Editing St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana

{{short description|Parish in Louisiana, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = St. John the Baptist Parish
 | state             = Louisiana
 | type                 = [[Louisiana parishes|Parish]]
 | ex image             = San Francisco Plantation House-043.JPG
 | ex image size        = 300px
 | ex image cap         = [[San Francisco Plantation House]]
 | motto                = "Heart of the River Parishes"
 | founded year         = 1807
 | seat wl              = Edgard
 | largest city wl     = LaPlace
 | city type         = community
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 348
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 213
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 135
 | area percentage      = 39
 | population_as_of     = 2020
 | population_total     = 42477 {{loss}}
 | density_sq_mi        = 200
 | time zone           = Central
 | web                  = www.sjbparish.com
 | named for            = St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Edgard, built 1772
 | district             = 2nd
 | district2            = 6th }}

'''St. John the Baptist Parish''' ('''SJBP''', {{langx|fr|Paroisse de Saint-Jean-Baptiste}}) is a [[List of parishes in Louisiana|parish]] located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Louisiana]]. At the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 42,477.<ref>{{cite web|title=QuickFacts: St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/stjohnthebaptistparishlouisiana/POP010220|access-date=August 12, 2021|website=U.S. Census Bureau}}</ref> The [[parish seat]] is [[Edgard, Louisiana|Edgard]],<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> an [[unincorporated area]], and the largest city is [[LaPlace, Louisiana|LaPlace]], which is also unincorporated.
==History==
St. John the Baptist Parish was established in 1807 as one of the original 19 parishes of the [[Territory of Orleans]], which became the state of Louisiana.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ccet.louisiana.edu/tourism/parishes/Acadiana_Parishes/saintjohnthebaptist.html|title=St. John the Baptist Parish|publisher=Center for Cultural and Eco-Tourism|access-date=September 6, 2014}}</ref> St. John the Baptist Parish is part of the [[New Orleans]]–[[Metairie, Louisiana|Metairie]] [[New Orleans metropolitan area|metropolitan statistical area]].

The parish was considered part of the [[German Coast]] in the 18th and 19th centuries, named for numerous German immigrants who settled along the [[Mississippi River]] here in the 1720s. On January 8, 1811, the largest [[slave rebellion|slave insurrection]] in US history, known as the [[1811 German Coast Uprising|German Coast Uprising]], started here. It was short-lived, but more than 200 [[History of slavery in Louisiana|slaves]] gathered from [[Plantations in the American South|plantations]] along the river and marched through [[St. Charles Parish, Louisiana|St. Charles Parish]] toward New Orleans. This is part of the Sugarland or sugar parishes, which were devoted to sugar cane cultivation. Planters held large numbers of enslaved African Americans as workers before the Civil War. Many [[freedmen]] stayed in the area after emancipation because of their ties to family and associates. They worked as tenant farmers, and numerous [[freedmen]] stayed in the area to work on these plantations afterward.

The parish includes three nationally significant examples of 19th-century plantation architecture: [[Evergreen Plantation (Wallace, Louisiana)|Evergreen Plantation]], the [[Whitney Plantation Historic District]], and [[San Francisco Plantation House]].

Present-day St. John the Baptist Parish includes the third permanent settlement in what is now the state of Louisiana, after Natchitoches (1714) and New Orleans (1718). It was considered part of the [[German Coast]]. The area was settled in the early 1720s by a group of [[German immigration to the United States|German]] Catholic [[colonists]].<ref>[https://scphistory.org/first-families/ First Families – The Pioneers], scphistory.org</ref> Many families established settlements close to the [[Mississippi River]] in the areas now known as Lucy, Garyville, and Reserve. The area was under the French regime until 1763, when France ceded Louisiana to Spain after losing the [[Seven Years' War]] to Great Britain (this was known as the [[French and Indian War]] on the North American front).

At the beginning of the Spanish colonial period, many Acadians, people of French descent, began arriving in south Louisiana due to being expelled by the [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] from what is now [[Nova Scotia]] and eastern Canada. The British took over French territory in [[Canada]] and in North America east of the Mississippi River. The first Acadian village in Louisiana was established in what is now [[Wallace, Louisiana|Wallace]]. The German and French cultures thrived alongside one another, but [[French language|French]] came to be the dominant language. They developed a culture known as [[Cajun]].

