Houma, Louisiana | |
|---|---|
 Former City Hall, now Le Petit Theatre | |
 Location of Houma in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana | |
  Houma Location in Louisiana Show map of Louisiana Houma Location in the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:29°35′15″N90°42′58″W / 29.58750°N 90.71611°W /29.58750; -90.71611 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Louisiana |
| Parish | Terrebonne |
| Founded | 1834; 192 years ago (1834) |
| Incorporated | 1848; 178 years ago (1848) |
| Reincorporated | 1898; 128 years ago (1898) |
| Named after | Houma people |
| Parish seat | Terrebonne |
| Principal city | Houma–Bayou Cane–ThibodauxMetropolitan Statistical Area |
| Region | Acadiana South Louisiana |
| Government | |
| • Type | Government |
| • Body | Consolidated City-Parish |
| • Parish President | Jason W. Bergeron (since 2024) |
| Area | |
• City | 14.59 sq mi (37.80 km2) |
| • Land | 14.47 sq mi (37.47 km2) |
| • Water | 0.13 sq mi (0.33 km2) |
| Population (2020) | |
• City | 33,406 |
| • Density | 2,309.1/sq mi (891.55/km2) |
| • Metro | 208,178 |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 70360, 70363-64 |
| Area code | 985 |
| FIPS code | 22-36255 |
| Website | www |
Houma (/ˈhoʊmə/HOH-mə)[2] is the largest city in and the parish seat of[3]Terrebonne Parish in theU.S. state ofLouisiana. It is also the largest principal city of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodauxmetropolitan statistical area. The city's government was absorbed by theparish in 1984, which currently operates as the Terrebonne ParishConsolidated Government.[4][5]
The population was 33,727 at the2010 census, an increase of 1,334 over the2000 census tabulation of 32,393.[6] In 2020, thepopulation estimates program determined 32,467 people lived in the city.[7] At the2020 census, its population rebounded to 33,406.[8] Many unincorporated areas are adjacent to the city of Houma. The largest,Bayou Cane, is an urbanized area commonly referred to by locals as being part of Houma, but it is not included in the city's census counts, and is a separatecensus-designated place. If the populations of the urbanized census-designated places were included with that of the city of Houma, the total would exceed 60,000 residents.
The city was named after the historic Native American tribe ofHouma people, believed to be related to theChoctaw. TheUnited Houma Nation is recognized by the state of Louisiana, but it has not achieved federal recognition.[9]
Settled by theChitimacha and then theHouma Indians prior toEuropean colonization, Houma was soon named for the Houma Indians who were at Ouiski Point. Land claimed for the Houma Indians by the Spanish was not recognized by the United States after theLouisiana Purchase.
Present-day Houma was formed in 1832; the city was incorporated in 1848.[10] The area was developed for sugar caneplantations in theantebellum years. Plantations were sited along the rivers and bayous in order to have access to water transportation.
Sugar cane continued to be important after the war and into the 20th century.
On January 24, 1970, an accidental gas explosion killed three people and caused extensive damage downtown. Latour's Jewelry Store was destroyed.[11][12]
In 1984, the city and parish consolidated their governments.[5] In 2008, Bill Ellzey, a columnist atHouma Today, wrote that area residents were often unaware of the Houma city boundaries as the city and parish governments had consolidated.[13]
In late August 2021, Houma was struck by the intense eye wall of category 4Hurricane Ida, causing widespread damage.[14]
Houma is located at29°35′15″N90°42′58″W / 29.58750°N 90.71611°W /29.58750; -90.71611 (29.587614, -90.716108) and has an elevation of 10 feet (3.0 m) above sea level.[15][16] According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.2 square miles (37 km2), of which 14.0 square miles (36 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2), or 0.92%, is water.
