Editing Lake Charles, Louisiana

{{short description|City in Louisiana, United States}}
{{For|the lake itself that is located adjacent to this city|Lake Charles (Louisiana)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                     = Lake Charles
| settlement_type          = [[List of municipalities in Louisiana|City]]
| image_skyline            = Lake Charles Collage.png
| imagesize                = 280px
| image_caption            = Top to bottom, L-R: Downtown Lake Charles, L'Auberge du Lac Casino, [[McNeese State University]], [[John McNeese]] statue, [[Israel LaFleur Bridge]], Lake Charles City Court, Henderson Bayou
| image_flag               = Flag of Lake Charles.png
| flag_size                = 118px
| image_blank_emblem       = Lake Charles seal.png
| blank_emblem_type        = Logo of Lake Charles
| image_seal               = Seal of Lake Charles.png
| seal_size                = 93px
| nickname                 = The Lake Area
| pushpin_map              = Louisiana#USA
| pushpin_map_caption      = Location in Louisiana##Location in the United States
| pushpin_relief           = yes
| pushpin_label            = Lake Charles
<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type         = Country
| subdivision_name         = {{flag|United States}}
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = {{flag|Louisiana}}
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of parishes in Louisiana|Parish]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana|Calcasieu]]
<!-- Government -->
| established_title        = Founded
| established_date         = About 1857 as Charleston<ref name="Leeper2012">{{cite book|last=D’Artois Leeper|first=Clare|title=Louisiana Place Names: Popular, Unusual, and Forgotten Stories of Towns, Cities, Plantations, Bayous, and Even Some Cemeteries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HgL-Yi7GIEQC|access-date=November 8, 2018|date=October 19, 2012|publisher=LSU Press|location=Baton Rouge, Louisiana|isbn=978-0-8071-4738-2|page=144}}</ref>
| established_title1       = Renamed
| established_date1        = {{Start date and age|1867|03|16}} as Lake Charles
| founder                  = [[Charles Sallier]]
| named_for                = Charles Sallier
| leader_party             = 
| leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name              = Nicholas E. "Nic" Hunter ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])
| leader_title1            = [[City Council]]<ref>{{cite web|title=City of Lake Charles|url=http://www.cityoflakecharles.com/department/index.php?fDD=4-0|website=Cityoflakecharles.com|access-date=August 23, 2024}}</ref>
| leader_name1             = {{Collapsible list
| title                  = Members list
| frame_style            = border:none; padding: 0;
| title_style            = <!-- (optional) -->
| list_style             = text-align:left;display:none;
| 1 = Dist A: Ronnie Harvey, Jr.
| 2 = Dist B: Luvertha W. August
| 3 = Dist C: Rodney Geyen
| 4 = Dist D: John Ieyoub
| 5 = Dist E: Stuart Weatherford
| 6 = Dist F: Craig Marks
| 7 = Dist G: Mark Eckard
}}
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_22.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 20, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi         = 48.46
| area_land_sq_mi          = 45.65
| area_water_sq_mi         = 2.81
| area_total_km2           = 125.51
| area_land_km2            = 118.23
| area_water_km2           = 7.28
<!-- Population -->
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 84872
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
| population_density_km2   = auto
| population_urban         = 162501
| population_metro         = 254652
| population_demonym       = Lake Charlesian
<!-- General information -->
| timezone1                = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc_offset1              = −6
| timezone1_DST            = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc_offset1_DST          = −5
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft             = 15
| coordinates              = {{coord|30|11|50|N|93|14|12|W|display=it}}<ref name=gnis/>
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]s
| postal_code              = 70601, 70602, 70605, 70606, 70607, 70609, 70615, 70616, 70629
| area_code_type           = [[Area code]]
| area_code                = [[Area code 337|337]]
| website                  = {{URL|www.cityoflakecharles.com}}
| pop_est_as_of            = 2023
| pop_est_footnotes        = 
| population_est           = 79633<ref>{{cite web | title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020−2023| publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] | access-date=August 23, 2024 | url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html}}</ref>
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 22-41155
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 2404859<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2404859}}</ref>
| image_map                = File:Calcasieu Parish Louisiana Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Lake Charles Highlighted.svg
| map_caption              = Location of Lake Charles in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
}}

'''Lake Charles''' is the [[List of municipalities in Louisiana|fifth-most populous city]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Louisiana]], and the [[county seat|parish seat]] of [[Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana|Calcasieu Parish]], located on [[Lake Charles (Louisiana)|Lake Charles]], [[Prien Lake]], and the [[Calcasieu River]]. Founded in 1861 in Calcasieu Parish, it is a major industrial, cultural, and educational center in the [[Southwest Louisiana|southwest region]] of the state. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 U.S. census]], Lake Charles's population was 84,872.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=2020 United States census |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/lakecharlescitylouisiana/POP010220 |website=www.census.gov |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=12 August 2021}}</ref>

The city and metropolitan area of Lake Charles is considered a regionally significant center of [[petrochemical]] refining, gambling, tourism, and education, being home to [[McNeese State University]] and [[Sowela Technical Community College]]. Because of the lakes and waterways throughout the city, [[Lake Charles metropolitan area|metropolitan Lake Charles]] is often called the "Lake Area".{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}

==History==
{{Main|History of Lake Charles, Louisiana}}
[[File:Ryan Street Lake Charles 1903.jpg|thumb|left|Ryan Street in Lake Charles, 1903]]
[[File:Ryan Street Crowd.jpg|thumb|left|Downtown Lake Charles, {{Circa|1917}}]]
On March 7, 1861, Lake Charles was incorporated as the town of Charleston, Louisiana.<ref name="historicalmarker">{{cite web
|title=Lake Charles Historical Marker
|author=Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism
|url=http://www.stoppingpoints.com/louisiana/Calcasieu/Lake+Charles/
}}</ref>

Lake Charles was founded by merchant and tradesman [[History of Marksville, Louisiana|Marco Eliche]] (or Marco de Élitxe) as an outpost. He was a [[Sephardic Jewish]] trader of either [[Basque people|Basque-Spanish]] or [[Italian people|Venetian-Italian]] origins. He had arrived in Louisiana after hitchhiking, and was invited onto a Spanish vessel due to his determination and loyalty to volunteer and work freely for the Spanish Empire. Long before incorporation and even before the [[Louisiana Purchase]], other names for Lake Charles were Port de Lafitte (Port of [[Jean Lafitte]]) or Rivière Lafitte (River Lafitte/Lafitte's River), among many other names now lost. Eliche had also founded other outposts and towns in Louisiana prior, most notably [[Marksville, Louisiana|Marksville]], which is named after him. Also, some urban tales indicate he had planned to name the settlement Nouveau Cadix (New [[Cádiz]])", after the city in [[Spain]], but this is uncertain.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}

The town was first incorporated in 1857 as Charleston, after an early settler, [[Charles Sallier]]. On March 16, 1867, Charleston was reincorporated as the City of Lake Charles.<ref name="Leeper2012">{{cite book|last=D’Artois Leeper|first=Clare|title=Louisiana Place Names: Popular, Unusual, and Forgotten Stories of Towns, Cities, Plantations, Bayous, and Even Some Cemeteries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HgL-Yi7GIEQC|access-date=November 8, 2018|date=October 19, 2012|publisher=LSU Press|location=Baton Rouge, Louisiana|isbn=978-0-8071-4738-2|page=144}}</ref> The Great Fire of April 1910 devastated much of the city.<ref>{{cite news |title=Five Thousand Homeless in Fire-Swept City |url=http://www.gendisasters.com/louisiana/10481/lake-charles-la-city-fire-apr-1910 |access-date=21 November 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=24 April 1910}}</ref>

