Baton Rouge, Louisiana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| City of Baton Rouge Ville de Bâton Rouge |
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| Nickname: Red Stick | |||
| Motto: Authentic Louisiana at every turn | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Louisiana | ||
| Parish | East Baton Rouge Parish | ||
| Founded | 1699 | ||
| Incorporated | 16 January 1817 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Melvin "Kip" Holden (D) | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 79.1 sq mi (204.8 km²) | ||
| - Land | 76.8 sq mi (198.9 km²) | ||
| - Water | 2.2 sq mi (5.7 km²) 2.81% | ||
| Elevation | 46 ft (14 m) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| - City | 229,661 | ||
| - Density | 2,964.7/sq mi (1,144.7/km²) | ||
| - Metro | 790,000 | ||
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) | ||
| Area code(s) | 225 | ||
| Website: http://www.brgov.com | |||
Baton Rouge (French: Bâton-Rouge pronounced /ˌbætən ˈruːdʒ/ in English, and [bɑtɔ̃ ʀuʒ] in French) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish which contains 430,812 residents. The Greater Baton Rouge population is approximately 790,000.
Baton Rouge is located in the southeast portion of the state along the Mississippi River. It owes its location and its historical importance to its site upon Istrouma Bluff, the first bluff upriver from the Mississippi delta, which protects the city’s 229,661 residents from flooding and other natural disasters. In addition to the natural protection, the city sports a levee system stretching from the bluff southward to protect the riverfront and the southern agricultural areas.
Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, and port center of the American South. The Port of Baton Rouge is the ninth largest in the United States in terms of weight.[1]
The Baton Rouge region, like that of other capital cities in the United States, is called the "Capital Area."
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[edit] History
[edit] Beginnings
Baton Rouge dates back to 1699, when French explorer Sieur d'Iberville leading an exploration party up the Mississippi River saw a reddish cypress pole festooned with bloody animals and fish that marked the boundary between Houma and Bayou Goula tribal hunting grounds. They called the tree "le baton rouge," or red stick. The native name for the site had been Istrouma. From evidence found along the Mississippi, Comite, and Amite rivers, and in three native mounds remaining in the city, archaeologists have been able to date habitation of the Baton Rouge area to 8000 B.C.
[edit] Capital City Progresses
Since European settlement, Baton Rouge has functioned under seven governing bodies: France, England, Spain, Louisiana, the Florida Republic, the Confederate States, and the United States. In the mid-1700s when French-speaking settlers of Acadia in Canada's maritime, were driven into exile by British forces, many took up residence in rural Louisiana. Popularly known as Cajuns, descendants of the Acadians maintained a separate culture that immeasurably enriched the Baton Rouge area. Incorporated in 1817, Baton Rouge became Louisiana's state capital in 1849. Architect James Dakin was hired to design the new Capital building in Baton Rouge, and rather than mimic the federal Capitol Building in Washington, as so many other states had done, he conceived a Neo-Gothic medieval castle overlooking the Mississippi, complete with turrets and crenelations. During the first half of the nineteenth century the city grew steadily as the result of steamboat trade and transportation; at the outbreak of the Civil War the population was 5,500 people. The Civil War halted economic progress but did not actually touch the town until it was occupied by Union forces in 1862. The Confederates gave up Baton Rouge without a fight, deciding to consolidate their forces elsewhere, during which time, the state capital had been moved to Shreveport, but it was returned to Baton Rouge in 1880.
[edit] Modernization
Increased civic-mindedness and the arrival of the Louisville, New Orleans, and Texas Railroad led to the development of more forward-looking leadership, which included the construction of a new waterworks, widespread electrification of homes and businesses, and the passage of several large bond issues for the construction of public buildings, new schools, paving of streets, drainage and sewer improvements, and the establishment of a scientific municipal public health department.By the beginning of the twentieth century, the town had undergone significant industrial development as a result of its strategic location for the production of petroleum, natural gas, and salt. In 1909 the Standard Oil Company built a facility that proved to be a lure for other petrochemical firms. The New Louisiana State Capitol was built in 1932 by Huey P. Long and signaled the eventual growth of the city. Throughout World War II, these plants increased production for the war effort and contributed to the growth of the city.
