Located on the eastern bank of theMississippi River, the Baton Rouge area owes its historical importance to its strategic site upon the Istrouma Bluff, the first naturalbluff upriver from theMississippi River Delta at theGulf of Mexico. This allowed the development of a business quarter safe from seasonal flooding. In addition, it built alevee system stretching from the bluff southward to protect the riverfront and low-lying agricultural areas.[8]
Baton Rouge has developed as a culturally rich center, settled by immigrants from European nations and African peoples brought to North America as slaves or indentured servants. It was ruled by seven different nations: the French, Spanish and British in the colonial era; briefly theRepublic of West Florida; the United States as a territory and a state; theConfederate States of America; and the United States again since the end of theAmerican Civil War. The city developed as a multicultural region practicing many religious traditions fromCatholicism toProtestantism andLouisiana Voodoo.
Human habitation in the Baton Rouge area has been dated to12000–6500 BC, based on evidence found along the Mississippi,Comite, andAmite rivers.[15][16]Earthwork mounds were built by hunter-gatherer societies in theMiddle Archaic period, from roughly the fourth millennium BC.[17] The speakers of the Proto-Muskogean language divided into its descendant languages by about 1000 BC; and a cultural boundary between either side ofMobile Bay and theBlack Warrior River began to appear between about 1200 BC and 500 BC—a period called the Middle "Gulf Formational Stage". The Eastern Muskogean language began to diversify internally in the first half of the first millennium AD.[18]
The early Muskogean societies were the bearers of theMississippian culture, which formed around 800 AD and extended in a vast network across the Mississippi and Ohio valleys, with numerouschiefdoms in the Southeast, as well. By the time theSpanish made their first forays inland from the shores of the Gulf of Mexico in the early 16th century, by some evidence many political centers of the Mississippians were already in decline, or abandoned. At the time, this region appeared to have been occupied by a collection of moderately sized native chiefdoms, interspersed with autonomous villages and tribal groups.[19] Other evidence indicates these Mississippian settlements were thriving at the time of the first Spanish contact. Later Spanish expeditions encountered the remains of groups who had lost many people and been disrupted in the aftermath of infectious diseases, chronic among Europeans, unknowingly introduced by the first expedition.
French explorerPierre Le Moyne d'Iberville led an exploration party up the Mississippi River in 1698. The explorers saw a red pole marking the boundary between theHouma andBayagoula tribal hunting grounds. The French namele bâton rouge ("the red stick") is the translation of a native term rendered asIstrouma, possibly a corruption of theChoctawiti humma ("red pole");[20] André-Joseph Pénicaut—a carpenter traveling with d'Iberville—published the first full-length account of the expedition in 1723. According to Pénicaut:
From there [Manchacq] we went five leagues higher and found very high banks calledécorts in that region, and in savage calledIstrouma which means red stick [bâton rouge], as at this place there is a post painted red that the savages have sunk there to mark the land line between the two nations, namely: the land of the Bayagoulas which they were leaving and the land of another nation—thirty leagues upstream from thebaton rouge—named the Oumas.
The red pole was presumably at Scott's Bluff, on what is now the campus of Southern University.[21] It was reportedly a 30-foot-high (9.1 m) painted pole adorned with fish bones.[22]
European settlement of Baton Rouge began in 1721 when French colonists established a military and trading post. Since then, Baton Rouge has been governed by France, Britain, Spain, Louisiana, theRepublic of West Florida, the United States, theConfederate States, and the United States again. In 1755, when French settlers in the colony ofAcadia (known asAcadians) weredeported from there by British authorities, many took up residence in rural Louisiana, including Baton Rouge. Popularly known asCajuns they maintained a distinct culture for centuries. From 1763 to 1783, Baton Rouge was part of theBritish North American colony ofWest Florida, though it was captured bySpanish forcesin September 1779. During the first half of the 19th century, Baton Rouge grew steadily as the result ofsteamboat trade and transportation.
Baton Rouge wasincorporated in 1817. In 1822, thePentagon Barracks complex of buildings was completed. The site was used by Spanish, French, and British authorities and was occupied by both theConfederate States Army andUnited States Army. It was also part of the short-lived Republic of West Florida.[23] In 1951, ownership of the barracks was transferred to the state of Louisiana. In 1976, the complex was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[24]
Acquisition of Louisiana by the United States in 1803 was a catalyst for increasedAnglo-American settlement, especially in the northern part of the state. In 1846, the state legislature designated Baton Rouge as Louisiana's new capital to replace "sinful"New Orleans. The architectJames Dakin was hired to design theold Louisiana State Capitol, with construction beginning in late 1847.[21]
Rather than mimic theUnited States Capitol, as many other states had done, he designed a capitol inNeo-Gothic style, complete with turrets and crenellations, and stained glass; it overlooks the Mississippi. It has been described as the "most distinguished example of Gothic Revival" architecture in the state and has been designated as aNational Historic Landmark.[25]
By the outbreak of theAmerican Civil War, the population of Baton Rouge was nearly 5,500. The war nearly halted economic progress, except for businesses associated with supplying theUnion Army occupation of the city, which began in the spring of 1862 and lasted for the duration of the war. The Confederates at first consolidated their forces elsewhere, during which time the state government moved toOpelousas and laterShreveport.[21] In the summer of 1862, about 2,600 Confederate troops under generalsJohn C. Breckinridge (the formerVice President of the United States) andDaniel Ruggles attempted to recapture Baton Rouge.
