Charenton, Louisiana
Charenton is a community of 1,440 people in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana.
Why visit Charenton
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks and 1 park or trail in and around town.
Highlights include Chitimacha Museum and Darby House.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; January lows average 44°F.
Weather in Charenton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Charenton
Charenton (historically French: Lieu-des-Chetimachas) is a census-designated place (CDP) in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Charenton had a population of 1,699. It is part of the Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article Charenton, Louisiana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks3
Chitimacha Museum
Museum · 1.6 mi
Saturday admission by appointment only, call at least 2 weeks in advance to set up an appointment. Lunch hour is from 12pm to 1pm....
3289 Chitimacha Trail, Charenton
Mo-Th 09:00-12:00,13:00-16:30; Fr 09:00-11:30
Darby House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Plantation house in Baldwin, Louisiana, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Churches and places of worship6
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.6 mi
3041 Chitamacha Trail, Charenton
Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 2.2 mi
414 Martin Luther King Jr Street, Baldwin
Schools, colleges and libraries9
History
Charenton is home to one community of Chitimacha people. In 1855, the Chitimacha were seriously reduced by yellow fever that struck the region. In 1881, the Chitimacha were located on Grand Lake or Lake Fausse. The census of 1900 listed six families of Chitimacha, with a total of 55 people. During this period, the Chitimacha's land base had continued to decline as reservation land was divided again and again among members unable to pay the annual taxes. As a result, the land was sold. A court divided the last 505 acres (2.04 km2) of the reservation in 1903, but attorney's fees claimed 280 acres (1.1 km2) of it two years later. Answering a plea from the Chitimacha women, Miss Sarah Avery McIlhenney purchased the land at a sheriff's sale in 1915 and immediately ceded it to the federal government who in turn placed the land in trust for the tribe. Federal recognition followed in 1917, and the Chitimacha became the only tribe in Louisiana to achieve such status. This new recognition and the land held in trust could not have come at a better time. World War I and the pressure it placed on oil companies led to exploration in the region and purchase of land there.
From the History section of Charenton, Louisiana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Map of Charenton
19 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63°F | 44°F | 5.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 67°F | 48°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 72°F | 53°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 78°F | 59°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 84°F | 67°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 88°F | 72°F | 7.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 90°F | 74°F | 8.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 74°F | 7.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 87°F | 70°F | 5.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 80°F | 60°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 72°F | 50°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 65°F | 46°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Franklin 3 Nw Hcn (3 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
St. Mary Parish has had 41 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2024-09-16: Hurricane Francine (Hurricane)
- 2024-09-10: Tropical Storm Francine (Hurricane)
- 2023-09-27: Seawater Intrusion (Other)
- 2021-09-13: Tropical Storm Nicholas (Coastal Storm)
- 2021-08-29: Hurricane Ida (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Harry P. Williams Memorial Airport (PTN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 16 miles away.
- Baldwin 2 mi southwest, about 3 min by car
- New Iberia 19 mi northwest, about 31 min by car
- Bayou Vista 20 mi southeast, about 33 min by car
- Berwick 22 mi southeast, about 35 min by car
- Morgan City 24 mi southeast, about 38 min by car
- Cade 27 mi northwest, about 43 min by car
- Broussard 31 mi northwest, about 50 min by car
- Youngsville 32 mi northwest, about 51 min by car
- Abbeville 36 mi west, about 58 min by car
- Lafayette 38 mi northwest, about 1 h by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Francois Opta Darby House, Phrangck15, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.