Lake Charles soon rebuilt, grew and expanded in the 20th century. The [[Charleston Hotel]] was completed in 1929, during the administration of Mayor Henry J. Geary.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cityoflakecharles.com/egov/apps/document/center.egov?view=item;id=65|title=Document Center / History of Lake Charles / City of Lake Charles, Louisiana|website=Cityoflakecharles.com|access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref> During and after [[World War II]], Lake Charles experienced industrial growth with the arrival of [[petrochemical]] refineries. The city grew to a high of some 75,000 people in the early 1980s, but with local economic recession, the population declined and stagnated. In 1985, the city was identified as a potential [[Strategic Homeport]] to support Navy Secretary [[John Lehman]]'s desire for a [[600-ship Navy]].<ref>[[General Accounting Office]], [https://www.gao.gov/assets/160/150619.pdf Navy Homeports: Expanded Structures Unnecessary and Costly], NSIAD-91-158, June 1991, p.8</ref> Support ships were to be operated from the new Naval Station Lake Charles, but with the tailing-off of the [[Cold War]], the [[1988 Base Realignment and Closure Commission]] recommended it be closed. By 1991, the incomplete base was dropped from the program and shuttered.

In 2005, the city was heavily damaged by [[Hurricane Rita]]. In 2020, it was battered by two hurricanes, category 4 [[Hurricane Laura]] on August 26–27, and [[Hurricane Delta]] on October 9, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Santana|first1=Rebecca|last2=Plaisance|first2=Stacey|last3=Richer|first3=Alanna|date=2020-10-10|title=Delta adds insult to injury in hurricane-ravaged Louisiana|url=https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-tropical-storms-storms-hurricane-laura-hurricane-delta-b79a7554173b9e5730ae0f658be52868|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-02-15|website=AP NEWS}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last1=Bote|first1=Joshua|last2=Shannon|first2=Joel|date=2020-10-10|title=Photos show Hurricane Delta's aftermath as Louisiana suffers back-to-back storms|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/10/10/hurricane-delta-damage-photos-show-aftermath-louisiana/5952787002/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-02-15|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US}}</ref> Lake Charles after the hurricanes was described as if "20 tornadoes came in and wiped the city".

The southern portion of the city was damaged by an EF2 tornado on October 27, 2021,<ref>{{Cite web|last=By|first=daryl herzmann|title=IEM :: PNS from NWS LCH|url=https://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/wx/afos/p.php?pil=PNSLCH&e=202110272348|access-date=2021-10-28|website=mesonet.agron.iastate.edu|language=en}}</ref> and an EF1 tornado caused minor damage to downtown Lake Charles on May 13, 2024.<ref>{{cite report|author=National Weather Service in Lake Charles, Louisiana |title=NWS Damage Survey for 05/13/24 Tornado Event |url=https://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/wx/afos/p.php?pil=PNSLCH&e=202405141406|publisher=Iowa Environmental Mesonet |date=May 14, 2024 |access-date=May 15, 2024}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Henderson Bayou.JPG|thumb|left|Henderson Bayou]]
Lake Charles, located on a level plain about {{convert|30|mi|km}} from the [[Gulf of Mexico]], has an elevation around {{convert|13|ft|1|abbr=on}} above sea level,<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref> and is located on the banks of the [[Calcasieu River]] in [[Southwest Louisiana|southwestern Louisiana]]. It borders both [[Lake Charles (Louisiana)|Lake Charles]] and [[Prien Lake]]. [[Contraband Bayou]], Henderson Bayou, and English Bayou flow through the city. Oak and pine trees dot the landscape; the lumber industry was once the main economic engine of the area. The [[Calcasieu Ship Channel]], which allows large, ocean-going vessels to sail up from the gulf, also borders the city.
The 2010 census recorded Lake Charles' total land size was 48.6 sq mi <!-- what?  was to 2023 census records Lake Charles being 61.35 sq miles in total size -->. 
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Census|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/22/2241155.html|publisher=Census|access-date=April 14, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415050339/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/22/2241155.html|archive-date=April 15, 2014}}</ref> the city has a total area of {{convert|116.0|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|7.1|sqkm|order=flip}}, or 6.12%, is covered by water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US2241155| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212180438/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US2241155| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Lake Charles city, Louisiana| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=August 14, 2014}}</ref>

===Climate===
[[File:Heavy Rainfall in Lake Charles, Louisiana.jpg|thumb|left|Heavy rainfall in Lake Charles]]
Lake Charles is tied with [[Port Arthur, Texas]], and [[Astoria, Oregon]], as the most humid city in the [[contiguous United States]], and the second-most humid measured location behind unincorporated Quillayute, Washington. The average relative humidity in Lake Charles is 90% in the morning, and 72% in the afternoon.<ref>{{cite web | title = Average Relative Humidity – Morning (M), Afternoon (A) | work = Comparative Climatic Data for the United States Through 2012 | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: U.S. Dept. of Commerce | year = 2013 | url = http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/ccd-data/CCD-2012.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140718012823/http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/ccd-data/CCD-2012.pdf | archive-date = July 18, 2014 }}</ref> Average annual precipitation is also high among U.S. cities, at {{Convert|57.49|in|mm}} per year.

