Why visit Kinder
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 4 places to eat and 1 place to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Genius Brothers Building.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 91°F; January lows average 39°F.
Weather in Kinder
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Kinder
Kinder is a small town in Allen Parish, Louisiana, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, Kinder had a population of 2,170.
From the Wikipedia article Kinder, Louisiana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks1
Genius Brothers Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Commercial building in Kinder, Louisiana
Restaurants and cafes4
Sonic
Fast food · Burger · 0.9 mi
14004 Highway 165, Kinder
Mo-Th 07:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 07:00-24:00; Su 07:00-23:00
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 0.9 mi
14014 Highway 165, North Kinder
Mo-Fr 08:00-22:00; Sa-Su 09:00-21:00
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship2
History
James A. Kinder, a Union soldier, went south during the Civil War and after the war, he returned to the state, settling first in Rapides Parish in 1870, then moving south to Kinder. He homesteaded a Soldier's Land Grant of 138.77 acres (56.16 ha) and built a home and store where Highway 165 and Highway 190 now intersect. His customers called the store Kinder's Store.
Jabez Bunting Watkins brought the Watkins, Kansas City and Gulf Railroad through Kinder, and purchased Kinder's land in 1892. Kinder moved to Lake Charles.
After buying Kinder's property, JB Watkins brought in a surveyor, John W. Rhorer, to make a plat and lay out town streets for a company town. In 1903, Louisiana Gov. William Heard issued a proclamation declaring the site the Village of Kinder.
Among the first families who came to Kinder, all employees of Watkins Enterprises, were Milton B. McRill, John M. Houston and Philetus Philbrick. McRill joined JB Watkins' venture as a railroad contractor. His job was to build 100 miles (160 km) of railway from Alexandria to Lake Charles. McRill bought lots at the corner of Ninth Street and Fourth Avenue and built the first home in Kinder. McRill, who became one of the early mayors of Kinder, often provided lodging and meals for teachers because he believed strongly in education.
From the History section of Kinder, Louisiana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries3
Healthcare1
Map of Kinder
14 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59°F | 39°F | 6.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 63°F | 43°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 70°F | 50°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 77°F | 56°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 83°F | 64°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 88°F | 70°F | 5.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 90°F | 72°F | 5.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 91°F | 72°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 87°F | 67°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 79°F | 56°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 69°F | 47°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 61°F | 42°F | 5.5 in | 0.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Oberlin Fire Twr (10 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
Allen Parish has had 35 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, 25 miles away.
- Iowa 19 mi southwest, about 31 min by car
- Moss Bluff 24 mi southwest, about 39 min by car
- Egan 26 mi southeast, about 42 min by car
- Lake Charles 29 mi southwest, about 47 min by car
- Crowley 34 mi southeast, about 54 min by car
- Sulphur 35 mi southwest, about 56 min by car
- DeQuincy 35 mi west, about 57 min by car
- Carlyss 37 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
- Church Point 38 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Opelousas 46 mi east, about 1 h 15 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
- 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
- Kinder High School in Kinder, LA IMG 1073, Billy Hathorn at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kinder Building 1, Z28scrambler, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kimder Building 2, Z28scrambler, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.