In 1769, Acadians who settled in the area began a search for land to build a church. The governing Spanish authority at the time approved the request, and the land was expropriated on February 21, 1770. The first church stood in the same location as the modern St. John the Baptist Church. The new church carried the same name as the original chapel of the German Coast settlement. 

The first pastor was Spanish Capuchin Father Bernardo de Limpach. The first church records note a marriage between Antoine Manz and Sibylla Bischof in 1772. The first church survived until being swept away by floodwaters in 1821.<ref>[https://clarionherald.org/news/tricentennial-thursday-st-john-the-baptist-edgard-among-oldest-parishes ''Tricentennial Thursday: St. John the Baptist, Edgard, among oldest parishes''], clarionherald.org, February 22, 2018</ref><ref>Brooke Robichaux: [https://www.lobservateur.com/2020/10/28/st-john-the-baptist-church-commemorates-100-years/ ''St. John the Baptist Church commemorates 100 years''], lobservateur.com, October 28, 2020</ref>

The early settlers in the area received land grants from the Spanish or French royal governments, depending upon which country ruled the territory at the time of application. The French style of property allotments was made up of narrow frontage on the river so that each plantation had access for transportation of goods to and from New Orleans and world markets. The main house and supporting outbuildings were constructed near the river. The remaining property extended away from the river deeply into the wetlands, where land was cleared for cultivation of sugar cane.

For decades into the 19th century, most transportation was done by boat, mainly on the bayous and lakes of the area, but via the Mississippi River as well. St. John, with its fertile land being nine feet above sea level, proved to be an excellent settlement for farming and agriculture. In the late 18th century, [[Farmer|planter]]s began to invest more in labor-intensive [[sugar cane]] cultivation and processing, increasing their demand for slave labor. Sugar production meant prosperity for the planters and New Orleans. Planters held large numbers of enslaved African Americans. The sugar and cotton parishes all had Black majorities of population before the Civil War.

With the sugar wealth, some wealthy planters built elaborate houses and outbuildings. Three survive in St. John parish; each is recognized for its national architectural and historic significance. On the west bank are the major complex of house and outbuildings designated as the [[Whitney Plantation Historic District]] and the [[National Historic Landmark]] (NHL) of [[Evergreen Plantation (Wallace, Louisiana)|Evergreen Plantation]].  [[San Francisco Plantation House]], also a designated NHL, is on the east bank. 

San Francisco and Evergreen plantations are open to the public for tours. The Whitney plantation house is planned for renovation. Whitney and Evergreen plantations are both included among the first 26 sites on the [[Louisiana African American Heritage Trail]].

In January 1811, the [[1811 German Coast Uprising|German Coast Uprising]] started in this parish. It was the largest slave insurrection in US history, but it was short-lived. The slaves killed two whites, but suffered 96 deaths among their forces at the hands of the militia and in executions after quick trials afterward. They attacked five plantations and burned three houses to the ground.  A major leader was [[Charles Deslondes]], a [[mulatto]] ([[mixed-race]]) slave brought by a planter from [[Saint-Domingue]] in the late 18th century. He and his followers were influenced by the ideals and promises of the [[French Revolution|French]] and [[Haitian Revolution|Haitian revolutions]]. France ended slavery on Saint-Domingue after its own [[French Revolution|Revolution]], but tried to reimpose it. Slaves and free people of color rebelled, gaining independence after huge losses among French regular forces sent by [[Napoleon]] to retake the island.<ref name="rothman"/>

Deslondes gathered more than 200 slaves from plantations along the way, marching downriver into [[St. Charles Parish, Louisiana|St. Charles Parish]] toward [[New Orleans]] before meeting much resistance. Unable to get the arms they had planned on, the slaves were defeated by the well-armed informal and territorial militias. During these confrontations and even more by summary executions after brief trials, Deslondes and ninety-five slaves were killed. Decades before the [[American Civil War]] and [[abolitionism in the United States|emancipation]], the actions of these people expressed African Americans' deep desire for freedom.<ref name="rothman">Adam Rothman, ''Slave Country: American Expansion and the Origins of the Deep South'', pp. 106-117, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2007 paperback</ref>

As the number of white families in the settlement increased, they wanted education for their children. Before the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], typically planters would hire tutors, often college graduates from [[Northern United States|the North]], who would live with the family for an extended period of time, typically two years. The tutor would teach all of the planter's children, and sometimes the family would arrange for other neighborhood children to join the classes as well. There was no public education.

