. Lake Charles is home to a United States District Court, positioned downtown. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals is headquartered in the city. Lake Charles is served by Charles Boustany of Louisiana's 3rd congressional district.

Much of the town/city is represented by Senator Ronnie Johns of District 27 in the Louisiana State Senate; however, Dan Morrish's District 25 includes some neighborhoods of south Lake Charles.

The violent crime rate In Lake Charles is one of the highest in the nation, athwart communities of all sizes (both large and small).

Violent offenses tracked encompassed rape, murder and non-negligent manslaughter, armed robbery, and aggravated assault, including assault with a deadly weapon. The overall crime rate in Lake Charles is 67% higher than the nationwide average.

KATC 3, the ABC partner in close-by Lafayette, serves as the de facto ABC partner for the Lake Charles area.

Television stations in Southwest Louisiana, including Lake Charles Radio stations in the Lake Charles, Louisiana market Interstate 10 passes through Lake Charles, connecting the town/city with Houston to the west and New Orleans to the east.

The loop has served Lake Charles commuters for 40 years, and carries about 40,000 vehicles per day. Interstate 10 crossing the Calcasieu River Bridge between Lake Charles and Westlake Interstate 10 crossing the Calcasieu River Bridge between Lake Charles and Westlake Lake Charles Regional Airport terminal Lake Charles is served by two airports.

Lake Charles Regional Airport, positioned south of the city, provides commercial airline service to Houston and Dallas.

The Port of Lake Charles is the thirteenth-busiest seaport in the United States, the fourth-largest liner service seaport in the U.S.

The City Docks in Lake Charles are the chief hub of shipping activity. The Calcasieu Ship Channel provides direct access to the Gulf of Mexico 34 miles (55 km) downstream.

Lake Charles Transit, the city's bus system, provides five routes throughout the city. It has one Greyhound bus station, and the Amtrak station serves the Sunset Limited train route.

Lake Charles is served by four hospitals: Christus St.

Patrick Hospital, Lake Charles Memorial Hospital, Lake Area Medical Center, and Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for Women.

De - Bakey Drive, titled after the world-renowned surgeon who was born and raised in Lake Charles.

Lake Charles is also home to various Protestant Christian denominations, the biggest being the Southern Baptist congregation with 30%. There is a ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Lake Charles.

Gold - Band Records, the world famous Cajun and R & B music record label & catalog was established by Eddie Shuler in Lake Charles in 1945.

Dolly Parton (14 yrs old) and Freddie Fender made their first recordings in Shuler's Lake Charles studio.

The Lake Charles Little Theatre, ] is the earliest and longest running improve theatre in the United States, now in their 91st season! The musical Caroline, or Change by Tony Kushner, which was impel for the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2004, is set in Lake Charles.

Lake Charles is mentioned in Jack Kerouac's On the Road.

After leaving Sal Paradise in Mexico, Dean Moriarty's car breaks down in Lake Charles.

Lucinda Williams, singer and songwriter, wrote the song Lake Charles, about her hometown. Lake Charles is mentioned as the traveller's destination in the song "Up on Cripple Creek" by The Band David Filo, the Yahoo.com Search Engine co-founder interval up and went to high school in Lake Charles and Moss Bluff, Louisiana.

Bobby King, American gospel-style, R&B and soul singer was born and now lives in Lake Charles.

So wide ranging and unique are his vocal contributions to prominent music that he has been honored with a "Bobby King Day" in Lake Charles! Lake Charles is featured or mentioned in The Drowning Pool, The Beyond, A Taste of Louisiana with Chef John Folse & Co., Passion Fish, Good Eats, UFC 22: There Can Be Only One Champion, UFC 24: First Defense, Blue Vinyl, Little Chenier, Mercy, Split Ends, All Over But to Cry, Film Hustle, Good Boy., and 10 Cloverfield Lane.

In the 1969 classic film Easy Rider, the as yet unfinished I-210 Israel La - Fleur Bridge can be seen in the background of a motorcycle scene with Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda travelling West through Lake Charles, La.

List of citizens from Lake Charles, Louisiana "City of Lake Charles".

"Lake Charles Historical Marker".

City of Lake Charles- Retrieved 2014-11-21 "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Lake Charles city, Louisiana".

"Where to Fish in the Lake Charles Area".

"Complete List Of Stores Located At Prien Lake Mall - A Shopping Center In Lake Charles, LA - A Simon Mall".

"Shopping|L'Auberge Casino Resort|Lake Charles Louisiana".

"Houston billionaire's Lake Charles casino opens early".

"Rosa Hart Theatre / City of Lake Charles, Louisiana".

"Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center / City of Lake Charles, Louisiana".

"Charlestown Farmer's Market / City of Lake Charles, Louisiana".

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"Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras History in Lake Charles".

City of Lake Charles.

City of Lake Charles.

City of Lake Charles.

City of Lake Charles.

List of films in Lake Charles, Louisiana Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Lake Charles.

City of Lake Charles official website Tourist knowledge on Lake Charles Lake Charles - Calendar of Events

Categories:
Cities in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana - Populated places established in 1861 - Cities in Louisiana - Parish seats in Louisiana - Lake Charles, Louisiana - Cities in Lake Charles urbane region - Louisiana African American Heritage Trail - 1861 establishments in Louisiana - Cities in Acadiana