[edit] Today
In the 1950s and 1960s, Baton Rouge experienced a boom in the petrochemical industry, causing the city to expand away from the original center, resulting in the modern suburban sprawl. In recent years, however, government and business have begun a move back to the central district. A building boom that began in the 1990s continues today, with multi million dollar projects for quality of life improvements and new construction happening all over the city. In the 2000s, Baton Rouge has proven to be one of the fastest growing cities in the South, in population and technology. Baton Rouge is now one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the U.S. (under 1 million), with 600,000 in 2000 and 770,000+ since 2000. Aside from politics, there is also a vibrant mix of cultures found throughout Louisiana, thus forming the basis of the city motto: "Authentic Louisiana at every turn".[2]
[edit] Crime
With the exception of murder, all other major crimes reported to Baton Rouge police in 2007 were down compared with 2006, according to statistics released in January 2008. Compared with 2006, the number of major crimes in 2007 dropped 8 percent, statistics show. Crimes against people — murder, rape, robbery and assault — fell 12 percent compared with 2006. Crimes against property — burglary, larceny, arson and motor vehicle theft — declined 7 percent. The number of people killed each year in the city between 2000 and 2006 has ranged from 100 to 150 but murder rose 29 percent from 121 in 2006 to 152 last year. The number of murders in 2007 is two shy of a 1993 high of 190.[3]
[edit] Geography and climate
Baton Rouge is located at (30.458090, -91.140229).[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 79.1 square miles (204.8 km²), of which, 76.8 square miles (199.0 km²) of it is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²) of it (2.81%) is water.
Baton Rouge along with Tallahassee, FL and Austin, TX is one of the southernmost capital cities in the lower 48 United States.
[edit] Climate
Baton Rouge is humid-subtropical, with mild, short, wet, and somewhat warm winters and long, hot, humid, wet summers.
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures | ||||||||||||
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec High °F (°C) | 84 (28.8) | 85 (29.4) | 91 (32.7) | 92 (33.3) | 98 (36.6) | 103 (39.4) | 101 (38.3) | 105 (40.5) | 104 (40) | 94 (34.4) | 87 (30.5) | 85 (29.4) |
| Norm High °F (°C) | 60 (15.5) | 63.9 (17.7) | 71 (21.6) | 77.3 (25.2) | 84 (28.8) | 89.2 (31.7) | 90.7 (32.6) | 90.9 (32.7) | 87.4 (30.7) | 79.7 (26.5) | 70.1 (21.2) | 62.8 (17.1) |
| Norm Low °F (°C) | 40.2 (4.5) | 43.1 (6.2) | 49.6 (9.7) | 55.8 (13.2) | 64.1 (17.8) | 70.2 (21.2) | 72.7 (22.6) | 71.9 (22.2) | 67.5 (19.7) | 56.4 (13.5) | 47.9 (8.8) | 42.1 (5.6) |
| Rec Low °F (°C) | 9 (-12.7) | 15 (-9.4) | 20 (-6.6) | 32 (0) | 44 (6.6) | 53 (11.6) | 58 (14.4) | 58 (14.4) | 43 (6.1) | 30 (-1.1) | 21 (-6.1) | 8 (-13.3) |
| Precip in. (mm) | 6.19 (157.2) | 5.1 (129.5) | 5.07 (128.8) | 5.56 (141.2) | 5.34 (135.6) | 5.33 (135.4) | 5.96 (151.4) | 5.86 (148.8) | 4.84 (122.9) | 3.81 (96.8) | 4.76 (120.9) | 5.26 (133.6) |
| Source: USTravelWeather.com [1] | ||||||||||||
[edit] Disasters
Baton Rouge rarely suffers from natural disasters. Earthquakes are very rare (unlike farther north up the Mississippi River). The Mississippi River poses little threat to the highly populated sections of the city because Baton Rouge is built on natural bluffs at higher elevations than the river. However, the outlying areas near the Amite and Comite rivers are very easily flooded if already saturated by previous precipitation. Baton Rouge rarely sees tornadoes and storm surges are impossible because of its distance inland.
While hurricanes often affect the area, they rarely hit Baton Rouge at their full force due to the inland location. Instead, due to the projection of the Louisiana peninsula into the Gulf of Mexico, storms tend to hit that part of the state then steer northward. Storms that head on a more westerly route tend to upswing sharply, angling more toward the western coastal areas, from Morgan City to the Acadiana parishes. The last hurricane to threaten the city with a direct hit was Hurricane Andrew in 1992, which missed the city and took a direct path through the Atchafalaya Basin, some forty miles west of the city. Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita in 2005 followed this pattern as well, with Katrina veering east to New Orleans and eastward and Rita striking the Lake Charles, Louisiana area and the state's western border with Texas.