After the war, New Orleans temporarily served as the seat of theReconstruction era state government. When theBourbon Democrats regained power in 1882, after considerable intimidation and voter suppression of black Republicans, they returned the state government to Baton Rouge, where it has since remained. In his 1893 guidebook,Karl Baedeker described Baton Rouge as "the Capital of Louisiana, a quaint old place with 10,378 inhabitants, on a bluff above the Mississippi".[26]
In the 1950s and 1960s, the petrochemical industry boomed in Baton Rouge, stimulating the city's expansion beyond its original center. The changing market in the oil business has produced fluctuations in the industry, affecting employment in the city and area. In 1953,there was a bus boycott by black riders who were forbidden to occupy seats reserved for whites, leading eventually to some improvement of their rights.[27]
On January 10, 1972,a violent shootout between members of theNation of Islam (NOI) and the police ensued, which left two sheriff's deputies and two black males dead at the scene. 31 individuals were injured, including 14 police officers. In response, then-Louisiana GovernorJohn McKeithen ordered 700 members of theLouisiana National Guard to patrol the streets to tamp down further intercity violence.[28] Baton Rouge Mayor-President Woodrow Wilson "W. W." Dumas subsequently imposed an evening to early-morning curfew. On January 14, the curfew was lifted.[29]
A building boom began in the city in the 1990s and continued into the 2000s, during which Baton Rouge became one of the fastest-growing cities in the Southern United States in terms of technology.[30] Metropolitan Baton Rouge was ranked as one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the U.S. (with a population under 1 million), with 602,894 in 2000 and 802,484 people as of the 2010 U.S. census.[31] After the extensive damage in New Orleans and along the coast fromHurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, the city took in as many as 200,000 displaced residents.
In 2010, Baton Rouge started a market push to become a test city forGoogle's new super high speedfiber optic line known as GeauxFiBR.[32]
In July 2016, the Greater Baton Rouge metropolitan area was heavily affected by the shooting ofAlton Sterling.[33] His death led to multiple protests and theshooting of police officers.[34][35][36][37] PresidentBarack Obama also made remarks on the shooting of Alton Sterling.[38] By February 2021, Sterling's family was given a $4.5 million settlement to settle a wrongful death lawsuit.[39][40] In August 2016, the city and metropolitan area wereseverely flooded.[41][42]
Baton Rouge is thecapital of Louisiana and theparish seat ofEast Baton Rouge Parish. According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 79.15 square miles (205.0 km2), of which 76.95 square miles (199.3 km2) are land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2) (2.81%) are covered by water.[53]
Baton Rouge is on the first set of bluffs north of theMississippi River Delta's coastal plains. Because of its prominent location along the river and on the bluffs, which prevents flooding, the French built a fort in the city in 1719.[54] Baton Rouge is the third-southernmost capital city in the continental United States, afterAustin, Texas, andTallahassee, Florida. It is the cultural and economic center of theGreater Baton Rouge metropolitan area.
Baton Rouge has ahumid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa). It has mild winters, hot and humid summers, moderate to heavy rainfall, and the possibility of damaging winds and tornadoes yearlong. The area's average precipitation is 61.94 inches (141.1 cm) of rain and 0.1 inches (0.25 cm) of snow annually. With ample precipitation, Baton Rouge is fifth on the list of wettest cities in the United States. Snow in the Baton Rouge area is usually rare, although it snowed in three consecutive years at the first decade of the 21st century: December 11, 2008, December 4, 2009, and February 12, 2010. In 2017, Baton Rouge received snow again.[55] In January 2025, Baton Rouge as well as all of southern Louisiana received record snowfall in a once-in-a-lifetime blizzard. The yearly average temperature for Baton Rouge is 68.4 °F (20.2 °C). The average temperature for January is 51.7 °F (10.9 °C) and July is 83.0 °F (28.3 °C).[56] The area is usually free from extremes in temperature, with some cold winter fronts, but those are usually brief.[57]
Baton Rouge's proximity to theGulf of Mexico exposes the city and metropolitan area to hurricanes. On September 1, 2008,Hurricane Gustav struck the city and became the worst hurricane ever to hit the Baton Rouge area.[58] Winds topped 100 miles per hour (160 km/h), knocking down trees and powerlines and making roads impassable.[59] The roofs of many buildings suffered tree damage, especially in the Highland Road, Garden District, and Goodwood areas. The city was shut down for five days and a curfew was put in effect. Rooftop shingles were ripped off, signs blew down, and minor structural damage occurred.
