Monroe, Louisiana | |
|---|---|
 Downtown Monroe | |
 Seal | |
| Nickname: Twin Cities of Northeast Louisiana (along withWest Monroe) | |
| Motto: "Oneroe" | |
 Location of Monroe inOuachita Parish,Louisiana | |
  Monroe Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates:32°30′34″N92°07′06″W / 32.50944°N 92.11833°W /32.50944; -92.11833 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Parish | Ouachita |
| Founded | 1785 (240 years ago) (1785) |
| Incorporated (town) | 1845 (180 years ago) (1845) |
| Incorporated (city) | 1906 (119 years ago) (1906) |
| Named after | thesteamboatJames Monroe |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Friday Ellis (I) |
| • City Council | Members List
|
| Area | |
• City | 32.91 sq mi (85.23 km2) |
| • Land | 29.65 sq mi (76.80 km2) |
| • Water | 3.25 sq mi (8.42 km2) |
| Elevation | 72 ft (22 m) |
| Population | |
• City | 47,702 |
• Estimate (2023)[4] | 46,616 |
| • Rank | US: 857th LA:8th |
| • Density | 1,608.6/sq mi (621.08/km2) |
| • Urban | 119,964 (US:280th) |
| • Metro | 222,695 (US:212nd) |
| Urban area includes Monroe-West Monroe | |
| Demonym | Monroyan |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes | 71201, 71202, 71203, 71207, 71209, 71210, 71211, 71212, 71213, 71217 |
| Area code | 318 |
| FIPS code | 22-51410 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2404283[2] |
| Sales tax | 10.44%[5] |
| Website | monroela.us |
Monroe is theninth-largest city in theU.S. state ofLouisiana, and is theparish seat and largest city ofOuachita Parish. With a2020 census-tabulated population of 47,702,[3] it is the principal city of theMonroe metropolitan statistical area, the second-largest metropolitan area inNorth Louisiana.
Asgovernor of Louisiana,Esteban Rodríguez Miró hadFort Miro built in 1791.[6] Fort Miro changed its name to Monroe to commemorate the first arrival of thesteamboatJames Monroe in the spring of 1820.[7] The ship's arrival was the single event, in the minds of local residents, that transformed the outpost into atown.
Credit for the name is indirectly given toJames Monroe ofVirginia, the fifthPresident of the United States, for whom the ship was named. The steamboat is depicted in amural at the main branch of the Ouachita Parish Public Library.
Monroe's origins date back to theSpanish colonial period.
As the 19th century began, the entireOuachita Valley region ... was part of Spanish colonial holdings.Ouachita Parish encompassed the area between theRed and theMississippi Rivers, from north ofConcordia andRapides Parish to theMissouri. The area was sparsely populated, primarily by itinerant hunters and trappers until late in the 18th century. Under Spanish colonial rule, Jean Baptiste Filhiol was sent from South Louisiana to oversee the settlement of the Poste du Ouachita in 1781. In 1785 Filhiol designatedPrairie des Canots, now Monroe ... as the governmental center of the Poste du Ouachita. In response to a petition by the settlers, a fortification was built in 1791 and named Fort Miro in honor of the Spanish governor,Estavan Miro.
— Susan Sirmans,Pharmacy and Medicine in Nineteenth-Century Ouachita Parish, Louisiana[8]
Fort Miro changed its name to Monroe to commemorate the first arrival of thesteamboatJames Monroe in the spring of 1820 (see "Etymology" above).[7]
In 1913,Joseph A. Biedenharn, the first bottler ofCoca-Cola, moved to Monroe from Vicksburg, Mississippi. Biedenharn and his son Malcolm were among the founders ofDelta Air Lines, originally Delta Dusters. That company was founded inTallulah, Louisiana in Madison Parish. It was based on products and processes developed by the Agriculture Experimental Station to dust crops from airplanes in order to combat the devastating effects that theboll weevil had on cotton crops. Biedenharn's home and gardens have been preserved and are now operated as theBiedenharn Museum and Gardens and are open to the public.[9]
Collett E. Woolman, the Ouachita Parish agent, was originally fromIndiana. He pioneeredcrop dusting to eradicate theboll weevil, which destroyedcotton throughout theMississippi Delta in the early 20th century. Woolman originated the first crop-dusting service in the world.[10] The collapse of cotton production meant a widespread loss of farm jobs, which contributed to the early-20th-centuryGreat Migration, when a total of 1.5 millionAfrican Americans left the ruralSouth for jobs innorthern andmidwestern cities. They were also escaping the oppressive racial conditions and violence underJim Crow and thedisenfranchisement that excluded most blacks from the political system.
