Jennings, Louisiana
Jennings is a city of 9,553 people in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana, founded in May 2, 1888.
Why visit Jennings
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks, 7 parks and trails, 11 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Strand Theatre, Jennings Post Office and Angelus.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 91°F; January lows average 42°F.
Weather in Jennings
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Jennings
Jennings is a city in and the parish seat of Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana, United States, near Lake Charles. As of the 2020 census, Jennings had a population of 9,837.
From the Wikipedia article Jennings, Louisiana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Strand Theatre
Cinema and theater · National Register of Historic Places
Historic theatre in Jennings, Louisiana, USA
Museums and landmarks8
Jennings Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Building in Jennings, Louisiana, United States
Angelus
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
House in Jennings, Louisiana, USA
Funk House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana
Jennings Carnegie Public Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Carnegie library in Jennings, Louisiana
More Mileage Gas Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic filling station
W.H. Tupper General Merchandise Museum and Children's Telephone Museum
Museum
154 North Main St. LA 70546, Jennings
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Restaurants and cafes11
Babineaux's Cafe'
Restaurant · Regional, Burger, Sandwich · 0.9 mi
1402 Elton Road, Jennings
Mo-Sa 10:30-14:00
Boudin King Restaurant
Restaurant · Regional, Cajun, Boudin, Fried Chicken, Fried Food · 0.6 mi
906 West Division Street, Jennings
Mo-Th 09:00-20:00, Fr-Sa 09:00-20:30
Bourbon Street Cafe
Restaurant · Regional, Burger, Coffee Shop, Sandwich · 1.3 mi
1823 Elton Road, Jennings
Mo-Su 06:00-22:30
Rocket Drive-In
Restaurant · Burger, Sandwich · 0.5 mi
1118 North State Street, Jennings
Mo-Su 09:00-21:45
Waffle House
Diner · American · 1.2 mi
1635 Elton Road, Jennings
24/7
History
Jennings McComb, the town's namesake, was an Irish contractor for the Southern Pacific Railroad. He built the Jennings depot on a divide peculiar to the southwest Louisiana. This became the center of new development based on the railroad. The first settler was recorded as A. D. McFarlain, who came in 1881 from St. Mary Parish and opened a store. McFarlain also became the first rice grower, postmaster, brickmaker, and builder in the community. Prospering with Jennings’ growth, McFarlain was considered one of the town's prominent businessmen and civic leaders.
The Jennings area attracted numerous wheat farmers from Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and other Midwestern states. The new settlers of southwest Louisiana were referred to as "Yankees" by the natives, who were of Acadian French and African-American descent. They had settled along the waterways in the parish, which they had relied on for transportation before the railroad. They fished in the bayous. The Cajuns gave appreciable aid to the settlers in homesteading and homemaking. The people grew rice, cotton, sweet potatoes, and corn.
From the History section of Jennings, Louisiana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship17
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.7 mi
705 South Lake Arthur Avenue, Jennings
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.8 mi
920 South Broadway Street, Jennings
Shopping1
Schools, colleges and libraries11
SOWELA Technical Community College - Morgan Smith Site
School · 0.6 mi
1230 North Main Street, Jennings
Evangeline Elementary School
School · 6.0 mi
1448 Old Evangeline Highway, Evangeline
Healthcare2
Map of Jennings
60 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60°F | 42°F | 6.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 64°F | 45°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 71°F | 52°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 77°F | 58°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 84°F | 66°F | 5.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 88°F | 72°F | 6.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 90°F | 74°F | 5.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 91°F | 73°F | 6.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 88°F | 69°F | 5.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 80°F | 59°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 70°F | 49°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 62°F | 44°F | 4.7 in | 0.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Jennings Hcn (2 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 Davis Parish has had 36 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
Chennault International Airport (CWF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 29 miles away.
- Egan 9 mi east, about 15 min by car
- Crowley 17 mi east, about 27 min by car
- Iowa 21 mi west, about 34 min by car
- Kinder 21 mi northwest, about 34 min by car
- Eunice 23 mi northeast, about 37 min by car
- Rayne 23 mi east, about 38 min by car
- Duson 28 mi east, about 45 min by car
- Church Point 29 mi northeast, about 47 min by car
- Lake Charles 33 mi west, about 53 min by car
- Lafayette 38 mi east, 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
- Jennings LA W. H. Tupper General Merchandise Museum2008, Richard Byrd, CC BY 2.0
- Strand Theatre Jennings Louisiana 2019, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- More Mileage Gas Station Jennings Louisiana 2019, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Jennings Louisiana Carnegie Library 2019, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Jennings Louisiana Former Post Office 2019, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- T C Mahaffey House Jennings Louisiana 2019, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Twitchell House, Jennings, LA, RichBuller, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Angelus Jennings Louisiana 2019, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Jennings, Louisiana 2 (3909000827), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Jennings, Louisiana 3 (3909782640), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Jennings LA Jennings Oil and Gas Exploration Park 01, Richard Byrd, CC BY 2.0
- Jennings LA Jennings Oil and Gas Exploration Park 04, Richard Byrd, CC BY 2.0
- Jennings Louisiana 2015, Charles Henry, CC BY 2.0
- S28571173, NOAA / NODD, Public domain
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