Lafayette, Louisiana

Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette, Louisiana; De Lafayetta en, Louisiane
	City
City of Lafayette
	From upper left: Statue in front of downtown fire station, Oak lined street in the University district, Downtown Lafayette, Louisiana, The Cajundome, and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette quad.
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	Nickname(s): The Hub City
	Motto: The Heart of Cajun Country
	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	Joey Durel (Republican)
Area
• City Total	49.2 sq mi (127 km2)
• Land	49.1 sq mi (127 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0 km2) auto%
• Metro	5,252 sq mi (13,600 km2)
Elevation	36 ft (11 m)
Population (2011)
• City Total	122,130
• Density	2,482.3/sq mi (958.4/km2)
Demonym(s)	Lafayettiens
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	70501–9, 70593, 70596, 70598
Area code(s)	337
Website	www.lafayettela.gov

Lafayette is a city in south central Louisiana. 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.