[edit] Economy
Baton Rouge is the farthest inland port that can process deep ocean tankers and cargo carriers. Baton Rouge is where those ships transfer their load (grain, crude, cars, containers) onto rail and pipeline to travel either east-west or onto a barge to move good north-south. Deep draft vessels cannot pass the old Huey Long Bridge because it is too low, and the river gets shallow near Port Hudson.[5]
Baton Rouge's biggest industry is in petrochemicals. ExxonMobil has the second largest refinery in the country here and among the top 10 in the world. It also has rail, highway, pipeline, and deep water access.[6] Dow Chemical has a large plant in Iberville Parish near Plaquemine.[7] NanYa Plastics has a large facility in North Baton Rouge that makes PVC and CPVC pipes. Shaw Construction, Turner, and Harmony all got started by working construction projects at these plants.
| Top Employers | as of 2008 |
|---|---|
| Company | Employees |
| Turner Industries | 8,525 |
| Louisiana State University | 5,600 |
| ExxonMobil Chemical Co. | 4,275 |
| The Shaw Group | 4,243 |
| Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center | 4,009 |
| Baton Rouge General Medical Center | 3,000 |
| Ochsner Clinic Foundation | 2,000 |
| Women's Hospital | 1,982 |
| Southern University | 1,800 |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana | 1,525 |
| Major Companies in Baton Rouge |
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| Lamar Advertising |
| The Shaw Group (Fortune 500 Company) |
| Amedisys |
| Piccadilly Cafeterias |
| Community Coffee |
| Albemarle Corporation |
| Raising Cane's |
Being the state capitol and the parish seat, the largest employer in Baton Rouge is the government, which recently consolidated all branches of the state government downtown in a complex called "Capitol Park".[8]
The research hospitals of Our Lady of the Lake, Earl K. Long, as well as an emerging medical corridor at Essen Lane/Summa Avenue/Bluebonnet Boulevard that is poised to become an area similar to that of the Texas Medical Center.
Due to state and local tax credits for the film industry, Baton Rouge is positioning itself as "Hollywood South" along with Shreveport and New Orleans. The new Celtic Media Centre, which is Louisiana's first and only full service studio/sound stage, along with two other planned studios are being built to meet the needs of this growing industry.[9]
[edit] Demographics
| City of Baton Rouge Population by year [2] |
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| 1850 | 3,905 |
| 1900 | 11,269 |
| 1940 | 49,654 |
| 1950 | 125,629 |
| 1960 | 152,419 |
| 1970 | 165,963 |
| 1980 | 220,394 |
| 1990 | 219,531 |
| 2000 | 227,818 |
| 2007 | 229,663 |
As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 227,818 people, 88,973 households, and 52,672 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,964.7 people per square mile (1,144.7/km²). There were 97,388 housing units at an average density of 1,267.3/sq mi (489.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 50.02% African American, 45.70% White, 0.18% Native American, 2.62% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.49% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.72% of the population.
-Due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 many agencies predict the local Hispanic/Latino population to double over the next several years as the rebuilding boom across the state continues.
There were 88,973 households out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.8% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 17.5% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,368, and the median income for a family was $40,266. Males had a median income of $34,893 versus $23,115 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,512. About 18.0% of families and 24.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.4% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Cityscape
[edit] Tallest Buildings
Baton Rouge currently has several towers in the works. One project includes a 12 story office, another a 30+ story condominium tower to be the first towers built downtown in two decades.
