Colfax, Louisiana
Colfax is a town of 1,240 people in Grant Parish, Louisiana, founded in 1869.
Why visit Colfax
Townapedia lists 9 museums and landmarks and 5 parks and trails in and around town.
Highlights include Colfax Jail and Earl Roberts House.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 89°F; January lows average 39°F.
Weather in Colfax
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Colfax
Colfax is a town in and the parish seat of Grant Parish, Louisiana, United States, founded in 1869. Colfax is part of the Alexandria, Louisiana metropolitan area. The largely African American population of Colfax was 1,428 at the 2020 census. The town was the site of the 1873 Colfax massacre.
From the Wikipedia article Colfax, Louisiana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks9
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Colfax Jail
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Historic building in Colfax, Louisiana, United States
Earl Roberts House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
House in Colfax, Louisiana
Ethridge House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
House in Colfax, Louisiana
Hotel Lesage
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Building in Colfax, United States of America
McNeely House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic house in Louisiana, United States
White supremacy monument
Monument and historic site · 0.7 mi
Inscription says - Erected to the memory of the heroes who fell in the Colfax Riot fighting for white supremacy.
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Churches and places of worship3
Saint Joseph Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.9 mi
801 3rd Street, Colfax
Shopping2
History
Colfax is most known for a Reconstruction Era massacre known as the Colfax massacre which took place Easter, April 13, 1873, to quell black voting. One hundred-fifty African Americans and three whites were killed in one of the most egregious acts of terrorism during Reconstruction. A white militia was led against freedmen by Christopher Columbus Nash, who claimed to have been elected sheriff on a Fusionist/Democratic slate. Freedmen were defending Republican officials at the county courthouse and had gathered there as tensions rose in a post-election dispute. A contemporary report by the U.S. military documented the three white fatalities and 105 black victims by name, with 15-20 unidentified blacks found in the Red River. The disproportionate number of deaths between whites and blacks, and documented accounts that at least 50 black prisoners were executed while unarmed and under control of the white militia, 20th-century historians redefined the "riot" as a "massacre". The event is significant because blacks, who comprised the majority in the parish, organized to defend themselves and their political rights and were mass murdered.
From the History section of Colfax, Louisiana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries2
Map of Colfax
22 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56°F | 39°F | 5.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 60°F | 42°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 67°F | 48°F | 5.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 74°F | 56°F | 5.6 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 81°F | 64°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 87°F | 70°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 89°F | 72°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 89°F | 72°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 84°F | 67°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 76°F | 56°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 65°F | 46°F | 5.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 58°F | 41°F | 6.0 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Boyce 3 Wnw (9 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
Grant Parish has had 28 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2024-09-10: Tropical Storm Francine (Hurricane)
- 2021-09-13: Tropical Storm Nicholas (Coastal Storm)
- 2021-08-29: Hurricane Ida (Hurricane)
- 2021-08-27: Tropical Storm Ida (Hurricane)
- 2021-03-09: Severe Winter Storms (Severe Ice Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Alexandria International Airport (AEX) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 16 miles away.
- Boyce 9 mi south, about 15 min by car
- Rock Hill 9 mi southeast, about 15 min by car
- Dry Prong 11 mi northeast, about 17 min by car
- Prospect 13 mi southeast, about 21 min by car
- Ball 19 mi east, about 30 min by car
- Alexandria 21 mi southeast, about 33 min by car
- Pineville 21 mi southeast, about 34 min by car
- Natchitoches 28 mi northwest, about 45 min by car
- Bunkie 49 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Banks Springs 53 mi northeast, about 1 h 30 min 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
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Sources and licences
- 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
- Colfax, LA, City Hall IMG 2383, Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Colfax Jail 01, Jessica Richardson, Public domain
- Ethridge House (Colfax, Louisiana) 01, Donna Fricker, Public domain
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