Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is a city of 81,143 people in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, founded in March 7, 1861.
Why visit Lake Charles
Townapedia lists 14 museums and landmarks, 41 parks and trails, 200 places to eat, 37 places to stay and 5 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Calcasieu River Bridge, Cinemark Movie Bistro, Lake Charles Historic District and Calcasieu Parish Courthouse.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 93°F; January lows average 43°F.
Weather in Lake Charles
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Lake Charles
Lake Charles is the fifth-most populous city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the parish seat of Calcasieu Parish, located on the namesake lake, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Founded in 1861 in Calcasieu Parish, it is a major industrial, cultural, and educational center in the southwest region of Louisiana. As of the 2020 U.S. census, Lake Charles's population was 84,872.
From the Wikipedia article Lake Charles, Louisiana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do5
Calcasieu River Bridge
Bridge · 3.4 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Israel LaFleur Bridge
Bridge · 4.2 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Museums and landmarks14
Lake Charles Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Historic district in Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States
Calcasieu Parish Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
Historic building in Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States
Charleston Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Former hotel in Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S.A
Muller's Department Store
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Historic department store in Lake Charles, Louisiana
Cash Grocery and Sales Company Warehouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Imperial Calcasieu Museum
Museum · 1.2 mi
204 West Sallier Street, Lake Charles
Tu,Sa 10:00-14:00; We-Fr 10:00-18:00, Su-Mo off; PH off
2 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds41
Contraband Bayou Golf Club at L'Auberge Du Lac
Golf course · 2.7 mi
777 Avenue L'Auberge, Lake Charles
Cowboy Stadium
Sports field and stadium · 1.8 mi
700 East McNeese St., Lake Charles
Alvin Dark Stadium
Sports field and stadium · 1.6 mi
1450 5th Street, Lake Charles
29 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes200
Cajun's Wharf
Restaurant · American, Cajun · 0.6 mi
3500 Ryan Street, Lake Charles
Mo-Tu 11:00-23:00; We 11:00-24:00; Th, Sa 11:00-24:00; Fr...
Chuck E. Cheese
Restaurant · Pizza · 2.4 mi
3221 East Prien Lake Road, Lake Charles
Su-Th 11:00-20:00; Fr 11:00-21:00; Sa 10:00-21:00
El Tapatio
Restaurant · Mexican · 4.0 mi
1009 North Martin Luther King Highway, Lake Charles
Mo-Sa 10:00-21:00
Leonard's Food Quarters
Restaurant · American, Cajun, Creole · 2.2 mi
1708 Gerstner Memorial Drive, Lake Charles
Mo-Fr 07:00-21:00
Olive Garden
Restaurant · Italian · 2.1 mi
1725 West Prien Lake Road, Lake Charles
Su-Th 11:00-22:00, Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00
Pat's of Henderson
Restaurant · American, Cajun · 2.8 mi
1500 Siebarth Drive, Lake Charles
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-21:30
SHUCKS!
Restaurant · American, Seafood, Cajun · 1.8 mi
1301 Bayou Vue Drive, Lake Charles
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-20:00
Steamboat Bill's Seafood
Restaurant · American, Cajun · 2.7 mi
732 South Martin Luther King Highway, Lake Charles
Su-Th 10:30-21:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-22:00
TaD's Louisiana Cooking
Restaurant · American, Cajun · 0.7 mi
3624 Ryan Street, Lake Charles
Mo-Fr 10:30-22:00; Sa-Su 09:00-22:00
Donald's Donuts
Bakery · Donut · 4.5 mi
1705 North Martin Luther King Highway, Lake Charles
Mo-Fr 05:00-13:00; Sa-Su 05:00-14:00
FUJI Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar
Restaurant · Japanese · 2.4 mi
3235 East Prien Lake Road, Lake Charles
Mo 11:00-14:00,16:30-21:00; Tu-We 16:30-21:00; Th...
188 more on the map.
History
On March 7, 1861, Lake Charles was incorporated as the town of Charleston, named after an early settler, Charles Sallier. On March 16, 1867, Charleston was reincorporated as the City of Lake Charles. The Great Fire of April 1910 devastated much of the city.