| Name | Stories | Height |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana State Capitol (tallest state capitol building in the U.S.) | 34 | 460 ft (140 m) |
| RiverPlace Condominiums (groundbreaking Spring 2008) | 30+ | |
| One American Place | 24 | 310 ft (94 m) |
| JPMorgan Chase Tower | 21 | 277 ft (84 m) |
| Riverside Tower North | 20 | 229 ft (70 m) |
| Marriott Hotel Baton Rouge | 22 | 224 ft (68 m) |
| Catholic-Presbyterian Apartments | 14 | |
| Dean Tower | 14 | |
| Two City Plaza (under construction) | 12 | |
| Galvez Office Building | 12 | |
| Kirby Smith Hall (LSU) | 13 | |
| Memorial Tower (LSU) | 175 ft (52m) | |
| Saint Joseph's Cathedral | 165 ft (50m) | |
| Louisiana State Office Building | 12 | 160 ft (49 m) |
| Jacobs Plaza | 13 | 144 ft (44 m) |
| Bluebonnet Towers (2 residential towers and one to be renovated into a Renaissance Hotel) | 12 | |
| LaSalle Office Building | 12 | |
| Shaw Plaza | 12 | |
| Wooddale State Office Building | 12 | |
| Hilton Capitol Center | 11 | 132 ft (40 m) |
| 19th Judicial District Court Building(under construction) | 12 | |
| Sheraton Baton Rouge Convention Center Hotel | 10 | 125 ft (38 m) |
[edit] Neighborhoods
Baton Rouge has many neighborhoods both inside and outside the city limits:
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[edit] Culture
- See also: Notable inhabitants of Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge is the middle ground of South Louisiana cultures, having a mix of Cajun and Creole Catholics and Baptists of the Florida Parishes and South Mississippi. It is also a college town with college students from Baton Rouge Community College, Louisiana State University, and Southern University who make up approximately 20% of the city population. In addition, there's a sizable international population of about 11,300, the largest of which are people of Hispanic or Vietnamese descent. Due to this, Baton Rouge has come to have its own unique culture as well as be a representation of many different heritages.[11]
[edit] Arts and Theater
Baton Rouge has an expanding visual arts scene, which is centered downtown. This increasing collection of venues is anchored by the Shaw Center for the Arts.[12] Opened in 2005, this award winning facility houses the Brunner Gallery, LSU Museum of Art, the Manship Theatre, a contemporary art gallery, traveling exhibits, and several eateries. Another prominent facility is the Louisiana Art and Science Museum.[13] Also known as LASM, it contains Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, traveling art exhibits, space displays, and an ancient Egyptian section. Several smaller art galleries offering a range of local art are scattered throughout the city.
There is also an emerging performance arts scene. The Baton Rouge Little Theater, Baton Rouge River Center, and Manship Theatre mostly host traveling shows, including broadways, musical artists, and plays.[14][15] Other venues include Reilly Theater which is home to Swine Palace, a non-profit professional theater company associated with the Louisiana State University Department of Theatre.
[edit] Events
- See also: List of Events in Baton Rouge
Many events take place throughout the year, the biggest of which is Mardi Gras. Each March Baton Rouge host many Mardi Gras parades, the largest one being held in historic Spanish Town. Other festivals include FestforAll, Louisiana Earth Day, Mardi Gras season, Pennington Balloon Festival, the St. Patrick's Day Parade, and Red Stick International Animation Festival.[16]
[edit] Media
The major daily newspaper is The Advocate, publishing since 1925. Prior to October 1991, Baton Rouge also had an evening newspaper, The State-Times -- at that time, the morning paper was known as "The Morning Advocate." Other publications include: 225, LSU Daily Reveille, Tiger Weekly, Southern University Digest, Greater Baton Rouge Business Report, and the South Baton Rouge Journal. Other newspapers in East Baton Rouge Parish include the Central City News and the Zachary Post.
Greater Baton Rouge area is well served by television and radio. The market is the 94th largest Designated Market Area (DMA) in the U.S., serving 317,550 homes and 0.282% of the U.S.[17] Major television network affiliates serving the area include:
Baton Rouge also offer local cable only channels on Cox Cable. Metro 21 and channel 21, Cox 4 on channel 4, and Catholic Life on channel 15.
[edit] Sports
Baton Rouge is a city that is heavily into college sports. The LSU Tigers and the Southern University Jaguars are the two most popular teams and provide the city's biggest entertainment each football season. The teams' dominance of the city's sports scene is distinguished by the numerous shops and restaurants around town that sell and display memorabilia. College baseball, basketball, and gymnastics are also popular.[18][19]
The city also has a minor league soccer team, the Capitals, who play in the PDL[20] (Premier Development League). Currently, the team plays their home games in Olympia Stadium.[21]
[edit] Tourism and Recreation
- See also: Points of Interest of Baton Rouge
There are many architectural points of interest in Baton Rouge, ranging from antebellum to modern. The neo-gothic Old Louisiana State Capitol was originally built in the 1890's as the first state house in Baton Rouge and was latter replaced by the 450 feet (137 m) tall, art-deco New Louisiana State Capitol which finished was the tallest building in the South. Several plantation homes in the area such as Magnolia Mound Plantation House, Myrtles Plantation, and Nottoway Plantation showcase architecture during the antebellum era.