Howard D. Griffin (1911–1986) purchased a boat dealership in 1936 while a student at what became theUniversity of Louisiana Monroe. By the 1960s, Griffin's company had become the world's largest outboard motor dealership, and he also soldmotorcycles. From 1955 to 1985, Griffin and his wife, Birdie M. Griffin (1915–1985), operated their seasonal Land O' Toys store in Monroe.[11]
Located in northeastern Louisiana, Monroe is the center of theMonroe metropolitan statistical area. It is the parish seat ofOuachita Parish, and northeastern Louisiana's economic and cultural hub. Monroe has an elevation of 72 feet (21.9 m) above sea level.[12] According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.6 square miles (83.9 km2), of which, 28.7 square miles (74.3 km2) is land and 3.7 square miles (9.6 km2) is water. The total area is 11.46% water.
Monroe has ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classificationCfa). Rainfall is abundant, with the normal annual precipitation averaging over 51 inches (1.3 m). Monthly averages range from less than 3 inches (76 mm) in August to more than 5 inches (130 mm) in June. Severe thunderstorms with heavyrain,hail, damagingwinds andtornadoes occur in the area during the spring and summer months.
The winter months are normally mild, with an average of 35 days of freezing or below-freezing temperatures per year, with ice andsleet storms possible. Summer months are hot and humid, with maximum temperatures exceeding 90 degrees an average of 91 days per year, with high to very high relative average humidity, sometimes exceeding the 90 percent level.
| Climate data for Monroe, Louisiana (Monroe Regional Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 86 (30) | 89 (32) | 95 (35) | 97 (36) | 104 (40) | 108 (42) | 109 (43) | 108 (42) | 107 (42) | 101 (38) | 90 (32) | 89 (32) | 109 (43) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 75.6 (24.2) | 78.7 (25.9) | 84.2 (29.0) | 88.2 (31.2) | 92.7 (33.7) | 96.5 (35.8) | 99.5 (37.5) | 100.2 (37.9) | 97.2 (36.2) | 90.9 (32.7) | 82.8 (28.2) | 78.0 (25.6) | 101.3 (38.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 57.0 (13.9) | 61.1 (16.2) | 69.1 (20.6) | 76.8 (24.9) | 84.4 (29.1) | 90.5 (32.5) | 93.2 (34.0) | 93.6 (34.2) | 88.7 (31.5) | 78.8 (26.0) | 67.3 (19.6) | 59.0 (15.0) | 76.6 (24.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 46.8 (8.2) | 50.7 (10.4) | 58.1 (14.5) | 65.5 (18.6) | 73.8 (23.2) | 80.3 (26.8) | 82.8 (28.2) | 82.5 (28.1) | 77.1 (25.1) | 66.3 (19.1) | 55.6 (13.1) | 48.8 (9.3) | 65.7 (18.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 36.7 (2.6) | 40.2 (4.6) | 47.2 (8.4) | 54.2 (12.3) | 63.1 (17.3) | 70.1 (21.2) | 72.5 (22.5) | 71.4 (21.9) | 65.5 (18.6) | 53.7 (12.1) | 43.9 (6.6) | 38.6 (3.7) | 54.8 (12.7) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 21.3 (−5.9) | 26.0 (−3.3) | 30.6 (−0.8) | 38.8 (3.8) | 50.0 (10.0) | 61.6 (16.4) | 66.6 (19.2) | 64.9 (18.3) | 52.4 (11.3) | 37.8 (3.2) | 28.4 (−2.0) | 24.4 (−4.2) | 19.7 (−6.