In 1869, following the Civil War, families wanting [[French language|French]] instruction founded private schools to continue their culture. The Anglo-Americans had imposed English as the official language. The [[Reconstruction Era|Reconstruction]] legislature, with both African American and white representatives, established the first public schools in the state during this period. It took time for the state to arrange adequate funding for public education. In the segregated system, education for Black children was less well funded and lagged behind that for whites. The first high schools at Edgard and Reserve were not built until 1909. Students traveled to the schools by horse-drawn buses or by train.

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the parish has a total area of {{convert|348|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|213|sqmi}} are land and {{convert|135|sqmi}} (39%) are water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_22.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 1, 2014|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928155956/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_22.txt|archive-date=September 28, 2013}}</ref> It is the third-smallest parish in Louisiana by land area and fifth-smallest by total area.

St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana is located on the [[Mississippi River]] approximately {{convert|130|mi|km}} upriver from the [[Gulf of Mexico]] and {{convert|30|mi|km}} upriver from the City of [[New Orleans]]. The area, known as the River Region, has an abundance of natural resources and a mild "Sunbelt" climate. The average monthly temperature in New Orleans ranges from {{convert|55.1|F|C}} in January to {{convert|83.7|F|C}} in July, and rainfall averages {{convert|53.2|in|cm}} per year with monthly averages running from {{convert|2.52|in|cm}} in October to {{convert|7.17|in|cm}} in July. The New Orleans/River Region contains a good supply of raw materials, which has helped Louisiana maintain a high rank in the United States in the production of natural gas, petroleum, sulfur, salt, and fur pelts. High silica sands, lime, clays, timber, seafood, and various agricultural products are also produced in abundance.

St. John the Baptist Parish is bisected by the Mississippi River. Though the River separates the Parish into northern and southern parts, the former is still referred to as the "east bank" and the latter as the "west bank," referring to the direction of the river as it reaches the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi provides an important transportation corridor which supports the heavy industry located in the area.

St. John the Baptist Parish is bordered by St. Charles Parish and [[Lake Pontchartrain]] to the east, Lake Pontchartrain and [[Lake Maurepas]] to the north, [[Lafourche Parish]] and [[Lac des Allemands]] to the south, and [[St. James Parish, Louisiana|St. James Parish]] to the west. It is one of four parishes which comprise the "River Parishes;" St. John Parish is the heart of the "River Parishes."

This section of the state, also consisting of St. James, Ascension, and St. Charles Parishes, makes up the area along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Since the mid-20th century, when the oil industry developed from resources found here, all of these parishes are home to at least one major chemical- and/or petroleum-processing facility. The industry is the major source of employment in the region but it has had adverse environmental effects. St. John the Baptist parish has the highest rate of environmental cancer of any census tract in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web| title=109 Air Pollution Hotspots | format=JPG | url=https://theintercept.imgix.net/wp-uploads/sites/1/2019/02/AirPollutionList12-1550942329.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&q=90 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190225103057/https://theintercept.imgix.net/wp-uploads/sites/1/2019/02/AirPollutionList12-1550942329.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&q=90 | archive-date=2019-02-25}}</ref>

Much of the parish is either open water or [[wetlands]]. The wetlands are currently protected by federal law and development is limited to what is permitted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and/or the Federal Wildlife and Fisheries Department.

Higher ground in the parish is found in an [[alluvial plain]] which generally borders the Mississippi River on both sides. Soil deposits from the Mississippi's annual flooding created a rich and fertile area which has historically been intensively farmed (sugar cane, soybeans, feed corn, and occasional cotton). This fact, and the natural transportation corridor supplied by the river, resulted in the creation of numerous plantations and farms along the lower Mississippi Valley.

Many of these plantations were large tracts of land with modest or average-sized homes and outbuildings found on the higher ground. Several, however, were improved with palatial mansions. Three of the larger homes have survived in St. John Parish, as noted in the History above.