Climate data for Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Metropolitan Airport), 1991–2020 normals,[note 2] extremes 1892–present
Prior to colonization,American Indians were once the primary residents of present-day Baton Rouge. With the coming ofEuropean colonization, and the migration of American settlers after theLouisiana Purchase, European and African-descended peoples became the predominant groups in the area by birth rates and immigration to a 1860 population of 5,428. Since reaching its first historic high of 220,394 residents at the1980 U.S. census, the city's population has expanded and contracted twice: from 219,531 in 1990, to 227,818 in 2000—the second historic high—and 229,493, the city-proper's third historic high in 2010,[64] to 227,470 at the2020 United States census.[65] The black population gradually increased in Baton Rouge after the Civil War.[66]
Including the consolidated city–parish of Baton Rouge in 2019 (East Baton Rouge Parish), theAmerican Community Survey estimated 443,763 people lived in the area.[4] In 2020, theU.S. Census Bureau determined 456,781 people lived in the consolidated city–parish.[67] The metropolitan population of Baton Rouge increased to 3.6% as a result ofsuburbanization in 2019, to an estimated 854,884.[68] In 2020, the metropolitan statistical area's population increased to 870,569 residents,[5] reflecting southern Louisiana's population growth in contrast with northern Louisiana's stagnation and decline.[69]
In 2019, the city of Baton Rouge had a population density of 2,982.5 people per square mile.[64]
Baton Rouge city, Louisiana – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
With the population growth of European and African-descended peoples in present-day Baton Rouge, the American Indian population declined to one of the smallest minority groups in the area. With the increase amongpeople of color during the 20th century, Baton Rouge has also declined as a predominantly non-Hispanic white city, hastened by suburbanization, aging out, andwhite flight. In 1970, non-Hispanic whites were 70.5% of the population.[73] In 2020, they were 34.2% of the total population.
A racial distribution map of Baton Rouge, 2020 U.S. census. Each dot is one person:⬤ White⬤ Black⬤ Asian⬤ Hispanic⬤ Multiracial⬤ Native American/Other
During the middle of the 20th century,The Advocate and other region-wide newspapers discriminated against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.[76] In 1969, the Krewe of Apollo—an LGBT social club originating from nearby New Orleans—developed a sister branch for Baton Rouge. Its annual drag balls were targets of further discrimination.[76] Since then, other organizations have been established, such as the Capital City Alliance.[77] The area has grown a sizeable LGBT community, holding festivals such as Baton Rouge Pride.[78]
The steeple ofSt. Joseph Cathedral, cathedral see of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge
Native American religions andAfrodiasporic religions were commonplace alongsideChristianity in Baton Rouge's early history. Due to French, Spanish, and British colonization and missionary efforts, in addition to American settlement, Baton Rouge became a predominantly Christian city and metropolitan area. In a 2020 study by theAssociation of Religion Data Archives, Christianity is the most-practiced religion for the Baton Rouge area, being influenced byCatholicism andProtestantism.
In 2019, the second-largest religion in Baton Rouge and its metropolitan area wasIslam.[80] In 2020, there were over six mosques in the Baton Rouge area, primarily affiliated withSunni Islam. TheNation of Islam also has a presence in the area.[85] The Muslim population has grown out of Middle Eastern immigration andAfrican American Muslim missionary work.[86] The first Islamic private school in Baton Rouge was established in 2019.[87]
The formerCB&I local office on Essen Lane, a commercial office corridor
Baton Rouge enjoys a strong economy that has helped the city be ranked as one of the "Top 10 Places for Young Adults" in 2010 by portfolio.com and one of the top 20 cities in North America for economic strength by theBrookings Institution.[89][90] In 2009, the city was ranked byCNN as the 9th-best place in the country to start a new business.[91]Lamar Advertising Company has its headquarters in Baton Rouge.[92] Other notable companies headquartered in the city includeBBQGuys,Marucci Sports,Piccadilly Restaurants, andRaising Cane's Chicken Fingers.[93] Notable corporations which have established offices or distribution centers in the Baton Rouge area have includedAmazon in 2021, andMicrosoft.[94][95][96]Chicago Bridge & Iron Company had an office in Baton Rouge before being sold in 2017.[97] In 2023,Aldi established a presence in Baton Rouge.[98]
Baton Rouge is the farthest inland port on the Mississippi River that can accommodate ocean-goingtankers andcargo carriers. The ships transfer their cargo (grain, oil, cars, containers) at Baton Rouge onto rails and pipelines (to travel east–west) or barges (to travel north). Deep-draft vessels cannot pass theOld Huey Long Bridge because the clearance is insufficient. In addition, the river depth decreases significantly just to the north, nearPort Hudson.[99]
TheExxonMobil oil refinery seen from the capitol tower
Baton Rouge's largest industry is petrochemical production and manufacturing.ExxonMobil'sBaton Rouge Refinery complex is the fifth-largestoil refinery in the country;[100] it is the world's tenth largest. Baton Rouge also has rail, highway, pipeline, and deep-water access.[101]Dow Chemical Company has a large plant inIberville Parish nearPlaquemine, 17 miles (27 km) south of Baton Rouge.[102]Shaw Construction, Turner, and Harmony all started with performing construction work at these plants.