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −1 (−18) | −2 (−19) | 18 (−8) | 31 (−1) | 39 (4) | 51 (11) | 55 (13) | 51 (11) | 35 (2) | 29 (−2) | 19 (−7) | 5 (−15) | −2 (−19) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 5.15 (131) | 4.65 (118) | 5.21 (132) | 5.83 (148) | 4.43 (113) | 4.45 (113) | 3.94 (100) | 3.56 (90) | 3.55 (90) | 4.95 (126) | 4.16 (106) | 5.22 (133) | 55.10 (1,400) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.6 (1.5) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.9 (2.3) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 10.2 | 9.7 | 9.8 | 8.3 | 9.7 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 7.6 | 6.8 | 7.5 | 8.2 | 9.9 | 106.2 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.0 |
| Source:NOAA (snow 1981–2010)[13][14][15] | |||||||||||||
In March 2016, rainfall amounts ranging between 15 and 20 inches fell area-wide over 3 days, more than any 3-day period ever previously recorded. InOuachita Parish alone, there were 9,500 homes with flood damage, and 5,400 were completely flooded. More than 1,700 high-water rescues were performed.[16]
As part of the2020 Easter tornado outbreak, on April 12, the community was struck by alow-end EF3 tornado. Damage was severe, but there were no deaths or injuries due to advance warnings.[17]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 435 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,949 | — | |
| 1880 | 2,070 | 6.2% | |
| 1890 | 3,256 | 57.3% | |
| 1900 | 5,428 | 66.7% | |
| 1910 | 10,209 | 88.1% | |
| 1920 | 12,675 | 24.2% | |
| 1930 | 26,028 | 105.3% | |
| 1940 | 28,309 | 8.8% | |
| 1950 | 38,572 | 36.3% | |
| 1960 | 52,219 | 35.4% | |
| 1970 | 56,374 | 8.0% | |
| 1980 | 57,597 | 2.2% | |
| 1990 | 54,909 | −4.7% | |
| 2000 | 53,107 | −3.3% | |
| 2010 | 48,815 | −8.1% | |
| 2020 | 47,702 | −2.3% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 46,616 | [4] | −2.3% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[18] 2020 Census[3] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 14,398 | 30.18% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 30,166 | 63.24% |
| Native American | 84 | 0.18% |
| Asian | 835 | 1.75% |
| Pacific Islander | 10 | 0.02% |
| Other/mixed | 1,221 | 2.56% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 988 | 2.07% |
As of the2020 census, there were 47,702 people, 17,327 households, and 9,811 families residing in the city. At the 2019American Community Survey, there were 48,241 people and 17,327 households. In 2010, the population was 48,815, declining from the city's historic high of 57,597 at the1980 U.S. census.
Of the 17,327households in 2019, there were 7,409 owner-occupied housing units. An estimated 3,493 of owner-occupied housing units weremarried couples living together; 354 were male households with no female present, and 927 were female households with no male present. There was an average family size of 3.58; 27.4% of all households were married couples living together, 29.8% were male households with no female present, and 46.4% were female households with no male present.
Themedian income for a household in the city was $30,438 versus $51,073 nationwide. Families had an annual median income of $38,374, married-couple families $75,089, and non-family households $21,210. Approximately 36.8% of the population lived at or below thepoverty line; 54.1% under 18 years, 32.2% aged 18 to 16, and 21.3% aged 65 and older lived at or below the poverty line in 2019.