The higher ground along the banks was used to grow crops, while the wetlands were valued for their abundant timber, hunting and fishing. For years development in the River Parishes was limited to those areas that were naturally higher and less prone to [[flood]]ing. Until the existing levees and pump systems were built, however, few places were truly safe from high water. Even today, most of the parish is considered a flood hazard area according to [[FEMA]] Flood Maps.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sjbparish.com/pdfs/floodmaps/22095CIND0A.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111117205800/http://sjbparish.com/pdfs/floodmaps/22095CIND0A.pdf |archive-date=November 17, 2011 |url-status=live|title=Flood Insurance Rate Map: St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana (November 4, 2010)|access-date=March 6, 2018}}</ref>

===Adjacent parishes===
* [[Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana|Tangipahoa Parish]] (north)
* [[St. Charles Parish, Louisiana|St. Charles Parish]] (southeast)
* [[Lafourche Parish, Louisiana|Lafourche Parish]] (south)
* [[St. James Parish, Louisiana|St. James Parish]] (west)
* [[Ascension Parish, Louisiana|Ascension Parish]] (northwest)
* [[Livingston Parish, Louisiana|Livingston Parish]] (northwest)

==Communities==
[[File:Map of St. John the Baptist Parish Louisiana With Municipal Labels.PNG|thumb|245x245px|Map of St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana With Municipal Labels]]

St. John the Baptist Parish has no [[Municipal corporation|incorporated]] areas.

===Census-designated places===
* [[Edgard, Louisiana|Edgard]]
* [[Garyville, Louisiana|Garyville]]
* [[LaPlace, Louisiana|LaPlace]]
* [[Pleasure Bend, Louisiana|Pleasure Bend]]
* [[Reserve, Louisiana|Reserve]]
* [[Wallace, Louisiana|Wallace]]

===Unincorporated communities===
* [[Mount Airy, Louisiana|Mount Airy]]
* [[Welcome, St John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana|Welcome]]
* [[Dutch Bayou]]
* Cornland
* [[Lions, Louisiana|Lions]]

===Ghost Towns===
* St. John the Baptist Parish had two more communities on its east bank, [[Ruddock, Louisiana|Ruddock]] and [[Frenier, Louisiana|Frenier]], which were settled on the [[isthmus]] between [[Lake Maurepas]] and [[Lake Pontchartrain]], {{convert|10|mi|km}} [[Cardinal direction|NNE]] of LaPlace. In 1892, Ruddock founded by the Ruddock Cypress Company was made into a [[sawmill]] town. In September 1915, the [[1915 New Orleans Hurricane]] hit Ruddock and the nearby town of Frenier, destroying the towns and killing some of the residents. Today, Ruddock and Frenier are ghost towns in the parish as well as memorials to themselves. All that remains of Ruddock is rotted wood from Buildings and vegetation. Yet Freneir still has a few buildings being seafood restaurants and a small number of houses all of which are built high to prevent flooding. Nevertheless, Ruddock is still marked on an [[Interstate 55|I-55]] exit sign and both are seen on Louisiana road maps, Freneir still has an entrance sign on Highway 51 marking it as a fishing village. It can be seen off [[Interstate 10|I-10]] on [[Lake Pontchartrain]].

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1820= 3854
|1830= 5677
|1840= 5776
|1850= 7317
|1860= 7930
|1870= 6762
|1880= 9686
|1890= 11359
|1900= 12330
|1910= 14338
|1920= 11896
|1930= 14078
|1940= 14766
|1950= 14861
|1960= 18439
|1970= 23813
|1980= 31924
|1990= 39996
|2000= 43044
|2010= 45924
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 1, 2014}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=September 1, 2014}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/la190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 1, 2014}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 1, 2014}}</ref> 2010-2013<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/22/22095.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 18, 2013|archive-date=August 20, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110820005619/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/22/22095.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|2020=42477}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''St. John the Baptist Parish, 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 – St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=p004&g=0500000US22095&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) – St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=p2&g=0500000US22095&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) – St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US22095&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|21,946
|18,374
|style='background: #ffffe6; |13,348
|50.99%
|40.01%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |31.42%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|19,204
|24,405
|style='background: #ffffe6; |24,076
|44.61%
|53.14%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |56.68%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|100
|116
|style='background: #ffffe6; |105
|0.23%
|0.25%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.25%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|222
|312
|style='background: #ffffe6; |314
|0.52%
|0.68%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.74%
|-
|[[Native Hawaiian]] or [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|10
|21
|style='background: #ffffe6; |7
|0.02%
|0.05%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.02%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|31
|51
|style='background: #ffffe6; |140
|0.07%
|0.11%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.33%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or Multiracial]] (NH)
|301
|470
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,196
|0.70%
|1.02%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.82%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|1,230
|2,175
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,291
|2.86%
|4.74%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |7.75%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''43,044'''
|'''45,294'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''42,477'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