In addition to being the state capital and parish seat, the city is the home ofLouisiana State University, which employs over 5,000 academic staff.[103] One of the largest single employers in Baton Rouge is the state government, which consolidated all branches of state government downtown at the Capitol Park complex.[104]
Thefilm industry in Louisiana has increased dramatically since the beginning of the 21st century, aided by generoustax incentives adopted by the state in 2002. In September 2013, the Baton Rouge Film Commission reported that the industry had brought more than $90 million into the local economy in 2013.[106] Baton Rouge's largest production facility is the Celtic Media Centre, opened in 2006 by a local group in collaboration withRaleigh Studios of Los Angeles. Raleigh dropped its involvement in 2014.[107]
Baton Rouge has an expanding visual arts scene, which is centered downtown. Professional performing arts organizations include Theatre Baton Rouge, the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre, Opera Louisiane and Playmakers—a professional Children's Theatre. This increasing collection of venues includes theShaw Center for the Arts.[109] Opened in 2005, the facility houses the Brunner Gallery,LSU Museum of Art; the Manship Theatre; a contemporary art gallery; traveling exhibits; and several eateries. Another prominent facility is theLouisiana Art and Science Museum,[110] which contains the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, traveling art exhibits, space displays, and an ancient Egyptian section. Several smaller art galleries, including theBaton Rouge Gallery, offering a range of local art, are scattered throughout the city.
The city has several designated arts and cultural districts,[111] the most prominent of which are the Mid-City Cultural District and the Perkins Road Arts District. These districts provide tax incentives, mostly in the form of exempting state tax on purchases, to promote cultural activity in these areas. Located in a Qualified Census Tract the North Baton Rouge community ofScotlandville was designated a Cultural District in 2020.[112]
A performing arts scene is emerging. LSU'sSwine Palace is the foremost theatre company in the city, largely made up of students of LSU's MFA acting program, as well as professional actors and stage managers.[113] A group of physical theatre and circus artists from LSU traveled toEdinburgh, Scotland, in summer 2012 to performDante in what has become the world's largestFringe Festival. The show ran in Baton Rouge before going to Fringe, and featured movement, acrobatics, andaerial silk.[114]
Theatre Baton Rouge offers a diverse selection of live theatre performances. Opera Louisiane is Baton Rouge's only professional opera company.[115] The Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre is Baton Rouge's professional ballet company.The Nutcracker– A Tale from the Bayou sets the familiar holiday classic in 19th-century Louisiana and has become a Baton Rouge holiday tradition.A Tale from the Bayou features professional dancers, a live orchestra, and more than 300 area children.
Baton Rouge is also home to Forward Arts, a youth writing organization. Forward Arts won the international youth poetry slam, Brave New Voices in 2017, and was the first team from the Southern United States to ever win the competition. Forward Arts is the only youth spoken-word organization in the state of Louisiana. It was founded by Dr. Anna West in 2005, and first housed in the Big Buddy Program.[116][117]
Baton Rouge is also home to Of Moving Colors Productions, the premier contemporary dance company in the city.[118][119] For more than 30 years it has brought in internationally established choreographers to create stunning performances. In addition, they conduct extensive community outreach to children and young adults.
Performing venues include theBaton Rouge River Center, Baton Rouge River Center Theatre for the Performing Arts, which seats about 1,900; the Manship Theatre, which is located in the Shaw Center for the Arts and seats 350; and the Reilly Theater, which is home toSwine Palace, a nonprofit professional theater company associated with the Louisiana State University Department of Theatre.
TheBaton Rouge Symphony Orchestra has operated since 1947 and currently performs at the River Center Music Hall downtown.[120] Today, it presents more than 60 concerts annually, directed byTimothy Muffitt and David Torns.[120] The BRSO's educational component, the Louisiana Youth Orchestra, made its debut in 1984. It includes almost 180 musicians under the age of 20.