{{Weather box
| location = [[Lake Charles Regional Airport]], Louisiana (1991–2020 normals,<ref>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.</ref> extremes 1895–present)
| single line = Y
| collapsed = Y
| Jan record high F = 88
| Feb record high F = 88
| Mar record high F = 94
| Apr record high F = 95
| May record high F = 100
| Jun record high F = 106
| Jul record high F = 103
| Aug record high F = 109
| Sep record high F = 105
| Oct record high F = 103
| Nov record high F = 92
| Dec record high F = 89
| year record high F = 109
| Jan avg record high F = 76.5
| Feb avg record high F = 78.1
| Mar avg record high F = 82.2
| Apr avg record high F = 86.4
| May avg record high F = 91.5
| Jun avg record high F = 95.4
| Jul avg record high F = 96.9
| Aug avg record high F = 98.1
| Sep avg record high F = 95.7
| Oct avg record high F = 90.5
| Nov avg record high F = 83.5
| Dec avg record high F = 78.6
| year avg record high F = 99.1
| Jan high F = 63.0
| Feb high F = 66.7
| Mar high F = 73.1
| Apr high F = 79.0
| May high F = 85.4
| Jun high F = 90.5
| Jul high F = 92.2
| Aug high F = 92.8
| Sep high F = 89.4
| Oct high F = 82.1
| Nov high F = 72.2
| Dec high F = 65.3
| year high F = 79.3
| Jan mean F = 53.2
| Feb mean F = 56.9
| Mar mean F = 63.1
| Apr mean F = 69.1
| May mean F = 76.4
| Jun mean F = 82.1
| Jul mean F = 83.9
| Aug mean F = 84.0
| Sep mean F = 80.1
| Oct mean F = 71.3
| Nov mean F = 61.4
| Dec mean F = 55.3
| year mean F = 69.7
| Jan low F = 43.4
| Feb low F = 47.1
| Mar low F = 53.1
| Apr low F = 59.3
| May low F = 67.3
| Jun low F = 73.7
| Jul low F = 75.6
| Aug low F = 75.1
| Sep low F = 70.7
| Oct low F = 60.4
| Nov low F = 50.6
| Dec low F = 45.3
| year low F = 60.1
| Jan avg record low F = 26.7
| Feb avg record low F = 31.5
| Mar avg record low F = 35.0
| Apr avg record low F = 42.9
| May avg record low F = 53.8
| Jun avg record low F = 66.0
| Jul avg record low F = 70.5
| Aug avg record low F = 69.4
| Sep avg record low F = 57.9
| Oct avg record low F = 43.3
| Nov avg record low F = 33.7
| Dec avg record low F = 29.9
| year avg record low F = 25.1
| Jan record low F = 6
| Feb record low F = 3
| Mar record low F = 14
| Apr record low F = 30
| May record low F = 40
| Jun record low F = 51
| Jul record low F = 60
| Aug record low F = 59
| Sep record low F = 45
| Oct record low F = 30
| Nov record low F = 23
| Dec record low F = 11
| year record low F = 3
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 5.89
| Feb precipitation inch = 3.26
| Mar precipitation inch = 3.67
| Apr precipitation inch = 4.44
| May precipitation inch = 5.40
| Jun precipitation inch = 6.54
| Jul precipitation inch = 5.69
| Aug precipitation inch = 6.19
| Sep precipitation inch = 5.18
| Oct precipitation inch = 4.80
| Nov precipitation inch = 4.13
| Dec precipitation inch = 4.56
| year precipitation inch = 59.75
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 9.3
| Feb precipitation days = 8.8
| Mar precipitation days = 7.8
| Apr precipitation days = 7.2
| May precipitation days = 7.9
| Jun precipitation days = 10.8
| Jul precipitation days = 11.4
| Aug precipitation days = 11.3
| Sep precipitation days = 8.7
| Oct precipitation days = 7.7
| Nov precipitation days = 7.9
| Dec precipitation days = 9.5
| year precipitation days = 108.3
| Jan humidity = 78.8
| Feb humidity = 76.5
| Mar humidity = 76.3
| Apr humidity = 76.1
| May humidity = 77.3
| Jun humidity = 78.2
| Jul humidity = 80.1
| Aug humidity = 79.8
| Sep humidity = 79.4
| Oct humidity = 75.9
| Nov humidity = 77.3
| Dec humidity = 79.0
| year humidity = 77.9
| source 1 = [[NOAA]] (relative humidity 1961–1990)<ref name = NOAA>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=lch
| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = August 27, 2021}}</ref><ref name=NCEI>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00003937&format=pdf
| title = Station: lake Charles, LA
| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = August 27, 2021}}</ref><ref name=NOAAhumidity>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1961-1990/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP3/72240.TXT
| title = WMO Climate Normals for Lake Charles/WSO AP, LA 1961–1990
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| access-date = August 27, 2021}}</ref>
| source = 
}}

=== Hurricanes ===
[[Hurricane Laura]] devastated the city in 2020.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rojas |first=Rick |date=2020-10-20 |title=After 2 Hurricanes, Lake Charles Fears Its Cries for Help Have Gone Unheard |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/20/us/lake-charles-hurricane-laura-delta.html |access-date=2022-12-12 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The [[National Weather Service]] called the storm surge "unsurvivable" with one-minute sustained wind speeds of 150&nbsp;mph (240&nbsp;km/h). The [[Lake Charles Regional Airport]] had a gust of 133 miles per hour (214&nbsp;km/h), and several [[hangar]]s were destroyed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bertorelli |first=Paul |date=2020-08-28 |title=Hurricane Laura Damages Lake Charles Airport, Destroys Radar |url=https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/hurricane-laura-damages-lake-charles-airport-destroys-radar/ |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=AVweb |language=en-US}}</ref> Another gust in the city reached 137&nbsp;mph (220&nbsp;km/h). Many windows were blown out of [[Capital One Tower (Louisiana)|Capital One Tower]] downtown. A communications tower collapsed onto the [[KPLC]] studio building (which had been evacuated), and part of a sky bridge was blown out. The radar at the NWS Lake Charles forecast office (whose staff evacuated, with the office's operations transferred to the [[Brownsville, Texas]], office) was destroyed around the time of landfall, with its dome and much of its internal equipment sheared from the radar tower's base. A few weeks later, [[Hurricane Delta]] also hit Lake Charles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spradling |first=Travis |title=Aerial photos: See Hurricane Delta path of destruction in southwest Louisiana, weeks after Laura |url=https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/multimedia/photos/collection_94453d32-0b19-11eb-83f0-d312054ff57f.html |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=The Advocate |date=October 10, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| footnote = [https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html U.S. Decennial Census]
| 1880 = 838
| 1890 = 3442
| 1900 = 6680
| 1910 = 11449
| 1920 = 13088
| 1930 = 15791
| 1940 = 21207
| 1950 = 41272
| 1960 = 63392
| 1970 = 77998
| 1980 = 75226
| 1990 = 70580
| 2000 = 71757
| 2010 = 71993
| 2020 = 84872
}}
Lake Charles is the principal city of the [[Lake Charles metropolitan area|Lake Charles metropolitan statistical area]], which had a population of 240,082 as of 2023. It is the larger principal city of the [[Lake Charles–DeRidder CSA|Lake Charles-DeRidder combined statistical area]], with a population of 276,909.<ref name=PopEstCBSA>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-metro-and-micro-statistical-areas.html#v2023 |title=Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2020-2023 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division |date=March 14, 2024 |access-date=March 15, 2024 }}</ref> The 2020 population of the five-parish region of [[Southwest Louisiana]] was 313,951.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Swift |first1=George |title=Census data key to redistricting |url=https://www.americanpress.com/2021/08/17/george-swift-column-census-data-key-to-redistricting/ |access-date=18 August 2021 |work=American Press |publisher=The American Press |date=August 17, 2021}}</ref> The city proper of Lake Charles at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]] had a population of 84,872, with a population density of 1,890 people per square mile among 38,434 housing units.<ref>{{cite web |title=U.S. Census website |url=https://www.census.gov |access-date=October 28, 2014}}</ref> In 2010, the population was 71,993,<ref name="c2K">"Census 2010 Data for the State of Louisiana" (place list), [[US Census Bureau]], February 2011, webpage: [http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_PL_GCTPL1.ST13&prodType=table C2010-LA] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20200212205942/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_PL_GCTPL1.ST13&prodType=table |date=February 12, 2020 }}.</ref> reflecting a rebound from its 1990 population of 70,580.