Out of [[List of parishes in Louisiana|Louisiana's 64 parishes]], it is [[List of U.S. communities with African-American majority populations in 2020#Counties|one of six that have an African-American Majority]] (2020).

The 2019 census estimates determined 42,242 people lived in the parish.<ref name="data.census.gov">{{cite web|title=Geography Profile: St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US22095|access-date=August 2, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref> The racial and ethnic makeup of the parish was 56.5% [[African Americans|Black and African American]], 38.2% [[Non-Hispanic whites|non-Hispanic white]], 1.1% [[Asian Americans|Asian]], 2.7% some other race, and 1.5% [[Multiracial Americans|multiracial]]; of the population, 6.1% were [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic and Latin American]] of any race. Among the population, [[Spanish language|Spanish]] was the second most-spoken language as of 2019; approximately 4.0% of the parish population were foreign-born. [[French Americans|French]] ancestry was the largest heritage among the parish population (9.7%).

In 2019, there were 15,720 households living in 17,778 housing units. There were also 3,758 businesses operating in the parish, with the majority being minority-owned.<ref name="data.census.gov" /> The parish had an employment rate of 56.2% in 2019, and 78.5% of the population lived in owner-occupied units. The median home value was $153,900, and median gross rent was $933. The median household income was $57,429; males had a median income of $53,849 versus $36,476 for females. An estimated 24.8% of the population lived at or below the poverty line.<ref name="data.census.gov" />

By the publication of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 42,477 people, 15,270 households, and 11,104 families residing in the parish.<ref>{{cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US22095&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 28, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref> Among the parish population, 56.68% of the population were Black and African American, 31.42% non-Hispanic white, 0.25% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.15% multiracial or some other race, and 7.75% Hispanic or Latin American of any race. The increase in Hispanic or Latinos and other non-White Americans has been attributed to a nationwide demographic shift.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Chance That Two People Chosen at Random Are of Different Race or Ethnicity Groups Has Increased Since 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/08/2020-united-states-population-more-racially-ethnically-diverse-than-2010.html|access-date=February 16, 2022|website=Census.gov}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=August 13, 2021|title=US's white population declines for first time ever, 2020 census finds|url=http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/aug/12/us-2020-census-white-population-declines|access-date=February 16, 2022|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref>

According to the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020, with [[Christianity]] being the predominant religion, [[Roman Catholics]] numbered 15,068 adherents—remaining the historically largest single Christian denomination for the parish.<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=January 17, 2023 |website=www.usreligioncensus.org}}</ref> Non- or inter-denominational churches spread among the [[Congregationalist Church|independent congregationalist]], [[Bible church|Bible]], and [[United and uniting churches|United and Uniting]] churches were the second largest Christian group, numbering 7,230; the increase in non/inter-denominational Protestant Christianity reflected increasing ecumenical trends throughout the state.