The Louisiana State University has over 250 buildings done in the style of Italian Renaissance,has one of the nation's largest college stadiums, and is endowed with many live oaks. Several up and coming examples of modern and contemporary buildings are located downtown and include the Louisiana State Museum.[22][23] A number of structures, including the Baton Rouge River Center, Louisiana State Library, LSU Student Union, Louisiana Naval Museum, Bluebonnet Swamp Interpretive Center, Louisiana Arts and Sciences Center, Louisiana State Archives, and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, were designed by the Baton Rouge architect John Desmond.
Museums around town offer a variety of genres. The Louisiana State Museum and the Old Louisiana State Capitol Museum display information on state history and have any interactive exhibits. The Shaw Center for the Arts showcase art exhibits along with Louisiana Art and Science Museum. LASM also includes science exhibits and a planetarium. Other museums include LSU Museum of Natural Science and USS Kidd.
Baton Rouge has an extensive park collection run through BREC. The largest park is City Park near LSU and is current undergoing a complete remodeling. The Baton Rouge Zoo is run through BREC and includes 1800+ species.[24]
Other things to include shopping at the Mall at Cortana and the Mall of Louisiana (Louisiana's two largest malls), a trip to the local amusement parks of Blue Bayou and Dixie Landin', or dining at any number of the revered Louisiana cuisine restaurants.
[edit] Education
The Baton Rouge Area contains 12 public school districts-Ascension, Baker, Central Community, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, West Baton Rouge, West Feliciana, and Zachary. School districts in the region provide opportunities for advanced learning through Gifted and Academic Magnet programs and tailored programs in music, visual arts, and dramatic arts. Additionally, the Capital Region is home to four of the top ten performing districts in the state.
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, generally known as Louisiana State University or LSU, is a public, coeducational university that is the main campus of the Louisiana State University System. LSU includes nine senior colleges and three schools, in addition to specialized centers, divisions, institutes, and offices. Enrollment stands at more than 32,000 students, and there are 1,300 full-time faculty members. LSU is also one of twenty-one American universities designated as a land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant research center. [2] In order to reverse decades of underfunding, the university recently launchedan ambitious fundraising drive called the "Forever LSU" campaign.
Southern University and A&M College is a comprehensive institution offering two associate degree programs, 42 bachelor degree programs, 19 master degree programs, and five doctoral programs. The University is part of the only historically black Land Grant university system in the United States. Southern became a land-grant school in 1890, and an Agricultural and Mechanical department was established.The University offers programs of study ranging from associate degree to doctoral and professional degrees. Southern University also provides opportunities for students to do internships and summer assignments in industry and with the federal government.
Baton Rouge Community College is an open admissions, two-year post-secondary public community college, established on June 28, 1995 and settled into a permanent location in 1998. The 60-acre campus consists of five main buildings: Governors Building, Louisiana Building, Cypress Building, Bienvenue Building (student center), and the Magnolia Library Building. The college's current enrollment is more than 6,000 students.The curricular offerings include courses and programs leading to transfer credits, certificates and associate degrees.[25]
[edit] Infrastructure
[edit] Health and Medicine
Baton Rouge is served by a number of hospitals and clinics:
- Baton Rouge Clinic - 7373 Perkins Road
- Baton Rouge General Medical Center Mid-City - 3600 Florida Boulevard
- Baton Rouge General Medical Center Bluebonnet - 8585 Picardy Avenue
- Benton Rehabilitation Hospital - 7660 Convention Street
- Earl K. Long Medical Center (LSUMC) - 5825 Airline Highway
- HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital - 8595 United Plaza Boulevard
- HealthSouth Surgi-Center - 5222 Brittany Drive
- Lane Memorial Hospital – Zachary, Louisiana.
- Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Treatment Center - 4950 Essen Lane
- Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center - 5000 Hennessy Boulevard
- Ochsner Medical Center - 1700 Medical Center Drive
- Sage Integra Hospital Baton Rouge, a rehabilitation hospital - 8225 Summa Avenue
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - 7777 Hennessy Boulevard
- Surgical Specialty Centre 8080 Bluebonnet Blvd
- Vista Surgical Hospital(LSU Health System Surgical Facility) - 9032 Perkins Road
- Womans Hospital - 9050 Airline Highway
[edit] Utilities
Electricity services for Baton Rouge are provided by Entergy, and DEMCO. Waste pickup is provided by Allied Waste Services, formally BFI.