In 2019, the racial and ethnic makeup of the city was 62.0%Black or African American, 32.7%non-Hispanic or Latin American white, 0.2%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Asian, 1.0% some other race, 0.9%two or more races, and 2.3%Hispanic and Latin American of any race.[20] Among the Hispanic and Latin American population at the 2019 American Community Survey, the largest groups wereMexican Americans (1.2%) andPuerto Ricans (0.1%). Other Hispanic and Latin Americans made up 1.0% of the total population.Vietnamese andChinese Americans were the largest Asian American groups in the city, followed byAsian Indians; the Vietnamese community in Monroe and the rest of Louisiana grew following theVietnam War.[21]
As part of theBible Belt,Christianity is the largest religion in Monroe, the city'smetropolitan area, andNorth Louisiana.[22] In common with much of northern andCentral Louisiana,Baptists makes up the largestChristian denomination by affiliation. As a predominantly-African-American city, the largestBaptist denominations are theNational Baptist Convention, USA; theNational Baptist Convention of America; and theProgressive National Baptist Convention. TheSouthern Baptist Convention also has churches throughout the Monroe area.[23]
Methodism make up the second-largest Christian denomination by affiliation, primarily divided among theAfrican Methodist Episcopal andChristian Methodist Episcopal churches. TheCatholic Church is the third-largest, and the city's Catholic population is served by theRoman Catholic Diocese of Shreveport as of 2021.[24]Pentecostalism is a growing tradition among the population, divided among Classical Pentecostals, andOneness Pentecostals. TheChurch of God in Christ andUnited Pentecostal Church are the largest Pentecostal denominations in the city and metropolitan area; there are also some independent Oneness Pentecostal churches in the city.
Islam is Monroe's second-largest religion.Muslims are predominantlySunni, though theNation of Islam also maintains a presence in the area. Formermayor Jamie Mayo controversially awarded akey to the city to the head of the Nation of IslamLouis Farrakhan.[25][26]
Judaism is Monroe's third-largest religion, with most being of theReform denomination. Temple B'nai Israel, established in 1868, is Monroe's oldestsynagogue.[27][28]
According to the city's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[29] the largest employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ouachita Parish School Board | 2,844 |
| 2 | Lumen Technologies, Inc. (formerly CenturyLink) | 2,360 |
| 3 | St. Francis Specialty Hospital | 1,584 |
| 4 | Monroe City Schools | 1,348 |
| 5 | IASIS Healthcare (Glenwood Regional Medical Center) | 1,156 |
| 6 | City of Monroe | 1,105 |
| 7 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. | 930 |
| 8 | Walmart (three locations) | 912 |
| 9 | University of Louisiana at Monroe | 885 |
| 10 | Graphic Packaging Holding Company | 840 |
Monroe uses amayor–council form of government.[31] It is led by a city council consisting of a mayor and five councilors. The mayor is elected at large and city councilors are elected by members of a geographic district. Each city council meeting has time for public comment.[32]
In theLouisiana State Legislature, Monroe is in the33rd and34th Senate districts, represented byRepublicanStewart Cathey Jr. andDemocratKatrina Jackson, and the 14th, 16th, and 17th House districts, represented by Republican Michael Charles Echols, and Democrats Adrian Fisher and Patricia "Pat" Moore.[33][34]
Monroe is located inLouisiana's 5th congressional district, represented byJulia Letlow in theUnited States House of Representatives.
TheMonroe Civic Center has multiple facilities, the main complex being the Civic Center arena.[35] The arena provides 44,000 square feet (4,100 m2) of exhibit space along with 5,600 seats, with a larger potential capacity of up to 7,200 seats. The arena houses events such asbanquets,circuses, androdeos.