In 2010, the median income for a household in the city was $36,001. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $22,855. About 20.9% of the population was below the [[poverty line]]; in 2020, the median income for a household in the city was $37,894; 26.7% of the population was below the poverty line. The average commute time was 22.4 minutes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Census - Table Results |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US2241155&tid=ACSDP1Y2019.DP05 |website=www.census.gov |publisher=Census Bureau |access-date=4 February 2022}}</ref>

===Race and ethnicity===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Lake Charles city, Louisiana  – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''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.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004 Hispanic or Latino, and not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Lake Charles city, Louisiana |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=p004&g=160XX00US2270000&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Lake Charles city, Louisiana|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US2270000&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Lake Charles city, Louisiana|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US2270000&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|35,540
|32,793
|style='background: #ffffe6; |35,143
|49.53%
|45.55%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |41.41%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|33,414
|34,120
|style='background: #ffffe6; |38,943
|46.57%
|47.39%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |45.88%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|158
|272
|style='background: #ffffe6; |289
|0.22%
|0.38%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.34%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|766
|1,184
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,230
|1.07%
|1.64%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.63%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|13
|21
|style='background: #ffffe6; |82
|0.02%
|0.03%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.10%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Some other race]] alone (NH)
|133
|300
|style='background: #ffffe6; |460
|0.19%
|0.42%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.54%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed or multiracial]] (NH)
|726
|1,234
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,953
|1.01%
|1.71%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.48%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|1,007
|2,069
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4,772
|1.40%
|2.87%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5.62%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''71,757'''
|'''71,993'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''84,872'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

The 2010 census determined that the [[Race (United States Census)|racial]] and ethnic makeup for the city was 47% [[African Americans|African American]], 46% [[White Americans|White]], <1% Native American]], 2% , 1% from other races, and 2% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 3% of the population. In 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that the racial and ethnic makeup for Lake Charles was 46.2% Black or African American, 42.5% non-Hispanic white, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.6% Asian, 2.6% some other race, 5.6% two or more races, and 5.6% Hispanics or Latinos of any race.<ref name=":0" />

===Religion===
In common with most of the [[Religion in the Southern United States|American South]], Christianity is the predominant religion in the Lake Area. According to the [[Association of Religion Data Archives]] in 2020, the [[Roman Catholic church|Roman Catholic Church]] is the area's largest individual Christian denomination, with 51,161 adherents in Calcasieu Parish alone.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maps and data files for 2020 {{!}} U.S. Religion Census {{!}} Religious Statistics & Demographics |url=https://www.usreligioncensus.org/index.php/node/1639 |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=www.usreligioncensus.org}}</ref> The Southern Baptist Convention was the city and area's second largest denomination, followed by non-denominational Protestant churches. Other prominent Christian denominations have included the [[United Methodist Church]], [[National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.|National Baptist Convention, USA]], [[Churches of Christ]], [[Church of God in Christ]], and the [[Assemblies of God USA]].

Additionally, outside of Christianity,  an estimated 354 adherents of [[Islam]] were in the city and metropolitan area. According to Dwellics and [[Sperling's BestPlaces]], the area also has a small [[Jews|Jewish]] population.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Population In Lake Charles, Louisiana (Community Demographics) |url=https://dwellics.com/louisiana/community-in-lake-charles |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=Dwellics |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Religion in Lake Charles, Louisiana |url=https://www.bestplaces.net/religion/city/louisiana/lake_charles |website=Sperling's BestPlaces}}</ref>

===Crime===
In 2018, the violent crime rate in the Lake Charles area was one of the highest in the United States, across communities of all sizes<!-- (both large and small) -->. Violent offenses tracked include rape, murder and non-negligent manslaughter, armed robbery, and aggravated assault, including assault with a deadly weapon.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/la/lake-charles/crime/|title=Lake Charles Crime Rates and Statistics |website=Neighborhoodscout.com|access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref> Lake Charles is safer than 13% of cities in the United States. For every 100,000 people, 13.11 daily crimes occur in Lake Charles. <!-- out of date  Year over year, crime in Lake Charles has decreased by 25%.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lake Charles, LA Crime Rates & Crime Map|url=http://www.areavibes.com/lake+charles-la/crime/|access-date=September 1, 2018|website=[[AreaVibes]]}}</ref> -->

==Economy==
[[File:SWIMMING IN POLLUTED LAKE CHARLES. OLIN-MATHIESON PLANT IN BACKGROUND - NARA - 546145.jpg|thumb|Swimming in polluted Lake Charles opposite the Olin Mathieson chemical plant in 1972: Cleanup efforts of Lake Charles' waterways have been so successful that Prien Lake now supports both recreational and commercial fishing, and has a safe public beach.<ref>{{cite web | title = Total Maximum Daily Load for Toxics for the Calcasieu Estuary | publisher = United States Environmental Protection Agency | date = May 2002 | url = http://www.epa.gov/waters/tmdldocs/2613_calctoxics%28f%29.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Where to Fish in the Lake Charles Area | publisher = Gulf Coast Council Federation of Fly Fishers | url = http://www.gulfcoastfff.org/uploads/subm/FISH.HTM | access-date = May 14, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140811001303/http://www.gulfcoastfff.org/uploads/subm/FISH.HTM | archive-date = August 11, 2014 | url-status = dead }}</ref>]]

The top employer, the Calcasieu Parish School System, employs around 5,000 workers. The second-largest employer is L'Auberge Casino Resort, which has 2,400 workers.

===Industry and manufacturing===
Several petrochemical plants and an oil refinery are located nearby along the Calcasieu Ship Channel. Turner Industries, [[Westlake Chemical|Westlake Chemical Corporation]], and [[Citgo Petroleum Corporation|Citgo]] each employ over a thousand people.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://allianceswla.org/Images/Interior/2011%20major%20employers.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120412211636/http://allianceswla.org/Images/Interior/2011%20major%20employers.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 12, 2012|title= 2011 Southwest Louisiana Major Employers |access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref> The [[Trunkline LNG]] terminal, immediately southwest of Lake Charles, is one of the United States' few [[liquified natural gas]] terminals. It has facilities for LNG receipt, storage, and regasification. Other industrial companies include [[PPG Industries]], [[Phillips 66]], [[Sasol]], and [[W. R. Grace and Company|W. R. Grace]]. Local industry also includes a number of manufacturing companies. [[Chennault International Airport]] hosts [[AAR Corp]], which services airplanes, and a [[Northrop Grumman]] facility. [[The Shaw Group]] has a manufacturing facility, which manufactures and exports parts for nuclear power plants.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://atomicinsights.com/shaw-group-announces-nuclear-component-manufacturing-plant-joint-venture/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402132700/http://atomicinsights.com/shaw-group-announces-nuclear-component-manufacturing-plant-joint-venture/|archive-date=April 2, 2015|title=Shaw Group Announces Nuclear Component Manufacturing Plant Joint Venture - Atomic Insights|date=August 28, 2008 }}</ref>

===Commerce and retail===
With small businesses, big-box stores, and a regional mall, Lake Charles serves as the shopping and retail hub of the [[Southwest Louisiana|five-parish area]]. [[Prien Lake Mall]], which serves nearly 300,000 people, is anchored by three department stores.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.simon.com/mall/prien-lake-mall/stores |title=Complete List Of Stores Located At Prien Lake Mall – A Shopping Center In Lake Charles, LA – A Simon Mall |website=Simon.com |access-date=March 30, 2017}}</ref> The Lake Charles Power Center is a [[Power center (retail)|shopping area]] that has {{convert|1000000|sqft|m2|}} of shopping space.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.derekdevelopmentcorp.com/developments/lake-charles-power-center/|title=Lake Charles Power Centre|website=Derekdevelopmentcorp.com – Derek Development Corp|access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref> The Cottage Shop District supports approximately a dozen small businesses.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thecottageshops.com/ |title=The Cottage Shops Cultural District |website=thecottageshops.com |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130720131118/http://thecottageshops.com/ |archive-date=20 July 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Casinos===
[[File:Golden Nugget Lake Charles.JPG|thumb|Golden Nugget Casino in Lake Charles]]

