Lafayette, Louisiana

Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette, Louisiana; Ville de Lafayette, Louisiane
	City
	City of Lafayette
	From upper left: Statue in front of downtown fire station, oak-lined street in the university district, Downtown Lafayette, Cajundome, and University of Louisiana at Lafayette quad.
	Nickname(s): The Hub City, Laffy
	Motto(s): The Heart of Cajun Country
	; Location of Lafayette in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana.
	Location of Lafayette in Louisiana Lafayette, Louisiana (the US)
	Coordinates: 30°13′N 92°2′W / 30.217°N 92.033°WCoordinates: 30°13′N 92°2′W / 30.217°N 92.033°W
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	Lafayette
Founded	1821 as Vermilionville
Renamed	1884 as Lafayette
Founded by	Jean Mouton
Named for	General Gilbert du Motier, Marquis De Lafayette
Government
• Type	Consolidated City-Parish
• City-Parish President	Joel Robideaux (Republican)
Area
• City Total	53.91 sq mi (139.63 km2)
• Land	53.81 sq mi (139.37 km2)
• Water	0.10 sq mi (0.26 km2) auto%
• Metro	5,252 sq mi (13,600 km2)
Elevation	36 ft (11 m)
Population (2010)
• City Total	120,623
• Estimate (2016)	127,626
• Rank	US: 214th
• Density	2,371.75/sq mi (915.74/km2)
• Urban	252,720 (US: 148th)
• Metro	490,488 (US: 108th)
• CSA	627,146 (US: 77th)
Demonym(s)	Lafayettiens
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	70501–9, 70593, 70596, 70598
Area code(s)	337
FIPS code	22-40735
Website	www.lafayettetravel.com

Lafayette is the fourth-largest city in the state of Louisiana (after New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport). The original name was Vermilionville, as which it was founded around 1821. The name Lafayette comes from the name of a French military hero who fought alongside and aided the American Army during American Revolutionary War. In 2010 the population was over one hundred and twenty thousand. The city lies in Lafayette Parish.