Rapides Parish, Louisiana

Rapides Parish, Louisiana
Rapides Parish, Louisiana
Parish
	Parish of Rapides
	Upper portion of the Rapides Parish Courthouse in Alexandria
	Flag
	Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana
	Louisiana's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Region	Central Louisiana
Founded	1807
Named for	The local river rapids
Parish seat (and largest city)	Alexandria
Area
• Total	3,530 km2 (1,362 sq mi)
• Land	3,410 km2 (1,318 sq mi)
• Water	110 km2 (44 sq mi)
• percentage	8 km2 (3.2 sq mi)
Population (2020)
• Total	130,023
• Density	37/km2 (95/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code	318
Congressional district	5th
Website	Rapides Parish Police Jury

Rapides Parish (/ˈræpiːdz/) (French: Paroisse des Rapides) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 130,023.^[1] The parish seat is Alexandria, which developed along the Red River of the South.^[2] Rapides is the French word for "rapids". The parish was created in 1807 after the United States acquired this territory in the Louisiana Purchase.^[3]

^ "Census - Geography Profile: Rapides Parish, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
^ "Rapides Parish". Center for Cultural and Eco-Tourism. Retrieved September 6, 2014.