Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge, Louisiana 

The city of Baton Rouge serves as the state capital of Louisiana in the United States. It is the parish capital of East Baton Rouge Parish, the most populous parish in Louisiana and the equivalent of counties in other U.S. states, and is situated on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River. It has been Louisiana's second-largest city after New Orleans since 2020; Baton Rouge is the state's capital with the 18th-highest population. The city-proper has a population of 227,470 as of the 2020 United States Census; its combined population was 456,781 at the same time. With a population of 870,569 as of 2020, up from 802,484 in 2010, the city serves as the hub of Greater Baton Rouge, Louisiana's second-largest metropolitan area. 

The strategic location of the Baton Rouge region on the Istrouma Bluff, the first natural bluff upriver from the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico, is what gives the region its historical significance. This made it possible to establish a commercial area free from seasonal flooding. It also constructed a levee system to defend the riverfront and low-lying agricultural lands, running from the bluff downstream. 

With immigration from many different European countries as well as African people who were taken to North America as slaves or indentured servants, it is a hub with a diverse cultural heritage. Seven governments have controlled it over the years: the Republic of West Florida, the Confederate States of America, the United States as a territory and state, the French, British, and Spanish empires during the colonial era, and the United States once more following the American Civil War. Baton Rouge and its metropolitan area have evolved into a multicultural region that practices many different religious traditions, ranging from Catholicism to Protestantism, as well as Louisianan and Haitian Vodou. The region has also become home to a sizable lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community and elected the first open LGBT politician for the Louisiana Public Service Commission. 

The American South's principal industrial, petrochemical, medical, research, film, and expanding technological hub is Baton Rouge. The largest university in the state and the flagship of the LSU system is located there: Louisiana State University. Additionally, it is home to Southern University, the system's flagship school and the only historically black college system in the country. The Port of Greater Baton Rouge is the farthest upstream Mississippi River port that can accommodate Panamax ships, ranking eighth in terms of tonnage handled in the United States. Amazon, Lamar Advertising Company, BBQGuys, Marucci Sports, Piccadilly Restaurants, Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, ExxonMobil, Brown & Root, Shell, and Dow Chemical Company are significant businesses that contribute to the economy of the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area. 

Geography 

In the Florida Parishes region of southeast Louisiana, the city of Baton Rouge is situated on the Mississippi River's banks. The distance between the city and New Orleans is 79 miles (127 km), Alexandria is 126 miles (203 km), Lafayette is 56 miles (90 km), and Shreveport is 250 miles (400 km). Additionally, it is 272 miles (438 kilometers) from Houston, Texas and 173 miles (278 km) from Jackson, Mississippi. The elevation of Baton Rouge ranges from 56 to just over 62 feet above sea level. 

The parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish is located in Baton Rouge, the state capital of Louisiana. The city is 79.15 square miles (205.0 km2) in size, according to the United States Census Bureau, of which 76.95 square miles (199.3 km2) are land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2) (2.81%) are water. The community is located on the first series of bluffs to the north of the coastal plains of the Mississippi River Delta. The French constructed a fort in the city in 1719 due to its important location along the river and on the bluffs, which prevents floods. After Austin, Texas, and Tallahassee, Florida, Baton Rouge is the third-southeast capital city in the continental United States. The Greater Baton Rouge metropolitan area's cultural and financial hub. 

Climate 

A humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterizes Baton Rouge, with warm winters, hot and muggy summers, moderate to heavy rainfall, and a year-round risk of damaging winds and tornadoes. The region receives 61.94 inches (141.1 cm) of rain and 0.1 inches (0.25 cm) of snow on average each year. On the list of the wettest cities in the US, Baton Rouge ranks sixth with a lot of precipitation. Although it snowed three times in a row in the first decade of the twenty-first century on December 11, 2008, December 4, 2009, and February 12, 2010, snow is unusual for the Baton Rouge area and happened again in 2017. The average annual temperature in Baton Rouge is 68.4 °F (20.2 °C), compared to 51.7 °F (10.9 °C) in January and 83.0 °F (28.3 °C) in July. The region rarely experiences temperature extremes; there may be a few cold winter fronts, but they are mostly fleeting. 

Due to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, Baton Rouge and its surrounding metropolitan region are at risk from hurricanes. The worst hurricane to ever impact the Baton Rouge region, Hurricane Gustav, made landfall there on September 1, 2008. Winds over 100 mph (160 km/h) toppled trees, snapped power lines, and rendered roads inaccessible. Numerous buildings' roofs were damaged by trees, particularly in the Goodwood, Garden District, and Highland Road neighborhoods. A curfew was imposed, and the city was closed for five days. Signs were knocked over, roof shingles were torn off, and there was minimal structural damage. 