Lake Charles has Louisiana's biggest casino market.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Boone|first1=Timothy|title=The Advocate|url=http://theadvocate.com/news/acadiana/11889960-123/baton-rouge-casino-market-continues|website=Theadvocate.com|publisher=The Advocate|access-date=August 4, 2015}}</ref> The [[L'Auberge du Lac Resort|L'Auberge du Lac]] Casino Resort is a {{convert|242|acre|ha|adj=on}}, 26-story hotel in Lake Charles. It has nearly 1000 guest rooms, a casino, golf course, spa, and meeting center.<ref>{{cite web | title = L'Auberge Casino Resort Property Fact Sheet | publisher = KPLCtc.com | date = January 14, 2013 | url = http://www.kplctv.com/story/10056208/lauberge-du-lac-casino-resort-property-fact-sheet}}</ref> A second casino, the [[Golden Nugget Lake Charles]], opened in 2014 next to L'Auberge du Lac.<ref>{{cite news|title=Houston billionaire's Lake Charles casino opens early|newspaper=Houston Chronicle|author=Erin Mulvaney|date=December 7, 2014|url=http://www.chron.com/business/real-estate/article/Houston-billionaire-s-Lake-Charles-casino-set-to-5941718.php|access-date=December 8, 2014}}</ref> The 18-story casino resort hotel has more than 740 guest rooms, a casino, golf course, meeting space, and retail corridor, and a private beach and marina.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kaplan |first=David |url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/local/article/Golden-Nugget-to-be-erected-in-Louisiana-with-4687617.php |title=Golden Nugget to be erected in Louisiana with 'the best synergy outside of Vegas' |newspaper=Mysa|date=July 25, 2013 |access-date=March 30, 2017}}</ref>

While [[Caesars Entertainment|Horseshoe Lake Charles]] is technically in one of the city's suburbs known as [[Westlake, Louisiana]], it forms part of the city's gambling market, along  with [[Delta Downs]] in [[Vinton, Louisiana]] and [[Coushatta Casino Resort]] in [[Kinder, Louisiana]].

==Arts and culture==
[[File:Old City Hall LC.JPG|thumb|City Hall Arts and Cultural Center]]

Lake Charles has a [[Creole peoples|Creole]] and [[Cajun]] culture because of its location in [[Southwest Louisiana]]—an extension of [[Acadiana]].

The city has its own [[Lake Charles Symphony|symphony orchestra]], the Lake Charles Symphony. It was founded in 1938 and hosts concerts at the Rosa Hart Theatre,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lcsymphony.org/history.html |title=History |access-date=January 11, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100214004222/http://www.lcsymphony.org/history.html |archive-date=February 14, 2010 }}</ref> which has a capacity over 2,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cityoflakecharles.com/department/division.php?fDD=5-38 |title=Rosa Hart Theatre / City of Lake Charles, Louisiana |website=Cityoflakecharles.com |access-date=March 30, 2017}}</ref>

The Lake Charles Little Theatre was founded in 1927 and is the second-oldest community theater in Louisiana.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thelclt.com/|title=The Lake Charles Little Theater Home|website=The Lake Charles Little Theatre 337-433-7988|access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref>

Lake Charles is home to a number of museums and art galleries. The largest, the Imperial Calcasieu Museum, features a permanent historical exhibit with artifacts and an art gallery.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imperialcalcasieumuseum.org/default.asp?contentID%3D769 |title=Imperial Calcasieu Museum - the Leading Fine Arts and Cultural Center of Lake Charles, LA |access-date=January 16, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726174220/http://www.imperialcalcasieumuseum.org/default.asp?contentID=769 |archive-date=July 26, 2011 }}</ref> Its grounds are home to the Sallier oak tree, which is around 400 years old.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imperialcalcasieumuseum.org/default.asp?contentID%3D781 |title=Imperial Calcasieu Museum - the Leading Fine Arts and Cultural Center of Lake Charles, LA |access-date=January 16, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726174224/http://www.imperialcalcasieumuseum.org/default.asp?contentID=781 |archive-date=July 26, 2011 }}</ref> The Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center is used as exhibition space; moving art exhibits are displayed at this public art gallery each month.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cityoflakecharles.com/department/division.php?fDD=3-29 |title=Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center / City of Lake Charles, Louisiana |website=Cityoflakecharles.com |access-date=March 30, 2017}}</ref> It also hosts the Charlestown Farmers' Market, which provides a venue for local farmers and merchants to sell goods.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cityoflakecharles.com/department/division.php?fDD=3-33 |title=Charlestown Farmer's Market / City of Lake Charles, Louisiana |website=Cityoflakecharles.com |access-date=March 30, 2017}}</ref>

The Central School Arts and Humanities Center, located in the historical Charpentier District, is owned by the city. ''Charpentier'' is French for "carpenter", a reference to the carpenter-architects who built the mixed-style homes in the district. Central School features the Black Heritage Art Gallery, which is on the [[Louisiana African American Heritage Trail]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.astorylikenoother.com/explore/sites/16.php|title=African American Heritage Trail|date=October 26, 2017|website=Astorylikenoother.com|access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref> as well as the Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu, which features extravagant costumes and an interactive float. It has the largest collection of Mardi Gras memorabilia in the South.<ref>{{cite web |author=Lake Charles |url=http://www.swlamardigras.com/year-round/mardi-gras-museum.cfm |title=The Mardi Gras Museum in Lake Charles |website=Swlamardigras.com |access-date=March 30, 2017 |archive-date=July 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722212306/http://www.swlamardigras.com/year-round/mardi-gras-museum.cfm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Other studios and cultural activities include the Art Associates Gallery, Studio 347 Gallery, the Lake Charles Symphony, and the Lake Charles Community Band.

[[McNeese State University]] produces the annual Banners Series of various musical and theatrical performances. Banners also hosts lectures and presentations from notable persons and academics. Local theaters include the Lake Charles Little Theatre, the Artists Civic Theatre and Studio<!-- (ACTS) -->, and the Children's Theatre.

=== Louisiana Pirate Festival ===
{{Main|Contraband Days}}
Many festivals are held at the Civic Center. The most popular, the Louisiana Pirate Festival (formerly Contraband Days), is hosted on the Civic Center grounds and lakefront. The festival is a 12-day annual festival held during the first two weeks of May. The celebrations are filled with savory Cajun food, family fun, and live entertainment, including several national acts. The festival is regularly attended by more than 200,000 people, making it one of the largest celebrations in Louisiana. In a reference to the legends of piracy on the lake and Contraband Bayou, the festival begins when the pirate [[Jean Lafitte]]<ref name="historicalmarker" /> and his crew capture the city and force the mayor to walk the plank.

