Map of Washington town, Louisiana

Washington is a village in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 742 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Opelousas–Eunice Micropolitan Statistical Area. Washington was the largest inland port between New Orleans and St. Louis for much of the 19th century.

Washington town overview:
Name:	Washington town
LSAD Code:	43
LSAD Description:	town (suffix)
State:	Louisiana
County:	St. Landry Parish
Elevation:	46 ft (14 m)
Total Area:	0.85 sq mi (2.20 km²)
Land Area:	0.83 sq mi (2.14 km²)
Water Area:	0.02 sq mi (0.06 km²)
Total Population:	742
Population Density:	897.22/sq mi (346.23/km²)
Area code:	337
FIPS code:	2279870

Online Interactive Map

Click on to view map in "full screen" mode.

Washington online map. Source: Basemap layers from Google Map, Open Street Map (OSM), Arcgisonline, Wmflabs. Boundary Data from Database of Global Administrative Areas.

Washington location map. Where is Washington town?

Washington location on the U.S. Map. Where is Washington town. — Washington location on the U.S. Map.

Washington location on the Louisiana map. Where is Washington town. — Location of Washington in Louisiana.

History

During the American Civil War, some of Union General Nathaniel P. Banks’ forces occupied several towns in the region, including Washington, which was then larger than the parish seat of Opelousas. Banks’ men stripped the towns of supplies of all kinds, including food, livestock, cotton, and other trade goods; the total of the good was estimated at more than ten million dollars.

After the war, there was extensive white resistance to the emancipation and enfranchisement of former slaves or freedmen. Some insurgents based in Opelousas formed the Seymour Knights, a unit of the Knights of the White Camellia. In the fall of 1868 before the election, white Democrats in Washington rejected African Americans who sought to join their political party, and the Seymour Knights physically drove the blacks out of the city.

A series of events followed in which blacks marched on Opelousas and 29 men were captured. All but two were executed without trial, and whites rampaged against blacks in the parish seat and surrounding area, killing an estimated 50 to 200-300 African Americans, in what is known as the Opelousas Massacre.

Speed trap

Washington has a reputation of being a speed trap; that is, a town where traffic laws are enforced extremely strictly as a means of generating revenue. A 2007 report from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor found that more than 50% of the town’s revenue came from traffic-related fines in the 2005 fiscal year. It was one of 15 such towns. In 2009, then-mayor Joseph Pitre told The Advocate newspaper that he believed the town had collected between $700,000-$800,000 from speeding tickets yearly.

In 2014, State Representative Alan Seabaugh targeted Washington as the most “notorious” speed trap in the state. He obtained approval of the House Transportation Committee to allow enforcement of traffic laws only if a community had incorporated at least one-half mile of land that extends to each side of an interstate highway, excluding overpasses and ramps. At the time, Seabaugh reported receiving many complaints from constituents in Shreveport as well as out-of-state drivers who have been ticketed for speeding only slightly over the legal limit.

Washington Road Map

Washington city Satellite Map

Geography

Washington is located at 30°36′52″N 92°3′30″W / 30.61444°N 92.05833°W / 30.61444; -92.05833 (30.614428, -92.058363).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km), of which 0.9 square miles (2.3 km) is land and 1.15% is water.