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild, sometimes warm winters. According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Houma has ahumid subtropical climate, abbreviatedCfa on climate maps.
| Climate data for Houma, Louisiana, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–2013 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 88 (31) | 87 (31) | 90 (32) | 92 (33) | 99 (37) | 104 (40) | 102 (39) | 101 (38) | 100 (38) | 97 (36) | 91 (33) | 89 (32) | 104 (40) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 77.3 (25.2) | 78.8 (26.0) | 82.3 (27.9) | 85.8 (29.9) | 91.2 (32.9) | 93.8 (34.3) | 95.7 (35.4) | 95.8 (35.4) | 94.1 (34.5) | 89.3 (31.8) | 84.6 (29.2) | 79.8 (26.6) | 96.5 (35.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 63.9 (17.7) | 67.2 (19.6) | 72.9 (22.7) | 78.3 (25.7) | 85.2 (29.6) | 89.9 (32.2) | 91.3 (32.9) | 91.4 (33.0) | 88.6 (31.4) | 81.5 (27.5) | 72.3 (22.4) | 66.4 (19.1) | 79.1 (26.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 53.7 (12.1) | 57.5 (14.2) | 63.6 (17.6) | 68.9 (20.5) | 76.2 (24.6) | 81.2 (27.3) | 82.7 (28.2) | 82.9 (28.3) | 79.7 (26.5) | 71.2 (21.8) | 61.9 (16.6) | 56.0 (13.3) | 69.6 (20.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 43.5 (6.4) | 47.8 (8.8) | 54.3 (12.4) | 59.6 (15.3) | 67.3 (19.6) | 72.6 (22.6) | 74.1 (23.4) | 74.5 (23.6) | 70.8 (21.6) | 60.9 (16.1) | 51.6 (10.9) | 45.6 (7.6) | 60.2 (15.7) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 27.1 (−2.7) | 31.1 (−0.5) | 35.7 (2.1) | 43.2 (6.2) | 54.9 (12.7) | 65.5 (18.6) | 69.1 (20.6) | 68.1 (20.1) | 57.6 (14.2) | 43.5 (6.4) | 35.0 (1.7) | 27.5 (−2.5) | 23.5 (−4.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 12 (−11) | 5 (−15) | 23 (−5) | 28 (−2) | 42 (6) | 53 (12) | 56 (13) | 59 (15) | 43 (6) | 30 (−1) | 20 (−7) | 10 (−12) | 5 (−15) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 5.57 (141) | 4.44 (113) | 4.48 (114) | 3.99 (101) | 4.38 (111) | 8.40 (213) | 9.06 (230) | 6.50 (165) | 5.77 (147) | 4.31 (109) | 4.35 (110) | 4.17 (106) | 65.42 (1,660) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 10.0 | 7.6 | 7.4 | 5.8 | 6.5 | 12.2 | 16.1 | 14.2 | 10.8 | 7.1 | 7.4 | 9.6 | 114.7 |
| Source 1: NOAA[17] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service (mean maxima/minima 1981–2010)[18] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 429 | — | |
| 1870 | 593 | 38.2% | |
| 1880 | 1,084 | 82.8% | |
| 1890 | 1,280 | 18.1% | |
| 1900 | 3,212 | 150.9% | |
| 1910 | 5,024 | 56.4% | |
| 1920 | 5,160 | 2.7% | |
| 1930 | 6,531 | 26.6% | |
| 1940 | 9,052 | 38.6% | |
| 1950 | 11,505 | 27.1% | |
| 1960 | 22,561 | 96.1% | |
| 1970 | 30,922 | 37.1% | |
| 1980 | 32,602 | 5.4% | |
| 1990 | 30,495 | −6.5% | |
| 2000 | 32,393 | 6.2% | |
| 2010 | 33,727 | 4.1% | |
| 2020 | 33,406 | −1.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[19] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 19,456 | 58.24% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 8,065 | 24.14% |
| Native American | 1,428 | 4.27% |
| Asian | 472 | 1.41% |
| Pacific Islander | 12 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,537 | 4.6% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 2,436 | 7.29% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 33,406 people, 12,612 households, and 7,970 families residing in the city.
According to the 2019American Community Survey, the racial and ethnic makeup of the city was 62.1%non-Hispanic white, 23.3%Black or African American, 0.3%Asian alone, 0.1% some other race, 3.9%two or more races, and 4.3%Hispanic and Latin American of any race.[21] At the 2010 census, the racial make up of the city was 67.46%White American, 20.62% Black or African American, 5.45%American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.71% Asian, 0.12%Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 0.68% fromother races, and 1.87% from two or more races; Hispanics and Latin Americans of any race were 5.76% of the population.