The center also holds the B. D. Robinson Conference Hall,[36] Monroe Convention Center,[37] equestrian pavilion, and the 2,200-seat W. L. Jack Howard Theatre[38] named forW. L. "Jack" Howard, theUnion Parish native who served as mayor of Monroe from 1956 to 1972 and again from 1976 to 1978. TheHarvey H. Benoit Recreation Center is used forbasketball games and has outdoortennis courts.[39]
During the last week of June, Monroe hosts the annualMiss Louisiana pageant.[40]
Monroe is the home of theLouisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo, which collectively maintains over 500 animals. It also offers boat rides and a catwalk, in addition to other seasonal activities.[41]
The Monroe area is home to several museums, including theNortheast Louisiana Children's Museum,[42][43] theBiedenharn Museum and Gardens,[44] theChennault Aviation and Military Museum,[45][46] theMasur Museum of Arts,[47] and theNortheast Louisiana Delta African-American Heritage Museum.[48][49] This is one of the 26 sites identified in the early 21st century as part of the state'sAfrican American Heritage Trail.[50]
Monroe is home to theBlack Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Admission is free.
The City of Monroe owns and operates 17 city parks.[51]
Monroe was home to theMonroe Moccasins minor league hockey team in the Western Professional Hockey League from 1997 to 2001. The team will resume play in 2024.
TheGannett ownedNews Star is the primary daily newspaper serving Monroe and area.
Monroe is served by two African-American-owned weekly newspapers: theMonroe Free Press and theMonroe Dispatch.The Free Press was founded in 1969 by Roosevelt Wright, Jr., andThe Dispatch was founded in 1975 by Irma and Frank Detiege.The Ouachita Citizen is a locally owned and operated weekly newspaper that was founded in 1924. It has all-local coverage of events in Ouachita Parish, including Monroe,West Monroe,Sterlington andRichwood.
Monroe is the principal city of the Monroe media market for television. BothKNOE-TV andKTVE offer a full range of network and local daily news programming.
Monroe is served by local radio stationKJLO,[52] andKMVX,[53] that also broadKMLB AM 540.[54]
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The city is within theMonroe City Schools school district, which uses the city boundaries as its boundary.[55] The school district consists of three high schools, three junior high schools, and 18 elementary schools.[56] The Monroe school district operates the following high schools:
The Monroe district is separate from the largerOuachita Parish School System, which does not include any part of the Monroe city limits.[55] The Ouachita Parish school district formerly had its headquarters in Monroe.[57] Ouachita Junior High School is physically in the Monroe city limits.[58]Ouachita Parish High School has a Monroe postal address, though it is in anunincorporated area.[59] The attendance boundaries of both schools do not include any part of the city limits.
Schools of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Shreveport:
Other private schools in the area include:
Monroe is home to the528th Engineer Battalion of theLouisianaArmy National Guard. This unit is part of the225th Engineer Brigade which is headquartered inPineville, Louisiana atLouisiana National Guard Training Center Pineville.
Monroe was the founding city ofDelta Air Lines in the 1920s. As the airline expanded, it moved toAtlanta.Monroe Regional Airport serves the city and northeast Louisiana. It has three main runways and is served by regional partners ofAmerican Airlines andDelta Air Lines.
Greyhound Bus Lines provides transportation from Monroe to many cities across the nation. Monroe has the oldest municipally owned transit system in the nation. Created in 1906 as a four-line street railroad, the Monroe Transit System now provides 13 fixed bus routes covering most areas of the city, and three demand-response buses serving the disabled.[63]
Monroe can be accessed fromInterstate 20,U.S. Highway 165,Louisiana Highway 15,U.S. Highway 80, andInterstate 420 (proposed).
Kansas City Southern,Union Pacific,BNSF, andNorfolk Southern servefreight traffic in the city.
5500 Blanks Street Monroe, Louisiana 71203- Compare withUS Census Bureau map of the city, page 6 (PDF p. 7/9), find "Blanks St"
681 Hwy 594 Monroe, Louisiana 71203-Compare to this map pages 6-7 (PDF pp. 7-8/9).
900 Good Shepherd Lane Monroe, LA 71201
3202 Franklin Street Monroe , LA 71201
600 Finks Hideaway Rd. Monroe, LA 71203-Compare to this map page 4 (PDF p. 5/9).
Places adjacent to Monroe, Louisiana | |
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