=== Mardi Gras ===
[[File:Lake Charles Mardi Gras Museum 05.jpg|thumb|right|Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu]]

[[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. Throughout the two World Wars, Mardi Gras was downsized which led to a lack of participation by the area's youth. However, an interest in redeveloping 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 several [[Krewe]] captains formed the "Krewe of Krewes", with the primary purpose of parading and promoting Mardi Gras for local residents. In 1985, Mardi Gras of Imperial Calcasieu, Inc. was formed by a group of civic-minded volunteers to further aid in the preservation of this festival.<ref>{{cite web|author=Lake Charles |url=http://www.swlamardigras.com/about/history.cfm |title=Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras History in Lake Charles |website=Swlamardigras.com |access-date=March 30, 2017}}</ref> Mardi Gras in Lake Charles regularly draws in crowds of 150,000.

===Cultural events===
Some of the city's cultural events include Chuck Fest, Martin Luther King Festival, Livestock Show & Rodeo, Black Heritage Festival, Garden Festival, Palm Sunday Tour of Homes, Downtown at Sundown, Memorial Day Avenue of Flags, Crawfish Festival, Asian/American Culturefest, Cajun French, Creole, Zydeco Music & Zydeco Trail Rides,  Food Festivals, Marshland Festival, Gatorman Triathlon, Music & Food Festival, Arts Fest, and Riverside Fall Festival.<ref>{{cite web | title = Community Links | publisher = City of Lake Charles | url = http://www.cityoflakecharles.com/egov/apps/document/center.egov?view=item;id=70 | access-date = May 13, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Meeting of the Downtown Development Authority | publisher = City of Lake Charles | date = October 1, 2012 | url = http://www.cityoflakecharles.com/egov/documents/7ed9bb90_162d_996f_6068_62368e6daa01.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = 2012 Riverside Park Fall Festival | publisher = City of Lake Charles | url = http://www.cityoflakecharles.com/egov/apps/document/center.egov?view=item;id=2111 | access-date = May 13, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Meeting of the Downtown Development Authority | publisher = City of Lake Charles | date = September 4, 2012 | url = http://www.cityoflakecharles.com/egov/documents/17f74d04_2938_e277_1b97_be3c5871bd06.pdf}}</ref>

===Libraries===
[[File:Calcasieu Parish Public Library.jpg|thumb|right|Central Library]]
Lake Charles has four libraries. The largest, with over 400,000 volumes, is Frazar Memorial Library, on the McNeese State University campus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://library.mcneese.edu/info/welcome.htm |title=Welcome@McNeese Library |access-date=September 22, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101116175447/http://library.mcneese.edu/info/welcome.htm |archive-date=November 16, 2010 }}</ref> The first library, Carnegie Memorial Library, was financed by [[Andrew Carnegie]] and opened in 1904.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://calcasieulibrary.org/about |title=Calcasieu Parish Public Library |access-date=January 11, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412160602/http://calcasieulibrary.org/about |archive-date=April 12, 2010 }}</ref> It also houses the Southwest Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Library. It, Central Library and Epps Memorial Library are part of the [[Calcasieu Parish Public Library]], which has 13 locations in [[Calcasieu Parish]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://calcasieulibrary.org/branchhistory |title=Calcasieu Parish Public Library : History of the Calcasieu Parish Public Library Branches |access-date=April 22, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100724150257/http://calcasieulibrary.org/branchhistory |archive-date=July 24, 2010 }}</ref>

==Sports==
[[File:Bonnettefield.jpg|thumb|Cowboy Stadium]]

Lake Charles is home to the [[McNeese Cowboys]], whose football team hosts games at [[Cowboy Stadium]] which has a seating capacity of 17,410.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://admin.xosn.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=22000&ATCLID=1505202 |title=Invalid Access |website=Admin.xosn.com |access-date=March 30, 2017}}</ref> [[Burton Coliseum]] hosts the McNeese basketball teams.

Lake Charles has been home to the [[Lake Charles Lakers]] and other [[minor-league baseball]] teams, indoor football teams, a minor-league ice hockey team and soccer teams.

Golf is popular at the city's Mallard Cove Golf Course. 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. Gray Plantation Golf Course is featured on Louisiana's Audubon Golf Trail.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.audubontrail.com/courses/index.asp?id=7 |title=Louisiana's Audubon Golf Trail &#124; Louisiana Travel |website=Audubontrail.com |access-date=March 30, 2017}}</ref>

South Lake Charles Little League has had nationally winning teams televised on ESPN.

==Parks and recreation==
[[File:Boardwalk at Lake Charles, Louisiana.jpg|thumb|right|Boardwalk]]

The city has 31 parks, many of which include playground equipment, athletic facilities, and walking paths.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cityoflakecharles.com/department/division.php?fDD=12-172 |title=City of Lake Charles, Louisiana / |website=cityoflakecharles.com |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101122192349/http://cityoflakecharles.com/department/division.php?fDD=12-172 |archive-date=22 November 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Shiver-Me-Timbers Millennium Park, located downtown, was built entirely by volunteers in 2000. Adventure Cove, a state-of-the-art park, was also built by volunteers, and is specifically designed for handicapped children.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.louisianatravel.com/adventure-cove |title=Adventure Cove &#124; Louisiana Official Travel and Tourism Information |access-date=August 25, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100128211341/http://www.louisianatravel.com/adventure-cove |archive-date=January 28, 2010 }}</ref> Hunting and fishing are popular with both residents and visitors to the Lake Area.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visitlakecharles.org/static/index.cfm?contentID=84 |title=What to do in Southwest Louisiana |access-date=January 15, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100109030025/http://www.visitlakecharles.org/static/index.cfm?contentID=84 |archive-date=January 9, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> An [[National Scenic Byway|All-American Road]], the [[Creole Nature Trail]] – "Louisiana's Outback" – brings tourists to Lake Charles and throughout [[Southwest Louisiana]] and [[Southeast Texas]].

==Government==
{{see also|List of mayors of Lake Charles, Louisiana}}
Lake Charles has a [[mayor-council]] government. The elected officials include the mayor, the clerk of court, and seven city council members. Each council member represents a district within the city limits. One is elected president and presides over each meeting. The mayor serves a four-year term. The current mayor is [[Nic Hunter]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cityoflakecharles.com/department/division.php?fDD=2-23|title=/ City of Lake Charles, Louisiana|website=Cityoflakecharles.com|access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref> The mayor appoints the [[city attorney]].

The [[Lake Charles Police Department]] (LCPD) provides law enforcement and protection for the city. The police chief is appointed to a six-year term,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cityoflakecharles.com/egov/docs/1184608211100.htm|title=City of Lake Charles, Louisiana – Chief of Police Dixon|website=Cityoflakecharles.com|access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref> and the fire chief is also appointed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cityoflakecharles.com/department/division.php?fDD=9-153 |title=City of Lake Charles, Louisiana / |website=cityoflakecharles.com |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105231536/http://cityoflakecharles.com/department/division.php?fDD=9-153 |archive-date=5 January 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The Lake Charles Fire Department has eight stations and 15 companies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cityoflakecharles.com/department/division.php?fDD=9-15 |title=City of Lake Charles, Louisiana / |website=cityoflakecharles.com |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101122105443/http://cityoflakecharles.com/department/division.php?fDD=9-15 |archive-date=22 November 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[McNeese State University]] also has its own police department, the McNeese State University Police Department.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mcneese.edu/police/|title=University Police – McNeese State University|website=Mcneese.edu|access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref>