Lake Charles soon rebuilt, grew and expanded in the 20th century. The Charleston Hotel was completed in 1929, during the administration of Mayor Henry J. Geary. During and after World War II, Lake Charles experienced industrial growth with the arrival of petrochemical refineries. The city grew to a high of some 75,000 people in the early 1980s, but with local economic recession, the population declined and stagnated. In 1985, the city was identified as a potential Strategic Homeport to support Navy Secretary John Lehman's desire for a 600-ship Navy. Support ships were to be operated from the new Naval Station Lake Charles, but with the tailing-off of the Cold War, the 1988 Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommended it be closed. By 1991, the incomplete base was dropped from the program and shuttered.
In 2005, the city was heavily damaged by Hurricane Rita. In 2020, it was battered by two hurricanes, category 4 Hurricane Laura on August 26–27, and Hurricane Delta on October 9, 2020. Lake Charles after the hurricanes was described as if "20 tornadoes came in and wiped the city".
From the History section of Lake Charles, Louisiana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay37
Golden Nugget Lake Charles Hotel & Casino
Motel and hotel · 3.2 mi
2550 Golden Nugget Boulevard, Lake Charles
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Lake Charles
Motel and hotel · 3.6 mi
402 North Martin Luther King Highway, Lake Charles
Super 8 by Wyndham Lake Charles/Sulphur
Motel and hotel · 0.5 mi
1350 East Prien Lake Road, Lake Charles
Churches and places of worship106
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Church · Roman Catholic · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
935 Bilbo Street, Lake Charles
Church of the Good Shepherd
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 3.2 mi
2031 Opelousas Street, Lake Charles
Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.6 mi
221 Aqua Drive, Lake Charles
Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.5 mi
3939 Lake Street, Lake Charles
Saint Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.7 mi
2500 Enterprise Boulevard, Lake Charles
Saint Martin de Porres Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 4.2 mi
5495 Elliott Road, Lake Charles
Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 2.3 mi
1102 Mill Street, Lake Charles
Shopping37
Gas and EV charging45
Schools, colleges and libraries79
Healthcare25
South Star Urgent Care
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.9 mi
3829 Ryan Street, Lake Charles
Map of Lake Charles
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63°F | 43°F | 5.9 in |
| Feb | 67°F | 47°F | 3.3 in |
| Mar | 73°F | 53°F | 3.7 in |
| Apr | 79°F | 59°F | 4.4 in |
| May | 85°F | 67°F | 5.4 in |
| Jun | 90°F | 74°F | 6.5 in |
| Jul | 92°F | 76°F | 5.7 in |
| Aug | 93°F | 75°F | 6.2 in |
| Sep | 89°F | 71°F | 5.2 in |
| Oct | 82°F | 60°F | 4.8 in |
| Nov | 72°F | 51°F | 4.1 in |
| Dec | 65°F | 45°F | 4.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Lake Charles 72240 (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
Calcasieu Parish has had 34 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)
- 2021-06-02: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Chennault International Airport (CWF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Prien 5 mi southwest, about 8 min by car
- Westlake 5 mi northwest, about 9 min by car
- Moss Bluff 8 mi north, about 12 min by car
- Sulphur 9 mi west, about 14 min by car
- Carlyss 10 mi west, about 15 min by car
- Iowa 12 mi east, about 20 min by car
- Gillis 12 mi north, about 20 min by car
- Hayes 18 mi east, about 29 min by car
- Hackberry 20 mi southwest, about 32 min by car
- Crowley 50 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
- 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
- Zephyr's 20190224 69 Lake Charles, Louisiana, David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- Immaculate Conception - Lake Charles 02, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Charleston Hotel Building, CTtcg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Muller's Lofts, CTtcg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Calcasieu Parish Courthouse, Lake Charles, LA, 25or6to4, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cash Grocery and Sales Company Warehouse, Lake Charles, LA, 25or6to4, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Calcasieu River Bridge, CTtcg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Prien Lake, CTtcg, CC BY-SA 3.0
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