Economy 

As one of the "Top 10 Places for Young Adults" in 2010 according to portfolio.com and one of the top 20 cities in North America for economic strength according to the Brookings Institution, Baton Rouge benefits from a robust economy. According to CNN, the city was the ninth-best spot in the nation in 2009 to launch a new business. In Baton Rouge, Lamar Advertising Company is headquartered. Other well-known businesses with headquarters in the city include Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, Marucci Sports, Piccadilly Restaurants, and BBQGuys. Amazon and Microsoft are notable companies that have set up offices or distribution hubs in the Baton Rouge region in 2021. Before being sold in 2017, Chicago Bridge & Iron Company had a location in Baton Rouge. 

The Mississippi River's furthest inland port that can accommodate tankers and cargo ships is Baton Rouge. At Baton Rouge, the ships move their cargo (grain, oil, vehicles, and containers) onto railways and pipelines (for east-west transport) or barges (to travel north). The Old Huey Long Bridge does not have enough clearance for deep-draft ships to pass. Additionally, the river's depth sharply declines slightly to the north, close to Port Hudson. 

The manufacture and processing of petrochemicals is Baton Rouge's major industry. The Baton Rouge Refinery Complex of ExxonMobil is the tenth largest oil refinery in the world and the fifth largest in the United States. Rail, roadway, pipeline, and deep-water access are also available in Baton Rouge. A sizable plant owned by Dow Chemical Company is located in Iberville Parish, close to Plaquemine, and 17 miles (27 km) south of Baton Rouge. All three companies—Shaw Construction, Turner, and Harmony—began by carrying out construction work at these facilities. 

The city is the location of Louisiana State University, which has more than 5,000 academic staff members and serves as both the state capital and parish seat. The state government, which combined all state government branches downtown in the Capitol Park complex, is one of Baton Rouge's biggest employers. 

The city has a strong clinical and research presence in medicine. Our Lady of the Lake, Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital (associated with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital), Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, and Earl K. Long Hospital have all served as research hospitals (closed 2013). Baton Rouge is creating a medical area that is anticipated to be comparable to the Texas Medical Center along with a growing medical corridor along Essen Lane, Summa Avenue, and Bluebonnet Boulevard. In order to collaborate with Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center and Baton Rouge General Medical Center, LSU and Tulane University have each announced intentions to build satellite medical campuses in Baton Rouge. 

In the medical area off Essen Lane, Southeastern Louisiana University and Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University both have nursing programs. The Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University, which carries out biological and clinical research, helps to support the employment of researchers in the region around the Baton Rouge medical sector. 

Thanks to generous tax incentives that the state of Louisiana approved in 2002, the film industry there has grown significantly since the start of the twenty-first century. According to a report from the Baton Rouge Film Commission in September 2013, the sector contributed more than $90 million to the region's economy in that year. The Celtic Media Centre, which was established in 2006 by a local organization in partnership with Raleigh Studios of Los Angeles, is the largest production facility in Baton Rouge. Raleigh stopped participating in 2014 

Sports 

A significant part of Baton Rouge's culture is college sports. The local collegiate American football teams are the LSU Tigers football team and the Southern University Jaguars football team, both of which compete in NCAA Division I athletic competition. Basketball, gymnastics, and college baseball are among well-liked sports. 

Sports in the city are heavily dominated by the professional teams in the Greater New Orleans area. The Baton Rouge Red Sticks, a minor-league baseball team, the Baton Rouge Bombers, indoor football teams, a basketball team, and a hockey team have all existed in Baton Rouge (Baton Rouge Kingfish). The Baton Rouge Rugby Football Club, often known as Baton Rouge Redfish 7, has won multiple conference championships since it first started competing in 1977. The group now plays in the Deep South Rugby Football Union. 

The Baton Rouge Tigers, an Australian rules football team who debuted in the USAFL in 2004, are another sports organization in the city. Red Stick Roller Derby, a WFTDA Division 3 roller derby league, is also located in Baton Rouge. It was announced in 2022 that USL League Two would establish a team in Baton Rouge called Louisiana Parish AC, following the establishment of other teams in Lafayette and Shreveport. Baton Rouge is also home to the Baton Rouge Soccer Club in the Gulf Coast Premier League and the Baton Rouge Rougarou, a college summer league baseball team and member of the Texas Collegiate League. 

Population 

East Baton Rouge Parish in Louisiana is where the city of Baton Rouge is situated. It is the second-largest city in Louisiana and the 103rd-largest city in the United States with a population of 226,864 in 2023. The population of Baton Rouge has declined by -0.27% from the most recent census, which showed a population of 227,470 in 2020, and is now falling at a pace of -0.09% annually. Baton Rouge has a population density of 2,624 persons per square mile and a total length of nearly 89 miles. 

The poverty rate in Baton Rouge is 28.56% while the average household income is $70,902. The median monthly cost of rent in recent years has been, and the median value of a home is. In Baton Rouge, the median age is 32 years, with men being on average 29.6 years old and women 34.2 years old. 

The Mississippi River runs along East Baton Rouge Parish, where Baton Rouge, the state capital of Louisiana, is situated. The city is a significant economic, technological, medical, and scientific hub for the South. 157 miles from the Gulf of Mexico and 80 miles from New Orleans are where you'll find Baton Rouge.