In 2019, the median age was 36.8. Of the population aged 18 and older, they made 75.9% of the demographic; 8.1% of the population were aged 5 and under; 14.6% were aged 65 and older. The median income for a household at the 2019 American Community Survey was $42,949 and 23.8% of the population lived at or below the poverty line.
Terrebonne Parish School District operates the city and parish public schools. Houma is home to Louisiana's second-oldest high school,Terrebonne High School.[22][23]South Terrebonne High School was founded in 1961.H.L. Bourgeois High School,Ellender Memorial High School andVandebilt Catholic High School are also in Terrebonne Parish.Southdown High School (originally Houma Colored High School) was constructed in the mid-20th century as a segregated school for black students, serving them exclusively from 1946 to 1969.[24] After that the school was integrated as a result of 1964 civil rights legislation.
Houma and the surrounding communities are a blend of French, Native, Cajun, African, and Creole influences. Initially, the area was colonized by French and Spanish who made their way south throughBayou Lafourche. In the late 18th century, numerousAcadians (later known asCajuns) settled in the region. The Acadians had been expelled by the British from Nova Scotia during the Seven Years' War for their unwillingness to take a loyalty oath to the British King. The number expelled was approximately 15,000, of which 3,000 eventually settled in this region. Others went to France. As the French, Spanish, Acadians, and Native American peoples mixed over the decades, a unique Cajun culture emerged.[citation needed]
The swampland around Houma resulted in the area being quite isolated from the rest of Louisiana and the United States well into the 1930s. Outside influences such as radio and concomitant popular culture failed to penetrate Cajun culture, so Cajun culture and the use of French language in this region persevered much longer than in cities on the border of Cajun country, such asLake Charles orBaton Rouge. Traditional Cajun culture in Houma includes the French language,Cajun cuisine, and celebration of Catholic festivals such asMardi Gras. That folk culture remains evident today and attracts many tourists to the region.[25]
In the 1970s, many South Vietnamese refugees emigrated following the reunification of Vietnam. They settled in Southern Louisiana to work as shrimpers, just as they had in Vietnam. A fairly significant portion of them settled in New Orleans, and many also settled in Houma, as well as in other locations along the Gulf Coast. Many ethnic Vietnamese families continue to work in shrimping, a tradition that has been passed down through their families for several decades.[26]
Downtown Houma has been designated as ahistoric district and is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places. It offers a downtown walking tour and attractions such as the Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum, the Folklife Culture Center, the Regional Military Museum, Southdown Plantation, the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, monuments to local armed forces, and local eateries.[27]
Although Houma is rapidly changing, many residents in the surrounding communities continue to make their living from the Gulf, just as their ancestors did. They harvestshrimp,oyster,crab,fish, and engage in trapping, although more have shifted to work in occupations of the oil industry and shipbuilding. According to the United States Government Patent and Trademark Office, Houma, Louisiana, was the site of the deepest oil well in Terrebonne Parish.[citation needed]
Tab Benoit's Voice of the Wetlands Music Festival, established in 2005, takes place annually in Houma, Louisiana, in October.[28]
The annual "Weenie Spaghetti Festival" was first held in Houma in 2024.[29]
The local newspaper isThe Courier, founded in 1878 asLe Courrier de Houma by the French-born Lafayette Bernard Filhucan Bazet. He first published it in four-page, half-French half-English editions. Sold toThe New York Times Company in 1980, it is now part of GateHouse Media.[30]
TheHouma Times is located in Houma. The newspaper is a weekly publication with a website updated daily. It serves the Terrebonne, Lafourche, and St. Mary parishes. In 2014, Houma-based Rushing Media merged with Guidry Group, Inc., which had owned the publication since its inception in 1997.[31]
The following radio stations are located in the Houma-Thibodaux metropolitan area, though several stations licensed to Houma also serve New Orleans and cover all of southeastern Louisiana:
Houma is served byHouma-Terrebonne Airport, located 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of the central business district.[32]
Good Earth Transit is Houma's parish bus system.[33] It has five major routes and serves the surrounding suburban areas, including the small bayou communities and the city ofThibodaux.[34]
Houma relies mainly on roads and personal vehicles as the main form of transportation. The major roads in Houma are:
Cambrai,Nord,Hauts-de-France,France
Datça,Muğla Province, Turkey
Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)Bibliography
Media from Commons
Travel information from Wikivoyage
Data from Wikidata| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