==Government==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Parish Administration !! Administrators
|-
| Parish President || Jaclyn S. Hotard 
|-
| Sheriff || Michael K. Tregre
|-
| Coroner || Dr. Christy Montegut
|-
| Assessor || Lucien J. Gauff, III
|-
| School Board Superintendent || Dr. Lynette Hookfin
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Parish Council !! Councilmembers
|-
| Council Chairman || Lennix Madere, Jr.
|-
| Council Vice-chair || Kurt Becnel
|-
| Council Seat At Large, Division A || Lennix Madere, Jr.
|-
| Council Seat At Large, Division B || Michael Wright
|-
| Council Seat District I || Kurt Becnel
|-
| Council Seat District II || Warren "Bosco" Torres Jr.
|-
| Council Seat District III || Tammy Houston
|-
| Council Seat District IV || Tyra Duhe-Griffin
|-
| Council Seat District V || Robert J. Arcuri
|-
| Council Seat District VI || Tonia Schnyder
|-
| Council Seat District VII || Thomas A. Malik
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! 40th Judicial District !! Parish Judicial Leaders
|-
| Judge of Division "A" || Madeline Jasmine
|-
| Judge of Division "B" || [[Nghana Lewis]]
|-
| Judge of Division "C" || Sterling Snowdy
|-
| 5th Circuit Court of Appeal, Judge of Division "H" || Jude Gravois
|-
| District Attorney || Bridget A. Dinvaut
|-
| Clerk of Court || Eliana DeFrancesch
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Senators & Representatives !! Names !! Notes
|-
| State Senator || Troy Brown D-2 [[Louisiana Democratic Party|D]]
|-
| State Senator || Gary Smith D-19 [[Louisiana Democratic Party|D]]
|-
| State Representative || Randal L. Gaines D-57 [[Louisiana Democratic Party|D]]
|-
| State Representative || Clay Schexnayder D-81 [[Louisiana Republican Party|R]]
|-
| State Representative || Gregory A. Miller D-56 [[Louisiana Republican Party|R]]
|-
| U.S. Senator || [[Bill Cassidy]] [[Louisiana Republican Party|R]]
|-
| U.S. Senator || [[John Kennedy (Louisiana politician)|John Kennedy]] [[Louisiana Republican Party|R]]
|-
| U.S.Representative || [[Garret Graves]] [[Louisiana's 6th congressional district|6th District]] [[Louisiana Republican Party|R]]
|-
| U.S.Representative || [[Troy Carter (politician)|Troy Carter]] [[Louisiana's 2nd congressional district|2nd District]] [[Louisiana Democratic Party|D]]
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Parish School Board !! Board Members
|-
| Board President || Albert Burl, III
|-
| Board Vice President || Patrick H. Sanders
|-
| District I || Charo Holden
|-
| District II || Albert Burl, III
|-
| District III || Gerald J. Keller, Ph.D.
|-
| District IV || Patrick H. Sanders
|-
| District V || Sherry DeFrancesch
|-
| District VI || Keith Jones
|-
| District VII || Phillip Johnson
|-
| District VIII || Russ Wise
|-
| District IX || Shawn Wallace
|-
| District X || Nia Mitchell
|-
| District XI || Clarence Triche
|}

St. John the Baptist Parish leans heavily towards the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]. It has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1984, and before that voted Republican only three other times in the 20th century: for [[Warren G. Harding]] in 1920, when Acadian voters broke with President [[Woodrow Wilson]] over various issues,<ref>See Howard, Perry H.; ''Political Tendencies in Louisiana, 1812-1952'' (Baton Rouge: [[Louisiana State University Press]], 1957), p. 144, also maps on pp. 145 and 151.</ref> for [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] in 1956, when he flipped the state as a whole, and for [[Richard Nixon]] in 1972, when he won all but one parish in Louisiana. It also supported the third-party bid of [[George Wallace]] in 1968.

Prior to passage of the [[Constitution of Louisiana#Louisiana Constitution of 1898|1898 constitution]], which almost completely disenfranchised black voters and made Louisiana an effective one-party state, St. John the Baptist Parish generally voted [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]].<ref>[[Kevin Phillips (political commentator)|Phillips, Kevin P.]]; ''The Emerging Republican Majority'', pp. 208, 210 {{ISBN|9780691163246}}</ref> In fact, it did so in every presidential election from [[1872 United States presidential election|1872]] until [[1896 United States presidential election|1896]].

At the state level, the parish is also heavily Democratic. St. John the Baptist was Governor [[John Bel Edwards]]' second strongest in the [[2019 Louisiana gubernatorial election|2019 election]], giving him 74% of the vote.

