Louisiana Parishes: Origins
Louisiana is one of America’s most unique places. The list of what stands out about the Sportsman’s Paradise is long but the way the that state is divided, from a governance standpoint, is one of the state’s most defining characteristics.
Using federal terminology, once you get below the state the next major governance level is the county. Across the 50 states, there were 3,007 counties included in the 2020 decennial Census. Two of the states, Alaska and Louisiana, do not refer to their “counties” by the technical term. Alaska refers to its county equivalents as boroughs and Louisiana refers to them as parishes.
Louisiana’s county equivalents differ in their name at the high-level but in a whole host of different ways from both their peers throughout the country, but also neighboring jurisdictions within Louisiana’s borders.
As of August 2025, there are 64 parishes in Louisiana. It’s a big number to unravel and the Louisiana Department of Health groups all of the jurisdictions into nine administrative regions which are helpful in telling the parish stories.
The parish system as we currently know it was established in 1807, with 19 original areas being defined by Louisiana’s then territorial legislature. The focus of this article will be charting the path of how we got from 19 to 64 parishes, by region.
Region 1: Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, Jefferson
Region 2: Iberville, Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge, Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, West Feliciana
Region 3: Lafourche, Assumption, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Mary, Terrebonne
Region 4: St. Landry, St. Martin, Lafayette, Vermilion, Iberia, Acadia, Evangeline
Region 5: Calcasieu, Cameron, Allen, Beauregard, Jefferson Davis
Region 6: Rapides, Avoyelles, Concordia, Catahoula, Winn, Grant, Vernon, LaSalle
Region 7: Natchitoches, Claiborne, Caddo, Bossier, DeSoto, Sabine, Bienville, Webster, Red River
Region 8: Ouachita, Madison, Caldwell, Union, Franklin, Tensas, Morehouse, Jackson, Richland, Lincoln, East Carroll, West Carroll
Region 9: St. Tammany, St. Helena, Washington, Livingston, Tangipahoa
Region 1: New Orleans Core.
Three of the four current parishes in the New Orleans Core area were apart of Louisiana’s original 19 jurisdictions. Those original parishes were Orleans, Plaquemines and St. Bernard.
Jefferson parish was carved out of the original Orleans parish in 1825.
Region 2: Baton Rouge Core.
Four of the seven current parishes in the Baton Rouge Core area were apart of Louisiana’s original 19 jurisdictions. Those original parishes were Ascension, Iberville, Pointe Coupee and West Baton Rouge.
East Baton Rouge was born out of the former West Florida Territory in 1810.
East and West Feliciana were established in 1824 when the original Feliciana parish was partitioned.
Region 3: River Parishes.
Five of the seven current parishes in the River Parishes area were apart of Louisiana’s original 19 jurisdictions. Those original parishes were Assumption, Lafourche, St. Charles, St. James and St. John the Baptist.
St. Mary parish was created in 1811 and made up of parts of St. Martin parish (to the north in the Acadiana region).
Terrebonne was established in 1822 and the last parish to be created in today’s River Parish region.
Region 4: Acadiana.
Only two of the seven parishes currently in the Acadiana region were apart of Louisiana’s original 19 jurisdictions. Those original parishes were St. Landry and St. Martin. The remaining five parishes were created over an extended timeline.
Lafayette was the first. Lafayette parish was established in 1823 and carved out of St. Martin parish. Twenty-one years passed before Vermilion was carved out of Lafeyette in 1844.
And the Acadiana regions three remaining parishes were created in the post-Civil War period. Iberia appeared in 1868, having been created from parts of St. Martin and St. Mary (River Parishes). Acadia parish was established in 1886 and then Evangline parish in 1910. Both were partitioned from St. Landry parish.
Region 5: Southwest.
Zero the five parishes currently in Louisiana’s Southwest region were apart of state’s original 19 jurisdictions.
Calcasieu was the first to be created in 1840 and comprised of parts of St. Landry parish (Acadiana).
The remaining four parishes were created in the post-Civil War era. Cameron parish was carved out of Calcasieu and Vermillion (Acadiana in 1870. The remaining three: Allen, Beauregard and Jefferson Davis were all created from remaining parts of Calcasieu Parish in 1912.
Region 6: Central.
Three of the eight current parishes in Central Louisiana were a part of the state’s original 19 jurisdictions. Those original parishes were Avoyelles, Concordia and Rapides. Catahoula parish was established in 1808, from parts of Ouachita (Northeast) and Rapides.
Forty-four years passed before Winn parish was created. Winn was carved out of Catahoula, Natchitoches (Northwest) and Rapides parishes.
The remaining three parishes were created in the post-Civil War period. Grant was created out of Rapides and win parishes in 1869. Then pieces of Natchitoches (Northwest), Rapides and Sabine (Northwest) were used to establish Vernon parish in 1871. Thirty-nine years would pass before LaSalle parish was created from Catahoula in 1910.
Region 7: Northwest.
One of the nine current parishes in Northwest Louisiana were a part of the state’s original 19 jurisdictions. That original parish was Natchitoches.
Claiborne parish was established in 1828, created from a piece of Natchitoches parish. Then came Caddo in 1838, also from a piece of Natchitoches parish.
Three parishes in the Northwest region were created in 1843. DeSoto and Sabine perishes were both created from portions of Caddo and Natchitoches parishes. Bienville parish was created from a part of Claiborne parish.
Two parishes were added in the post-Civil War period. Red River parish came in 1871 and was created from portions of Bienville, Bossier, Caddo and Natchitoches parishes. Webster parish also came in 1871 and was created from portions of Bienville, Bossier and Claiborne parishes.
Region 8: Northeast.
One of the twelve current parishes in Northeast Louisiana were a part of the state’s original 19 jurisdictions. That original parish was Ouachita.
Caldwell and Madison parishes were established in 1838. Catahoula (Central) and Ouachita were partitioned to create Caldwell. Madison was made from parts of Concordia parish (Central). Union parish was created shortly afterwards in 1839, from parts of Ouachita parish.
Franklin and Tensas parishes were established in 1843. Carroll, Catahoula (Central) Madison and Ouachita parishes were partitioned to create Franklin. Tenses was created form parts of Concordia parish (Central).
Morehouse parish was created from parts of Carroll and Ouachita parishes in 1844. Jackson parish was created from parts of Claiborne (Northwest), Ouachita and Union parishes in 1845.
The regions remaining four parishes were established in the post-Civil War period. Carroll, Franklin, Morehouse and Ouachita parishes were partitioned to create Richland parish in 1868. Then came Lincoln parish in 1873. Lincoln was created from parts of Bienville (Northwest), Claiborne (Northwest) Jackson and Union parishes in 1873. Carroll parish was split into East Carroll and West Carroll parishes in 1877.
Region 9: North Shore.
Zero the five parishes currently in Louisiana’s North Shore region were apart of state’s original 19 jurisdictions.
St. Helena and St. Tammany were the first parishes to be established in 1810. Both were created from the West Florida Territory.
Washington parish came about in 1819 and was made up of portion of St. Tammany parish.
Thirteen yeas later Livingston parish was carved out of St Helena in 1832. Tangipahoa was the only North Shore parish to be established in the post-Civil War era. It was created in 1869 and made up of portions of Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany and Washington parishes.