Miss Louisiana USA Brittany Guidry, Miss USA 2014, Preliminary Evening Gown Competition
Baton Rouge was chosen to host theMiss USA 2014 Pageant. It took overdowntown Baton Rouge asNia Sanchez, Miss Nevada USA, took home the crown, with Miss Louisiana USA Brittany Guidry coming in fourth. Veteran pageant host Giuliana Rancic andMSNBC news anchor Thomas Roberts introduced the 51 contestants; there were 20 semifinalists.Cosmo weighed in on the contest, complimenting Guidry.[121] Celebrity judges included actressRumer Willis, NBA starKarl Malone, singerLance Bass, and actorIan Ziering.[122] Baton Rouge hostedMiss USA 2015 again on July 12, 2015, which was won by actress and Miss Oklahoma USAOlivia Jordan. Baton Rouge was also the site of the 2005 Miss Teen USA Pageant.[123]
Baton Rouge's many architectural points of interest range from antebellum to modern. The neo-gothicOld Louisiana State Capitol was built in the 1850s as the first statehouse in Baton Rouge. It was later replaced by the 450-ft-tall, art deco NewLouisiana State Capitol, the tallest building in the South when it was completed. Several plantation homes in the area, such asMagnolia Mound Plantation House,Myrtles Plantation, andNottoway Plantation, showcase antebellum-era architecture.
Louisiana State University has more than 250 buildings inItalian Renaissance style, one of the nation's largest college stadiums, and many live oaks. The downtown has several examples of modern and contemporary buildings, including theCapitol Park Museum.[124]
Museums around town offer a variety of genres. The Capitol Park Museum and the Old Louisiana State Capitol Museum display information on state history and have many interactive exhibits. The Shaw Center for the Arts and the Louisiana Art and Science Museum showcase varied arts. LASM also includes science exhibits and aplanetarium. Other museums include theLSU Museum of Natural Science and theUSS Kidd. TheOdell S. Williams Now And Then African-American Museum chronicles the progression and growth of African-Americans.
The Greater Baton Rouge State Fair is an annual one-week attraction held every mid-fall. The fair began in 1965 and has been under the management of the Baton Rouge Jaycee organization since 1985.[126] In 2021, the fair set an attendance record with over 100,000 attendees.[127]
Other attractions include theMall of Louisiana and Perkins Rowe, amusement parks of Dixie Landin'/Blue Bayou, and dining at the Louisiana-cuisine restaurants.
Baton Rouge has an extensive park collection presided over by the Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge (BREC). The largest park is City Park near the Louisiana State University flagship campus. Another notable park isHighland Road Community Park, spanning over 144 acres (58 ha). TheBaton Rouge Zoo is also run through BREC and includes over 1,800 species.[133]
Among its protected areas, the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area extends the length of theAtchafalaya Basin from the area ofFerriday in the north to the river's mouth beyondMorgan City; the designation provides a framework for the promotion and interpretation of the area's cultural and historic character, and the preservation of the natural and built environment.[134] The Cohn Arboretum previously served as the site for the Cohn family's home; its land was donated in 1965 and the arboretum opened in 1980.[135] LSU's arboretum was originally developed in 1929 and donated to the university in 1981.[136]
The city of Baton Rouge and the Parish of East Baton Rouge have been run by a consolidated government since 1947. It combined the Baton Rouge municipal government with the rural areas of the parish, allowing people outside the limits of the city of Baton Rouge to use city services. Though the city and parish have a consolidated government, this differs slightly from a traditionalconsolidated city-county[note 3] government.
The cities ofZachary,Baker,Central, andSt. George operate their own city governments within East Baton Rouge Parish. Under this system, Baton Rouge has the uncommon office of "mayor-president", which consolidates the executive offices of "mayor of Baton Rouge" and "president of East Baton Rouge Parish". Though Zachary, Baker, and Central each have their own mayors, citizens living in these municipalities are still a part of theconstituency who can vote and run in elections for mayor-president and metropolitan council.[137]
The mayor-president's duties include setting the agenda for the government and managing the government's day-to-day functions. They are also responsible for supervising departments, as well as appointing the department heads. The mayor does not set the city's public policy because that is the Metropolitan Council's role, but the mayor-president does have some influence on the policy through appointments and relationships with council members.
When the city and parish combined government, the city and parish councils consolidated to form the East Baton Rouge Parish Metropolitan Council. The Metropolitan Council is thelegislative branch of the Baton Rouge government. Its 12 district council members are elected fromsingle-member districts. They elect from among themselves themayor-president pro tempore. The mayor-president pro tempore presides over the council's meetings and assumes the role of the mayor-president if the mayor-president is unable to serve. The council members serve four-year terms and can hold office for three terms.