{{PresHead|place=St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana|source=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=February 20, 2021}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Democratic|6,557|12,043|227|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|2020|Democratic|7,538|13,582|312|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|2016|Democratic|7,569|12,661|513|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|7,620|13,179|324|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|8,912|12,424|320|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|9,039|10,305|273|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|7,423|9,745|545|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|6,025|9,937|1,089|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|6,730|8,977|2,144|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|7,464|8,366|389|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|9,093|7,646|112|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|5,819|7,647|395|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|3,597|5,700|312|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|3,525|2,815|746|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|1968|American Independent|940|3,245|3,246|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|1,694|3,958|0|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|488|3,782|450|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|1,372|1,278|64|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|654|2,132|0|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|379|799|702|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|195|1,324|0|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|285|1,192|0|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|262|1,742|0|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|176|799|29|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|118|971|0|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|194|336|0|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|250|239|0|Louisiana}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|115|289|8|Louisiana}}
{{PresFoot|1912|Democratic|74|190|46|Louisiana}}

==Education==
The [[St. John the Baptist Parish School Board]] is the school district for the entire parish,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st22_la/schooldistrict_maps/c22095_st_john_the_baptist/DC20SD_C22095.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: St. John the Baptist Parish, LA|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=2024-12-14}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st22_la/schooldistrict_maps/c22095_st_john_the_baptist/DC20SD_C22095_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref> and it operates ten public schools within the parish. In addition, the [[Archdiocese of New Orleans]] oversees five religious schools within the parish and there are two privately run schools within the parish.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Public Schools !! City/Town !! 2013-2014 Letter Grade (SPS) !! Change from 2012 to 2013 grade
|-
| Laplace Elementary/Middle School || LaPlace || B (89.0) || +2.90
|-
| Garyville-Mt. Airy Math and Science Magnet School || Garyville/Mt. Airy || C (73.7) || -0.50
|-
| Fifth Ward Elementary School || Reserve || C (71.5) || +3.50
|-
|East St. John Elementary/Middle School || Reserve || C (79.4) || +3.20
|-
|Emily C. Watkins Elementary/Middle School || LaPlace || C (80.6) || +14.30
|-
|John L. Ory Communications Magnet School || LaPlace || A (106.7)|| -2.50
|-
|Lake Pontchartrain Elementary/Middle School || LaPlace || D (61.3) || -11.30
|-
|West St. John Elementary/Middle School || Edgard || D (62.8) || +1.90
|-
|East St. John High School || Reserve || C (75.8) || N/A
|-
|West St. John High School || Edgard || B (98.6) || +6.90
|}
http://www.louisianabelieves.com/data/reportcards/2013/

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Religious Schools !! City/Town
|-
| Ascension of Our Lord Catholic Elementary/Middle School || LaPlace
|-
| St. Joan of Arc Catholic Elementary/Middle School || LaPlace
|-
| St. Peter's Catholic Elementary/Middle School || Reserve
|-
| Our Lady of Grace Catholic Elementary/Middle School || Reserve
|-
| St. Charles Catholic High School || LaPlace
|-
|St. Timothy's Episcopal School || LaPlace
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Private Schools !! City/Town
|-
| Reserve Christian Elementary/Middle School || Reserve
|-
| Riverside Academy [[K-12]] || Reserve
|}

It is in the service area of [[Delgado Community College]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lctcs.edu/our-colleges|title=Our Colleges|publisher=[[Louisiana's Technical and Community Colleges]]|accessdate=June 3, 2021}}</ref>

==National Guard==
The 1084th Transportation Company of the 165th CSS Battalion of the [[Louisiana National Guard]] resides in [[Reserve, Louisiana]].

==Transportation==
===Major highways===
{{div col}}
* [[File:I-10.svg|25px]] [[Interstate 10 (Louisiana)|Interstate 10]]
* [[File:I-55.svg|25px]] [[Interstate 55]]
* [[File:US 51.svg|25px]] [[U.S. Highway 51]]
* [[File:US 61.svg|25px]] [[U.S. Highway 61]]
* [[File:Louisiana 18 (2008).svg|25px]] [[Louisiana Highway 18]]
* [[File:Louisiana 44 (2008).svg|25px]] [[Louisiana Highway 44]]
* [[File:Louisiana 3127 (2008).svg|25px]] [[Louisiana Highway 3127]]
* [[File:Louisiana 3188 (2008).svg|25px]] [[Louisiana Highway 3188]]
* [[File:Louisiana 3213 (2008).svg|25px]] [[Louisiana Highway 3213]]
{{div col end}}