[edit] National Guard
Baton Rouge is home station to the 769th Engineer Battalion a units that has recently had units deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. The armory located near the Baton Rouge Airport houses three company sized units. These are: 769th HSC (headquarters support company); 769th FSC (forward support company); and the 927th Sapper Company. Other units of the battalion are located at Napoleonville (928th Sapper Company); Baker, Louisiana (926th MAC mobility augmentation company); and Gonzales, Louisiana (922nd Horizontal Construction Company).
The 769th Engineer Battalion is part of the 225th Engineer Brigade which is headquartered in Pineville, Louisiana at Camp Beauregard. There are four engineer battalions and an independent bridging company in the 225th Engineer Brigade which makes it the largest engineer group in the US Army Engineer Corps.
[edit] Transportation
[edit] Highways
Baton Rouge is connected by the following major routes: I-10 (Capital City Expressway via the Horace Wilkinson Bridge), I-12 (Republic of West Florida Parkway), I-110 (Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway), Airline Highway (US 61), Florida Boulevard (US 190) (via the Huey P. Long Bridge), Greenwell Springs Road (LA 37), Plank Road/22nd Street (LA 67), Burbank Dr. & Highland Rd.(LA 42), Nicholson Drive (LA 30), Jefferson Highway (LA 73), Louisiana Highway 1 (LA 1) and Scotland/Baker/Zachary Highway (LA 19). The business routes of US 61/190 run west along Florida Blvd. from Airline Hwy. to River Road downtown. The routes also run along River Rd., Chippewa Street and Scenic Highway from Chippewa to Airline. US 190 joins US 61 on Airline Hwy from Florida Blvd. to Scenic Hwy, where the two highways split. US 190 continues westward on Airline to the Huey P. Long Bridge while US 61 heads north on Scenic Highway.
[edit] Airport
The metropolitan area is served by the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, located in north area of Baton Rouge, between city and the suburb of Baker. The airport is currently going through an expansion to improve its facilities and better compete with other markets.
[edit] Buses
Public transit by bus is provided by the Capitol Area Transit System.[26] CATS offer 17 routes that provide transportation to various parts of the city. CATS operates a special trolley that run for free in the downtown area.
LA Swift is a bus service that provides transportation between Baton Rouge, New Orleans, with stops in Sorrento & LaPlace
A circumferential loop freeway has been proposed for the greater Baton Rouge metro area due to increasing congestion on the existing through-town freeways and the lack of a freeway quality bypass. The proposed loop would pass through the outlying parishes of Livingston, Ascension, West Baton Rouge, and Iberville, as well as northern East Baton Rouge Parish.
[edit] Sister cities
Aix-en-Provence, France
Cordoba, Mexico
Taichung, Taiwan
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
After a visit to the Republic of China (Taiwan), Mayor-President Kip Holden unveiled plans to pursue a sister city agreement with a second Taiwanese city, Taipei.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Top 25 Water Ports by Weight: 2004 (Million short tons). Freight Facts and Figures 2006. Federal Highway Administration (November 2006). Retrieved on 2007-08-18.
- ^ Baton Rouge: History. Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
- ^ Most crimes fall in 2007
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Port of Greater Baton Rouge. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
- ^ Exxon Mobil Refinery. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
- ^ DowChemicals. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
- ^ Capitol Park. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
- ^ Celtic Media Centre. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Races in Baton Rouge on City-Data.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
- ^ Shaw Center for the Arts. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
- ^ Louisiana Arts and Science Museum. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
- ^ Baton Rouge River Center. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
- ^ Baton Rouge Little Theater. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
- ^ Forum with list of events. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
- ^ Nielsen Reports 1.1% increase in U.S. Television Households for the 2006-2007 Season. Nielson Media Research, August 23, 2006.
- ^ Louisiana State University Sports. Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
- ^ Southern Jaguars. Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
- ^ Premier Development League
- ^ BR Capitals.com
- ^ Louisiana State University. Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
- ^ Louisiana State Museum. Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
- ^ The Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge. Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
- ^ Baton Rouge Area Education. Retrieved on 2008-06-05.
- ^ Capitol Area Transit System
[edit] External links
- Official Baton Rouge Government Web Site
- Baton Rouge Retrospective: history in photographs and postcards
[edit] Authorities
[edit] News sources
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana is at coordinates Coordinates:
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