Why visit Harahan
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 11 places to eat and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Huey P. Long Bridge, Jefferson Performing Arts Center, Camp Parapet and Magnolia Lane Plantation.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 94°F; January lows average 46°F.
Weather in Harahan
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Harahan
Harahan is a city in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; it is a suburb of New Orleans. Its population was 9,116 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Harahan, Louisiana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Huey P. Long Bridge
Bridge · 2.1 mi
Cantilevered steel through truss bridge that carries a two-track railroad line over the Mississippi River at mile 106.1 with three lanes...
Jefferson Performing Arts Center
Cinema and theater · 2.7 mi
Theater in LaSalle Park in Metairie, Louisiana, United States
Museums and landmarks3
Camp Parapet
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Civil War fortification at Shrewsbury, Louisiana, United States
Magnolia Lane Plantation
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Historic house in Louisiana, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes11
Mizu Sushi Bar & Asian Fusion
Restaurant · Japanese · 1.6 mi
5250 Jefferson Highway, Harahan
Tu-Th 11:00-20:30; Fr 11:00-21:30; Sa 12:00-21:00; Su 12:00-20:30
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 1.0 mi
9029 Jefferson Highway, River Ridge
Mo-Fr 09:00-20:00; Sa 10:00-20:00; Su 11:00-20:00
River Ridge Nutrition
Fast food · Juice · 1.3 mi
9401 Jefferson Highway, River Ridge
Mo-Fr 06:30-16:30; Sa-Su 08:00-14:00
History
Harahan occupies land which was once part of the Soniat Plantation. The area was historically known for ideal conditions to use as farming and raising cattle. In the late 1800s, part of the former plantation was used as an experimental farm operated by Southern University and A&M College.
Non-agricultural development began in 1894, when the Illinois Central Railroad (now Canadian National) built a repair yard and roundhouse adjacent to the current city hall. In 1914, the Harahan Land Company, composed of ICRR officials, bought the Southern University tract of land and subdivided it. Residents included railroad workers, river workers and truck farmers. The village of Harahan was incorporated in 1920–named after James Theodore Harahan, the ICRR President.
Prior to the Huey P. Long Bridge being built, Harahan was one of few points on the entire Mississippi River where railcars could cross. The Illinois Central and Southern Pacific Railroads maintained a ferry crossing between Harahan and Avondale to carry their railroad cars across the Mississippi River. To reach this ferry, the rail cars traveled up an incline that brought them over the river levee. The three largest barges in the world, the Mastodon, the Mammoth and El Grande once called Harahan home.
From the History section of Harahan, Louisiana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship16
Jefferson Congregation of Jehovahs Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 0.8 mi
8630 Jefferson Highway, River Ridge
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries47
Jefferson Parish Library - Harahan Branch
Library
219 Soniat Avenue, Harahan
Eleanor Mcmain Secondary School
School · 5.4 mi
5712 South Claiborne Avenue, New Orleans
Emmett C.Gilbert School of Excellence At Ford
School · 2.5 mi
435 South Jamie Boulevard, Avondale
Healthcare1
Map of Harahan
92 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64°F | 46°F | 5.0 in |
| Feb | 68°F | 50°F | 4.1 in |
| Mar | 74°F | 56°F | 4.6 in |
| Apr | 81°F | 62°F | 5.0 in |
| May | 88°F | 69°F | 5.4 in |
| Jun | 92°F | 75°F | 7.4 in |
| Jul | 94°F | 77°F | 8.8 in |
| Aug | 94°F | 77°F | 6.8 in |
| Sep | 90°F | 74°F | 5.7 in |
| Oct | 83°F | 65°F | 3.6 in |
| Nov | 73°F | 55°F | 3.8 in |
| Dec | 66°F | 49°F | 4.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for New Orleans Audubon Hcn (5 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
Jefferson Parish has had 40 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
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- Elmwood 2 mi northeast, about 2 min by car
- Waggaman 2 mi west, about 3 min by car
- River Ridge 2 mi northwest, about 3 min by car
- Avondale 2 mi south, about 4 min by car
- Bridge City 3 mi east, about 4 min by car
- Jefferson 3 mi northeast, about 5 min by car
- Metairie 4 mi north, about 7 min by car
- Westwego 4 mi southeast, about 7 min by car
- Kenner 6 mi northwest, about 10 min by car
- Marrero 6 mi southeast, about 10 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
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
- CampParapet21Jan2008DRView, Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Magnolia Lane Plantation House Posted, Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Huey P. Long Bridge in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana November 2007, Dunncon13 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Real hard worker - panoramio, Wilberg Garmendia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- A mushroom family - panoramio, Wilberg Garmendia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Just hungry - panoramio, Wilberg Garmendia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Stop - panoramio (8), ---=XEON=---, CC BY 3.0
- Huey P. Long Bridge, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana - Panorama of main truss, ---=XEON=---, CC BY 3.0
- Boxcar, WP - 10586639556, Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., CC0
- Avondale LA banner, Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., CC0
- Boxcar, Texas Mexican Railway, Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., CC0
- Covered Hopper, MP (10588543494), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Boxcar, MNS - 10586814146, Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., CC0
- Container Car, SP (10589095176), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Southern Pacific Tank (10588877186), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Caboose, Southern Pacific (10588945383), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- High-Wire Repair - Huey P Long Bridge, Jeff Parish Louisiana, David Brossard, CC BY-SA 2.0
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.