In the late 1960s, Joe Delpit—a local African American businessman owning and operating the Chicken Shack[138]—was elected as the first black council member in Baton Rouge. As in other cities of Louisiana and the South, African Americans had been largelydisenfranchised for decades into the 20th century.[139] The Chicken Shack, with multiple locations, in 2015 was reported as the oldest continually operating business in Baton Rouge.[140]
The Metropolitan Council's main responsibilities are setting thepolicy for the government, voting onlegislation, and approving thecity's budget. The council makes policies for the following: the city and parish general funds, all districts created by the council, the Greater Baton Rouge Airport District, the Public Transportation Commission, the East Baton Rouge Parish Sewerage Control Commission and the Greater Baton Rouge Parking Authority.[137]
Virginia College opened in October 2010 and offers students training in areas such as cosmetology, business, health, and medical billing.Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University is an independent Catholic institution also in the Baton Rouge medical district that has programs in nursing, health sciences, humanities, behavioral sciences, and arts and sciences. It has an associated hospital,Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center.[142]Tulane University planned to open a satellite medical school at Baton Rouge General's Mid City Campus in 2011.[143]
Southeastern Louisiana University School of Nursing is located in the medical district on Essen Lane in Baton Rouge. Southeastern offers traditional baccalaureate and master's degree programs, as well as LPN and RN to BSN articulation.Baton Rouge Community College is an open-admission, two-year post-secondary publiccommunity college, established on June 28, 1995. The college settled into a permanent location in 1998. The college's enrollment is more than 8,000 students.[144] ThePennington Biomedical Research Center houses 48 laboratories and 19 core research facilities.[145]
East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools operates primary and secondary schools serving the city. The city of Baton Rouge is also home to 27charter schools with a total enrollment of an estimated 11,000 students as of 2020.[146] One of the latest includes the Mentorship Academy indowntown Baton Rouge, which leverages its location downtown to establish internship opportunities with local businesses as well as provide a high-tech classroom environment to focus on a digital animation curriculum.[147]
The East Baton Rouge Parish School System is the second-largest public school system in the state and contains nine U.S. Blue Ribbon schools and a nationally renowned Magnet program. The school system serves more than 42,850 students and with the help of 6,250 teachers and faculty, the district has shown growth and increase in its District Performance Score. The East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools serve East Baton Rouge Parish and has 90 schools with 56 elementary schools, 16 middle schools, and 18 high schools.[148]
TheState Library of Louisiana is in Baton Rouge. The Louisiana Legislature created the Louisiana Library Commission in 1920. This later became the State Library of Louisiana. The State Library provides Louisiana residents with millions of items with its collections, electronic resources, and the statewide network for lending.[149]
TheEast Baton Rouge Parish Library System has 14 local libraries with one main library and 13 community libraries. The main library at Goodwood houses genealogy and local history archives. The library system is an entity of the city-parish government. The system has been in operation since 1939. It is governed by the EBR Parish government and directed by the Library Board of Control. The Baton Rouge Metropolitan Council appoints the seven-member board and then the board appoints a director. According to its website, all branches are open seven days a week to assist the public with reference and information and computer access.[150]
TheLouisiana State Archives' Main Research Library is located in Baton Rouge, as well. It houses general history books, census indices, immigration schedules, church records, and family histories. The library also has a computerized database of more than two million names that has various information about these people including census, marriage, and social security filing information.[151]
The major daily newspaper for the Greater Baton Rouge metropolitan area isThe Advocate, publishing since 1925. Until 1991, Baton Rouge also had an evening newspaper,The State-Times—at that time, the morning paper was known asThe Morning Advocate. Other publications include:Baton Rouge Parents Magazine,Pink & Blue Magazine,The Daily Reveille,The Southern Review,225 magazine,DIG,Greater Baton Rouge Business Report,inRegister magazine,10/12 magazine,Country Roads magazine,225Alive,Healthcare Journal of Baton Rouge,Southern University Digest, andThe South Baton Rouge Journal.
Other newspapers in East Baton Rouge Parish include theCentral City News andThe Zachary Post. The Greater Baton Rouge area is well served by television and radio. The market is the 95th-largestdesignated market area in the U.S. Major television network affiliates serving the area include:
Most of the Baton Rouge area's high-speed internet,broadband, andfiber optic communications are provided by Eatel,AT&T Inc.,Charter Communications, orCox Communications.[154] In 2006, Cox Communications linked its Lafayette, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans markets with fiber-optic infrastructure. Other providers soon followed suit, and fiber optics have thus far proven reliable in all hurricanes since they were installed, even when mobile and broadband services are disrupted during storms. In 2001, the Supermike computer at Louisiana State University was ranked as the number-one computer cluster in the world,[155] and remains one of the top 500 computing sites in the world.[156]
Baton Rouge is home station to theLouisiana Army National Guard 769th Engineer Battalion,[157] which had units deployed toIraq andAfghanistan. Thearmory near LSU has three company-sized units: 769th HSC (headquarters support company); 769th FSC (forward support company); and the 927thSapper Company. Other units of the battalion are located atNapoleonville (928th Sapper Company);Baker, Louisiana (926th MAC mobility augmentation company); andGonzales, Louisiana (922nd Horizontal Construction Company).
Baton Rouge is also home to3rd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment (3/23),[158] a reserve infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps located throughout the Midwestern United States consisting of about 800 marines and sailors. The battalion was first formed in 1943 for service in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II, taking part in a number of significant battles including those at Saipan and Iwo Jima before being deactivated at the end of the war. In the early 1960s, the unit was reactivated as a reserve battalion. The battalion is headquartered inSaint Louis, Missouri, with outlying units throughout theMidwestern United States. 3/23 falls under the command of the 23rd Marine Regiment and the4th Marine Division.