The Lake Charles City Court's jurisdiction covers the city and Ward 3 in [[Calcasieu Parish]].<ref>[http://www.lccitycourt.org/Pages/WhoSued.htm Retrieved April 3, 2010] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705124540/http://www.lccitycourt.org//Pages/WhoSued.htm |date=July 5, 2008 }}</ref> The Fourteenth Judicial District Court, in downtown Lake Charles, covers Calcasieu Parish and includes nine judges who preside over family, juvenile, civil, and criminal trials.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.14jdc.org/pages/Divisions.htm|title=Judges and Staff|website=14th Judicial District Court|access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref> Lake Charles is home to a [[United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana|United States District Court]], also downtown.<ref>[http://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/General_Info/Court_Locations/Lake_Charles/lake_charles.html Retrieved May 26, 2010] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527091429/http://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/General_Info/Court_Locations/Lake_Charles/lake_charles.html |date=May 27, 2010 }}</ref> The [[Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal|Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeals]] is headquartered in the city.<ref>[http://www.la3circuit.org/directions.htm Retrieved May 26, 2010] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091219164339/http://www.la3circuit.org/directions.htm |date=December 19, 2009 }}</ref>

Lake Charles is represented by [[Clay Higgins]] of [[Louisiana's 3rd congressional district]]. Most of the city is represented by Senator Jeremy Stine of District 27 in the [[Louisiana State Senate]], though Mark Abraham's District 25 includes some neighborhoods of south Lake Charles.

==Education==
===Universities and colleges===
[[File:Shearman Fine Arts Center, McNeese State University.jpg|thumb|right|Entrance Plaza and Shearman Fine Arts Center at [[McNeese State University]]]]
The city has one university and one community college. [[McNeese State University]], on a {{convert|121|acre|km2|adj=on}} campus lined with oak trees in the heart of Lake Charles, is a four-year public university in the [[University of Louisiana System]]. [[Contraband Bayou]] flows through it. McNeese was founded in 1939 and named after educator [[John McNeese]]. It offers over 80 majors, and includes the colleges of [[Business]], [[Education]], Engineering and Engineering Technology, [[Liberal Arts]], [[Nursing]], [[Science]], Honors College, and the Doré School of Graduate Studies. It is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the [[Southern Association of Colleges and Schools]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://catalog.mcneese.edu/content.php?catoid=3&navoid=68#accr |title=General Information – McNeese State University – Acalog ACMS™ |website=Catalog.mcneese.edu |date=September 11, 1939 |access-date=March 30, 2017}}</ref> Other properties include a {{convert|65|acre|m2|adj=on}} athletic plant and student apartment complex, the Louisiana Environmental Research Center, [[Burton Coliseum]], the {{convert|503|acre|km2|adj=on}} MSU Farm, and nearly {{convert|1600|acre|km2}} of donated farm property used for research, farming, and ranching.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mcneese.edu/parents/facts.asp |title=McNeese State University |access-date=February 9, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130803073709/http://www2.mcneese.edu/parents/facts.asp |archive-date=August 3, 2013 }}</ref> Over 8,500 students attend McNeese.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mcneese.edu/news/news/f09enrollment.asp |title=McNeese State University |access-date=January 14, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100701140330/http://www.mcneese.edu/news/news/f09enrollment.asp |archive-date=July 1, 2010 }}</ref>

[[SOWELA Technical Community College]] offers associate degrees, technical diplomas, certificate programs, and general education courses that can transfer to four-year universities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sowela.edu/about_us.asp |title=About SOWELA Technical Community College Programs, Non-credit Programs |website=Sowela.edu |date=July 1, 2003 |access-date=March 30, 2017}}</ref> Delta School of Business and Technology specializes in vocational courses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://deltatech.edu/about-us/fast-facts/|title=Fast Facts – Delta Tech|website=Deltatech.edu|access-date=September 1, 2018|archive-date=July 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150726183256/http://deltatech.edu/about-us/fast-facts/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Primary and secondary schools===
Lake Charles's public schools are operated by the [[Calcasieu Parish Public School System]]. There are two charter schools and several private schools. The [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Lake Charles]] operates and/or is affiliated with private Roman Catholic schools.

{{See also|List of schools in Lake Charles, Louisiana|List of high schools in Louisiana}}

==Media==
{{Unreferenced section|date=May 2021}}

===Print===
The most widely distributed, daily newspaper is ''The American Press''. Other popular periodicals include ''Lagniappe Magazine'', ''The Jambalaya News'', ''Gumbeaux Magazine'', and ''Thrive Magazine''. ''The Contraband'' is [[McNeese State University]]'s student newspaper.

===Television===
Major television network affiliates include [[KPLC]] 7, an [[NBC]] affiliate also operating the area's [[The CW|CW]] affiliate on its DT2 subchannel, [[KSWL-LD]] 17, a [[CBS]] affiliate, [[KLTL]] 18, a [[PBS]] member station, [[KWWE-LD]] 19, a [[MyNetworkTV]]/[[MeTV]] affiliate, and [[KVHP]] 29, a [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliate also operating the area's [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] affiliate on its DT2 subchannel.

{{Lake Charles TV}}

===Radio===
[[KBYS (FM)|KBYS]] 88.3 [[Oldies]], [[KRVS]] 88.7 [[Npr]], [[KRLR (FM)|KRLR]] 89.1 [[K-Love]], [[KYLC]] 90.3, [[KOJO (FM)]] 91.1, [[KBAN]] 91.5, [[KTSR]] 92.1 [[Classic rock|Classic Rock]], [[KHLA]] 92.9 [[Classic Hits]], [[KPPM-LP]] 93.5 [[Urban contemporary gospel|Black Gospel]], [[KSMB-FM|KSMB]] 94.5 [[Contemporary Hit Radio|Top40(Chr)]], [[KYKZ]] 96.1 [[Country music|Country]], [[KQLK]] 97.9 [[Country music|Country]], [[W252AQ]] 98.3, [[KNGT]] 99.5 [[Country music|Country]], [[KELB-LP]] 100.5, [[KKGB]] 101.3 [[Mainstream Rock]], [[KYBG]] 102.1 [[Classic Hits]], [[KAJN-FM]] 102.9 [[Contemporary Christian]], [[KBIU]] 103.3 [[Contemporary Hit Radio|Chr]], [[KLCJ]] 104.1 [[Oldies]], [[KKMY]] 104.5 [[Rhythmic Top 40]], [[KZWA]] 104.9 [[Urban Adult Contemporary]], [[KIOC]] 106.1 [[Active Rock]], [[KJMH]] 107.5 [[Urban contemporary|Urban]], [[KLVI]] 560 [[News/Talk]], [[KAOK]] 1400 [[Talk radio|Talk]], [[KLCL]] 1470 [[Urban Adult Contemporary]], [[KHB42]] 162.400 [[NOAA Weather Radio]]

{{Lake Charles Radio}}

==Infrastructure==
===Roads===
The city's streets are laid out primarily in a [[Grid plan|grid pattern]]. [[Interstate 10 in Louisiana|Interstate 10]] passes through Lake Charles, connecting the city with [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] to the west and [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]] to the east. The [[Calcasieu River Bridge]] crosses the [[Calcasieu River]] and part of [[Lake Charles (Louisiana)|lake]]. Featuring decorative flintlock pistols on the railing, it is {{convert|135|ft|m}} high. About 50,000 vehicles pass over it daily.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bridgehunter.com/la/calcasieu/71004509127691/|title=I10 Calcasieu River Bridge|website=Bridgehunter.com|access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref> Despite its age of over 60 years, it is considered safe by the [[Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development|Louisiana DOTD]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dotd.louisiana.gov/pressreleases/release.aspx?key=971|title=LaDOTD|website=Dotd.louisiana.gov|access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref>