'''East Bank''' - The primary artery on the east bank of St. John Parish is Airline Highway (U.S. Highway 61). This five-lane, asphalt-paved road was once the predominant route linking [[Baton Rouge]] and New Orleans. Though it is still heavily traveled, much of the New Orleans-Baton Rouge traffic has been diverted to Interstate 10, located in the northern part of the parish. Interstate 10, a divided, [[controlled-access highway]], has two interchanges in St. John Parish; one at Belle Terre Boulevard and the second at U.S. Highway 51/Interstate 55, both in LaPlace. Both Belle Terre Boulevard and Highway 51 intersect Airline Highway approximately {{convert|3.5|mi|km}} south of Interstate 10.

Interstate 55, a north–south route leading to [[Jackson, Mississippi]], and beyond, intersects Interstate 10 in the northeastern sector of LaPlace. A third Interstate 10 interchange exists just west of the St. John Parish line near Gramercy (St. James Parish).

[[River Road, Louisiana|River Road]], also known as Jefferson Highway or Louisiana Highway 44, is a two-lane, asphalt-paved, winding highway which parallels the Mississippi River. Most of the heavy industry in the parish fronts on this road.

'''West Bank''' - Most of the development on the west bank lies along Louisiana Highway 18 (the [[River Road, Louisiana|Great River Road]]), a two-lane, asphalt-paved highway which parallels the Mississippi River similarly to Highway 44 on the east bank. In addition to Louisiana 18, the west bank has Louisiana Highway 3127 or the ''River Parishes Highway'', which is roughly equivalent to the east bank's Airline Highway in that it follows the Mississippi. It is not as winding nor as populated as River Road. Highway 3127 leads to [[Donaldsonville, Louisiana|Donaldsonville]] upriver from St. John Parish. It is home of the "Sunshine Bridge" over the Mississippi River in [[Ascension Parish]]. This road has little development on either side and is generally surrounded by wetlands in St. John Parish.

Veterans Memorial Bridge or Gramercy Bridge - (Louisiana Highway 3213) This bridge originates on the east bank of St. James Parish near Gramercy/Lutcher and has access to I-10 and Airline Highway via Louisiana Highway 641. The foot of the bridge on the west bank is in St. John Parish near Wallace, with a tie-in to Louisiana Highway 3127 that opened June 18, 2008. The opening of this bridge has spurred the development hoped for along the west bank of St. John Parish. (The bridge is known as the "Bridge to Nowhere.")

Access to the west bank of St. John Parish is also provided by a [[ferry]] crossing at Reserve/Edgard and by the [[Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge]] over the Mississippi in [[St. Charles Parish, Louisiana|St. Charles Parish]].

==See also==
{{Portal|United States}}
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana]]
* [[German Coast]]
** [[1811 German Coast Uprising]]
* [[River Parishes]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.sjbparish.com/ Parish Government's website]

{{Geographic location
|Centre    = St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana
|North     = [[Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana|Tangipahoa Parish]]
|Northeast = [[Lake Pontchartrain]]
|East      =
|Southeast = [[St. Charles Parish, Louisiana|St. Charles Parish]]
|South     = [[Lafourche Parish, Louisiana|Lafourche Parish]]
|Southwest =
|West      = [[St. James Parish, Louisiana|St. James Parish]]
|Northwest = [[Ascension Parish, Louisiana|Ascension Parish]] and [[Livingston Parish, Louisiana|Livingston Parish]]
}}

{{St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana}}
{{Louisiana parishes}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|30.12|-90.50|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-LA_source:UScensus1990}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana}}
[[Category:St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana| ]]
[[Category:Louisiana parishes|Saint John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Acadiana|Saint John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Parishes in the New Orleans metropolitan area|Saint John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Louisiana parishes on the Mississippi River]]
[[Category:Parishes in Acadiana]]
[[Category:1807 establishments in the Territory of Orleans]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1807]]
[[Category:Black Belt (U.S. region)]]
[[Category:Majority-minority parishes in Louisiana]]