Interstate 10 enters the city from theHorace Wilkinson Bridge over the Mississippi River, curving at an interchange with Interstate 110 southeast, crossing the LSU lakes and Garden District before reaching an interchange with I-12 (referred to as the 10/12 split). It curves further southeast towardNew Orleans as it crosses Essen Lane near the Medical District. It passes Bluebonnet Blvd and the Mall of Louisiana at exit 162, and leaves Baton Rouge after interchanges with Siegen Lane and Highland Road.
Interstate 12 (TheRepublic of West Florida Parkway) begins in the city at the I-10/I-12 split east of College Drive, and proceeds eastward, crossing Essen Lane, Airline Hwy, Sherwood Forest Blvd, Millerville Road, and O'neal Lane before leaving the city when crossing theAmite River.
Interstate 110 (TheMartin Luther King Jr. Expressway) stretches 8 miles in a north–south direction from the east end of the Horace Wilkinson Bridge to Scenic Highway in Scotlandville, Louisiana. It passes through downtown, North Baton Rouge, andBaton Rouge Metro Airport before ending at Scenic Highway.
U.S. 190 enters the city from theHuey P. Long Bridge, beginning a concurrency with U.S. 61 after an interchange with Scenic Highway, near Scotlandville. Its name is Airline Highway from this interchange to the interchange with Florida Blvd. At this interchange, U.S. 190 turns east to follow Florida Blvd through Northeast Baton Rouge, exiting the city at the Amite River.
U.S. 61 enters Baton Rouge as Scenic Highway until it reaches Airline Highway (U.S. 190). It becomes concurrent with U.S. 190 until Florida Blvd, where it continues south, still called Airline Highway. It passes through Goodwood and Broadmoor before an interchange with I-12. It continues southeast past Bluebonnet Blvd/Coursey Blvd, Jefferson Hwy, and Sherwood Forest Blvd/Siegen Lane before exiting the city at Bayou Manchac.
U.S. 61/190 Business runs west along Florida Boulevard (known as Florida Street from Downtown east to Mid City) from Airline Highway to River Road in downtown. The cosigned routes run from Florida St. north along River Road, passing theLouisiana State Capitol and Capitol Park Complex before intersecting with Choctaw Drive. North of this intersection River Road becomes Chippewa Street and curves to the East. U.S. 61/190 Business leaves Chippewa Street at its intersection with Scenic Highway. The route follows Scenic Highway to Airline Highway, where it ends. North of Airline on Scenic and East of Scenic Highway on Airline is US 61. U.S. 190 is East and West of Scenic on Airline Highway.
These are important surface streets with designated state highway numbers: Greenwell Springs Road (LA 37), Plank Road/22nd Street (LA 67), Burbank Drive/Highland Road (LA 42), Nicholson Drive (LA 30), Jefferson Highway/Government Street (LA 73), Scotlandville/Baker/Zachary Highway (LA 19), Essen Lane (LA 3064), Bluebonnet Blvd/Coursey Blvd (LA 1248), Siegen Lane/Sherwood Forest Blvd (LA 3246), and Perkins Road/Acadian Thruway (LA 427).
According to the 2008 INRIX National Traffic Scorecard, which ranks the top 100 congested metropolitan areas in the U.S., Baton Rouge was the 33rd-most congested metro area in the country. At a population rank of 67 out of 100, it has the second-highest ratio of population rank to congestion rank, higher than even theLos Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana metropolitan area, indicating a remarkably high level of congestion for the comparatively low population. According to the Scorecard, Baton Rouge was the only area out of all 100 to show an increase in congestion from 2007 to 2008 (+ 6%). The city also tied for the highest jump in congestion rank over the same period (14 places).[159]
Interstate 12 used to have a major bottleneck at O'Neal Lane. The interstate was three lanes wide in each direction to the O'Neal Lane exit, where the interstate abruptly became two lanes in each direction and crossed the narrow Amite River Bridge. This stretch of road, called "a deathtrap"[160] by one lawmaker, had become notorious for traffic accidents, many with fatalities. In 2007, ten people died in traffic accidents within a three-month period on this section of road.[161]
In 2009, GovernorBobby Jindal and the Baton Rouge legislative delegation allocated state and federal funding to widen I-12 from O'Neal Lane to Range Avenue (Exit 10) in Denham Springs. The construction was completed in 2012 and has significantly improved the flow of traffic.[162] In 2010, TheAmerican Reinvestment and Recovery Act provided committed federal funds to widen I-12 from the Range Avenue Exit toWalker, Louisiana. Noticing the significant improvement in commute times, Jindal further funded widening to Satsuma, Louisiana.