[[Interstate 210 (Louisiana)|Interstate 210]] is an interstate highway bypass that loops through the southern portion of the city. The curving [[Israel LaFleur Bridge]] goes over the [[Calcasieu Ship Channel]]. This bridge has a 96% rating even after withstanding recent hurricanes. The loop has served Lake Charles commuters for 40 years, and carries about 40,000 vehicles per day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dotd.louisiana.gov/highways/letswstp/documents/450-30-0085|title=LaDOTD|website=Dotd.louisiana.gov|access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref>

Other major highways include [[U.S. Route 90 in Louisiana|U.S. Highway 90]], which runs parallel with Interstate 10, and [[U.S. Route 171 in Louisiana|U.S. Highway 171]], which connects the city to the north with [[Moss Bluff, Louisiana|Moss Bluff]], [[DeRidder, Louisiana|DeRidder]], and [[Shreveport, Louisiana|Shreveport]]. [[U.S. Route 165|Highway 165]], which runs northeast to [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]] terminates at Highway 90 just a few miles east of the city. [[Louisiana Highway 14]] ends at a junction with Highway 90, and runs south then east of the city.

===Airports===
[[File:Lake Charles Airport.JPG|thumb|right|Lake Charles Regional Airport terminal]]
Lake Charles is served by two airports. [[Lake Charles Regional Airport]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flylakecharles.com/|title=Lake Charles Regional Airport|last=nileforest|website=Flylakecharles.com|access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref> located south of the city,  provides commercial airline service to [[Houston]] and [[Dallas]]. [[Chennault International Airport]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chennault.org/about/|title=About – Chennault International Airport|website=Chennault.org|access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref> while a fully operational airport, is an industrial and maintenance center. The latter airport, a former [[Strategic Air Command]] [[US Air Force]] base during the Cold War, is named for Maj. Gen. [[Claire Chennault]], the aviator famous for commanding the [[Flying Tigers]] fighter group during [[World War II]].

===Seaports===
The [[Port of Lake Charles]] is the thirteenth-busiest [[seaport]] in the United States, the fourth-largest liner service seaport in the U.S. Gulf, and a major West Gulf container load center. The City Docks in Lake Charles are the main hub of shipping activity.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://portlc.com/about/ |title=About - Port of Lake Charles - Port of Lake Charles |website=portlc.com |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127152730/http://portlc.com/about/ |archive-date=27 November 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Calcasieu Ship Channel]] provides direct access to the Gulf of Mexico {{convert|34|mi|km}} downstream. The ship channel, which has a projected depth of {{convert|40|ft|m}} and a bottom width of {{convert|400|ft|m}}, intersects the [[Gulf Intracoastal Waterway]] just north of Calcasieu Lake.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://portlc.com/facilities-and-services/calcasieu-river-ship-channel/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222004701/http://portlc.com/facilities-and-services/calcasieu-river-ship-channel/|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 22, 2014|title=Calcasieu River Ship Channel – Port of Lake Charles |date=February 22, 2014|access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref>

===Public transportation===
[[Lake Charles Transit]], the city's bus system, provides five routes throughout the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cityoflakecharles.com/department/division.php?structureid=194|title=Transit / City of Lake Charles, Louisiana|website=Cityoflakecharles.com|access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref> It has one [[Greyhound bus]] station, and the [[Lake Charles (Amtrak station)|Amtrak station]] serves the [[Sunset Limited]] train route.

===Utilities===
Electrical needs are provided by the energy company [[Entergy]]. The city provides [[drinking water]] and sewage service to residents within city limits. Water is treated at six water treatment facilities in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cityoflakecharles.com/department/division.php?fDD=15-134|title=Water Operations / City of Lake Charles, Louisiana|website=Cityoflakecharles.com|access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref>

===Healthcare and medicine===
Lake Charles is served by two hospitals with multiple locations. Christus St. Patrick Hospital operates the Lake Area Medical Center campus in south Lake Charles, and Lake Charles Memorial Hospital operates a birthing hospital called Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for Women.

==In popular culture==
* The musical ''[[Caroline, or Change]]'' by [[Tony Kushner]], which was nominated 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.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Smigelski|first1=Joseph|title=Lucinda Williams: She Breaks My Heart|access-date=February 23, 2017|work=[[The Huffington Post]]|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joseph-smigelski/lucinda-williams-she-brea_b_642169.html|date=May 25, 2011}}</ref>
* Lake Charles is mentioned as the traveler's destination in the song "[[Up on Cripple Creek]]" by [[The Band]].

=== Films ===
Lake Charles is featured or mentioned in ''[[The Drowning Pool (film)|The Drowning Pool]]'', ''[[The Beyond (1981 film)|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]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303307/|title=Blue Vinyl|access-date=September 1, 2018|website=IMDb.com}}</ref> ''[[Little Chenier]]'', ''Mercy'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0893538/|title=Mercy|access-date=September 1, 2018|website=IMDb.com}}</ref> ''[[Split Ends (U.S. TV series)|Split Ends]]'', ''All Over But to Cry'', ''Film Hustle'', ''Good Boy'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1262899/|title=Good Boy|access-date=September 1, 2018|website=IMDb.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/search/title|title=IMDb: Most Popular Titles With Location Matching "Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA"|website=IMDb.com|access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref> and ''[[10 Cloverfield Lane]]''.
* In the 1969 film ''[[Easy Rider]]'', the as-yet unfinished I-210 Israel LaFleur Bridge can be seen in the background of a motorcycle scene with [[Dennis Hopper]] and [[Peter Fonda]] traveling west through Lake Charles on the I-10 Interstate.

==Sister cities==
{{see also|List of sister cities in the United States}}
* {{flagdeco|US}} [[Sioux City, Iowa]], United States (1995)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://krewedecharliesioux.org/|title=Welcome|website=Krewe de Charlie Sioux|access-date=September 1, 2018|archive-date=February 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202064803/https://www.krewedecharliesioux.org/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* {{flagdeco|France}} [[Perpignan]], [[Pyrénées-Orientales]], France (1993)<ref>[http://www.sister-cities.org/directory/index.cfm Sister City directory] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629184627/http://www.sister-cities.org/ |date=June 29, 2007 }}</ref>
* {{flagdeco|IRL}} [[Cobh]], [[County Cork]], Ireland (2008)

==See also==
{{Portal|United States}}
* [[List of people from Lake Charles, Louisiana]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{wikivoyage|Lake Charles}}
* [http://www.cityoflakecharles.com City of Lake Charles official website]
* [http://www.visitlakecharles.org/ Tourist information on Lake Charles]
* [http://www.allianceswla.org/ SWLA Chamber – Economic Development Alliance]

{{Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana}}
{{Louisiana}}
{{Louisiana parish seats}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Lake Charles, Louisiana| ]]
[[Category:1861 establishments in Louisiana]]
[[Category:Cities in Acadiana]]
[[Category:Cities in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Cities in the Lake Charles metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Cities in Louisiana]]
[[Category:Louisiana African American Heritage Trail]]
[[Category:Parish seats in Louisiana]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1861]]