Interstate 10 West at Bluebonnet Road also ranked within the top 1000 bottlenecks for 2008, and I-10 East at Essen Lane and Nicholson Drive ranked not far out of the top 1000. A new exit to theMall of Louisiana was created in 2006, and the interstate was widened between Bluebonnet Blvd and Siegen Lane. But the stretch of I-10 from the I-10/I-12 split to Bluebonnet Blvd was not part of these improvements and remained heavily congested during peak hours. In response, a widening project totaling at least $87 million began in late 2008. Interstate 10 was widened to three lanes over a five-year period between the I-10/I-12 split and Highland Road.[163] In 2010, theAmerican Reinvestment and Recovery Act provided supplemental funding for this project to extend to the Highland Road exit inEast Baton Rouge Parish.[164]
Surface streets in Baton Rouge are prone to severe congestion. But roads are beginning to handle the number of vehicles using them after years of stagnation in road upgrades. Baton Rouge MayorKip Holden has instituted an extensive upgrade of East Baton Rouge Parish roads known as the Green Light Plan, geared toward improving areas of congestion on the city's surface streets. With its first project completed in 2008, it has seen numerous others reach completion as of 2015, with several more under construction and still others yet to break ground.[165]
A circumferential loopfreeway was proposed for the greater Baton Rouge metro area to help alleviate congestion on the existing through-town routes. The proposed loop would pass through the outlying parishes ofLivingston (running alongside property owned and marketed as an industrial development by Al Coburn, a member of President Mike Grimmer's staff), Ascension, West Baton Rouge, and Iberville, as well as northern East Baton Rouge Parish. This proposal has been subject to much contention, particularly by residents living in the outer parishes through which the loop would pass.[166]
The average one-way commute time in Baton Rouge is 26.5 minutes,[167] slightly less than the U.S. average of 27.1 minutes.[168] Interstates 10, 110 and 12, which feed into the city, are highly traveled and connected by highways and four-lane roads that connect the downtown business area to surrounding parishes.[citation needed]
According to the 2016American Community Survey, 81.9% of working Baton Rouge residents commuted by driving alone, 8.5% carpooled, 3% used public transportation, and 2.4% walked. About 1.2% used all other forms of transportation, including taxi, bicycle, and motorcycle. About 3.1% worked at home.[169] In 2015, 10.4 percent of Baton Rouge households lacked a car, and increased slightly to 11.4 percent in 2016; higher than average for a city of its size. The national average was 8.7 percent in 2016. Baton Rouge averaged 1.55 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8.[170]
ThePort of Baton Rouge is the ninth-largest in the United States by tonnage shipped, and is the farthest upstream Mississippi River port capable of handlingPanamax ships.[13][14]
TheYazoo and Mississippi Valley station had passenger service until the mid-1960s. The Kansas City Southern depot hosted theSouthern Belle, the final train to serve the city, until 1969.[172][173] Since 2006, Baton Rouge and New Orleans leaders as well as the state government have been pushing to secure funding for a new high-speed rail passenger line betweendowntown Baton Rouge and downtown New Orleans, with several stops in between.[174] A newNew Orleans–Baton Rouge passenger rail service was included as part of the "Amtrak Connects US" expansion vision.[175]
^Total area for the City of Baton Rouge, not all of East Baton Rouge Parish
^Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
^Because the Louisiana usesparishes, the equivalent of a county in other states, in the state this form of government is called a "consolidated city-parish".
^"Local Louisiana".Government of Louisiana. RetrievedDecember 12, 2022.The state of Louisiana is divided into 64 parishes, which are analogous to counties in other states. There are various forms of government being used within the parishes.
^Saunders, Rebecca (Winter 1994). "The Case for Archaic Period Mounds in Southeastern Louisiana".Southeastern Archaeology.13 (2):118–134.JSTOR40656501.
^Albrecht, Andrew C. (1945). "The Origin and Early Settlement of Baton Rouge, Louisiana".Louisiana Historical Quarterly.28 (1):5–68.
^"Pentagon Barracks".National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.Archived from the original on June 15, 2008. RetrievedAugust 12, 2008.
^Baedeker, Karl, ed.The United States with an Excursion into Mexico: A Handbook for Travelers, 1893: p. 321 (Reprint by Da Capo Press, New York, 1971)
^"Martha White dies, sparked '53 Louisiana capital bus boycott".Toronto City News. The Associated Press. June 8, 2021. RetrievedApril 20, 2024.When the driver ordered her to get up, White refused and another Black woman sat beside her in solidarity. The bus driver threatened to have the women arrested.
^"LSU Admission Requirements in 2022".Turito Blog. May 24, 2022. RetrievedDecember 13, 2022.The campus is spread over more than 1000 acres, and it is located in the southern part of Baton Rouge near the Mississippi River. It has a student population of more than 35000, which accounts for up to 20% of the population of Baton Rouge City.
^Carter, Thad Hills (2009). Kansas City Southern Railway. Images of Rail. (Reprint of an article by Philip Moseley originally published in the May 1986 issue of Arkansas Railroader). Charleston, SC; Chicago, IL; Portsmouth, NH; San Francisco, CA: Arcadia Publishing. p. 60.ISBN978-0-7385-6001-4.
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